Category Archives: Sports Card Blog Rants

Gint-A-Cuffs III: Release the Kraken – Packs 6 – 10

  By Sports Card Blog | July 24, 2011 - 4:06 am |
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(Pictures coming soon, iPhone randomly stopped working today so can’t take pictures!)

Gint-A-Cuffs III and the Kraken is being Released! This time, in packs 6 – 10 of this contest entry.

You can find my full review of 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter here if you want to know about the product in general. This is part of the Gint-A-Cuffs contest for the bloggers out there. Let’s see what how many points I can add…

After packs 1 – 5 I have a total of 34 points. Let’s add some more to that.

Pack 6: (+4 points, 38 points total)

Cliff Lee, Matt Guy, Jim Thome, Juan Pierre, Justin Verlander, Joe Saunders, Lars Anderson Black mini (+3 Favorite Team Black Border), Grady Sizemore Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Pack 7: (+11 points, 49 points total)

Manny Pacquiao, Chris Carpenter, Carl Crawford (+1 Favorite Team), Wade Davis, Ichiro Baseball Highlight Sketches (+3 BHS), John Buck (+2 SP), Portraits of Penultimacy Toto (+3 PP), Minds That Made the Future Gregor Mendel (+2 MTMF)

Pack 8: (+4 points, 53 points total)

Clayton Kershaw (+2 OFP), Chase Utley, Mariano Rivera (-1 Yankee), Michael Bourn, Evan Longoria, Ty Wigginton, Derek Lowe Ginter back mini (+2 AG), Billy Butler Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Pack 9: (+9 points, 62 points total)

Maxim Shmyrev, Ichiro, Nick Swisher (-1 Yankee), Carlos Zambrano, Dallas Braden Baseball Highlight Sketches (+3 BHS), Mike Stanton (+2 SP), Portraits of Penultimacy Meucci mini (+3 PP), Floating Fortresses USS Cairo (+2 FF)

Pack 10: (+7 points, 69 points total)

Rudy Ruettiger, Ian Desmond, Neftali Feliz, Jose Reyes, Carlos Ruiz, Mike Pelfrey Ginter Code (+4 GC and SP), Nelson Cruz Ginter back mini (+2 AG), Chipper Jones Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

So, after 10 packs of 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter goodness, I have 69 points towards Gint-A-Cuffs III. The current leader as of right now has 232 total points. At 24 packs, I am on pace for 175 which won’t do. But don’t worry, I know I have a few key cards up my sleeve. Remember, we haven’t had any hits yet!

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Gint-A-Cuffs III: Release the Kraken – Packs 1 – 5

  By Sports Card Blog | July 22, 2011 - 12:12 am |
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Ladies and gentlemen, you are now in for a treat! The official scoring of Gint-A-Cuffs III: Release the Kraken has begun as the official rules have been posted on the official Gint-A-Cuffs blog. So we are going to run down, pack by pack, what I pulled in this year’s 2011 Allen & Ginter baseball. If you saw my official personal review of 2011 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball, then you have seen what I have pulled. But I must now go pack by pack and score the cards for the purpose of winning this prestigious contest. Hey, I want a free box of A&G to pull more awesomeness.

So here we go.

N43 Boxtopper: Hanley Ramirez (+5)

Pack 1: (+6 points pack, 11 points total so far)

Ana Julaton, BJ Upton, Bobby Abreu, Angel Pagan, JD Drew (+1 Team), Kurt Suzuki (+2 SP), Dustin Pedroia mini (Ginter back) (+3 Team and A&G Back), Nick Swisher Hometown Heroes (+0 HH and Yankee)

Pack 2: (+6 points pack, 17 points total so far)

Yuniesky Betancourt (+2 SP), Hanley Ramirez, Scott Kazmir, Carlos Santana, Brent Morel, Hank Conger, WMF Rasputin mini (+3 WMF), Joe Mauer Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

Pack 3: (+6 points pack, 23 points total so far)

Nancy Lopez, Tsuyoshi Nishioka, Andrew McCutchen, Rafael Soriano(-1 Yankee), Denard Span, Dominic Brown (+2 SP), UG Bachelor’s Grove Cemetary mini (+3 UG), Floating Fortresses Le Napoleon (+2 FF)

Pack 4: (+8 points pack, 31 points total so far)

Prince Fielder, Robinson Cano (-1 Yankee), Casey McGehee, Paul Konerko, Adrian Beltre, Carlos Lee (+2 SP), Jon Lester mini (+7  Other Favorite Player, Favorite Team, SP), Phil Hughes Hometown Heroes (+0 HH and Yankee)

Pack 5: (+3 points pack, 34 points total so far)

Brian Bogusevic, Hope Solo (+1), Giovany Soto, Shaun Marcum, Kendrys Morales, Alfonso Soriano, JD Drew mini (+1 Favorite Team), Ryan Zimmerman Hometown Heroes (+1 HH)

So my grand total after my first 5 packs is 34 points. I have no idea if that is good or bad or anything. I’m just happy I got a lot of Red Sox cards for my PC and a mini Jon Lester for my PC. There is plenty more Gint-A-Cuffs action coming soon. What will packs 6 – 10 reveal? You already know if you watched my review. If you didn’t, surprises galore!

