A Pit Stop Player

A solid day of cards from the 2026 Lot today with some more assistance with flagship Upper Deck from 2023-24 and we start with someone who had, in relative terms, a pit stop in Toronto, and here it is in card form. 

Ryan Reaves started in the NHL all the way back in 2010-11 with St. Louis. He spent his early career there, staying through 2016-17 before starting his trip around the NHL with a number of pit stops since then. Better part of one season with Pittsburgh, followed by three plus seasons as a Knight, then just over a year as a Ranger followed by most of a season with Minnesota before stopping in Toronto for two seasons, and then this past year with San Jose. That's a fair bit of travel after a solid and static start to a career!

A number of set additions, and I do appreciate when the sets are done in a manner that keeps team cards together - that row of Avs shows exactly why - looks so good all together.

I think the best additions for the day are in the last keepers below...

No, not the All Star uniforms, but the wonderful classic Jets uniform in a great photo for Vladislav, and the unique - through the net - shot of Laurent - very cool.

FOr those interested, here are the dupes up for trade...

A nice boost again for the stats in the lot to date now...and a solid way to end March ahead of what is always a hectic April!

Candid

These days, it seems like some of the photography is done with a lot of effort being put in to create unique cards. As a kid, looking at some of these, it seemed more like, the effort was put in to just take a lot of pictures and then just select something of interest. Like giving a camera to a kid - there usually a good shot or two, and take pictures of the unusual or what make them think and ask qestions, but may not be what you expected. 

If I was a kid - why take a pic of a guy with his helmet on, when you can take a pic and ask - where did his chin boo-boo come from?

Tim McGee chilling on the ground with a football and a friend - sure, that stands out.

Why is Saxon yelling at me? Where did Derrick get that headband and does he wear it under his helmet? Is Jackie gonna die?

My leg doesn't stretch as nicely as Sean's does. What are Ron and Carl looking so focused at - it's like they are looking into someone's soul. Why is Jacob's helmet so loose it looks like his face is getting smooshed inside.

Not complaining about the photography at all - just find that sometimes the photos raise more questions or provide more unique shots back in the day than we see now. Maybe it's just different styles, different times, but I love seeing the differences in looking back at many of these cards.

I Love This Set

 I know I still have a blaster or two still to open regarding this set, but I am able to get a little closer on the base set being completed with a bunch of additions today. The best part is, not a single dupe or unneeded card here - and I'd guess it was the base cards out of a similar blaster.

Sweet getting two Leafs in the bunch, needed since I am set and team collecting. 2021-22 Upper Deck Artifacts is a very "Artifacts" looking set, and I like it - a lot. Awesome the rest of these are all keepers too...

Not often I keep Bruins - but these ones get to stay and help with the set completion.

Wish they hadn't copied Panini by using the front photo on the back too, but unfortunately, that's what Upper Deck did on this one - oops.

Didn't luck out with one of the subtle parallels where the foil is a different colour, but almost better not to since I needed the base set bump. Now, just have to tell my unopened blasters not to copy all these cards!

Almost Missed

 Starting to get into some small varieties of specific sports in the 2026 Lot, and we have a smattering of football for sharing today.

The 2019 Panini Score card is a draft insert - very cool to pick up any inserts as I don't ever really expect them in these lots, so cool.

I don't think I have ever seen someone who was the "V" in the family. I think we have all heard of a junior, and even a III or "third". Not sure I've seen anyone who was the fourth or fifth generation and it was part of their name.

Going back to inserts - did you miss this one, because I did the first time. The Hockenson card is a Kickoff parallel. It does say Kickoff on the front, and the foiling is green as well, but in going through the cards quickly, I originally missed this. Happy I picked it up on last look though....might add a penny or two in value.

I didn't realize Wild Card - at least in name, I assume - was printing cards in 2021. I have seen enough of Wild Card in these types of lots and cards in the early 90s, but this set is new on me!

Nice - an Aaron Rogers pick up. If I were to pick favourite teams, the NFL would definitely be Buffalo first, San Fran second (blame Joe Montana and Jerry Rice), and Green Bay last (mostly Brett Favre). Regardless of how you feel about the players, those were the teams and players as a kid, that I watched and enjoyed their play.

What To Do

 I mean, we have another day of Allure cards from the 2026 Lot, and we have just about seen it all with the base set, so other than showing you a summary of the cards in case you are interested...

I can't tell you I am still at just two true complete sets of the 1-100 base cards, and beyond that - what can I talk about today?

I took a look to see what other sets I have a lot of - now, I ignored the high production era of the late 80s and early 90s, which I have a lot of baseball and a few hockey sets that fit there, but outside of that, it's baseball flagship sets from 2019 through 2021 because of the big base card lot purchase I had a year or two ago.

Allure isn't quite there is numbers, but looks like I have about 500-700 dupes from the 100 card base set, and at least it's not a flagship set. I have had a few trades go on already with cards from the set which is great, so it's not the worst set to have in bulk. Time will tell if I can move enough of it though. Maybe I need someone starting the set, or some team collectors to take a few at least off in numbers.

