Then there was one

2003-04 SP Authentic basketball is down to a single outstanding card after today's Santa Lot 20....

Highlights:

A couple nice collection adds with Nik (second of these I have) and (with the standard love of a Leaf fan....some Montreal Canadien player...good thing it's a Legends Classics card...only redeeming part of the card (typically such an answer is also said while either spewing venom or swearing). More important, the Richardson card means just Kevin Garnett remains in the 90 card base set. Actually, I think there are only a handful of cards (don't quote me) that would be needed to complete a second set, if I can get a couple Garnetts.

The rest
Keepers:

So - did John Negrin make a lasting impression on the NHL? Nope - career stats of 3 games and one point. Basically, the stats provided on the back of the card, and that was his career in the NHL, though he since continued in the minor leagues.

Traders:


Like the 2007 Topps football season highlight card - wonder if this should have been an insert set though instead of part of the base cards (like another insert set in anything is really needed though these days).

Through 3820 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics Platinum #64 Marcel Dionne 06/10

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	74	6
Inserts / Var Kept	126	7
Error	11	1
Keep	966	120
Doubles/Sell	393	25	812	891	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	50	49

Duds

Something a bit different for today. Since there is no highlight, and no cards for keeps in the Santa Lot 20 today, I figured I at least provide something a tad different. Instead of card fronts - here are the backs of the traders. You'll note that the cards cover just two sets - 2003-04 SP Authentic (the cards do not knock out either of the two remaining cards I'm "looking" for) and 1991 7th Inning Sketch QMJHL minor league cards.




I find that the 2003-04 SP Authentic card backs are just too basic/plain, and it has always bothered me when the full history is not laid out. Past 5 years is okay - but in any cards, I like having the full historical year by year stats. The QMJHL does a bit better with the picture added in, but quite plain - though for a minor league set, I can understand this a bit more.

Hope this gives a bit of a different look to some of the cards we have already seen.

Through 3800 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics Platinum #64 Marcel Dionne 06/10

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	6
Inserts / Var Kept	126	7
Error	11	1
Keep	962	120
Doubles/Sell	393	25	800	889	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	49	49

Experience the Tradition of Fleer

That is what we get today - some 1999-2000 basketball Fleer Tradition. We haven't seen any of this base set yet, so it is the highlight in a weak grouping today.

Highlights:

In hand, I like the colours lettering for the names as it stands out well, unlike the scans, though the colour coding for the conference isn't really needed I guess. I miss those Raptor uniforms in a lot of ways - even if the purple was considered ugly by some - it was definitely different with the dino!

The rest
Keepers:

Not much here, but the Hot Prospect card provides a bit of promise...

Traders:

The best of the rest - another redemption card with another new logo...and Vigneault who has had a long coaching career now at the NHL level and a fairly successful one at that.

Through 3780 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics Platinum #64 Marcel Dionne 06/10

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	6
Inserts / Var Kept	126	7
Error	11	1
Keep	962	120
Doubles/Sell	385	25	788	889	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	49	49

Pack Attack - 2007-08 Ultra

We have seen a pack or two from this set before. At this point I have about 15 of the 270 or so base cards, so plenty of room for a good addition of all 5 cards in this pack so let's take a look at it...



This is a poor way to start - one it is Avery, and two, it's a double for me...




Much better - three base cards I need, and we see a fair bit of Iginla and Richards. Lastly, as with every pack, there is a gold medallion card which is...


Hossa!

An okay pack all around, even with no Leafs....uh...hang on...there's a 6th card....*checks the package again*. Okay, a bit confused why I ended up with six cards instead of the 5 on the pack...



Woo hoo! I'll take it given the 1 in 36 packs for this or one of the other more rare inserts show up. Much better than an add card! Makes this pack a big win indeed. Clean and simple design, and a generally thin card for a jersey card, but very nice.

Dave's not here man...oh wait, yes he is...

