Another Magic Update

I did another "go through all the 401games singles and see if I can backfill cards for under a buck each" exercise again, and there were a good bunch...again....

A great start though as the Mishra's Factory is the fourth land I would collect from that specific Duel Deck set - Elspeth vs. Tezzseret and the Temple of the False Gods is the standalone land for my collection from the Elspeth vs. Kiora Duel Deck.

Sharpener Pitchfork is the last of three artifacts for another "set" completion for me - no more in the pick ups, but knocking off three like that, nice!

Newer sets get me a bit frustrated with how the base set can now include a base card, full art, or extended art, or other such different forms of the same card. I'd rather they be treated as inserts, but it's not for me to say unfortunately. The good is, sometimes these can still then be picked up cheap like The Mana Rig here.

I wonder how many Mind Stones I have, seem to be picking up a lot of versions recently.

How can you not love the artwork on many of the cards. I mean, that Suspicious Bookcase is just fantastic.

Another Mind Stone....just saying...

Another small annoyance at times - when the base set includes multiple versions of the same card, just for different artwork, and it's not a basic land. I get basic lands being done this way, as they always have been, since you need to have so many in your deck, and the variety of look is nice, but for other cards - pick an artwork and stick to one, or if you really have to, go the way of a short print variation, but not giving a card another printing slot like they did with this Temple of the False Gods.

Zoetic Cavern is like a poor Mishra's Factory.

Apparently The Moment couldn't stick around for the scan, or at least the extended art version.

Last pick  ups are from 2001, and show that even back then, some cards did get the different art / double slot inclusion on the base set, like Phyrexian War Beast. I remember having a dozen of the cards back on it's first printing and it's because of the exact issue - showing up in both slots regularly. To think, there was a time a 3/4 for 3 was a solid card and you just tried to work around the downside.

Halfway

 So, before I started going through the 2026 Lot, I had the Jays for the 2024 Topps flagship set. Today, I am now over the halfway point on the set itself. This is why I love picking up these random lots, fun to go through, and you never know where your going to get help on your collecting.

Today, we do get to start with a few Jays dupes which are great for the set build...

I loved the idea of Cavan being a Jay, and he was given the time he needed to make it or not, and unfortunately, he just couldn't get his bat where it needed to be. I understand the move and he continues to work at keeping in the bigs with 2026 being in the minors for the Astros organization.

Varsho has been solid in center field, but I do wish he'd be a bit better at the plate average wise.

There were a few dupes which are now on my trade list, but here is a snapshot at all the keepers for today...

Nice to get Acuna, Verlander, Freeman, and solid start cards. I gather we will be light on the rookie cards as seems to be the case in the lot, but I can live with that. With your friendly neighbourhoor trading partners on TCDB, I have been able to do a decent job knocking out rookie card needs on the 2020 and 2021 sets, so 2024 should eventually be no different.

Oh, and team cards, those are always awesome - whether an insert set or part of the base set - I am all for having them included.

Collecting Dupes

 As I continue my start on initiating more trades, I ran into TCDB member junior79 who needed some basketball, and I much rather have duplicate Leaf cards than basketball cards so we ended up with a nice little trade. Only the fist card, the Al Secord, is new for my collection, but that isn't a problem.

I also always love that Foligno card - just such a weird shot.

I don't officially have a goal of the number of Leaf and Jays cards I want to collect - I can't say it's a 1 million Leaf or Jays goal, or anything like that, but the more the merrier is fine by me.

I was able to find a couple sets at least I don't have a ton of duplicates on Leafs for.

1992-93 Ultra is a good example. I am not sure why I don't have 5 or 6 of each of these already, but only a couple of each so, what's wrong with adding a few more. Heck, I am still not done a single full base Leaf team set yet.

1993-94 Upper Deck I definitely have completed for the team set, but dupes, not many. It's a good looking Upper Deck set - one of my favourites from the 90s for sure.

Appreciate the trade junior79, as always. Many thanks!

Bringing Back Memories

Today's trade is brought to you by fellow Ontarian and TCDB member Galtview, and we start with all the rest of the Jays I need for completing the team set...

1988 Panini Stickers was the BIG thing I collected as a kid. I think I had three albums which were complete or close to it, and so many duplicates that I gave them away to anyone I could at school. Looking back, it was probably because they were relatively cheap at the time and something that my mom was fine spending the little needed on them, picking up packs while checking out from grocery shopping each week. We didn't have much financially growing up, and I don't think about it at the time, but looking back, it was something she did not have to do for me, but I did enjoy it a lot and it was one of the core memories I have as a kid, getting and opening the packs at my grandma's house (my mom went shopping with her every week and we spent the day at grandma's house).

A lot of familiar faces on the stickers, on a design that is entrenched in my mind, and now I have the team complete again.

The rest are 2005 year cards and first is some more Topps Total cards. Mid -2000s Jays are not high on my list as it was a down time for me of watching and following because I was finishing University and working on, well, starting full time work and getting my professional designation, so like collecting kind of bowed out of life for a bit, so did some of the sports following.

