Quick To Dupe

 Another three packs of 2023-24 Yim Hortons cards today...

On a positive note, getting the Leaf Hockey Triumph card is a nice dupe pick up since I will need one for the master set, but surprised to get a dupe Points Leader insert just 5 packs in. I assume I should be able to trade it for another Points Leader card I do need though, so all good there.

As for the base set - all good with no dupes yet, nice sign, though sure that will change not too far in.

Moving To Normal

Today, starting on the "normal" Tim Hortons set and the 30 or so packs I was given to hopefully give me a great start on the current year set, though I still have a bit to do on the prior year. 

As usual, great base set design with a nice look, and close to prior years to make it easily recognizable. As for the inserts, standard types for the set. The hockey triumphs and every three packs, net keepers are every seven packs and point leader are every eight packs, so nothing too extravagant, but will see if I make or do better than those odds over the 30 packs.

Not going to complain when I get McDavid's base card and these inserts for the first few packs!

Granted A Second

 Well, I mentioned the odds on the Canvas inserts yesterday, and here we have the second which I was expecting - with Grant being a really nice pick up.

Fuhr played so well for a few different teams that I do think of him in a few different uniforms, and am just glad Toronto was one of them for a period in time. His best times were probably his Edmonton days, but would be interesting to see if that is what he thought as well.

Love the Manon card - remembered what a big deal she was and her time with the Tampa Bay Lightning - really cool.

Well, let's see where I stand after these packs...

Base - 32 / 100

Record Books - 5 / 15

Trendsetters - 3 / 15

Championship Resume - 4 / 15

Canvas Legends - 2 / 15

Definitely just a start, but not a bad one. Will definitely need a few solid trades to get anywhere near completing any of the sets.

The Great Two

 Well, if I am going to get a duplicate insert, could do worse that dead centre on this one...

I'm sure I won't have an issue finding a new home for Gretzky, but best of the three packs today is the first Canvas insert. These are one per six packs, so should end up with two if the odds are correct. Very much like the Upper Deck UD inserts of course, nicely done and very much feel like one of my favourite sets, 2008-09 Upper Deck Masterpieces. Oh Masterpieces, how great some of those sets were.

Just three more packs to go, and I'll have my little start done on this set....and then just a matter of trying to trade for the rest.

Great Indeed

 Three more packs of the 2023 Tim Hortons Legends set to open today, and they appears as show below...

Wayne Gretzky dead canter as it should be. I love Crosby, always liked Lemieux, Jagr, Howe, but Gretzky is the greatest of all to me. Again, no spectacularly rare pulls, but these cards are really nice looking and great quality.

If the Timmies sets keep at this quality, it isn't hard to want to collect them between the content and the quality of the cards, hard to find something wrong with them - and being a smaller set, you could actually complete them if you wanted to!

Collecting Trends

Three more packs of 2023 Tim Hortons Legends today, and hopefully all new additions for my binder, but let's see.

Almost all new cards for the binder, just one duplicate being the Terry Sawchuk Record Breaker.

Best pull of the packs would be the Trendsetters insert as those are every 8 packs - nothing surprisingly rare, but nice since I'd love to get a couple of the more elusive cards myself rather than having to try and trade for them to finish off the binder, but so far, so good on filling up the base set!

Christmas Timmies

 So we were a bit later than planned to do Christmas with my mom - our daughter was sick over Christmas, and though a bit better on Boxing Day, when we were supposed to go, she wasn't up to the hour plus travel so we put it off. Happy to have gone and done the family get together before having to get back to work, I did get one card related gift, the usual, from my mom.

The binder doesn't quite fit on the scanning bed, but close. SO, like last year, the binder for the Tim Hortons' set...well...

both of them since two were released, I gather because they are quite successful and helpful to Timmies. Along with the binders, some packs as well, so we pull a couple for the unopened pack collection...

and then we have a bunch to start opening. Let's do a couple today and a few a day to work through them. I will be working on the sets since I have the binders, but still of course focused mainly on the Leaf cards as a starting point. I do have a handful of cards before opening these, but not much so, for both sets, should be lots of new ground to cover. Legends packs first...

The down side - actually had the Pounder base card, but small complaint given we get 3 Leaf cards in the two packs, and Mario insert as well. Just....super!

I did have a couple copies of the Wendel Clark base card, but would be happy getting one in each pack, so no worries there. A good start, and about 12 more Legends and 30 "regular series" packs to go.

4 For 1

 I don't usually end up ahead in card count on trades - really because I am happy to get less and move more from a space perspective if nothing else. I mean, my traders are taking up too much space and I'd love to move more for fewer cards (trade a bunch of base for an insert for example).

TCDB member deadhead11 offered up a 4 for 1 trade for a football card he was looking for. Not expensive, but was happy to send the few cards to me in exchange, which is how I got these...

Another sticker variation from Fleer circa 1988, an error variation card from 1989 Donruss, a Rookies which is the green 1990 Donruss border, and a serial numbered 1998 SPx Finite Spectrum card numbered 1300 / 2250 Hentgen.

