Group Break Boxes Are Broken

It's time for the results of my second ever group break.  I think I learned that more people are eager to participate in baseball breaks, but it was fun to sit and rip open a bunch of packs. 

Some short details before we get into the videos. First, there were three participants in the break besides myself.  These are the teams.

Angus: Browns, Cowboys
FiresNBeers: Chiefs, Jets
jmkidd: Seahawks, Cardinals

Second, since I didn't have eight participants for the Super Bowl outcome randomization, I had to change it up a little.  In short, if the Patriots win on Sunday, jmkidd will receive an extra Seahawks hit from my collection, and if the Saints win, FiresNBeers will receive an extra Chiefs hit.  Sorry, Angus, the randomizer left you out of that one.

All of the above random decisions are seen on the videos before the breaks.  Now on to the breaks!

**Now that I have written that, my videos are taking a long time to upload.

 I will get them up ASAP, but let this post serve as notice that the boxes have been busted and video taken.  I will keep all those who have a stake in the break posted.

Super Bowl Box Break Reminder

I know it's not exactly the weekend, but I've decided to break this on Thursday afternoon.  That only gives you about 4 days to claim a spot, so if you're thinking about it, jump in!

Let me remind you what is going on.

1 hobby box of 2018 Panini Elite, 2 jumbo boxes of 2017 Donruss Optic, and some single bonus packs.  You claim the team of your choice and you will receive a second, random team.  The first eight to sign up will be given a random Super Bowl outcome.  The lucky person with the correct outcome will receive an extra hit from my collection.

Go here to sign up.   I'll post the break video on Thursday.

No Box Was Broken in This Box Break

Last summer, Kerry at Cards on Cards ran a 10th Anniversary Group Break.  I picked up a slot in that break, but it was an interesting slot.  In fact, none of the cards I got in the break could have possibly come from the boxes Kerry was opening.  He was opening baseball boxes; I opted to receive NFL cards. You see, along with the teams in the group break, Kerry put together some lots of other cards that could be claimed.

When the cards from my slot in the "break" came, I was amazed at how many there were. I expected to see something like a team bag, but no.  This is what was in my mailbox.

A lot of cards, that's what.  No doubt that something in all of this would be some cards I would need.  The Cowboys tattoo I don't need, so I'm thinking of sending it to SCC.  I'm sure he'll want it.

There was a smattering of all kinds of things in box, mostly between 1990-2008, leaning strongly toward the 90s.  It turns out there was a lot in there that fit into my collection, including 1993 Pro Set, which I previously had none of.

One cool Pro Set card that didn't fit into my collection, except under "Cool Card I Think I'll Keep," was this card of Francis "Bucko" Kilroy.  From the back of this card, I learned that Kilroy had been in the NFL since 1943, when he came in as a player.  He was even an All-Pro during his career.  The really cool thing about this card to me, however, was learning that Kilroy was considered one of the first five talent scouts in the league.  Very cool.

Going back in time a little, we have some 1988 Topps 1000 Yard Club inserts.  This package inspired me on to another set build. I only need 13 more, so why not?

Also from the 80s, some stickers of stars that I need.

Here are some guys that I only care about for their college days.  The Sam Bradford is an SP photo variation.  When I first saw it out of the box, I thought something looked different.  It turns out that I had the base already, and that's why this version looked unfamiliar.

There was a lot of good trade bait included, too, and some of it has already been made part of some TCDB trades.  Big thanks to Kerry for free "break," and a belated congratulations on 10 years of bloggerhood.

Arpsmith Drops the Hits

Last month, blogger Arpsmith held a contest using his COMC Black Friday order.  He had four different questions regarding the number of certain cards in his order.  Each question had its own prize attached.  I decided to play along, and put in my guess for how many jelly beans were in the jar.  Or rather, I guessed how many cards of former USC players were hits.  I guessed 40; there were 39 hits in the package.  There was some strategy to my guess, but the fact that it was so close was really just luck.  My strategy was thus: usually about 1/3 of my Brad Sorensen COMC additions are hits, so I used the same ratio.  He told us he had picked up 120 new USC players, so I did the math and came up with 40.  Still nothing but luck, but I wasn't just throwing up a random number.

My prize was 25 hits.  Adam came up big here, and once again I was astounded at the generosity of bloggers.  Not only generosity, but collection.  Most of you have collections that would easily put mine to shame.  Adam sent more Packers and Cubs hits from his trade bait than I previously had in my collection.  It was definitely a fun package to open.