Now, getting the chance to trade and get cards into the collection from that time frame, including these 2005 Upper Deck First Pitch cards - very cool and appreciated. I definitely would have had a lot more Halladay cards in my collection if I had kept up collecting through the 2000s....but better late than never!

Some More Drafting

Another day of 2026 Lots pulls and we get some solid basketball of the Panini variety today, starting with some 2021 Draft Picks.

Almost all of the cards from this set here came up previously in the lot. A bit surprising, but doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing as we do have some good names in the bunch. From Isiah to Zion - a solid and varying bunch.

My preference though would be more of an NBA level set instead of the Draft Picks variety, and we get that with some 2021-22 and 2022-23 sets. I wouldn't have minded a little more of the 2021-22 set as I like the design a bit more than the follow up year, but that's small complaints as these look like the first 2022-23 Prizm set cards I pulled and variety is good for trading purposes.

Iverson still getting love in card form - interesting. I guess it must have been all of that practice....

Adding From Whales

 I have been trying to reach out and initiate more trades on TCDB as 2026 has been a slower trade year. It's been busy, so not a complaint, but I do like to keep the trades going. With FlyingWhales, I brought in some nice Leafs - some new,  some not so much.

The 2015-16, 2017-18, and 2019-20 Upper Deck Leaf cards are dupes, but helped round the trade and I rather have Leafs than cards I don't want. As for the rest, they are all new to me!

I am really loving the new feature at TCDB which allows all new cards listed for teams you specify, to automatically get added to your want list. It's allowed me to start getting "new" cards through trades, a lot sooner than I otherwise would.

Really like the 2025-26 Upper Deck Artifact design - might have to take a look at that set if I can get some packs or cards for cheap sooner or later.

Nice to finish with a couple new for me Tim Hortons Leafs. Heck, I might have these cards in unopened packs....I should get to those some time soon actually.....

A Nameless Trade

 I am not going to share the "who" this TCDB trade was with, but not because it was a bad trade, but because it raised a question for me, and I'd be curious what others think.

Does it matter to you if you are trading with someone who is collecting for themselves, or if they are either a flipper, or looking to sell cards they trade for?

Here is what I got...

Showing the back of the couple serial numbered Jays cards as that's important, and why I picked up the trade - they mean something to me and fit my collection nicely.

What I gave up was a non-rookie Topps flagship base Ohtani card. Nothing too fancy, and understandably worth a few dollars. I am happy with the trade, and that's the important part to me.

The only reason I paused in the first place was because I did a trade with the member not too long ago for a copy of the same Ohtani card. Again, I was happy with that trade too, so don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about what I got out of it. It did leave me a little gun shy on the trade though as I had this tinge of wanting to get the card to someone who would appreciate it in their collection, rather than trying to flip it for a few dollars.

I think it's fair to say, I'd happily settle for a little less in a trade to help someone with a card for their collection, versus maximizing what I get out of it. I also look at what I am really into the cards for - my cost, whether I should or not, when doing a trade.

As you all know if you follow me along here, many of the cards I have for trade, in all honesty, cost me a penny give or take because of the lots they come from - and frankly, most of those lots paid for themselves with the sale of a card or two that I lucked out getting in each.

The result - happy to share the benefit in trades with people collecting for themselves...not so easy for me to want to share with someone looking to sell the card to someone else who is the collector. I prefer cutting out the "middleman" as it were.

It doesn't mean I will never trade with people who are sellers - but I would lean towards collectors if I knew and had to choose between the two.

DO you have any such preferences? Does it impact your trades if you know why the person you are trading with is wanting the card(s)?

All That Plat

 Well, a better day for collecting from the 2026 Lot today - 1991-92 Pro Set Platinum!

I have a decent dent in the set though, so other than Poulin on the Bruins a little further down and a Leaf addition, I don't have any additional set help today. It does provide me a few more Bruins to pass along, and a chance to talk about this set again.

I still find it a bit surprising this was a "high end" set back in the day considering the card look and feel compared to what high end means in the hobby now. Then again, high end didn't mean thousands of dollars per pack back then either.

I don't think Pro Set did as good a job on this set as Stadium Club was doing when it comes to the full photos, but it was a solid attempt. I do like the set and want to finish it sooner than later, but a bit to go on it still.

What I Get

Today, I am showing you exactly what I get from the 2026 Lot, exactly as it was pulled. Just so happens the football cards were together and in order - go figure.

Not sure why this seems so team specific, but is what it is, and dupes as it dupes, but the Contenders design has grown on me a bit more. I still wouldn't say I "like" it, but I at least understand it.

The Steelers, Bengals and Rams - oh my - then lead to some Score cards which are also in order, but not so team specific.

We get a Mr. Swift sighting!

Honestly, I love the Score design in comparison, but maybe that's just me. It's not just because I miss the old Score sets from hockey, I think the front design here is much better than the Contenders. Hopefully tomorrow will be cards much better for my collection than the football ones today.

