It Ain't Junk!

 Never a fan of the "junk" term when discussing the overproduced era of the late 80s and early 90s, but it's a term that has stuck. I have plenty of sets in that time frame that I am still collecting and need cards for, which is why a few of today's cards are keepers for me from the COVID lot.

Yes, I live in Canada, so you'd think 1988 O Pee Chee would have been a set I'd be further along with than compared to 1988 Topps, but that just hasn't been the case. Some star power additions here though, which is great. Even sliding just into 1992, Bo Jackson's a solid pick up too. Bo may not have had a long MLB career, but he carried huge star power during it with the multi-sport play. I mean, there were only 3 guys in the ProStars cartoon, and he was one of them!

1991 Bonus Cards, like pretty much every 1991 Donruss card, has variations which is why I am keeping this one. I had one variation, now both with the inc versus inc. variation now covered.

I swear Sandy Alomar always felt like a veteran - maybe it was because he was a catcher....

As for the rest of what was there for today...

A number of players that had small piles of cards I went through already, so I obviously hit on more here, but lots of good guys with Puckett and Gwynn for example.

We get to end today with a quick PWE trade with TCDB member Onegrtemt which had me pick up a few more cards towards my 1982 Topps set...

Doesn't always have to be a big trade to be a good one. These put me up to about 55% complete on the set which is pretty awesome as it's one that will be all from trades.

Just Classic - Add It

 Let's go ahead and call this a set - 1991 Classic I. The 99 cards are a trivia game, and have some questions on the back, which you will see a few of below, but first the Jays and an uncorrected error card for those collections...

This actually gives me a copy of the Jays team set - all 4 cards, which is nice. There are however enough cards here that, well, I have to finish the set. I mean, I have 88 of the 99 cards now as you will see below.

Basic fronts which are fine, and clear, but again, being trivia cards, it's more about the backs.

I do find it interesting that there is an autograph area specifically on the back, but it's fun to go through the questions now, and given the purpose of the cards, the stats are a nice thing to have too.

At 99 cards for the set, you get all the stars of the day - some that lasted a long while, and some...not so much.

Either way, this is only one of a few sets like this which were released in 1991, because trivia games need more cards!

The design of each is similar, just different borden and background colour. I believe I have some of the red, but the classic game and sets II and II are the other 1991 offering with colours ranging from green to red to purple I believe.

The last card here is the final card of the set, and on the back which I didn't scan -oops - has the trivia game instructions which is cool too. Not something I would have ever gone out of my way to collect, but being most of the way there, can't help but finish this set off soon I hope.

2008 Bowman Football

Well, football not being in my collecting wheelhouse, let's take an objective look at this set.

Some big names, though they may be a little controversial with Big Ben and T. O., and a design that is very harsh with the black borders.

The backs are nice enough though not having a picture, with a one year stat line and total, and a good write up. At least there is a logo on the back, though I kind of miss it from the front.

The border colour scheme is red for veterans, green for coaches and blue for rookies. Nice to be able to simply spot the differences I guess.

Not overly surprised that the set, and the cards I have here are rookie heavy, I mean, this is Bowman and what is Bowman without an excessive number of rookie cards?

Overall impression - this scream 2000s Bowman with the design. Not really a bad thing, it is what I expect it to be. Too bad it's nothing foir me to collect, but trade bait is all good!

Don't See This Much

 Though I see some Topps Heritage cards now and then, I don't think I have had many times when Bowman Heritage sets come up in any significant number - until about 50-60 cards today. We have some 2004 Bowman Heritage, and although there are no Jays, there are a number of parallel and insert cards I get to keep - and a few variation base cards too.

So, there are some double image variations for base cards, and here we have three keepers for me. I have always liked the newer cards of past stars, so that's an added benefit with these ones. The "normal" base cards are just full cards of the left images.

Under the "why bother" parallel sets, we have the faux signatures which cover the top two cards. These cards are also a little thinker,, so at least these can work as nice dummy cards.

The bottom six cards are from the prospect subset of the base set, though these are the foil/shiny parallel which honestly, doesn't scan that nice, and makes the cards too dark as it takes away from the wood hole view design.

More of the same, so nice keepers regardless, though as I say the shiny wood look doesn't do it for me.

The base cards are decent, just not enough for me to care about chasing this set...

The Duke Snider and Killebrew who is hiding there, are solid, just not keepers for me. THough not a fan of the wood hole prospect design, the old school base set design is used nicely, which of course is one of the draws of the Heritage products.

Since It's a Toronto Set

 Okay, so this release - 2003-04 In The Game Toronto Star was a 100 card set and whereby you could buy packs of 4 cards and ran for a limited time in October 2003. I have no recollection of this, though I do have some of the Leaf cards from the set from trades, and a few cards from lots or assorted card pick ups at the dollar store over the years.

With it being a 100 card set, and having about half the set in hand after including these pickups....and given it's a Toronto Star release, I am adding this set to the back burner build pile. Just to be clear, that list of sets is about 100 sets in hockey and about the same in baseball, so there's plenty of cards out there I "need".

Simple enough design for the front, and plenty of stars of the game. I don't usually like much about In The Game releases, but I can get behind the front of these cards.

The backs are a bit more painful with the limited stats and colour design waste of space in the bottom right. Oh - and the fact the photo is the same as the front.....lazy!

I will say, good points for the Leaf inclusions here though with 7 cards in total! Some personal all time favourite Leafs too with Mogilny, Belfour and Domi. Definitely an above average day on the cards today.

Decked Out

 Today's pull from the COVID lot is a bunch of 1994 fladship Upper Deck. I remember this set for the silver back (well - names and such are silver) variation for some base cards. Unfortunately, none of those in the cards today, but we do have a couple Jays.

I really don't like the double image fronts with the smaller, squished, black and white photo. Just, get rid of it. That complains aside, I can live with the rest, but that fact along is why I don't collect this base set. I figure, you should at least somewhat like a set if you are going to collect it. Or find some redeeming qualities about it.

Only other keepers for me are a couple uncorrected error cards. Interesting side note though - if you look at the name and black and white photos on the cards - seems for horizontal cards, the size of the name box is unchanged, but the black and white photo gets smaller. Wonder why theye did it that way....

I really like that Rickey shot in the middle. I generally didn't like him (his attitude always rubbed me the wrong way in his interviews, etc), not that I know him really, but how he portrayed and carried himself. 

I like that the backs have a solid, different, picture used. THey could have done a third picture on the front instead of the black and white photo, and that would have been MUCH better.

A 90s set in design, though lacking a bit of the colour and flare that I think of which came about a few years later, but definitely see the transition from 90-91 sets to the 95 and on offerings.

2005 Bow Show

 I may not be a big Bowman fan as I am not a prospect collector, though I do like the occasional rookie, I don't seek them out. However, I will always have my Jays to search out, so let's see who we have and how they did.

Eric is a perfect example of why I am not a big fan of these. I find it hard to call it a Jays card, when Eric never made it to the big leagues. He actually only lasted a few leagues in the minors.

Ismael sputtered around the minors for almost a decade, but again, never made it into the bigs.

Typical cards for Bowman, and as I am not a big minor league card fan, a lot of these don't do it for me.

Between the easy to ding black borders and the faux signatures, not one of my favourite front designs. 

The backs are a bit better, I like the lay out and it seems to fit everything in that you could want on the back.

I'll say, I don't mind the way Bowman subsets the base set with the first year, veteran, etc cards, so that's a nice touch for the fronts, just too bad I don't see any big first year card in the bunch today...