Surprise "Inserts"

 Returning to the 2026 Lot today and we get a hello from some sets that we haven't seen before in the lot...

The NHL Picks Lindstrom is nice, but the 2000-01 Upper Deck Black Diamond cards are something I don't see a lot of. What I didn't know until trying to enter them is, that they were not the regular set, but essentially the update cards which were instead "inserts" in the 2000-01 Upper Deck Rookie Update set. I guess I'll treat them as inserts, but that rookie update set wasn't really a separate set but a mash up release of the extending or updating of a few different sets. So, instead of just being traders, I get to keep them for the "insert" collection - an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise. I might have to think about whether I should count them or not, but truth is, as an extension to the real base set, which was released in a different product, it does make them more unusual, which is what an insert usually is...

Sticking with 2000-01, we get Upper Deck Vintage cards. I didn't really like much of the Vintage sets Upper Deck put out around 2000, so I look for my Leafs and keep it at that. I don't know why the set doesn't click with me the way similar products do like Heritage, but it doesn't.

We finish strong with a Leaf pick up - Jeff Farkas - but no luck on me needing the 2008-09 Upper Deck Masterpieces card here of Leetch - I have three cards left on the tiny set, so it was a low chance, but no luck. Guess I shouldn't play the lottery today.

Proof

 I know I have said it before, and I have had a couple people take me up on the offer, and here is a trade with TCDB member althib as further proof - I am more than happy to trade and get back Toronto Maple Leaf or Blue Jays cards I already have. If it means moving cards you need, and adding to my duplicate collection - let's do it!

I'd love to do team trades where it's as easy as just pulling the cards and sending, whether the other person needs or not, it's just the team they collect - another way to go that works.

As you can tell, I got back a bunch of high production era Leaf cards, which is great and fantastic. I took the chance to go through my 1990-91 Bowman Hat Trick insert cards and try to separate the Tiffany from the * and ** normal in pack versions and update my haves and have nots. No surprise that in trades, my numbers were off a bit from people not having the micro variations in right, but that's all good.

1991-92 Parkhurst seemed popular here - maybe the remnants of a box break.

The Pro Set from the same year is an iconic set from how much it was EVERYWHERE. Good news - most of these are French versions which I didn't have a ton of copies of, so - cool!

Pro Set Platinum was a good attempt at something higher end, though it didn't really end up there.

I like that the 1991-92 versions made the O Pee Chee versus Topps easy to tell with the different logos on the front.

Not all of the cards were from the 90s...

We did get a few from the last few years, and even a couple of them were new for me which is nice.

An easy way to get 100+ more Leaf cards into my collection with a simple trade.

With the trade, I figure it's a good time to snap shot where my Leaf collection is at...

According to TCDB, I have over 10,000 Leafs in the collection - though some will be of course in completed sets and such, but it is still a solid number to work with. I guess it makes sense that the top six teams would be original 6 teams as they probably have more cards out there than other teams.

Looking at top players in hockey...

I think the only two non-Leaf names in the top 20 are Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull. Given my collection of sets and such are heavily weighted to the 90s, that will make sense.

The Top 5 doesnt surprise me - except maybe for how far ahead Sundin is, but if I was to guess, I would have said Sundin, Potvin, Gilmour and Clark would all be in the top 5. These will of course count cards outside of Leaf cards for those that played for other teams for which I have inserts or cards in completed collections, but solid numbers to compared anyway.

I should look at the Jays too - maybe next Jays trade I do.

Stickin' It From Bostn

 A quick Toronto team trade coming in my way in a single PWE trade with TCDB member bostnfn, and I can always appreciate being one and done on team collecting from a set.

Here we have the entire team set from 1982 Topps Stickers. I was only two in 1982, so I don't remember the games played in these photos at all, but a few of the players stuck around with Toronto into the later 80s, so I do remember seeing them play for the team growing up.

Specifically, Lloyd Moseby, Ernie Whitt, David Stieb of course, Damaso Garcia, and Alfredo Griffin. Alfredo I didn't see in this run, but he was back with the team when they were winning the back to back World Series, so that still counts!

Not sure why the red borders, but I can't say I have ever seen the sticker book to which these relate, so maybe the border colour makes sense. 

The photography does bring to light one glaring issue I find more and more when looking at cards from the 80s (and stickers) - the quality these must look like for our kids is the same as when we were kids looking at photos from our parent's time as children in the 60s (or earlier). Amazing how far technology has come, and how the quality that we thought was amazing as kids, seems SO outdated now. I don't even want to know what the difference in picture quality on cameras would be from now to back then.

Okay, I have depressed myself enough for one post - still really love the trade, no matter how old it makes me feel.

I Returns - Again

 Back to the 2026 Lot and back to 1991 Upper Deck Football apparently. Will I get the set completed? probably not - I am not trying to and if trades come up looking for cards, they are gone as quick as I can pull them, but still a nice set, iconic, and worth a look.

One the cards that stands out from this set for me is the Aerial Threats card for Philadelphia. I don't know why exactly - it is a good looking card, and Randall Cunningham was a great player, but one way or another, it's a card I think of when I think of this set.

Heh - Kelso - makes me think of That 70s Show....

Another Bruce Smith - nice!