Won a nice group of cards of my favourite Blue Jay pitcher Dave Stieb...



Dave was an All-Star in 5 of 6 years between 1980 and 1985 and again in 1988 and 1990.



Dave had 6 seasons with more than 15 wins, but never hit the 20 win plateau.



Dave is probably most well known for how much he flirted with a no hitter before actually recording one. One people don't necessarily remember is a no hitter he took into the 9th in 1985, but add to that the back to back starts on September 24 and September 30 where he had a no hitter going that was broken up in the 9th inning with two outs and two strikes in both games as well as the August 4, 1989 perfect game broken up with two outs in the top of the 9th, and you had to feel for him.

Dave was finally able to get his no hitter September 2, 1990 - but interesting to think how much more he would stand out if luck would have been on his side to end up with 2, 3,4 or 5 no hitters.



Understandable given his stats, he fell short on the Hall of Fame (getting 1.4% of the votes in his only year on the ballot), but a definite Jays hall of famer.

And then there were two...

A not so expected highlight today...

The why is - this brings down the number of cards needed of the 90 for the base (not auto, etc) set for 2003-04 SP Authentic to just two cards. One would think I should see them at some point...

The rest
Keepers:

Just ended up with some 2005-06 Upper Deck hockey other than the basketball cards below. Best would be the Koivu action shot coming around the net - even if it is a horizontal card...

Traders:


Some more Shaq and Malone, but not a whole lot to talk about that we haven't touched on before so...we will leave at that until tomorrow!

Through 3760 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics Platinum #64 Marcel Dionne 06/10

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	6
Inserts / Var Kept	126	7
Error	11	1
Keep	959	120
Doubles/Sell	378	25	778	889	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	49	49

90 out of 100 ain't bad...

Seem to be on a bit of a roll of nice cards from the Santa Lot 20, today is no exception. Before we get there though, a couple Listia pick ups.


The Stajan Young Gun RC was a nice pick up. I'm not one to specifically go after rookie cards, but Stajan was a good player for the Leafs, and I couldn't pass it up.


As I continue to not actively pick up the 1990-91 Pro Set...set...I picked up these needs as well. If nothing else, the Granato has a home for now as an error card in my collection for now.

Now on to the Santa Lot 20...

Highlights:


Here is another nice serial numbered card - second I believe to come from the 2007 SP Game Used set. This is a gold parallel, which are obviously numbered to 100.

The rest
Keepers:

It is this that makes it a great pack today - 4 more 2005 Classics cards knocked off the list of needs. Fav would have to be Brooks for the sheer age and fact I'd likely never get him on another baseball card.

Traders:

There were even some extras thrown in for Classics that I already had. Unfortunately, for basketball's 2003-04 SP Authentic set, we are still down to 3 or 4 cards missing in the base 90, and these didn't plug any holes, but one is Kobe!

Through 3740 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics Platinum #64 Marcel Dionne 06/10

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	6
Inserts / Var Kept	126	7
Error	11	1
Keep	954	120
Doubles/Sell	377	25	764	889	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	49	49

Ten....ten....ten....ten...

Well, day after I figured adding highlight single cards to the accomplishments is something I should do, I have another one to add today. Reason - I always planned to put the lowest print run card in the accomplishments. We have seen a number of them so far, a number that were numbered out of the year of the set, some for less - 800, 400, 200, etc. I believe before today, the lowest we saw was out of 50. Well, wild guess what the one for today is out of...though it isn't the most special of cards, it does come from a set I have come to enjoy from the Santa Lot...



Rest of the highlights:

Definitely another highlight for today - especially the second Joe Carter, so it means I will have one for a set, and an extra for the Jays collection.

The rest
Keepers:

Nothing too spectacular, though the 2 diamond Lindstrom is nice.

