The End of Another Lot

 Almost the end of another busy season, but definitely the end of the COVID lot. Will it go out with a bang? Probably not - just not how these things really work, but it will end with some baseball cards.

Definitely had a fair trickle of Flair, Finest and Bowman's Best through the lot. It's neat because these are sets I wasn't too familiar with as a kid, and it has given me a chance to see a bunch in hand, and have some fodder to get similar cards in for my collection.

Actually, a number of the sets represented today are ones that the lot provided me samples of I wouldn't have received in hand so, good on that indeed! Zenith is another one for sure, and some of the 90s SP sets also.

Sweet - some set help with the Collector's Choice cards as well as another Zenith set represented. By 1997, the Pinnacle seems to have dropped it's prominence on the card, and it's just Zenith. Like Ultra did with the Fleer branding years before this.

A surprise insert from SP Authentic with the right most card, nice.

We even get a couple more base card needs from the 1999 Topps Opening Day base set build, and a 4th copy of Cruz Jr for the collection.

We end with a couple last inserts because yes, the checklists from these sets were inserts, not part of the base set.

With that, we bid a finish to the COVID lot. I'll get the summary posted to my lot summary page and I have the next couple things lined up for sharing which, in all honesty, should cover the next year or so....lol...I plan long term, but I will share a bit tomorrow!

The Last of the Hockey

Here we are, and here it is - the last of the hockey cards from the COVID lot. Just some baseball share tomorrow and that will be the end of the lot. We can retrospect on it tomorrow, but today...let's see if we have any last cool pick ups. 

A slow start today. Some excellent names, but no keepers here. The C55 cards are nice, but still not enough to start collecting the base set. I don't know what's up with the Quest for the Cup card, but feels like the top film layer was stripped off, so packaging material it is.

A base pick up with the 1992-93 O Pee Chee Bure.

I don't know why, but I clearly remember that Doug Gilmour pic on the centre Black Diamond card from back in the day. He looks older and past his prime Toronto days, but was still fun to watch, even if for a team he shouldn't have been on.

A couple more base card pick ups, and heavy on the Sens apparently.

Another damaged card as you can see the Bee Hive discolouration compared to a "good" card. and the final hockey, a bunch of 2000-01 Upper Deck. A bit of a whimper ending for the hockey cards. Let's see if baseball does any better tomorrow.

Surprise?

 A long while since I cracked one of these. .

So long, the don't even package them this way anymore. Let's see if we get much of anything.

As generic as they come, just 6 hockey cards...no rhyme or reason. We of course get a required 1990-91 Bowman. No Leafs and 2 minor league (type) cards - boo!

A bit better on content here, but no Leaf still.

Well, at least I have a nice Bruins cards for someone else here, and the Plante retro isn't too shabby.

* Sarcasm alert * - Thank goodness! I didn't have enough 1991-92 Pro Set year.

Nothing special to write home about here either. A very "just there" result on the cards, but for the fun of opening it at $2, I don't expect much 

Meet Three

The COVID lot today asks me to get to know three baseball players a little better. First up, Dean Palmer. I remember Dean as a Ranger in the early 90s. Nothing spectacular, but an alright player offensively 

I do not remember him for his home runs, but he had 4 seasons with over 30. I also don't remember him for his poor defense, but he lead the league in errors twice, and was in the top 5 for errors by a 3td baseman eight times.

He had a short stint in KC after his time in Texas and then ended his career in Detroit. He only made the playoffs once, which was with Texas, and never made it to the World Series.

I am not one who puts a lot into the WAR Stat, but the fact that in his career he was offensively a +22.8 but defensively a -8.4 will tell you the type of player he was.

Donovan played 9 seasons in the MLB over a 13 year period from 1992 through 2004. Most of this time was with St. Louis, with a season each with the Cubs and Yanks at the tail end of his career.

His best record came with St. Louis in 1996 when the starting pitcher went 13-9 with a 3.53 ERA, the lowest for a season in his career.

I remember Raul for his couple years in Toronto, but also his long tenure with the Dodgers. I definitely do NOT remember his stints of less than 50 game appearance in each Arizona, Anaheim, Pittsburgh or Atlanta.

