Mini Ryne

Ryne would be he number one guy I would PC for if I did such a thing. Okay, to be fair, he would be tied at number one with Tony Gwynn. Yes, he was a great player, but like Geynn, it was also the guy off the field that made Ryne such a class act and someone I admired as a kid - even if he wasn't a Blue Jay.

Looking at modern day players of the same rank, Jeter is the one that obviously comes to mind.



Another What A Day card - Posey's 2012 play off grand slam.



A short print - the last card in the set, another solid guy, with eyes you can get lost in....and the remaining base cards...



Another A&G staple, the few non-baseball base cards, here professional golfer...Ollie, yeah, just going by his first name....Ollie.

5 Packs, 30 cards, 96 points.

A black (border) day

Not everything is pretty. Honestly, I find the black border ugly as sin on these cards. I get what they are going for, and the intricate design is nice on it's own, but the card is way too busy, and it is just everywhere. Just my opinion, but not something I enjoy aesthetically at all.



These, on the other hand, I like - much more for the content, but the design isn't stab you in the eye contracting. Cutch's three home game, now remembered in card form forever.



Moore card is a short print, but I like the Ichiro more personally - always best as a Mariner though.

4 Packs, 24 cards, 81 points.

Going to the country

We're going to the country, we're going to the fair...not yet...a little later, just wait for it.

First, happily some Jays content appears!



Yes, it might just be a base card, but happy to get this one! I get why Donaldson's time in Toronto came to an end, but he did have some solid play time when he wasn't injured, just unfortunate he was injured as much as he was.

The rest of the base...



A typical mix with A&G of past and current stars. Pedro really lost a lot of steam for me after the whole Zimmerman brawl situation. Can't deny a great player, but yikes.



Today's mini is just standard fare mini - no special back or design. Now to the fair...



Here's a pointless personal story...as a kid, about 5 years old, one of the family friends, for whatever reason taught my the name Alexander Graham Bell and that he invented the telephone. I have no idea why it was a thing, and why he did, but it's something that stuck with me. It did teach me, that if I wanted to teach my kids quirky trivia and facts, do it young and it'll stick in their heads like glue!

3 Packs, 18 cards, 61 points.

Dude!

I remember when this set came out, reading about these inserts on the blogs. It is definitely an interesting take - Dudes of the world. Here we have German Cyclist Dude. Love the vintage picture with the vintage design about a vintage time - goes together so well.



The other insert is from the What A Day inserts - which obviously highlight great single day achievements like the cycle hit by Freeman here.

As for the base...



Not going to go wrong with getting a Derek Jeter card of any kind. Not a fan of the Yankees, but with him retired, can still be a fan of the man - Jeter was a great player and guy, who happened to play the game of baseball.



We end with a rookie card and short print base card. Lopez started with the Nationals before heading to the White Sox and has been getting some big league time.

2 Packs, 12 cards, 41 points.

2017 Topps Allen & Ginter Baseball

This should be a nice little box to go through. This is the very last of the boxes I picked up at Dave & Adam's last year, so finishing this box will knock off one of my goals for this year - the easiest of them.

So glad they include an extra pack because that allows be to take one off the top for the unopened pack collection...



With absolutely no cards from this set, will be nice to see some added here. As for a reminder of the scoring...

Base card - 1 point (yes, all cards get a point)
Base card need - 2 points
Base variation card - 20 points
Base card Toronto card - 5 points
Base variation Toronto card - 50 points
Insert Card bonus - points based on odds - if 1 in 4 - worth 4 points, double if a Toronto card

With no further ado...pack number one...



No short prints in the base cards from this pack - the base set is 350 cards with the last 50 being short print. That aside, some pretty nice base cards including a sweet Ernie Banks.


This Upton is a mini A&G backed card. I like the mini cards, except for the storage issue because of their being, well mini.



We end with a staple of A&G - a fish insert. Mmmm....Salmon....

1 Pack, 6 cards, 18 points.

A dollarama Repack Day

Never a bad choice for a quick fix between boxes, let's take a look through 15 hockey cards picked up at the local Dollarama. As always, my hope is to at least pull a Leaf card...so let's see if I get one today...



With this, a winner right off the bat. Sure, this is my sixth copy of the card. I am sure I have more dupes of other Leafs or Jays but six is a pretty solid number.

As per usual, some dupes in the 15 as well...



No surprises. A shame the 1990 Pro Set card is the corrected version of Joe (there is a version with a misspelling of his last name on the front which I wouldn't mind getting). Also, minor league cards not being my thing put Woolley in here too

Happily plenty of new to me cards out of the 15...




Luckily I still need a bunch of early 90s cards...yeah, and lots after 2010 too...so these packs work out well, just like today.

The final 2 bring a New Day

Today, the relic pack which includes two cards, and this is the first.

Team Hell No was comedy gold. I hope Kane and Daniel Bryan had as much fun with the team as they appeared to be having. It may not have been wrestling for 5 star matches, but the entertainment was great. I enjoyed the therapy with Shelby and anger management skits for what they were.

Last card - the relic and...



I know the title kinda gave it away...but a nice card nonetheless. I love that it isn't your basic colour swatch of white or black, and that it could conceivably be from the outfit Big E is actually dressed in on the picture - something I really wish they did for any relics - it just adds so much more!

