It Took 20 Years, But I Finally Completed It!

Last week while I was out of town I got a notification on my phone from one of my saved searches on eBay that this card was FINALLY listed. This was the first time I had ever seen this card listed and luckily it was still there when I went to the site. This was the last card I needed to complete the 2003 Fleer Authentix set. In addition to the base set I also completed the Ballpark Classic, Game Bat, Game Jersey, Game of the Week, Hometown Heroes and Ticket Studs insert sets. I also grabbed one autograph of each player that signed in the set (Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter and Nolan Ryan). Finally, I was able to get the two promo cards that were given away at that year's All-Star Fan Fest. I did not chase after the base parallel sets nor did I pursue the "unripped" Game Bat, Game Jersey and Game of the Week inserts since they were identical to the other inserts with the exception of a low print run and barcode at the bottom of those cards. I'm happy that my perseverance finally paid off and that this set is finally completed.

Adding a Yankee Shadowbox Signature to the Collection

Two weeks ago a 2015 Topps Strata Shadowbox Mark Teixeira popped up on eBay for the first time in quiet awhile. Unfortunately, I waited too long to make the purchase and it slipped away from me. Fast forward to last night and another 2015 Topps Strata Shadowbox Teixeira appeared on eBay. I sent the seller an offer and they accepted. While I'm not a Yankee fan, I did need this card for my Strata Shadowbox Signature project that now stands at seventeen cards. The last seven are going to be brutal to try and track down but if I have enough patience maybe they'll eventually show up just like this Teixeira did.....twice in two weeks.

Micah Owings Autograph

Did you know that Micah Owings is the first pitcher with four hits, four runs and six RBIs in the same game? He did so against the Braves on August 18, 2007.

The Great and Powerful Oz!

It's been over a year since I've been able to track down a card for my 2015 Topps Strata Shadowbox project mainly due to the fact that these don't come up for sale very often. Luckily I found this card listed this past Saturday night for a reasonable price on eBay and decided to grab it. This is the 16th Shadowbox Signature card I've acquired for this set build which leaves me with tracking down 8 more cards. I'm very happy that I've crossed the two thirds threshold for this set but I know that acquiring those remaining eight cards is going to be a challenge especially considering two of those cards are Bo Jackson and Ichiro Suzuki.

Where Things Stand

 It's been a few months since I've posted to the blog. I haven't stopped collecting but I haven't been too involved in the hobby either. I was able to get the last three cards I needed for my 2018 Topps Olympic podium variation set so I guess that's a win. That being said, the majority of my funds have been going towards a new endeavor. I've been bitten by the vinyl bug and have been acquiring used records from a record shop that's opened up here in my neck of the woods. I've found it hard to say no to a copy of Pink Floyd's Animals for $6 or The Beatles White Album for $10. It's very relaxing for me to sit down in my basement and put on a record while drinking a beer and just listening to music. 

So, where does that leave the blog? I'll probably try to finish up my 1951 Bowman Reds team set this year and acquire about a dozen more Reds autographs for my binder but that's about it. I will probably wrap everything up by the end of this year at which time I'll retire the blog. I'll keep purchasing the Reds sets as long as Topps keeps releasing their flagship line, but it's not enough really to post once a year. I've collected almost everything I've ever wanted in the hobby and I'm content with what I have. After all, for me there needs to come a time where I say "My collection is complete" and I'm almost to that point.

Jumping the Shark

Since 2010 I've been collecting short prints and on the rare occasion the dreaded super short prints as part of my yearly Topps Reds team sets. With the exception of about 3 or 4 cards, I've been able to diligently acquire those photo variations or veteran cards to my collection without any issues. This year, however, is a different story. When I read that Topps (Fanatics) decided to release a super short print of every base card that's included in this year's set I knew that this was too much. Take the above Joey Votto card. I've seen that card listed for about $140 on eBay. Lesser Reds I've seen for $40 or more. Just to track down those gold photo ssp cards and add them to my collection would cost me at least $500 or more. No thanks Topps. You've officially entered the realm of Arthur Fonzarelli on waterskis jumping over aquatic predators. I've acquired the Reds base cards I need from this year's flagship release thus far and I'm content. Who knows, 2022 might have been the last year that I was chasing short prints. If that's the case then I can finally put those short print funds to chasing down the last of the vintage Reds cards I'm pursuing for my collection.

Jonathan India Autograph

Earlier this week I was able to pick up this certified autograph 2021 Bownan's Best of the Reds National League Rookie of the Year recipient for less than $15. Certainly a nice addition to my autograph Reds binder.