He wasn't a Hall of Famer by any means but was good offensively - a but better or more consistent than Dean, and less of a detriment on the field. A shame that all three post season appearance years he had were losses in the first round.

An interesting trio nonetheless.

Last Leafs?

 With the days winding down with the COVID lot, each Leaf could be the last from the lot...

Sweet! I'll take the 2012-13 Score base set helper...oh and the new to me Leaf card is nice too. Heck, the 1996-97 Pinnacle cards are in great shape too...

A shame I didn't see more Ice cards in the lot - I could see going after one of those sets with enough of a head start, especially the acetate.

A solid Mats Leaf pick up too.

Jeremy on a motorcycle....yeah, doesn't scream hockey card, but there it is. Lots of Paul Kariya today too - not a bad guy to see a lot of.

Failed Adventure

 From the random pack pile, a one off of Magic cards, the D&D inspired set...just hunting for wabbits....I mean artifacts.

Well, a disappointing start with the common cards. I swear, the Beholder cards seem to be in every pack.

Even with the uncommon and rare...not a single artifact. Heck, not even a keeper land. Last hope - was the rare at least worth something?

Well, I could pick it up for $2.50 at 401games. At least it isn't a bulk rare, but nothing to light the world on fire.

Not a winning back for me, and I know I have other packs of Magic which will guaranteed, be much better.

Still Liking Studio

 I wish I had more time to cheer on Toronto in their up hill battle with Boston. I can't believe how many times in recent years, this has been the match up, and hoping they can come out ahead this time - at least they had a decent second game bounce back compared to the first. No hockey cards today, just baseball....

A solid bunch of baseball from the COVID lot today, with some nice keepers for me...

The 2009 Topps are nice but the rest seem to be the stars pulled for sections of the lot I went through a good while ago. The Studio sets were added to a lot early in the COVID lot, but at least some of the stars which seemed to have been pulled have shown up later like this.

One new to me Jays card and one printing error...that doesn't scan like it's a printing error. The Ozzie card actually is double printed on the back and looks much worse in hand than the scan shows. Interest as the scanning seems to have cleaned it up.

Binds is a polarizing figure. Still very nice cards from the 90s if you get some Bonds cards, so not complaining.

Steve Karsay I remember most for his Jays 1991 Score card, but he did fine with his time after Toronto as he ended up with the A's as seen here.

Random Hockey

 Looks like the COVID lot will be finished this month, but I have things lined up for May. Will need a few days to catch up on trades to share, but lots of fun card stuffs to open after that, and might just bring back something (I found) fun.

Just the one keeper today with a rookie insert from 1993-94 O Pee Chee Premier. Hamrlik was a great player so thumbs up on that pick for the insert set.

As you can see, a couple more copies of Roman, but one does it for me.

Leaf Limited as a product, has grown on me a bit through this lot. Not sets I ever saw as a kid, and generally not ticking boxes I like on cards like full pictures and full stats, but they aren't that bad...

Thought I might need the Player's Club parallel Chelios, but go figure, I actually now have over 100 cards from that parallel set, including this one.

Pastime Baseball

 A break from COVID lot cards as we look at the two baseball grab bags I picked up from pastinesports.ca.

Just 10 cards in each. The saving frame is at least they are from a set I am collecting. There were a few cards I already had but 14 keepers out of 20 is okay by me, though for base cards, I'd like to pay less than 20 cents a card, but that is why I am drawn to local lot buys.

Not sure how the single heritage card ended up in one of the packages, but so be it. Another case of, neat to open, but not going to repeat the grab bag experience based on these.

More Hull

 I guess after seeing a bit of him yesterday, the card gods decided to show me more Hull today 

At least the retro 1992-93 O Pee Chee insert for the 25th anniversary, which uses the retro design, one card for each year, is really nice. At least they make it obvious the card is different from the original with the strip at the front bottom.

McDonalds cards I unfortunately already have, but a Leaf Limited Kenny I did need for my Leaf collection.

Wow, a couple more Leaf cards makes this my best Toronto day in a while from this lot.

My real question is...why do I like Black Diamond cards so much, and Metal cards so little. I mean, they aren't THAT different really, but they are complete opposite sides of the spectrum as far as my liking them goes? Any agree or disagree with that? Any other similar sets that rub you in completely different directions?