Magic Update

So, in my spare time of dabbling on my phone, I started going through 401games and each and every set, picking up any cards that I didn't have, which fit my collection, if they were under $1. This might get really expensive, really quick. The below came in around $30 but I did get through all the core sets before and finished the boxed sets and some of the commander sets released, which isn't a HUGE amount dollar wise to spend today, but goes to show that much of what I am missing are not penny cards.

You may see some identical cards from different sets - they do count as different to me - and a bit more on the lands side than I usually do since I was actively looking at lands which produce colourless mana this time. 

Honestly, as long as the lands don't come into play tapped, many of the colourless lands work fantastic in an artifact deck since you don't have any downside for getting the mana, and they usually have some odd ability which can only be seen as an upside.

I mean, even the Molten Slagheap even allows you to build up mana for a future turn - honestly, probably an ability that would mean a lot more in the old days of Magic when games would last a good while - like half a deck or more. Maybe it's just my perception from online videos, but there seem to be more "quick" games, getting the right had or two and being done in 4-8 turns instead of 20-30 - though maybe that's where Commander came in?

My all time favourite lands are the Urza set of Power Plant, Mine and Tower. Essentially each produces one colourless mana, but if you have the set the Tower produces three and the Mine and Power Plant each produce 2. When you don't care about the colour, it's a great way to ramp up play.

Back in the day, my perfect starting hand was a Mishra's Workshop, and then if I had a Voltaic Keep, Metalworker or Mana Vault, I could essentially put out big hoss bad guys second turn. Ah memories. Almost makes me want to pick up the game again, but might get too addicted. I should check out the game online in some form - maybe it would be worth checking out a bit.

Not every Year

2022-23 Upper Deck hockey remains a set I am not looking to work on, but the 2026 lot keeps trying to tease me with it.

I have no problem keeping the Leaf cards - or single card today.

I'll keep the error card too, but the rest are up for grabs...

I can't really put a finger on why this year just sits flat for me, but it does. Just no interest working on it. I think I have a blaster of it which I will get to opening at some point, but even still, most will be up for trade I guess.

Have you cone across sets that you think you should like or collect, but for whatever reason, just don't do it for you?

Team Player

A great PWE trade with fellow Canadian, and a John Olerud fan, TCDB member olerud363 which is a nod to Olerud's 1993 season where he flirted with a .400 average well into August, though ended with a .363.

This trade finishes a few fantastic Jay team sets including 1989 O Pee Chee, and 1991 Fleer Update. Always appreciate a good team completion. It's a theme in this trade too.

The Team 2000 Pinnacle and 1993 Leaf cards here as well as 1995 Donruss knock off three more team sets 

The middle row of Circa cards make me think of Pacific designs of the early 2000s. While these 27 cards were the trade, a few add ins were also sent...

A Boomer inclusive trio of 2001 Upper Deck Vintage Jays to end.

Really appreciate the additions and already have another trade on the go with olerud363!

A King

A quick share on a 401games pick up as I am back from a couple weeks off, and finally picked up a couple orders I made while on holiday. Most was for supplies to help with the unopened pack collection, but I also needed to pick up some Hobbit packs for said collection and did so with this...

It means I will have some packs to open when I get to unboxing this, which should be fun as it does look like a good set. We recently watched the Hobbit series of movies with our daughter, her first watch, and are going through the Lord of the Rings movies now with her as well, so good timing to get the set released for MTG as well.

Though I am still firmly in the "Jordan over LeBron" camp, I recognize the greatness of LeBron. With the longevity and the high level of play, I get it, but the domination that Jordan had, just wasn't there for any extended period in comparison. I am sure that will start a great debate, and I am sure I could be somewhat swayed, but I grew up on MJ, so I'll stick with him.

LeBron does get to kick off the basketball cards from the 2026 Lot today, and another run of Donruss cards which still has many I don't have, so not like I am near completing this set, but that's okay, more trade bait is fine too.