Winning Trade

 Not too many cards to share today as it's a PWE trade with a handful of cards, but we have some great ones for show! This trade is with TCDB member gawinniwag - it's the same front to back and back to front, and this envelope is the same, great front and back, back and front.

I am never one to turn down a serial numbered card, let along three!

Hernandez was decent for the Jays, and has had team success of course with the Dodgers since. Here he is numbered to 150, and the couple 2018 Topps gold cards of course to 2018. The coupe Fleer cards along or the ride, are uncorrected error cards for that binder.

Figure it's worth showing the backs and the SNs. Though I am use to the gold or silver foil stamping, I like how easy a visual the black stamping like the flagship gold parallel cards is very easy on the eyes by comparison.

Big thank you for the great offer, and much appreciate the new additions all around!

Unsuccessful Draft

That's about what it feels like today with the 2021 Bowman Draft cards from the 2026 Lot. Many cards, but not a single Jays addition unfortunately.

I guess the good news is, we are still close enough, some of these players may still become bigger stars in the MLB, though time is running out on most. Jasson has made a few appearances in the NY pinstripes over the last couple years.

Not a bad set for what it is, and I do luck out as usually I don't get any keepers when there are no Jays on a set like this, but according to TCDB, the Ed Howard is an error card due to an incorrect date of birth, so I'll take as a little success at least!

Stars Are Good

 If we have to spend another day in 1991 Upper Deck football from the 2026 Lot, at least we get a few stars to talk about!

We get back to back two sport stars with Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson. My take on the two - both were very talented in both sports but the big difference, I think, was their attitude to their careers. As a kid, Deion always came off as more full of himself - it may have just been confidence, but Bo seemed more attractive as a child, to look up to. Sure, it may have also had to do with Bo being part of the awesome Pro Stars cartoon which was too short lived, and sure, wasn't his voice, but it wa still cartoon Bo!

What do others think of the two? I know I was a bit against Sanders as well because of the Atlanta connection and the rivalry against the Jays at the time - who was the better athlete / star?

Nice to get a Boomer too, as we round out another day from the set.

Panini Did It Right

Before the unusual of Panini doing something I like, a trade with someone I always like trading with, Tdorsay at TCDB. This small PWE saw the following come my way...

A 1993-94 Kraft Jell-O pudding "card" or panel, which is the only Toronto Maple Leaf one, so yay for a one and done on the oversized object.

As for the Hostess cards, both are in wrapper, which will remain the case, though I do still want opened ones.

Speaking of open, the Juan is the final one I did need open for the Jays set, so that's a nice box to tick as done. We also get a solid Vaive upgrade as I had a VERY beat up copy which I can replace in my team set. I don't usually replace for quality, but it was very miscoloured. Still keeping it, just as a duplicate.

A couple Jay needs and an awesome 1985 O Pee Chee WWF card. That is the one set I know I had a lot of (though they were well loved), but over the years had disappeared before getting back into collecting. Well, I have this one back now at least!

So, I may not be a fan of many things Panini when it comes to their cards, but I found something I actually REALLY like when it comes to the design on the 2022-23 Panini Contenders cards which come up from the 2026 Lot today.

If you are going to do a fake ticket style design, make the ticket mean something. Here, The section, row and seat numbers are the weight, height and jersey number. I know Panini does this on other sets like this, but nice to see it done, as the ones I am use to (thinking some of the inserts from Timmies hockey sets), don't mean anything.

Of course Panini then goes and screws it up by being all Panini-like and using the same back photo as the front, not putting on much for stats, but I guess a plus is a plus.

We actually get a red parallel of Hardaway Jr. which is pretty neat. Actually seeing junior is neat, though I'd say I remember his dad playing much more than anything now since I don't follow basketball now, but at least watched Inside Stuff regularly on the weekend as a kid. I didn't know that Inside Stuff was actually on until 2006 in it's initial run. I did watch through most of the 1990s, starting in 1990, but was out by the end of the decade.

Still, an above average offering here from Panini.

I finally fixed a little calculation snafu in the basketball total - oops. All good now though, and not doing too bad at about 19% keeper rate on the lot so far.

A Quick Set Addition

 The 2026 lot comes with a winner today. I may already have one full set, but it's a small one and a great one, so I'll be kepping this second copy as well...

The 1997-98 Upper Deck McDonalds hcokey set is a great one with the very nice and unique see through acetate cards and "ice" scheme to them. Horizontal cards with a great action shot. My only front complaint would be, the ice and Upper Deck logo piece could have been a bit smaller, but just a small complaint.

Everyone in the set is a great player and star, they got them right for the time, I think. The condition of these cards is really very solid. Sometimes with the black backs, they can get marked up and look a bit off, but not very much of that here at all.

The set has a solid goalie subset, except I'm not sure about that Patrick Roy guy being included...

They even have a subset of die cut cards - sure it's just a small cut to shape for a skate, but it still counts! May not be an overly expensive set - can pick it up on ebay for $10-$15, but a nice set nonetheless.