Just Flyin'

A small PWE trade with Bengals818821 which happened to be for three wrestling cards coming my way, but all cards of Brian Pillman

Brian went the somewhat typical route of being a football player turned wrestler. Some others the have done this include Goldberg, Roman Reigns and The Rock. He spent time in WCW, which I saw little of as I was fully WWF at that point. Once he jumped over to WWF, at the time, I remember him for standing out as different and being more "real" than many of the other characters, though a little over the top given his "loose cannon" approach.

Unfortunately his WWF run, and life, were cut short when he passed away in October 1997 and really stopped his career before he got the chance to reach the heights he seemed capable of.

Jays A-Plenty

Next 100 into the 2020 Topps flagship set, and there may not be a surprise short print or serial numbered cards, but Jays dupes a plenty.

Do I NEED this many copies of each...no...but am I upset about it? Absolutely not. I'm just glad that, if there are 8-10 of the cards I am not planning to keep, that there is at least as many for the ones I do.

The team cards are fast becoming my favourite cards of the base set. No matter the tram, they all seem to be really well done.

The growth at least on series one, continue to be great. I don't think there is as much of series two, but we will start seeing that next time as we go 300-399 and the first series is to 350.

So far, so good!

A Couple Surprises

 Working through more of the nice 2020 flagship Topps set from the BASEball lot...

I will share a smattering of cards for each 100 base numbers I go through. I got another 85 or so, and some highlights of the base cards above and below.

However, let's focus on my real "wins" in this bunch....first the Jays...

I always figure Vladdy's a big enough star that his cards may be pulled before I get the lots, but we get a few copies of his base card here. Sure, it's not in the same numbers as many of the other base cards, but I'll take the few no problem!

Still, those are regular old base cards, but these couple snuck in...

Carpenter is an alternative stats card which, as you can see, are serial numbered to 300. The front is exactly the same as the pure base, so I can absolutely see why this would have been missed by anyone quickly shuffling through the lot. It's a first such card for my collection and a nice surprise.

The other, the Bauer, is a short printed base card and the second such flagship Topps short print to come out of this lot - sweet! Just another part of these lot purchases that I find so fun as, even when you think you know what you are going to get - a whole lot of base cards - it doesn't always turn out that way!

20 Years

 Today, my wife and I are celebrating 20 years of marriage and are not doing anything special about it! Our children, we love them, make trips / going away difficult, and ditching them for a night, problematic. We will probably just leave them off to do their own things this evening (ie. video games) and at least have a quiet dinner or something together and then plan a night out once the school year is over. It's important to focus of course on "us", but still, even with kids aged 14 and 11, a lot of time and effort is directed their way first. Definitely a different time than before kids, but we were smart to enjoy a few years of just the two of us, and we were on the younger side (married when I was 24, she was 22, both just really finished our schooling, me getting through the CPA exams, her teacher's college). Regardless, there are trying times, and times it's been tough being on the same page with the kids, but we get through and work things out, sometimes a bit louder than others - lol, but we end up stronger for it.

I love my children, but definitely seeing the end of the tunnel and not totally upset about it. They may always be our children, but that self-sufficiency is definitely looking like something I am not sad to have happen for them, and see them succeed on their own...even if they aren't looking forward to the "own their own" part the same way.

Now, let's tie back to the hobby...my wife doesn't participate in the  hobby, but is fine with me doing whatever I like with it. She knows I won't spend big dollars on it, and that' sit's fun to me, so she's good about it. Another benefit to the kids (eventually) growing up, is I will have more of the basement to decorate with my collection!

How I do that is, in part, trades at TCDB, including this one with refmichel.

I picked up some Toronto cards, a few inserts of the Bruins persuasion (they fit my collection so staying with me, though others in the trade will make their way to local collector/friend Jeff.

These help on the insert sets for the 2025-26 Timmies set, so big thumbs up there. Very cool and keeps me closing in on some of the insert sets....hope I can keep it up before I get too far removed from the set and start focusing on next year!

2020 Topps Flagship

First a quick "boo" as the Leafs couldn't manage to get past Florida and it's another year of wondering whether this core can put it together in a meaningful way to get them to the finals, let alone win it all. Not much more to say about it than that.

Today, a start on what is likely about 4,000 cards with what is here from the 2020 Topps flagship base set, and I am definitely going to be breaking it out over a few days.

I do break it down because some o the cards should get a spotlight on them, and it forces me to slow down a bit and enjoy the set. I mean, sure Trout is a star and the first card out in the 700 card base set, but it's 700 cards. There are others to pay attention to here also, or at least to see.

I like the design better than the offering the following year, but not as good as the 2015-2018 stretch, and some of the teammate type cards I do like their addition, even if it is gratuitously done to just put stars in more times.

Though my preference is a horizontal name plate on the front, the vertical doesn't overly offend me here, and the photograph, as usual, is solid.

Not too shabby for the first 100 cards to be over 80% done in the group - would love to keep that up for the rest, but we shall see.

Luckily, I am not boring you with the almost 1,000 dupes in the first 100 cards, but it does mean I can help a few people get a good start on the set or fill some holes if needed! Just check TCDB and see if there's anything I have that you need.

Most important of course is, whether there are any Jays cards and yes, there are two....so how many copies of each did I get?

Not going to complain about that kind of number when it comes to dupes and Jays cards - sweet!

Will definitely update the line as we go through more cards from the set!

Chrome, Chrome on the Range...

 Where Blue Jays and the 2020 set stay...

Though I wouldn't have gone out of my way to start this set, when I am handed almost 2/3 of it - I feel it's my collector duty to proceed with trying to now finish the set off.

Happily, I get a few Jays in duplicate so I have for both the Jays collection and set build - yay!

As seems to be the case, those missing in action generally, are the rookies - though not all of them this time. THe scans here are not everything, and there are dupes of most the set, so those are up on TCDB for anyone interested.

One thing that I do love about the last number of years in flagship Topps sets, is the backs get done about as right as possible - all the stats you could want, and where there's room, write ups as well.

Not a lot to specifically say about the set though - because much of it will be said when looking at the 2020 flagship set....which I will be starting through tomorrow, and well, there be a BUNCH of it. One of those "let's take it 100 at a time or so" sets...

Trade With thedaddystuff1979

 Just like it says, let's go through a nice PWE trade with another TCDB member!

A number of sweet highlights in the PWE. The Steib is the final Jay card I needed for the 1990 Score 100 Superstars set, the three 2022 Topps inserts regarding 1987's 35th anniversary retro card design are all great helpers.

Both the A&G cards help as I have the 7 base cards from the 2023 set for the Jays, though I have a couple short prints I can still pick up and the Bo was the only Jays insert for the Spotless Spans insert set.

Being a trade to a Canadian, I guess some obligatory hockey is needed, where we get close now, but not quite done on the 2001-02 Topps base Leafs.

Another amazing PWE helping to move along some team sets and finish a few as well - always a pleasure!