I think the design on the front is still a little much and could be toned down a bit and give more attention to the photos, but the set is solid for a Panini offering.

I should really undertake a project of getting some names associated with teams - I mean people I can just send cards to for certain teams. I like doing trades, but just to start reducing the excess cards I have, I'd move some with no requirement for cards coming back. Having looked at Facebook marketplace recently, I'd like to get some of the traders moved away so I can but a few items which are fairly cheap there, take what I want to keep/collect, and move along what I can through trade or giveaway. I think, after this lot, and opening the new stuffs I have, that will be the direction I head in my collection.

Light It Up

As the set continues to grow on my, 2024 Topps gets a little more complete with the 2026 Lot today as I get closer to half done (312 of 700 now).

I definitely have more of series 2 covered than series one, so the bulk here being from series one helps. I do like the leader cards, though put together as a single subset would be ideal, still, great cards and design Topps has used for a while, and it works - even if it means, as a team collector, a way for non-Jays to get into the Jays binder when you have a leader from the team.

Speaking of leader cards, Snell as anything but a Dodger looks off to me since the World Series against the Jays. Not really fair since it's been such a short time relative to his career, but I can't help it.

Nice to see a rookie card or two in the bunch - whether prior owners just missed or not, definitely where this lot, at times, seems to have been a bit picked over.

Early Working

Before 2026 Lot cards today, a quick trip recap from the weekend. We went to my mom's in Scarborough to celebrate family birthdays (myself, my wife, my kids and my brother all have our birthdays in August or early September), in doing so I got one card related gift, the WWE blaster below, but came home with the rest here as well...

On the way home, we hit one of the few remaining Toyr R Us stores, and their cards were "on sale" and priced down. In relative terms, some of the pricing meant the cards were in line with what they should be, but the AEW blasters were $25 CDN, and the hangers were $5 each. I probably should have bought more of the hangers, but I didn't want to be too greedy or spendy all in one go. Happy with what I came away with though, and will be able to add the hangers to the unopened pack collection while having a few to open. Too bad they used a permanent market to scratch through the UPC codes on the back as I'd prefer the packs unmarked, but I'll live with the small defacing.

When it comes to set collecting, I am a smorgasbord of sets. Some do all flagship sets, or all of a certain brand, but I just have a random lot of sets I add to as I find ones I like or ones that I get a good start on. 2021-22 Upper Deck flagship started because I had some and thought it was alright, coupled with some of the still to be opened blasted boxes etc that should help grow my set completion.

That's why the cards from the lot today are so helpful, and everything here are continued keepers as the base set grows.

Ilya had about 3 seasons in Toronto before a couple years in Vancouver and then onto Chicago. Probably, as seems to be the case with many, a better move for the player, and leaves Toronto with someone having a better post-T.O. career than when they were here.

Still, a Leaf for me.

As for the rest of the keepers...

Mostly second series, which is fine as I do have boxes from, I think all three releases - first, second and "extended".

I may not like Montreal, but Price does have some really good looking cards. Sure, the back here isn't as exciting, but it does have full stats!

Maybe it's because of getting older, but Lax Vegas still feels like a very new team....so let's not talk about how long it has not been around because that definitely makes me feel older. Still, nice additions to the set...I think we are still only about 1/3 of the way overall though, but that's fine - the boxes which I expect to open next year, will help!

Absolute Challenge

The 2026 Lot today is all about Absolute football and an absolute challenge at times, to see the parallels of a set.

Here are the base cards of the retail version that we have today...

Lastly though...

Okay, so the first card isn't an insert or parallel, though it may look like it. The rookie subset at the end of the base set is done with the darker background, which is fine, but looks much more like an insert.

The last two cards aare black parallels which are simply a different colour (black versus silver). I didn't notice until putting the cards away, but luckily caught and corrected.

Can see why these were maybe missed by others to be included in the lot, and just emphasizes the ease at which minor difference can be missed when looking at parallels.