Contest Winner!

This is my second blog post in a month that features modern cards. 

 

What's going on here?!?

Well, like many of you collectors, I occasionally enter a contest that's held by a fellow blogger, YouTuber, or collector. And recently I actually won one of those contests!

 

It was put on by Brent, who has a YouTube channel called Brent's Card Breaks. The only thing you had to do to enter the contest was to like the giveaway video, add a comment to the video, and subscribe to the channel. Easy enough.

 

Well, the date of the contest arrived, Brent spun the digital wheel with the names of all the entrants on it, and wouldn't you know it? "Nine Pockets" came up as the winner.

 

It was a generous prize package. Have a look at the team bags that recently arrived in my mailbox.

 

 

 

Modern baseball, '90s baseball, vintage baseball, and some random basketball cards added as a bonus.

 

Here are some of my favorites in the bunch.

Kelenic is trying to make his way back to the MLB. Detmers pitched a no-hitter in May of this year, but struggled with consistency and was sent to the minors in June. He's back with the big club now. As for Hayes, he's holding his own in Pittsburgh.

Here's a 2016 Topps Aaron Nola Rookie Debut card, a Jack Flaherty Bowman rookie from 2018, and a shiny 2021 Alec Bohm Panini Prizm Rookie Class card that didn't scan well.

And here we have autographs from two prospects. Agrazal pitched a number of games for the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2019, and is currently a minor-league free agent who last played with the Amarillo Sod Poodles (Double-A). Ottenbreit is playing Single-A ball with the Clearwater Threshers, and is currently injured. Let's hope both of those guys can get back on their horses soon! On the right is a fancy 2019 Chrome Black Refractor of Corbin Martin on the 1984 Topps design, serial numbered /199. Martin currently pitches for the Diamonbacks, and collected his first career hit in June.

Some nice vintage is up next, with a 1976 Topps victory leaders card, a smiling Jim Rice on the 1978 issue, and a Lee Smith Donruss rookie!

Jim Rice is a little more pensive here on his 1986 Fleer Star Sticker, Reggie is still swinging hard in 1987, and Frank Thomas is very happy on his 1990 Score rookie card, possibly because he knows how happy I am to have it in my collection.

 

 

All in all, a great prize. Big thanks to Brent at Brent's Card Breaks. If you enjoy watching wax packs being opened, especially those from the '80s and '90s, please do stop by his channel. 

 

And that raises a question: Do any of you readers and collectors watch trading card channels on YouTube? There are definitely some great content creators out there, including our good blogging buddy shoebox legends.

 

Share some of your favorite channels in the comment section, and thanks for reading as always!

A Group Break? Of Modern Cards? Me??

So here's something different:

 

Recently there was an offer on Trading Card Database to join a free group break of hockey cards. Specifically, two hobby boxes and a blaster box of 2021-22 Upper Deck MVP.

 

I knew of MVP. I'd seen a card or two on other blogs and YouTube channels. I even knew what a blaster box was. But I'm not a modern collector, so I don't have anything like MVP in my personal collection.

 

In fact, if you were to look through all the posts I've made on this blog since its beginnings in 2019, you'd find a total of maybe three posts that feature modern cards. Three.

 

However, this was a FREE group break. And I happened to find the post on TCDB at a time when a few teams were still available to claim. So I claimed one: The New York Islanders. Then I waited for the remaining handful of teams to be claimed, and for a date of the break to be announced.

 

Well, those teams were claimed pretty quickly, and the day of the break came soon after, by way of a video that was posted on YouTube. I watched as the host opened up pack after pack, hoping there'd be some good Islanders cards inside some of them. Here's my haul:

In that last trio we've got an Anders Lee silver script card and a mascot card, the style of which is based on a typical "gaming" card. Here's the text:

The Islanders' ice is extra cold to protect it from the cheers of this fearsome fire breather.

I really have nothing else to say about that. But now that I've had the cards in hand, I will say that the design is not bad. And the card stock is nice. It's not the typical UV coating that you worry might brick up over time. It feels more slick. As for the mascot card, it's got much more of an iridescent look than the scanner provided.

 

In any case, the group break was a fun experience. Watching it online was kind of exciting. And some hits did appear for other teams, which was cool. But will I do it again sometime? I don't know. Like I mentioned, I'm not really into modern cards. I also don't collect any specific teams. And I'm not looking to expand my collection unnecessarily. But I wouldn't rule it out.

 

How about all of you readers and collectors? Have you participated in group breaks? Do you enjoy them? What's the best card you've received from one?

 

Share in the comment section, and thanks for reading!