 Derrek Lee and Kerry Wood were my two favorite Cubs of the 2000s, and this is my first relic of either.  I know the Leaf Signature Series is popular on the cardsphere, but this Rey Sanchez is my first card of the set.  The Freddie Bynum is an acetate that looks great both scanned and in hand.  My favorite here, though, is Darwin Barney's auto plus two pinstripe patch.  Barney is one of my favorite Cubs to collect and this is a beautiful card.

At first glance, I thought I was seeing double.  I was thinking that I had some trade bait to send to some fellow Cubs collector.  A quick further examination proved that these two cards were in fact different and I realized one was a refractor.  The refractor on the right is serial numbered to 549.  The difference between the base and refractor is more pronounced in the scan.

Not all the baseball was Cubs.  I have some more relics here.  I think most of these would be available for trade.  I might lean toward keeping a couple of them, but if you're interested, drop me a line.

Adam sent me a good mix of baseball and football.  Most of the football was Packers, and most of those were autographs, which was perfect for me.  There were some pretty good players, too.  James Starks and Morgan Burnett were both starters for a good portion of their Packers careers.  James Jones was a solid receiver and someone I have some good memories of.  Brian Brohm never panned out in the NFL, but I sure did like his college career.  Those are two very nice looking relics, too.  The patch on the Absolute card is most likely from a sleeve, I'm thinking.  Upper Deck Masterpieces was just a beautiful set.

The last two cards weren't Packers, but very good nonetheless.  Alert reader Adam apparently remembered that I collect Heisman winners, and as a USC fan, he probably still regards Reggie Bush as a winner, just as I do.  John Henderson was a perennial All-Pro, and that is simply a great-looking card with an on-card auto.

Thanks for the contest and the incredible prize package, Adam.  I knew I was getting 25 hits, but when the package came, it was far more than I anticipated.

I just want to post a reminder about my group break that I'm running.  So far, only one person has signed up, so there are still lots of slots remaining.  If you collect any team but the Packers and the Browns, it's still available.  Click here to check out the details (and see the break bonus I'm including!).

Let's Have a Super Bowl Group Break!

I didn't really set any hobby goals this year, but I do know that I don't want to spend much money on retail this year.  I have a few projects in which the end is near, and I'd rather put my money toward known quantities than gambling on what might be in the pack.  That said, I thought it would be nice to do one more big break before I mostly shut it down for the year.  So I ordered some football boxes and decided to host a group break.

I know most bloggers out there are baseball collectors, so many of you will tune out now, but we're going to do a football break this time as the season winds to an end. 

What will we break?  

We're going to break 3 boxes: 1 hobby box of 2018 Panini Elite and 2 boxes of 2017 Donruss Optic jumbo packs.

Box configuration: 

2018 Panini Elite

• 20 packs, 5 cards per pack
• 2 Autos
• 1 Memorabilia
• 3 Rookies
• 6 Parallels 
• Rookies in the set include Saquon Barkley, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson Sam Darnold, Josh Allen

2017 Donruss Optic Jumbo

• 12 packs, 12 cards per pack
• 4 Lime Parallels
• Rookies in the set include Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, Mitchell Trubisky, Christian McCaffrey, JuJu Smith-Shuster, James Conner

 

How much is it?

Each slot will cost $17, and that includes shipping.

 

What does a slot get me?

 Each slot gets you a choice of your team (first come, first served).  You will also receive another randomized team.  Three boxes, two teams.

I also have some single packs to break as a bonus, and I'm running a little side bonus for the first eight people to sign up.  As of right now, there are eight possible Super Bowl outcomes.  I've assigned each one a number, and the first eight people who sign up will receive a random number to coincide with the outcomes.  If the the first eight slots fill up before this weekend, I will randomize then.  If not, I won't randomize the numbers until right before the breaks.  I'm fully aware that by that time, only two outcomes will be possible.  I'm just trying to get as many people into the randomization as possible.  The lucky winner will receive an extra hit from my collection of the team he/she selected.

Here is the table of the outcomes and the numbers.

 

How do I claim a team?

I'm reserving the Packers for me. There will be 15 other slots, and the 16 remaining teams will be randomized among those who have joined the break.

