My GQ Post

Each year when Gypsy Queen comes out, I get a little excited about the cards…but it’s always tempered.  I think the cards look great and the photography is really nice, but i don’t love them.  Don’t hate them either.  Kind of indifferent I guess.  My annual buy in is maybe a few hobby and retail packs, possibly a blaster or two from target, but that’s about it.  I think my aversion to the cards is the lack of statistical information on the back…or it could be the overly ornate border?  As an architect, i’ve been trained to have a dislike for ornament and decoration so i guess that has carried in to my hobbies as well.  The celtic-like border is nice, just not my cup of tea.

13 GQ Yasmani Grandal AJ Ellis

One thing that i really do like about GQ is the inclusion of age old veterans in the base set.  Topps does a nice job with these and making them blend in nicely with the other modern players.  Rarely do the players appear dated and they are never irrelevant to current collectors.  PLUS, i always think it’s great to include HOF’ers and past great players so the young kids can learn a little history about the game and have a card from someone their parents or grandparents enjoyed watching play.

13 GQ Dwight Gooden Tony Gwynn

I also do enjoy the inserts that GQ comes up with.  The two cards below are  a great example of this.  It’s nice to have the a highlight reel play represented on a card.  We all remember the Trout catch last season as it was shown incessantly on the MLB network as well as the mothership.

13 GQ Mike Trout Jayson Werth Glove Stories

Mini’s.  Can’t go wrong with minis and you can’t go wrong with these two guys.  One thing i enjoy about the mini cards is that i can put them at my desk at the office for a little while to enjoy the new pieces of cardboard.  How great was Eddie Mathews?  When people talk about the all time greats, i feel like he is always forgotten.  Imagine if he played in New York how much more popular he would be?  And just look at Lou Brock…chillin…total GQ pose…the other one.

13 GQ Eddie Matthews Lou Brock Minis

Not overly excited about these inserts, but both pitchers are/were pretty great and the photos capture their intensity well.

13 GQ Nolan Ryan NH Felix Hernandez DA

Here is a ‘hit’ from the rack pack i bought.  It’s Jacoby Ellsbury.  He’s pretty big here in Portland since he played at Oregon State and from Madras…but he’s a Red Sock, so i’m not too excited about him…he is pretty great though.  Love that they mention how great a player he is when he’s healthy.

13 GQ Jacoby Ellsbury Blue Border 45:499

And the best has been saved for the very last.  Mr. Cano donchaknow.  Pretty cool to get the base and a retail white border card in the same rack pack of a player you collect.  Wonder why Topps removed teh vertical portion of the elegant border on the left and right sides as well as the name panel on the bottom?

13 GQ Robinson Cano Base and White Border

2013 Topps – Packs 7 and 8

I’m getting close to the bottom of this jumbo box.  As usual, it’s taken thrice as long as i had expected, but i can finally see the end in sight.  I’ve been a little lackadaisical in putting these things in their respective binder slots, but that will come in due time.  I’d like to get these cards organized so I can stay on top of completing the set during the baseball season…rather than waiting until the Super Bowl Big Game to wrap it up. (sorry NFL, didn’t mean to infringe on your copyright restrictions)

Let’s get started on the 4th row of packs.

The first card just might be my favorite card of the year.  At the very least it’s a front runner.  Gotta love the looks on these drunken fools faces.  Some have the look of panic like the blondie on the left and her overly tanned mom on the right.  Although their fear may be due to the double barrel gun show reaching out from the card’s left border and Hawaiian shirt from the right.  What about the guy, or girl…not really sure…with the black wife beater.  I will call him/her Pat.  Sorry if you are reading this blog.  I mean no harm, just unsure and i don’t want to assume anything here, but I do love the joy on your face dear sir, or madam.  Hey, what about that Pirates fan, he’s pretty stoked isn’t he?  If Mr. Raburn could see the grief/joy he was about to bring to these fans he would think twice about catching the ball.  My favorite though is the dude above the the glove in the stoner glasses.  I really need to get outfield tickets this season and make some sweet ass faces for the cameraman.  Anyway you call it, this card is awesome.

13 T Ryan Raburn

Don’t have much to say about the next two cards other than one guy had a great career and the other probably will.  The Past and the Present.  Manny looks like he’s going to be a super star for many years.  My man Jeet is nearing the end of his career and i’m not sure he will get another ring, but he will always be a legend.  Collecting his cards is one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life…there are exacting 50million cards and counting.  I’ve decided to only buy the ones that i think look really cool.  There are just too many to pick up.

13 T Derek Jeter13 T Manny Machado

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Putting this Verlander card in because he got down with Kate Upton…allegedly…and that’s good enough for my book.  It’s Kate Upton people, Kate Upton.

13 T Justin Verlander

Didn’t Topps have enough of the sparkle cards last season?  Didn’t we all hate them because simple sun flashes looked like SP starburst cards?  Are they back?  What the HELL is going on HERE!!!

13 T AJ Ellis

This is what the Jayson Werth card should have looked like.  How could they not have put Werth’s walkoff in game 4 on a card…unless i’ve missed it.  Morse wasn’t too happy with the Nats offseason and he is now in Seattle.  A place that has become baseball purgatory for a lot of player in recent years.  They do appear to be building something nice through multiple trades and good drafting.  There is a lot of young talent and Felix Hernandez is pretty nice with his.

13 T Michael Morse

You can never, ever, ever go wrong with a shiny Willie Mays, now can you.  I am pretty fond of this card, although when i was scanning it I noticed it didn’t fit within the 2.5×3.5 box.  It was slightly bigger, what does that mean?  Was Willie Mays on some delayed growth hormones that have miraculously affected his glossy cards?  Sorry, that was weak.  Mays is one of those guys that i wish i could have seen play in his prime…if only one game.  He was a true legend of the game and a phenomenal talent.  I would love to have the cash to collect his vintage cards, maybe one day when architects are paid what I think we are worth.

13 T Willie Mays Cut to the Chase

I could be this guys dad, in fact i may be older than his dad…

13 T Dylan Bundy

last two packs on their way, betcha can’t wait!