Traders:


Through 3720 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2004-05 Upper Deck Legends Classics Platinum #64 Marcel Dionne 06/10

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	6
Inserts / Var Kept	125	7
Error	11	1
Keep	952	116
Doubles/Sell	374	21	761	886	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	49	49

Durant Durant and knocking off a most wanted

A one card win off Listia which knocked off one of the remaining 1991-92 Pro Set hockey cards I need to complete the full set. Most wanted for purpose, least wanted for content...

Still, nice to knock one off the most wanted list - yay!

So today's pull made me add one other previous item to the specific accomplishments below. I will save this for only what I find to be excellent pulls. I am going to try and keep it to a handful over the course of the Santa Lot, though I guess that could change. One of the first cards was the 1973-74 Bobby Orr All Star card. I am going to add this single card, and the Durant highlighted below because these are just great cards in their own right.

Highlights:

Given it is a Durant rookie, how hot he is right now, and that it is the variation card as well - have to say this is one of the big highlights as far as single cards go from the Santa Lot (so far). If I hit another string of these inserts, could end up with the insert set which would be another great accomplishment.

The rest
Keepers:

Nothing spectacular, but the Bowman International set is interesting with the chrome look and faux signature.

The rest:

Well - the Classics cards are a first from the Santa Lot - so that's a good thing, but they are minor league cards, so not something I'll be keeping. Otherwise, as much as I can appreciate coach cards like Alain's above - I'd love to see current sets do this with more unusual poses, pictures than "sitting on the bench" or "standing behind the bench".

Through 3700 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:

- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)

- 1973-74 O-Pee-Chee #30 Bobby Orr (All-Star)

- 2007-08 Topps 1957-58 Variations #112 Kevin Durant (Rookie)

	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	5
Inserts / Var Kept	124	7
Error	11	1
Keep	946	112
Doubles/Sell	369	20	760	885	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	49	49

No Staaling - actually, yes, yes there is

Although we have another McDonald's card for keeps, heavy on the 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum hockey and 1999-00 MVP Basketball today...

Highlights:

Another keeper as the 2006-07 McDonald's set is getting closer to 2/3 completion, and a third 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum Clark card.

The rest
Keepers:

Not many, but continues to grow the set, over 50% complete now. I am trying to figure out if the Hextall card is so basic it is great, or so basic, it just sucks...not sure which it is...

Traders:

Highlights to me here are a couple - first Steve Kerr. Personally, he was an intricate part of the 90s Bulls run with Jordan and Pippen, but of course more recently - coach for the Golden State Warriors. Obviously he has done well with the teams and seems to be a great coach to add to his time as a solid player. The other is The Admiral David Robinson. He was the Spurs for many a year in the late 90s and early 00s.

Through 3680 cards:

Specific Accomplishments:
- Complete 2007-08 UD McDonald's Checklist Subset (6 cards)
	Hockey	Baseball	Basketball	Football	Austin Powers	Other
Toronto	73	5
Inserts / Var Kept	123	7
Error	11	1
Keep	943	111
Doubles/Sell	364	20	758	879	232	19
Doubles Inserts / Var	37	1	47	49

Pack Attack - 2007-08 O Pee Chee

I am hoping this is a good news story/post. This came with a couple other similar packs in one of the boxes I bought. This one however feels a little thicker and a little sturdier, which I am hoping are signs of something nice and not signs of a dummy card. There are 6 cards in a pack, and I currently have all of 6 base cards in the set of 600, so this should be decent regardless.

Here is the pack...



And here we go!

Some base cards to start...


Then a nice thick card....

....dang it! I am going to assume the discount code on the back is probably no longer going to work...

Oh well, two cards left in the pack then - let's see if we can turn this around...

That is not a bad start - a nice insert card (1 in ever 12 packs). I like the effect, but am glad it is a fairly small insert set.


Yay! A Leaf parallel - can't say no to that. Ponikarovsky suffered from having a long enough name it went from arm pit to arm pit - sad really, but it is an affliction to a small minority of NHL players...

No doubles...an insert...a Leaf insert...enough to make this a great pack even with the discount card.