To claim a slot, comment on this post with the team you want.  I'll update the list as slots fill.  Payment will be taken through Paypal.  To pay, click on the button below.  Be sure to include your team in the comment box.

Team Claimed

Payment will be due within a week of claiming a team.  If I don't get payment, I'll have to open the slot back up for somebody else.

 

When will we break?

I want to break this sometime during Super Bowl weekend.  I will let you know more details as the break fills.

 

Other Rules:

• ALL CARDS will ship.
• Any card featuring multiple teams will be randomized off to one of the people holding a team on the card. 
• Randomization of second team will happen on the day of the break or as soon as all slots fill, whichever comes first.

So, for a little less than a blaster, you will get two teams from three boxes--one hobby, two jumbo packs.  You will also get anything from the single packs.  The first eight to claim a spot will receive a spot in a randomization to a Super Bowl outcome.  The lucky winner there will get one extra hit--of the team they claimed--from my collection.

I'm doing this to have a little fun in the cardboard community.  So let's have some fun!

 Slots

1. Packers-Trevor P (tntcardsstg)
2. Browns-Angus

Completed Sets: 2018

A few years ago, I started keeping track of the last card I obtained in order to complete a set.  I like the idea of being able to go back and remember the building process for each set by looking at the final pesky card to find its way to my collection.  One unexpected boon from this is that I have kept a comprehensive list of sets that I have polished off each year, and I can make a little blog series to chronicle set completion each year.

In 2018, I was able to finish nine sets.  Some (most) of these sets I had been working on for longer than others.  Remember that completion in a given year does not necessarily mean that I built the entire set that year.  I'm a pretty slow set builder.

2016 Topps All-Star MVP

There was no "last card" for this set, as I bought it complete on ebay.  It was a set that fits my collection absolutely perfectly, as All-Star MVPs are some of my favorite players to collect.

2016 Topps Award Winners

This set is one that I had little interest in.  However, it was available for a good price from the same ebay seller as the one above, so I picked up the entire 12-card set as a combined shipping collateral purchase.

1991 Pro Set Platinum

I bought a box each of 1991 Pro Set Platinum Series 1 and 2.  This is a set that has really grown on me through the years.  The photography is simply stunning.  The biggest drawback, of course, is the lack of names on the front of the card.  There are also no stats on the back.  But a page of this in a binder is a beautiful sight.  Just look at Warren Powers getting a hand up in Rodney Peete's throwing lane.  Or Joe Morris fighting for an extra yard.  Look at the card in the bottom right, as Roger Craig is just now losing control of the football.  I don't understand the two black and white backgrounds in the set, but they are still good-looking cards.

Need more proof?  How about Jerry Rice celebrating a touchdown, Ironhead Heyward getting that big frame in the air to go over the line, or Mark Collins denying the Bears a score with a goal line pick.

In my two boxes, I came very near to completing two whole sets.  The collation wasn't perfect, so I still needed to pick up a few singles to finish the 1-315 set. 

 Two Hall of Famers had rookies in this set, Brett Favre and Aeneas Williams.

Jacob Green, #279, was the last card I needed to complete the set.

2018 Topps Opening Day

My annual tradition is to buy a box of Opening Day and open it on Opening Day.  It's a small set, and Topps does a good job of making sure you get a complete set in one box.  To be honest, I didn't note which card was the last out, so I just put up a picture or Carlos Correa.

1999 Upper Deck HoloGrfx

I already posted about my completion of this set, but just to recap: I found a partial set on Sportlots and thought it would be worth my money to get the partial and seek out the last few singles.  #68 David Boston was the last card I needed.

1999 Upper Deck HoloGrfx NFL 24/7

The base set purchase also included a mostly complete NFL 24/7 insert set.  Peyton Manning was the final piece to the insert set.

2008 Topps Football

This is a set that I have been working on for a while.  It took two hobby boxes and some singles purchases to finish it, but it's done.  It features pretty good rookie class including Matt Ryan, Jordy Nelson, Jamaal Charles, and Joe Flacco.  This Adrian Peterson Pro Bowl card (#298) was the last one for this set.

2016 Panini Accolades

Back in 2016, I bought four or five boxes of Panini football.  I came away with a good portion of the base set, which I am still working on, and a couple of insert sets I wanted to complete.  In 2018, I finished the first of those three sets.  The insert Accolades is a 20-card set featuring current and retired players that commemorates one achievement by each player.  Emmitt Smith, #6, completed this set.