Hentgen looks much better in hand, while Olerud makes me wonder if Donruss made the right call between the different border colours, if red should have been the base set colour of ir one of the other colours, like this green, would have been better.

Either way - here these cards are to stay.

Noujangles!

A first time trade partner, but fellow Canadian, MrBoujangles, was kind enough to offer up some wrestling cards in a trade, so how could I say no, especially when most are set helpers on a set I REALLY enjoy. 

2021 WWE Topps Heritage is now 97% complete for me - just three cards missing. I am definitely not counting or going after the variations, as there are a handful plus of those. I'd love to have them, but not caring for the base set build.

Besides, Roman with that shirt is great - one of the better ones, simple, but to the point.

Honky Tonk is no GUTHER, but was a great heel and IC champ back in the day.

SHort and sweet, but a great little PWE trade, many thanks!

Trade With Pennytendencies

 Another trade for sharing as I was wrapping up a bunch of trades from the holiday season, which came in during the early part of the year, this one with TCDB member pennytendencies.

I am finally closing in on the 99 or so cards needed for Toronto Maple Leaf base cards in 1990-91 Upper Deck, given the different hologram variations - just a couple to go...though I will need to verify I even have them all correctly.

Pinnacle base Leaf team set is done with the Andreychuk, and the 1995 Classic 2 card Leaf set is done as well.

Heck, I almost was able to get the entire base Leaf set from 2000-01 Pacific Aurora in one go, but just one still outstanding.

Now and then, trade partners send an extra random card or two, but here there were 10!

Nothing that ended up a need, though any Bruins card will find a new home quickly if I don't need it, so that's nice.

So these made me look up the rookie class set. Getting these did make me take a look at the set itself. I picked up the box set of 50 cards back a few years (maybe 2017-2018) at 401games when they were clearing them out for less than $10. I should have picked up a few so I could sell some since the Crosby and Ovechkin cards has done well in value if nothing else.

Another excellent trade, and a couple more in the hooper to share as well...so more to come tomo0rrow!

Small PWE From dbishop93

 Today, a quick trade share with TCDB user dbishop93. I was able to transform some football cards into cards I was in need for...

When I finish sets or team sets, that is when I will look at actually adding the error cards in again to my wantlist. I don't really "go" for them, but I do add in this case to ensure I pick up enough copies of cards once I have one. This is why the couple baseball pick ups. I'd want Stieb either way being a Jay, but more so, an error card.

I am a bit surprised the two 1986-87 Leaf cards are my first for Topps, but I do have some O Pee Chee for that year. The design is one of the first I remember as a kid as these were some of my first cards I got when collecting, and as they were a couple years old at the time I got them, I thought they were cool because of it.

Appreciate the great trade and additions, thank you dbishop93!

Better In Hand

 A whole bunch of football cards today from the COVID lot, so let's just get into it.

That Domino's Quarterback set is a neat little 50 card one from the early 90s. Seen most of it now, thought not the complete set. Had a bunch of the cards come out earlier in the lot, and almost another 10 here too.

The Future Stars card from Classic is an interesting one, showing the number one draft picks from the major sports - a nice first card to the set that year.

Speaking of first cards to a set, that's what the Wild Card logo card is - though it's a "surprise card" which essentially worked as a redemption card for other cards. The back notes the exchange request must be made after March 1, 1994....so technically, I COULD send it in now as there doesn't appear to be a close date, at least not on the card. WOuld 30 years be too late?

Oh, and here we have some SPortflix which scan horribly, but I don't want to try doing photos for the pictures.

They are definitely nicer in hand with the "moving" photos and multiple ones at that.

A fair number of rookie cards through the lot today, obviously was a collection "piece" for where these came from.

Deion was a bit of a polarizing player, and a star at the same time - so not bad getting a few cards of his for trade I guess. Not a bad variety of cards in all, and hopefully something I can trade away for anyone out there looking!

A Baker's 20

 wbaker01 reached out on TCDB looking for some hockey cards, and offering up some baseball in exchange, which works just fine for me and led to the following additions to my collection.

A couple more adds for 1982 Topps, Roger being a one and done Jays insert team set for A&G, and he let me know he wasn't sure if the Blair was a Tiffany parallel or not (same with Bell below). They were listed as Tiffany, but I doubted as well, and when they came by, neither were. It can be very hard to tell if you don't have a normal and Tiffany side by side.

Blair was easier to tell because the O Pee Chee name on the back for manufacturing showed easy enough it was the O Pee Chee version, not the Topps Tiffany. Bell was a bit harder, but the glossy front of Tiffany can be seen with light reflection - and I could compare to the other Bell cards I have, and it was no different.

The electric diamond Upper Deck parallels are very nice as always, but the cards that are a first for my collection are...

These gold star parallels from 2020 Topps which apparently are only found in Walmart retail factory sets. They are nice, but annoying to exist - I mean, having to look for certain parallels in only certain releases at certain stores is a bit over the top. It does make for great reason to trade with people though!

Better Late Than Never!