10 Packs, 72 Cards, 226 Points.

2019 Box Scores

1)	2016 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Blaster 2	8.0000
2)	2015-16 Upper Deck Champs Box	7.7130
3)	2016 Topps Allen & Ginter Blaster	5.1220
4)	2015-16 Upper Deck Portfolio Box	3.6067
5)	2016 Topps WWE Road To Wrestlemania Blaster 1	3.2222
6)	2017 Topps WWE Blaster 1	3.1905
7)	2017 Topps WWE Blaster 2	3.1389
8)	2015 Topps WWE Heritage Blaster 1	3.1296
9)	2017 Topps Update Baseball Blaster	3.1000
10)	2016 Topps WWE Blaster 1	3.0952
11\)	2016 Topps WWE Then Now Forever Blaster 1	3.0317
12)	2016 Topps Series 2 Baseball Blaster	2.9700
13	2016 Topps WWE Road To Wrestlemania Blaster 2	2.8194
14)	2015 Topps WWE Heritage Blaster 2	2.6923
15)	2016 Topps WWE Blaster 2	2.2917

Doesn't get much more even between the first and second of these blasters.

Winding up

A great way to start the final pack from this box, a rookie parallel of Bayley. My daughter approves of this card.



Another nice new insert. I remember watching this show, and it was a good one. Big Show seems like such a great gut outside the ring, nice, great personality, and a good story teller. I highly recommend watching this one for anyone who hasn't, even if it is a couple years old.



The base card keepers - though another reason to question Normal as a legend...



Funny, we get both parts of the Roode and Gable tag team in the dupes.

10 Packs, 70 Cards, 156 Points.

A reason to watch

I will admit, I watched Total Divas for the first couple years. It was interesting to see the women outside of the ring, and some of the behind the scenes stuff. Sure, it is still scripted and not a true uncut behind the scene view, but it was a nice change.

I went away from it, but admit, I went back to watching a bit when I found out Renee Young was on it. It's mostly being able to see her before WWE when she was doing the Canadian wrestling Aftermatch show on Sportsnet, and knowing how good she was then, seeing her get her WWE chance, that it's nice to support her all around.



Another decent Cena tribute insert for keeps and...a bunch of dupes below...



Blasts from the past - including a nice Undertaker pose - lead bad guy of tomorrow Ciampa, and I don't remember the name of the Dog that Torrie had, but feel like it could have been Fifi...looks like a Fifi.

9 Packs, 63 Cards, 140 Points.

They can't all be wrestlers

I understand adding in all the extras to cards - refs, managers, TV personalities...but this pack had them all.



Base card needs of a commentator (I know - Otunga use to wrestle, but was an announcer here, so that is what I count him as).



The nice bronze parallel is of an interviewer...



The Diva insert card features Nattie (though not in ring gear) and a legend (RIP), her dad Jim |The Anvil Neidhart.



We finally get a couple wrestlers in Zack and Liv in the dupes from the pack.

Kind of like how some packs tend to be all legends, almost all non-wrestlers here.

8 Packs, 56 Cards, 126 Points.

So nice, named twice

I know it isn't her real name, but all I can remember is Jerry Lawler referring to Kelly Kelly as the girl so nice, they named her twice. What can I say, it stuck. Actually, prefer the name to Barbara Blank - her actual name. She wasn't the greatest wrestler, but coming along in the Diva era, she was just what was being looked for and did well for herself. Again, a questionable person to call a legend, but memorable for her time period at least.

Along with the couple other new base cards...



We also have a new insert...



I feel bad for Dana. I think she has more talent than she is being allowed to show, and I think she could do more than she is being given opportunity to demonstrate. She is more muscle than the typical women's wrestler, but is decent in the ring. I think she could be something different if given the chance.

The rest of the pack - just base dupes...



7 Packs, 49 Cards, 111 Points.

Where there a Dash, a Dawson Follows

Seems to be a theme of just picking up a couple new base cards for each pack. Just the other day, got the Dash base card, only fitting to get the other half of the Revival tag team today.

As The Miz is one of my faviourite wrestlers these days, more than happy to get his base finally as well.



Actually, speaking of tag teams - here is half of The Good Brothers in bronze form. Not sure they made as big as a splash as they could have when they came into WWE, but they did seem to be having fun at least.

As for the dupes....


The Titus will be useful to ensure I have an extra of his to go with the autograph I have of his.

6 Packs, 42 Cards, 95 Points.

Hometown Girl

First, speaking of hometown - the parade yesterday for the Raptors was crazy. I think the crowds were more than they expected, which made it hard to keep up with the timing they wanted, but I think the timing was a bit quick and likely unattainable. I think they ended up about two and a half or three hours behind.

Not a big deal to have had it last longer, but people should have been advised so they weren't standing out for so long - just could have been better planning.

I went and stood around a couple hours, but the parade was still so far to get to where I was, so I walked around, checked out the Square, etc, then went back to the office when things seems to be a little bit less secure (everyone being too close together for my comfort).

An experience if nothing else.



Aliyah is one of a few wrestlers over the years (think Edge and Bobby Roode as a couple others which come to mind) that are Toronto, Ontario, Canada products. Aliyah actually went to George Brown College which is not too far from where I work (a drive, but not too far). She studied nursing, which probably comes in hand with having to nurse injuries.

Her and Dash bump the base set for me to 2/3 done (not included are the 25 short print variation cards - I am not looking for a master set).



Sad - Tyson Kidd card when they talk about him still being sidelined, rather than at the point when it was realized he was done and had to retire for health reasons.

Dupes...



5 Packs, 35 Cards, 79 Points.