Replacing Some Amazing Cards

 I decided to revisit and update one of my completed projects recently, my Album of Amazing. There were some cards in that album that I wasn't happy with. Sure, they're great cards, but I feel that there were other cards out there more deserving to be part of the album. This past week I purchased 7 new cards to add to the album. Without further adieu, here they are.

Daniel Corcino Auto

I picked this card up a few months back and was waiting until today to show it off. Did you know that on June 17, 2012 Corcino, along with pitcher Wilkin De La Rosa threw the first no-hitter in the history of the Reds Double A Team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos? Corcino also had a stint with the Wei Chuan Dragons of the Chinese Professional Baseball League in 2021. I love that Corcino is sporting the St. Patrick's uniform on this card. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Half empty or half full?

It's always nice to know as a collector that once you hit the halfway mark of a set or any other goal you set out to achieve that once you hit the halfway mark then it should be all downhill from there. Of course, more often than not, collecting is like running a marathon. You have to be in it for the long haul and while it can be daunting at times and seem nearly impossible, once you acquire that last card then you realize the accomplishment you've achieved. Today, I crossed the halfway mark on my Votto Parallel Universe project. I now have 45 of the 90 cards I'm chasing for this project. Card number 45 is this 2019 Topps Chrome Indigo box topper numbered out of 150. I'm not sure what number in the print run it is since I still need to receive it in the mail, but it's definitely a nice card and can't wait for it to arrive. I also don't have all the photos listed on the project page since they're currently in my COMC inventory and I don't want to use a picture with their watermark on it. I'll be content to wait until I have those in hand before I post those pictures. It's been a fun project to tackle so far and I can't wait to see what other Votto cards I can add to this.

Glad There's Only One!

For the past couple of years Topps had a tendency of including two or more Reds short prints in their series 1 release. That made it a pain to try and track those down for my Reds Team sets just because they normally set me back $20 or more a piece. That adds up after a while. Don't even get me started on the super short prints. Luckily, this year Topps only had one Reds short print included but it was a doozy since Votto has had a resurgence among some collectors and the price of his cards have gone up considerable...even for new release product. Thankfully I know have this card in hand and won't have to worry about trying to track down any more short prints until series 2 is released. Of course, the way things are going with the players and the owners right now I wonder if there will be a series 2.

Looking Back and Forging Ahead

I'm a little late on this post considering that the new year began six days ago. Better late than never I suppose. I made some progress with my collection in 2021 including a rebuild of the 2015 Topps Update All Star Stitches and Joey Votto rookie projects. I still regret getting rid of that set and those rookie cards but it's been fun to tackle these projects all over again. That being said, I'm down to needing only eight more relic cards to complete the Stitches set and I only need three more Votto rookies before I can consider that project complete. I also picked up about a dozen cards from my 1991 Stadium Club proof set and I can now say that I'm less than 200 cards shy of wrapping up that set build. As for my Reds Team sets, I only acquired the 2021 Topps flagship and update sets. Thankfully I was able to get all the short prints that were part of this year's release but I didn't make a dent in my vintage want list. I also started a new project, my Votto Parallel Universe collection. Out of a waitlist of 90 cards I acquired 30 cards for this project. Not a bad start. In addition, I grabbed a few more remaining cards from the autograph portion of Topps' 2011 Gypsy Queen leaving me with two cards still to acquire (Aaron and Koufax). Finally, I was able to pick up a few more cards for my 2015 Topps Strata Shadowbox collection.

So, what's in store this year? I'm hoping I can complete my 2015 Topps Update All Star Stitches set. That shouldn't be too difficult since there are only eight cards I need to track down. I'm also aiming to acquire the last few Reds cards I need from 1951 Bowman. I also plan on crossing the sixty card threshold for my Votto Parallel Universe project and track down a few more Strata Shadowbox cards (at least two more to put me past the halfway point). I'm also hoping to add at least sixty more Pete Rose cards to my Rose PC as well as acquire as many 1991 Stadium Club proof cards as I can from my waitlist. I know it's a bit ambitious but I think I can get reach these goals. We'll see. Have a great year everyone!

Phil Ervin Autograph

I picked up this Phil Ervin autograph today on COMC for $1.75. I'll gladly pay that for someone who was with the Reds organization for three seasons. Did you know that Phil Ervin made his first career start at Wrigley Field on August 17, 2017 and went 3-4 with a home run and 4 RBIs? 

Drew Stubbs Autograph

I recently picked up this Topps National Chicle Drew Stubbs autograph to add to my Reds autograph binder. Did you know that Drew Stubbs hit a game-winning triple for Team USA in the gold medal game against Japan at the 2004 FISU II World University Baseball Championship. He also had 110 stolen bases for his four seasons with the Reds.