2012 Panini Cooperstown High Praise

This is a candidate for my favorite set ever.  Each card displays a quotation praising the player, thus the title of the set.  Card #12, Al Kaline, was the last card I needed.

2018 Donruss Football

I hadn't planned on completing a 2018 football set.  In fact, I publicly declared that I wouldn't.  A Black Friday sale convinced me otherwise, though.  I found a great price on a factory set of 2018 Donruss.  I still haven't even broken it out yet, so I'll just show the Packers' first round pick, Jaire Alexander.  He played well this year, and I'm looking forward to his future.

I don't know how many I'll complete in 2019.  I hope I get a few done, because I'm getting really close to some that I just want to be done with. 

Brad Sorensen Additions: 2018

Anybody who reads this blog knows that I collect BYU players.  It has become a bigger and bigger focus for me over the past couple of years.  However, I don't claim BYU as my alma mater.  Yes, I do hold a degree from BYU, but it's a graduate degree and I took all of my courses off-campus.  If anybody asks where I went to school, the answer is Southern Utah University.  During my time there, SUU had no football program to speak of.  Well, there was a program.  What they lacked was wins.  A small school with a team that can't beat anybody even at its own level doesn't generate much gridiron excitement.  It wasn't until after I graduated that things started to pick up.  Just six years ago, the school had its first NFL draft pick: QB Brad Sorensen.  So even though everybody sees the BYU accumulations on here, its easy to forget that one of my greatest hobby prides is that I'm probably the only Brad Sorensen collector out there.  No COMC order is complete without a Brad Sorensen included and his name is the only saved search I have on ebay.  The problem is that he doesn't have too many cards.  If I wanted, I could keep buying the same cards over and over, but that's not my style.  As it stands, I currently own 59 unique Sorensens, of 305 cards listed on the Trading Card Database.  I have a ways to go, certainly, before I can call my collection complete.

Here are all of the unique Brad Sorensens I added this year.

I picked up some parallels.  With the pink refractor addition, I'm only two away from the rainbow.  I need the gold refractor, numbered to 50, and the red numbered to 25.  I guess there are three remaining if you count the superfractor, but I have no hope of ever seeing that one.

And more parallels.  The Fleer Retro Showcase Legacy Collection card on the right is a mouthful to say, but a beautiful piece of cardboard.

Obviously, autos are easier to come by than other cards at this point.  Actually, I've found that to be the case with many smaller name players in recent sets.  Those players typically get rookie cards with tons of parallels and autos, and then are never seen on cardboard again.  There autographs and parallels of autographs galore.  Meanwhile, he has eight non-auto base cards.

This one might be my favorite Sorensen card.  It's shiny and metallic in-hand, and the auto is on-card.  It really is beautiful.

I used my ebay bucks at some point in 2018 to pick up the first printing plate in my collection.  This one is the yellow plate from Panini Black.

I'm pretty sure most of you don't have Brad Sorensen cards lying around, but if you do, I'll take them on if we can work out a trade.

My Favorite Card of 2018 . . . I Guess

I've been thinking for a long time about my card of 2018.  Nothing has really popped out.  I'm not insinuating that 2018 was a bad year for cards.  It's just that I have cut back my collecting expenses in a big way over the past year.  And what I did spend was usually not on new products.  Thus, my exposure to 2018 cards has been limited.  Still, I've wanted to show something.  I had a list of cards that I enjoyed adding to my collection.  I was planning on going over that list and making a decision.  And then . . . I lost the list.  One card from that list has stayed in my mind.  I'm taking that as a sign.  If I had a dozen or so candidates, but I can only remember one, then that one card must be my favorite.  Right?  So, even though this card has already appeared on this blog, allow me to present my favorite card of 2018.

An autograph of the only BYU player to be drafted in 2018.  Warner was an outstanding athlete for the Cougs, and the 49ers picked him up in the third round.  Sport Card Collecting blogger Matt pulled this card before the draft and said it was up for grabs as long as the Giants didn't grab Warner.  I was glad they didn't, as I was able to swing a trade for one more Cougar alumni auto.

I admit it's not much to look at.  My favorite card of the year is a logo-less college card.  But it means a lot to me and my collection, so it has been chosen.

Thank you to P-Town Tom for this Card of the Year contest.  I've enjoyed seeing what everybody liked this year.