Sick Pickups!

Posted by cardboard hogs on December 22, 2013

The title is true, but not in the douchey overused term that is used way too much in this hobby today. My whole family was sick, including me. The wife and baby had the H1N1, aka swine flu and luckily i avoided it. There has been a minor breakout of this strand of flu in Portland and SW Washington…but i somehow missed out, I guess I’m just strong like that!

The sick pickup part comes in to play with an evening visit to Target to get a few physical mending supplies like juices, fruits and drugs. I’ve been avoiding retail packs for a while now because of the unlikeliness of getting anything worthwhile. I ended up buying a few packs just to see what the cards look like, knowing I wouldn’t be happy with any of them. I guess I was delirious and more than happy to fill my slightly sick body with new shiny football cards. Here are some fun scans of what i spent my hard earned loot on.

The first pack was Absolute Football from the fine folks over at Panini. I pulled two QB’s that I have a lot of respect for, even though i can’t stand either of their teams. The Cowboys dislike should be obvious…they are the hated rivals.

The Seahawks one may not be as clear for you. I find their fans to be a little over the top. I’ve been to football games in Dallas, Houston, Seattle, New Orleans and DC. The fans in Seattle are hands down the most belligerent and a little too handsy for my liking. Plus they act as though they’ve won 3 Super Bowls. They haven’t, but the Redskins have. Now, that’s not to take anything away from Wilson. I think he is great. I actually love the kid. He’s modest and works really hard and I believe he is going to become one of the leagues great QB’s. He’s also an underdog which I always love.

I also managed to pull a serial numbered Phillip Thomas card.

Next up is Topps Prime. The base cards of this set are decent. I feel that the photos are way too tight on the players and would love to see a full photo of the athletes…maybe that sounds weird if you read it out loud, but I think you know what i mean. Is it me or is Milliner’s smile a little goofy?

Jordan Reed! I have the hobby version of this card, now the thinner retail version is in my sole possession.

Ok, so this next card really caught me off guard. Is this seriously the best photo Topps could get of Matt Ryan? I have to believe there are at least 15 other photos that could have been used, but they chose this shot. He’s even staring in to the camera while giving his center the business! I’m sure Mrs. Ryan is none too happy about the photo immortalized on card stock…at least it’s not a butt fumble card…Mr. Sanchez…

The final pack was PRIZM. YES! I loved Prizm last year and I think this years cards are equally as nice. Love the quality of the card, the texture and photography of them as well. Target has a small rack pack that came with 3 red parallel cards, and here are two of them. Both are often injured RB’s. These red cards have a nice sparkle to them, almost like a disco ball or some fancy pop star sequence…very shimmery when viewed in person.

Spankee, if you like the Wilson…it’s yours.

Here are two more cards. Michael Vick. He would look good in the Burgundy and Gold next year as a backup to RGIII and could teach him how to survive in the NFL. Maybe teach him how to slide too? Or just run out of bound before being tackled? #justsayin

Kenjon Barner. Showing this one because he’s a Duck and so am I…sort of.

The last two cards came from the Prizm pack. I’m guessing they are not part of any Prizm insert or chase set as they have none of the qualities of Prizm. BUT, they do have a QR code on the back that takes you to an online video. Unfortunately Kenny Stills doesn’t explain his hair in the interview which I think is a huge missed opportunity. Terrance Williams broke my heart this afternoon, but that’s nothing new.

Breaking Box

Posted by cardboard hogs on December 18, 2013

Some of you kids, if not most of you have heard of Collector Revolution. It’s supposed to be a revolution for collector’s in that it’s not ebay…or feebay as some like to call it. For those that don’t know, it’s a place where collector’s can sell their goods to other collectors online. Not a new concept, but a pretty cool place to find some good cards at a good rate from people you can sorta trust. I still prefer COMC as my #1 online shopping for singles, but collectors revolution is something i may be looking into in the coming year.

One thing they have that really intrigued me was their online box breaks. The intriguing part for me was that they are fairly inexpensive for good product…the drawback is that the breaks are all random, at least the ones i’ve seen. If you are into big hits, which i tend to not be, than this is something you may be interested in. For me, I like a little more focused collection process. I don’t have a ton of money to spend on the hobby so any dollar I have to spend on product is stuff for completing sets or chasing players i like from teams i like. That said, i wanted to give the breaks a few chances.