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Reply from Upper Deck’s Mike Phillips

  By Sports Card Blog | July 6, 2011 - 12:53 pm |
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So as you may have read with my interview with Thomas Fish of Blowout Cards, I asked about why Blowout Cards was not part of the Upper Deck Authorized Internet Retailers program. I was told to direct any questions about that to Mike Phillips, Director of Hobby Sales, or Richard McWilliams, CEO of Upper Deck. I figured that I wouldn’t get any response from the CEO of a large company like Upper Deck so I went to the source which I felt would give me an answer. In a short turn around time, I received an answer that completely avoided my actual question 100%.

I explained my situation of why I was asking the question and specifically asked why Blowout Cards was not an Upper Deck Authorized Internet Retailer. The response I received seemed like a form letter with my name attached to the top. No answers, no comments, nothing. This is basically like saying “no comment” to the press when you have a question. You know they know the answer, they just don’t want to say it. Here is what was said:

“Thank you for your interest in Upper Deck’s Authorized Internet Retailer program. While there are many factors that Upper Deck takes into account when choosing its AIRS, first and foremost to even be considered as an AIR one must own and operate a full time brick & mortar trading card and collectibles store. Any brick & mortar store that has met the qualifications of becoming, AND has been approved as a Certified Diamond Dealer can apply to be considered for appointment as an AIR. Upper Deck will add additional AIRs to its network as it deems necessary. Upper Deck currently has eight AIRs in the US and five in Canada, with a few new AIRs pending in the coming months.”

So there is the answer. I was told that Blowout Cards has a B&M store as well and I’m guessing with their presence in the hobby they have moved quite a bit of Upper Deck product over the years. Why would you not allow one of your best retailers the opportunity to not sell your product in the first 30 days, or whatever the limitations are?

Personally, I don’t see this program lasting for the long run. Not only are collectors unhappy with this program, so are some of your top retailers over the past few years. If you really want to fix brick and mortar sales, it’s not your job to do it. It is 100% up to the B&M shops to fix themselves. I would not mind paying $10-$20 over prices at places like Blowout Cards at a B&M shop if I actually enjoyed going to the B&M shop. The ones I have been to around me are terrible. They know nothing about the products coming out, they are overpriced even more, and rarely do they get their products on the shelves in enough time. They don’t cater to the customer, all they do is cater to themselves. I am going to use my experience at Wayne’s Sports Cards in Edmonton, Canada, is my prime example of how a shop should be run. Great customer service, promotions, and tons of selection. If I lived up there I would be in there whenever a new product came out instead of ordering from anywhere online in Canada. In the end, collectors don’t want to wait to open their boxes. That is what made Chris of Cards Infinity so popular. I will show up at a B&M that deserves the support and pay whatever to open up product myself. I just can’t find one in my area that I am willing to support. And B&Ms are wondering why they are losing money.

Quit whining to Upper Deck and Panini that your sales are down. Take some of the blame yourselves and improve the experience and make people actually want to come to the store. Until that happens, people will just keep buying from places like Blowout or DA Card World online.

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I Want A Day Off

  By Sports Card Blog | June 28, 2011 - 10:04 am |
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Being unemployed has it’s benefits. Every day is a day off. That’s about the only benefit it has. Well today I want a day off from blogging something actually useful. I haven’t slept well the past couple of nights and my mind is completely fried. It is so fried that I have made numerous spelling mistakes and have already worn out my backspace button in these few sentences.

But I must keep the Ironman posting alive. I’ve posted every day since I started this blog and I’m not going to let two days with lack of sleep stop me now. I know there is a lot of time left in the day but I can’t nap. I have to stay up for a number of things. FedEx will be arriving and I need to sign it off and show ID. I may have another package coming today as well. And I have to stay awake since my fiancee’s sister is visiting and she doesn’t have a key to the house. I never leave a door in my house unlocked. Just a habit I guess.

So to make this somewhat meaningful, I am going to say a couple of things.

Gint-A-Cuffs III should be amazing. This is the last time I am pimping this battle of the bloggers contest so if you have the money and want to join in the fun, it will be fun. Just prepare to lose. Especially you Cardboard Junkie. I saw that smack talk to everyone on your blog. The Braves and Jason Heyward? I will beat that with a blaster box of A&G that has been pack searched. When I’m done? You’ll be thrown away like most of Pro Debut. SO YEAH!

In the words of my boy Vinny Mac from the Jim Rome Show:

And for those who can’t view the YouTube, “To all those double talking jive turkeys out there, you better watch out because their about to get their asses ragged on. And all these Raggedy Ann and Andys out there…I’m the bottle on the top shelf. I’m the steroid….*AARRRRR*” Seriously, you need to listen to this guy calling in and trying to talk smack back in 2009. Hilarious, especially listening to Rome berate him after the call.

Gint-A-Cuffs III: Release the Kraken! …. Catch the fever!

Maybe I’ll post later if something exciting happens. Maybe a video of my package from FedEx. That should be exciting for some of you.

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Custom Card: Pocket Aces

  By Sports Card Blog | June 26, 2011 - 1:54 pm |
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So today I decided to have a little fun with Photoshop. I had an idea for a card for awhile now and decided to put it down in Photoshop. I don’t do these at all, so I thought it would be fun to try since I’ve seen a few other bloggers create their own custom cards. I don’t know how it would look printed up and everything, but it looks pretty cool as a concept.

2011 – Sports Card Blog – Pocket Aces – Josh Beckett/Jon Lester

I don’t have any graphics formal training. I make signatures for people on forums sometimes and did all the graphics on the blog, but I think this ended up looking really cool. No room for a signature version, sorry!

What do you think?

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