Adding Some Platinum

So, I can't say I've ever really opened any of the O Pee Chee Platinum products of late. I don't mind the chrome design and look, but from a price point, it's just expensive for what it is. I guess nothing outrageous in comparison to some of the other offerings, but I just have a hard time spending a dollar a card (or more) on what you get with many new packs these days.

The 2020-21 design here is great, I like it, and the look in hand is solid too.

Full stats on the back is always a great plus, and the excellent card quality gets thumbs up too. This is where I like the different cardstock - I always put O Pee Chee with the cardboard coloured backing and the "brown" colouring and like the idea of Platinum being the different card stock with the nice clean white backs like this.

Unfortunately, not enough here I really want to start collecting this one, and no Leafs either. Can't win them all, even if the cards are pretty nice, though a bit overpriced.

Adding Some Recent Baseball

 Okay - I guess in that one title, I kind of age what I consider to be recent since these cards are really from 2018-2021, and no one need remind me that 2018 is 8 year ago now....

Didn't get these quite scanned in order as you will see, so we start with some more 2019 Donruss which will not be enticing me to start collecting that Panini concoction. I will however happily add a couple 2019 base cards for the 2019 Opening Day Topps set with Iglesias above and...

Realmuto down below.

From the base card lot I got a year or so ago, I have a lot of the prospect inserts from 2020 Bowman, but do need a Beer, and added it here - yay!

Maybe out of order, but five more flagship keepers for 2018 including the celebrating Rangers. and the rest of the bottom row.

Lot the assorted baseball days, and when we get some keepers too!

Ending Different

 The 2026 Lot starts with a single 1991 Upper Deck football card today before heading into a new for it set - 2005 Topps.

As seems to be plastered on every card, it was the 50th anniversary of Topps football cards - go figure. I get the celebration, but it sure made the logo big enough for the cards that it takes away from the design. I mean, you plastered it across the top of every card anyway, did we really need it in the logo too?

That aside, the fade edge photos is nice and a big of a Masterpiece type of look for the card otherwise which is cool.

Hard to believe this is over 20 years ago now.

A nice subset in the base with the Golden Moments and All-Pro cards. Hard to tell that is what they say with the foiling, but it is.

Nice, first 2023 Prestige card too I think, but I definitely know the last card is the first of it's kind I have seen...

2021 Metal Universe Champions brings the first lacrosse card to my traders. I presume this is a set akin to Godwin Champions and covers a plethora of sports and topics, but yeah, lacross.....who knew!

Cover It All

Exciting when we get to go through a bunch of baseball from the 2026 Lot, and we get a nice range in years starting in the 80s and ending in the 20s

1986 Fleer and 1987 O Pee Chee I haven't been collecting, but love to see the older O Pee Chee especially. It may have been highly produced, but 1990 Upper Deck is always nice to see, and with a couple Expos, they already have another home to head to.

Here we get into some keepers as I still need a bunch of cards for my 1991 Topps set and we get a few keepers here. Same can be said about the more recent Topps sets as well.

Nice Jays content too with Sanchez, though a duplicate, it will be needed for the team set.

One of my favourite Jays team cards, love the Vladdy and Bo smiles on the same card. Oh - and an important thing to look for with bought lots like this - the Opening Day version of Torres was with the flagship set copies - an easy way to miss cards from different sets.

Acuna Jr. rookie card from Opening Day isn't too bad a pull either - nice. Not a surprise that both Opening Day cards were needs as I think a bunch of what I am missing on that set build are the rookie cards.

Awesome day of cards though overall!

16 Over 36

I am no fool today, but just a little disappointed that there's nothing for me in the Lot cards today as it's all football! Good news - lots of variety as we have 16 different sets highlighted.

Green Bay starting off with Aaron Rogers. He wasn't quite up to the Brett Favre level but was extremely good for much of his time in the city. It could be argues though that he isn't even the best QB in this scan given Mahomes shows up dead centre. Not, if I pulled a rookie card of his in this lot, that would be something else, but just seeing stars here - very nice.

I had not heard of the Phoenix set before, but with Panini putting out 3,291 sets a year - give or take - I will give myself a pass on not knowing about that one.

Nice - still follow Buffalo a bit, so know Diggs at least. After Contenders, we get some Mosaic which seems to be a popular set in this lot spread between football and basketball.

Such a variety of designs, so at least pumping out all the sets, they do look different enough between them. Not sure it's the most cost effective as there's almost a different set for each football fan.

Think I've heard of that Kelce guy a lot over the last year or so....

In comparison to the Score design - I really do like the Prizm set much better.

Tucked at the end we have an unusual 1997 Fleer Goudey II set square Norton. I have some Jays from similar set/design, but this is the first and only football one I have had in hand. I like the card, but the sizing always makes it easier to drop or mis-organize/store as it can slip being the odd card out.

Love the variety, even if no reason to keep any of the cards today.

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.