I was a little weary about the breaks at first, so went with a lower end football break of 2013 Leaf Certified and Platinum Football as well as a break of 2013 Topps Triple Threads. I picked up two spots on the football break and one for the baseball break for a total of $30. As i expected, I got teams I wasn’t excited about – San Diego Chargers and Indianapolis Colts. I was hoping for a Luck auto…but the best card i received was this Dan Fouts serial numbered card.

The baseball break was a little better. I got the Tigers and received these two very nice cards. An Al Kaline serial numbered card…

…and a Prince Fielder Largest Card memorabilia card. Nothing too exciting, but nice cards no less.

Me being a glutton for punishment, i went in on a 4-box break for 2013 Topps Chrome…and pulled the Jacksonville Jaguars…i know…

$13 TC Denard Robinson 86 Refractor$

Not wanting to go out on a bad note, i thought i would buy a spot for the Topps Five Star for $14.50. I figured, i would never buy this product ever and may end up getting lucky. I was essentially buying 7 mega millions lottery tickets…and I lost. I pulled the Astros and ended up not getting anything in the box. When you go hitless in the box break, you name is added to a special bonus box break…which has yet to happen…i’m hoping it happens soon though!

All in all, I like the idea of the box and case breaks but not the random teams. I’d rather pay a little premium to get the Redskins or Yankees or Nationals. I guess at the end of the day it’s no different than buying a pack or box of cards in that you have no idea what you will get. You could end up with a short print auto relic or you could end up with a 7th round offensive linemen…it’s always a gamble. One that I will probably avoid in the future as it doesn’t fit my collecting tendencies.

PS – If you are interested in any of the cards above, let me know as they are up for trade!

PPS – as a side note and something completely unrelated…my favorite album of the year Run the Jewels from El-P and Killer Mike was noted as Okayplayer.com top album of 2013. There are a few other albums on their I need to dig deeper into before I can agree with the ranking (Earl, Tyler and Chip).

New cards, new collections + boobs

Posted by cardboard hogs on December 15, 2013

As I mentioned in a couple other posts, I am adding 3 guys to my personal collection. One of them, and the only one to be in my collection from the NBA is Timothy Theodore Duncan.

PS. don’t act like you didn’t notice that rack under the basketball. BAM! She seems upset that an official is missing something…There are no boobs in the card below.

I grew up in San Antonio and this is the only Texas team that I can really get down with. They play and win the way I like a team to do it. With modesty and tons of servings of humble pie. Plus, Tim really seems like a cool guy…kind of weird, kind of quirky…but also, kind of great. He’s a superstar in a non superstar town and has been more than comfortable blending in to the low key, modest way of life in my old hometown.

I also picked up a couple cards from my new Nats players.

Both cards are transparent, which is always cool. Who doesn’t love them some see through cards. I know this kid does.

good night kids.

I can make a M’s hat more famous than a Mariner can

Posted by cardboard hogs on December 7, 2013

I took some artistic licensing with the well know Jay-Z verse on this post.

Robinson Cano is no longer a Yankee and I am kind of sad about that.

Next to Jeter, he was my favorite baseball player…a very close second mind you. I loved his hitting and his quiet confidence on the field, some may say it was apathy or laziness. I’m going with subtle greatness. The kind of numbers he put up, you had to love him as a baseball player. Even if you are a Yankee hater. I have complete respect for Dustin Pedroia and you should have respect for Cano.

My admiration for him will continue to keep him in my personal collection for the duration of his career, albeit less of a priority now to Bryce Harper and Stephen Strasburg. I can take some joy in the fact that he is now a Mariner and I don’t hate them. I actually like the M’s and have the opportunity to watch him more frequently on TV and possibly in person…if I can convince the wife to take a trip or two up to Seattle. Which is never too difficult! The great thing about Panini cards is that they only need to change New York to Seattle. DONE! No additional photoshop skills needed!

As for the Mariners locking him up for 10 years at $240M, i can’t believe that’s a great contract for them in their market. Now, i’m no market analyst, but i’m just thinking that when I pick through the great baseball franchises the Mariners rarely come up, if ever. That’s not to say I don’t like them. I am actually a fan of theirs and tried my hardest to make them my second team when i moved to Portland…but I just couldn’t do it. Other than Ichiro, they didn’t have any player that I could latch on to. Griffey, A-Rod and Randy Johnson were gone and they were a franchise sinking away. They have King Felix, whom I love to watch pitch, but doesn’t really do it for me.

I really hope this signing helps catapult them into relevance as Seattle is a phenomenal baseball town with a gorgeous ballpark. I just don’t know if his contract is going to allow them to get the various pieces they need to compete year in and year out against the thrifty A’s and powerful Angels and Rangers…and Astros.