I am getting enough from the set, some are showing up with dupes, though usually not in the same pull, but it happens!

The keeper percentage is taking a bit of a hit, but I really can't complain. When I am done with this lot, my next to do will be along the lines of a challenge to turn my trade pile into keepers. Will have to finalize those thoughts later, but still a while to go before I am done with this lot.

Foiliage

 A couple things happened which led to the post today. First, 401games was having a sale on foil MTG cards of 15% off which was good enough excuse to pick up some cheap missing cards on that end. Second, I received two different "$5 off" items in my Shop app which didn't require anything more than to use them in an order. Since I could order from 401games through the app and do by pick up, this led to a couple quick pick ups for those $5 each amounts, and I used those on a couple more expensive cards I wouldn't normally pay that price for.

Side note - I did check and at least the price of the cards through Shop was the same as the direct purchase price on the website in case you were wondering. Not sure if that would always be the case, but that's what I found here.

The two cards I picked up for basically $5 each, but for which I paid nothing were the Flute and Mightstone (top left and middle left above. The Shop app is not my favourite, and I am not necessarily a big fan of it, but I have done a few orders through it from a few vendors and each time, only when there are Shop related sales - I mean, why pay more directly at the website when the app is cheaper - at least as a consumer. I do wonder how much the app helps or hurts the LCS on them - maybe you open to a larger market with being on the app, but how do the sales/discounts in the app hinder the LCS? I have no idea, but would be curious where the cost goes and if they end up ahead.

As you can see from the varying level of quality scans, the foil can make for interesting scans, but trust me, cards all look fine in hand!

Junktroller - enjoy the flavour text - One man's trash is another man's troller - very nice.

I will allow the retro border subsets (or inserts - not sure how they really classify as they are numbered as a continuation of the base set, but I think are inserted to packs more like inserts), though with the foil, they scan with almost a red tint to them instead of brown. Still, the throwback will always get my thumbs up - artifacts are supposed to be brown border, not silver.

A picked up a bunch from more recent sets because generally, the foil cards are a bit more expensive right off the bat and then settle down in price, so good to get them on the drop down but while the quantities are still readily available. The price may never bump up much, but quantities do dwindle out from stores, at least with 401, over a couple years. They do get a bunch of cards traded in for old sets which come available, but then it's a matter of checking often and picking them up as they come in, doable, but not as easy.

We end with some more retro frames, and a few more foil cards from Final Fantasy into the collection. Not that I really felt the need for a Blitzball, but the traumatic reminder of the in game....game....well, it's something to go with the card.

It took me a while to really get the Blitzball game in Final Fantasy, and I can't say it was "good", but honestly, I don't think they will ever top the card game in Final Fantasy VIII. I didn't play a lot of VII, so I can't compare it specifically, but anyone with better knowledge/experience with the card game in VII, would be curious on the comparison to Triple Triad from VIII.

A great bunch of cards, and another thumbs up for my experience with 401games.

Two PWEs At Three Cards Each

 It doesn't sound like any significant trades, but it's come a long way from what these types of trades would usually be for me. Since getting into TCDB about 12 years ago, my trades have gone from run of the mill Jays/Leafs base card collecting from major sets, to getting more outside of what I would have been looking for. I'd like to say that it's because I have been looking for more insert or parallel related material, or oddball sets, but it's really because those are what matches are becoming more likely when people look to trade with me as the site has done wonders for completing many "regular" team sets for me.

These two PWE are good, small examples of what I mean. I'm still happy to take base cards of my teams, even if they are duplicates to me, especially if it means I can move some traders out of my house, so do please offer up such trades if you are interested, but these are more out of the "norm" cards for my Jays collection.

First up, ILLRIMESAYA who had a 2019 Topps A&G need, and sent these in return...

We start with 2011 Bowman Platinum, which by itself would be a set usually outside my usual norm of collecting, but then throw in it being a purple refractor to boot.

Timeless Treasure's Bo Bichette is a one Jay and done insert from 2020 Panini Chronicles (my 700 Jays team "set" completed - meaning all Jays cards from a single base, insert or parallel set).

We end with a 2022 Panini Mosaic single Jays team set for Tookie Debut.

The other PWE trade was from jkrasner92 who covered three Jays cards from a single set...

Moments & Milestones was an unusual set as it included a base set that really covered every step of each milestone in serial numbered fashion. A peculiar set, but I wouldn't mind having all the Jays cards given they are serial numbered and I am a sucker for any serial numbered cards.

Very awesome trades and a great reminder for me of just how much I enjoy the hobby, and how much TCDB has really helped to bring cards to my collection that I wouldn't have even known about when I first got back into the hobby.

Above The Norm

 I always like to think that, in 36 cards from baseball or hockey, I should see at least one Toronto card. We'll, better than that today!

We get two in the first scan alone. Yes, this is about my 10th Thornton and an extra Sacco, but they still get some love!

We get to add Macoyn who is a favourite and reliable defender from my Leafs I loved as a kid.

The Fedorov Post card is really cool and a nice food insert keeper.

We need the Toronto additions with Connor Brown which is actually a new Keaf card for my collection - sweet! I definitely don't see a lot of Overtime set cards, so not a surprise it's new to me. Makes for a successful team day.