Another olerdu363 Trade

Just as the title suggests, another trade share today from TCDB member olerud363 which saw mostly, pick up of some additional Blue Jays. 

Late 80s and early 90s stickers from Panini have a special place in my heart as these are the collectible "cards" that really started me into the hobby. Loved collecting the stickers, opening the packs at my grandmother's after she and my mom picked them up at their weekly shopping, and loved completing the albums, and giving away the extra stickers.

The non-Jays are error related cards from sets I am trying to complete, where I don't want to miss getting the extra copies for the error binders.

Then we get into random Blue Jay goodness including the Carpenter Impact, a final of six Jays for that base set which complete the team for me.

Same holds for the Stewart Donruss Diamond King, a third of three for the Jays. Hinske is actually a variation card as the other base has a see-through Bazooka logo.

We finish with another very new for me 2026 Topps Kirk. I feel 2026 is going to be (another) year that I don't buy new packs for per se, but trade around to try and pick up as many Jays as I can. I like opening packs, I don't like paying $1-$2 a card for a pack.

Remembering

25 years.

We all have world moments in our lives that impact what the world was to us before and after such events. World wars. COVID pandemics. There have been many over the years, and depending on when you were born, they impact you differently.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1980 and essentially living there, or close to it since then, there have been many significant events in my lifetime, but the one that really, in a moment changed the before and after was the terror attacks in 2001.

As they say, anyone who lived through it, knows where they were and what they were doing when they heard about it. I was in a co-op work term, with the same accounting firm I am a partner in now, and had been at work for half an hour or so when I was checking the news shortly before 9am. It was a habit I got into to see if there were any financial headlines worth noting for work purposes, but of course, the news of the first plane hitting had just started to be in the news, and before the second.

Many at the firm started to watch the news and saw the live feed of the second plane. I remember the firm calling a meeting to let everyone know they could go home if they want, and a few had family in New York, though none directly impacted.

A surreal situation that feels like yesterday, and although not directly impacted - no family or friends with loved ones who passed in the events of 9/11, the dramatic impacts we all know and saw come afterwards rippled through how life was afterwards, changed forever, but necessary to try to avoid a recurrence of the event.

To all those who it impacted, I am sure today is a reminder, and thoughts are with you. For those born afterwards and to which it is but something learned in history - there is a reason to understand and remember.

I don't like getting too somber and "real" on the blog because this should be a place for lighter times and moments, but it is a day worth noting, but I will leave you with a look at some cards.

 The trade with fellow Canadian JBesh helped me finish the 1991-92 Ultimate Original 6 French Leaf base set. Also my first 8 of the 11 1999-2000 Pacific Paramount Leaf cards as well.

Dribbling Additions

This may be a bit of an expensive exercise, but I continue to work through 401games singles online and all sets to pick up any cards that fit my collection, that are in stock, and less than a dollar (most being 50 cents or so). They seem to have picked up enough older stock in the last few months to make this a more worthwhile exercise as I use to do this once a year and not really find much of anything. Not sure if they are just churning through more older cards/collections, but either way, it's a nice way to add cards...while also showing me the number of more expensive cards I don't have and how expensive finishing "sets" is going to be.

A bunch of different Commander sets really the focus of today, and with colourless mana producing lands being a relatively new addition to my collection focus, a solid number of pickups here. As you can see, some lands get repeated in different sets, so I technically do have more than four copies of them if you span across my collection, but I do want one from each set at least - just can't have more than four in a deck if I ever put a deck together again.

Temple of the False Gods is an interest add for a land with the two for one ability if you have enough lands out already. A decent ramp card, but would be too good if it could also just be for one colourless mana as an alternative as well.

The lands do, in some ways, allow a little colour into my collection with some being able to tap for specific colour mana as well, and that being shown in the card like Battlefield Forge.

Speaking of mana, a number of artifact cards actually work on mana production too, and these tend to be for cheap pick up value wise, so here we have cards like the Signets and Ingots.

I haven't checked, but I wonder if Burnished Hart is the artifact card I have from the most different sets. I could just swear I see it so many times, but maybe it's just heavy in repacks I pick up.

As you can see from the symbols, just because a card is a rare (or even a mythic), doesn't mean it is valuable. Bulk rares is definitely a thing in Magic, just like any other CCG. I do wonder if a "bulk rare" means a "fail" by the game producer. I mean, shouldn't all rare cards be good for play in the game? Isn't the point, you would want those cards and be chasing them? Imagine what it would be like for a set if the actual playability of the rares were better than the uncommons, which in turn were better than the commons. It would probably align best for getting people to buy and chase the rare cards (though they do this in droves even when only 10% of those rare cards are good). Maybe it would actually work against Wizards of the Coast as it would make it much harder for players to put together a good deck if the commons and uncommons were drastically below the playability of the rare cards.

I think we are safe though because I think, with all the different formats for playing, it would be impossible for a set to be made which so clearly fit the mold of rarity equals better playability.