Robbie is going to continue to put up great numbers and play well for the M’s, but i’m thinking in 3-5 years he will end up getting dealt for prospects to a larger market team. Maybe the Yankees?

Panini Redemption, a story.

Posted by cardboard hogs on December 4, 2013

Just like you, I hate redemption cards. Why? Well, let me tell you a story…

On June 17th of 2012 i purchased a box of Panini Rookie Signatures from my local card shop, The Sports Room. When i opened the box in front of Rick he quickly noticed my disappointment in the cards i pulled, and of course the freakin 80pt white card with a scratch off code. I pulled a redemption card, which meant I didn’t get my full hit on the small box of cards i purchased. Not to mention it was of Dre Kirkpatrick, the Bengals (then) rookie cornerback. Nothing against Dre, i’m sure he’s a wonderful kid with a great family and loving parents but i’m not super excited about a Bengals CB. Now, if it was Dr. Dre, that would be a different story, sign me up for that auto. No big deal though, i’ll post it to ebay when i get the card back…if, i get the card back.

As time slowly dragged on I began to wonder if i would ever get my Dre card in the mail.

Dre Day never came. But there will always be this.

A few months later, and by a few months later, i mean 10 of them, I stopped back in to Ricks’ shop. He asked me if I ever received my redemption card and I told him, ‘nope!’ He then informed me that i should give them a call and ask for my card, or better yet, ask for a Redskin. I thought he was crazy, you mean I can actually ask for my own redemption card! WONDERFUL!! Not wanting to talk to someone over the phone (if you knew me, this would make sense…) i sent them an email. A wonderfully worded email of course that very politely asked for a replacement card of Washington Redskin…an RGIII would be great. That was on April 8th of this year. This is when i got the ‘players schedule crap and being busy…’ blah blah blah. I get it. These guys are professional athletes and can’t be bothered half the time. The thing is, if you don’t have an autograph session with them locked up, don’t put them in your packs and boxes!

Anyways, more time flies by and so i decide to give them a call. Scary. I very politely ask for a Redskin card and they oblige. I get an email that my Phillip Thomas Spectrum Autograph is on its way!

AWESOME! HAIL TO THE REDSKINS! #HTTR

I start tracking the card, excited to write a post about the card and whattayaknow? The card is sent to freakin Ohio. Ohio! Who the hell lives in Ohio…Westernville, Ohio? Who lives there? Seriously, who? Not me. This kid lives in Portland F****N Oregon. There is a shirt that says that. Ok, time for some more phone calls and emails over the Thanksgiving holiday.

Then today, after 512 days from the initial purchase. I am the proud owner of a shiny, non serial numbered sticker autographed rainbow-y Phillip Thomas Rookie Card. Nice. I am happy. All good things come to those who can wait…and wait…and wait…

Most of you may not know this, but Phillip Thomas caught a lisfranc injury this preseason and was placed on injured reserve before the season started. The whole lisfranc injury is interesting to me. It sounds so harmless, like it was named after some sweet old lady that fell down the stairs to her root cellar and got a small fracture on foot. “OH NO, I LISFRANCED MYSELF!

This got me wondering’ as i tend to do, my mind floats off into multiple tangents. So i wiki’d the Lisfranc injury and it sounds painful as hell. But wait, it gets better. Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin was a pioneering gynecologist. I guess if you get a foot injury named after you and your daily task is to study vaginas, that’s pretty pioneering…or possibly just weird? He also removed rectums and amputated cervixes, so there’s that…jack of all trades i guess.

good night.

Ballin D’Hall

Posted by cardboard hogs on November 26, 2013

OK. I’m over the debacle from last night and want to focus on some positivity here at Cardboard Hogs. One player that has been having a very solid if not great season is DeAngelo Hall. Hall is one of those guys that Redskin fans love to hate and hate to love. In his short career with the Redskins he has made some terrible bonehead decisions, like picking fights with receivers and getting penalized or bailing on coverage to go for a pick only to get burned when he misses out.

This year though, amidst all the terrible-ness of a 3-8 season, Hall has stepped up in a major way. He’s having the kind of season that would get much more pub is he wasn’t on a terrible team…albeit, the main reason for the bad record is due to the defense (and special teams if you keeping score at home). Hall has managed to slow down if not stop some of the leagues best receivers all year long. From Megatron to Dez and Brandon Marshall, he has slowed them down from their standard levels of production.