A few days ago, I shared an envelope which was one of two in a trade with TCDB member Jaskau82. We both figured the other may have gone missing as it had been over a month since the mailing, though we both knew the mail across the border can be slow at times (and with the holidays, even more so). Well, it took an extra 3 weeks, even though both envelopes were mailed at the same time, and the envelope itself was a little beat up, but the cards were fine, so here is the rest of the trade.

Slaught is the non-Jay as this is an error card (the stat headings on the back are for a pitcher, which makes his stats quite funny - apparently a W-L record for the last year of 34-88 - yikes!

I didn't get any team sets completed, but the Spectralight Sprague and League Leader Hentgen cards are pretty awesome!

As you can see, the bulk of the envelope was a base set helping of 2004 Topps Total Jays on which I now only have a handful of Jays missing - a vast improvement from essentially having none.

Still not a fan of the Jays logo for the time, but always a fan of Roy Halladay on a Jays card. Glad everything worked out on this trade (though being a mailing issue, would have been fine to deal with if it did stay MIA).

Check Out The Dugout

 The COVID lot had a smattering of cards from 1998 Dugout Access set from Skybox, and today we get another 100 or so. It's not a set I have any attachment or care for, and the cardstock is so thin, that alone kind of turns me off. I do like a couple of the subsets from the base set, and will note those later, but first up, a couple Jays (yay!).

Still not a big fan of the big Leaf logo on the uniforms...

As for the base cards I am in no need of keeping, here is a smattering for show...

I'm not overly offended by the design on the front, and there are some decent enough photos used, so all good there, as for backs...

I get what they were going for, but man, I would have rather a text box with simple white background under that black text at the bottom. I know, full photo is ncie, but so much harder to read as done here in my opinion. Team colour matching on the design though is a nice touch.

Here are a few of the subsets from the base set, and I have to say, I want a full set done like the license plates. I don't know why, I mean, it's just a side picture of the player and a made text background, but I like them! Besides, Crime Dog - nice!

Over 30 Years

 Yup, it's been over 30 years since the boom of the late 80s and early 90s with the overproduction of sports cards. It doesn't mean I love them any less, just means the cards with any monetary value from the period are fewer and further between. I still love many of the sets from the era as it's what I grew up on, and the COVID lot today, provides a number of reminders from that time.

We actually get a fair number of set helpers too...

The Donruss 1988 and Topps 1988 sets are well enough known, but here we have the "Canadian" versions with Leaf and O Pee Chee, both of which are sets I am slowly working on. I gather that production wise, these were far less produced, though I wouldn't call them scarce by any means.

A few other slow set builds getting a bit of help. A lot of Scott Erickson in the cards today. Though I always think of his time in Minnesota early in his career, he actually spent more years with Baltimore.

Other keepers today...

A lonely Jays card, and a dupe, but still a thumbs up. A couple Clemente puzzle pieces I needed as well as another MVP need with the man Gwynn, and a couple uncorrected error cards as well.

As for the traders...

Some bash brother action with Jose and Mark, never going to be sad about getting Gwynn cards, and names like Martizen and Maddux to boot? Star studded for the times indeed.

I always pull Montreal Expos cards to send to Mike at Not Another Baseball Card Blog, but given the number of them today, just wanted to show...

Well, I hope he wants a dozen Upper Deck card copies!

Name Game

 Another day of cards from the COVID lot today, and we are looking at some football. Highlighting today, well we start with some promo cards and Ultra inserts.

From this lot, many of the Playoff brand football cards have been damages enough I can't trade them, so instead use them as packing material. Luckily these promo cards seemed to fair better and look fine. Other than the clear 90s look of the Ultra inserts, they don't look too damaged other than the purposeful explosion backgrounds.

We then get into some examples of 1995 Collector's Edge

These hobby versions are serial numbered - not to anything small, but you can see the backs below which are the same type of numbering done on prior versions. I do like the large names on the front with the team colours, stands out and looks good to me.

The backs aren't too shabby either. Could be a bit better maybe with a solid background for reading the stats, but alright otherwise. All up for grabs as usual since they are not my thing, but still pretty neat cards.

Not My Favourite Pulls From The Lot

 Okay, well, looks like someone did some team separating in the cards from the COVID lot as I need to now work through some Montreal hockey cards...sigh...I guess there can be an upside since I will need some for base sets...

Without getting too excited over Canadiens cards, there is a bunch of base helpers as shown above. Do really love that 2006-07 Parkhurst set of "golden oldies" as it were.

Even have a couple inserts which will be kept with the Kovalev which was the update set inserted into the flagship release and a decent gold medallion Ultra Koivu.

Plenty to put up for trade though...

I really should find a collector of Canadiens and trade with them any team for team cards, would be a good way to ship them off somewhere quick.

McDonalds cards are always nice to see, even if I don't need them anymore.

2006-07 Upper Deck flagship - and a few more later 2000s cards smattering as well.

May be a Phoenix card in reality, but still wearing hs Montreal garb, so David still counts as a Hab here.

Though here, specifically thinking a team for team trade Leafs for Canadiens, if anyone wants to do a team for team trade, I am more than open to it to get some Leafs and move some cards - just let me know.