I’ve picked up a few nice jersey or swatch cards as i have decided to coin them from my new favorite local card shop, Hoopla Sports. I am loving the customer service at Hoopla and the friendliness of their staff. One reason for switching shops is their online stores with Beckett and ebay. They are constantly updating their store with new items that i can bid on or add to my cart and pick up in store with no shipping charges. Cuts down on my in store time (which isn’t necessarily great) which is great considering my demanding 14 month old baby monster…(I love the kid!)

Black Monday

Posted by cardboard hogs on November 25, 2013

Ugggghhhh!

What did you waste your time doing tonight? Mine was spent fast forwarding through 60 minutes on ineptitude and a pathetic showing on the football field. I really didn’t expect too much from the Redskins tonight, but kind of expecting SOMETHING. Sometimes, expectations are set too high and cannot be met…mine were not met this evening. What a terrible season.

Being a fan of the Redskins has to be one of the most gut wrenching things in all of sports.

I’m staying with my guys though. I will be there when they eventually turn it around. I just wish they could get a way from the circus sideshow crap and just be a football team. Between them and the Dallas Cowboys, i’m not really sure any other football team has so much importance put on things other than playing football. Lots of noise for the organization and a ton of distractions. The good thing is that it really doesn’t matter…it’s just football and a game these silly kids play for tons of dollars.

Just watch and enjoy what you can…as always Hail to the Redskins!

Metal Reed 1/1

Posted by cardboard hogs on November 19, 2013

Ok, it’s been a helluva long time since i posted. My absence is due to many reasons, one of them is of course the fact that my Redskins have tanked this season. I thought the first Eagles game was an aberration, but i was wrong…coincidentally, my last post was after the first game on Monday night. I’ve still been collecting and picking up new items…just inspired or motivated to scan and post them. But guess what bitches, i’m back!

As i may have mentioned in an earlier post, i’ve been on a printing plate binge of sorts. Focusing my collection on 1/1’s. Plus I like light gauges of metal in the colors of C-M-Y and K. Here is one plate that i recently picked up on the electronic bay. Jordan Reed. He’s Magenta, M in your 4-letter color coding system. It’s cool to turn the metal over and see ‘Congratulations’. Being an only child, i could never get enough accolades. So seeing it on a Redskins card is pretty awesome even I wasn’t the first person to see it, but you can see it right here!

Some of you fantasy leaguers out there should take note of this kid. He’s going to be something special. If only he can manage to stay healthy and on the field. Seems to be struggling with that so far. But i have high expectations for 2014. That will be the Redskins year. #HTTR

A prospect on a plate

Posted by cardboard hogs on September 3, 2013

I’ve been all in on the printing plates of late, and this is my latest addition. I love the 1/1 aspect of the plates, not to mention to ultimate rainbow chasing of said plates. Maybe i can start with this kid?

This kid was cut and ended up on the practice squad, but don’t be surprised so see him rocking the burgundy and gold on Sundays later this fall.

#PaniniPylon Prizm 1/1 – Brian Orakpo

Posted by cardboard hogs on May 30, 2013

I am going to break one of my rules and have multiple posts in one day in order to get a little caught up on the blogging. I’ve been away from home and have had limited access to a computer the past few days as I was helping my move from San Antonio to Portland. We had four full days of driving and managed to escape the flooding in Schertz and Cibolo to arrive safely on Tuesday evening. Needless to say I was completely exhausted last night and the previous three nights…driving 10+ hours a day can do that to you!

The last piece of the of the Panini Pylon Prizm collection is one of my all time favorite Redskins, Brian Orakpo.

‘Rak has been injured the last two seasons and missed all but two games last year with a muscle tear. Here’s hoping this doesn’t become a recurring injury that limits him in the future.

This card went up for auction on the same day the Ryan Kerrigan card went up, so I had to double down and do some quick jumping from screen to screen in order to be the winner! I had seen the upcoming auctions and knew this day was coming so I passed on the Fred Davis and Pierre Garcon cards in order to afford these two defensive linemen. I would love to have gotten in on the Garçon card, but it went significantly higher than I thought it would and I just watched from the sidelines. I also watched from the sidelines on the RG3 card as it went for an astounding $1200! I guess that’s about right for a 1/1 parallel rookie card. Wonder how much it would have gone for if it had an on card autograph penned to it?

Overall, I am really happy with the cards I won and would love to have pulled in the whole Redskin collection…but I am more than excited with what I did win. If Panini does something similar to this again next year, I will no doubt be in line for the bidding.

-HTTR!