Teamwork

 Two more days of posts to go to finish the base set after today, but today, we get some solid team cards with great photo work.

The staged team photo was a staple years ago, but one problem with that - especially for someone of lesser visual acuity like myself, you probably could have suited up any bunch of guys and passed them off as being the team. Taking the photo shots like they do in 2021 Topps, you only get a handful of guys, but you get more of a shared moment, and a better view of the few - so making it count by being the faces of the team, makes for a great card. Boston and Toronto cards above are a solid example.

As we close in on 2/3 of the set collected, you also see great standout cards like Zimmerman here.

Speaking of team cards and shared moments - boom another couple examples right there as well.

What is your preference when it comes to team cards - make sure to include everyone possible with a full team photo, or capture a moment shared by a handful of stars from the team?

Over Half

 Now being into series two of 2021 Topps flagship set, will be able to move much quicker to get through the cards, so should just be a few days to see how far along I am on the quick set build from the BASEball lot. As of today, the set is over half way complete.

The more I see of the set, the more I can say - the diagonal design and fonts for the names on both the front and back, are definitely not my favourite and something I would change if I could have my input on this one. I will say the photography does seem better than usual for the flagship set. Still not as good as Stadium Club, but a better year and part is the solid team related shots for the checklist cards.

Other than the names, the backs are solid in design, and full stats will almost always be enough to make the backs a thumbs up for me.

I just scanned all of the set keepers today, only a couple additional Jays cards otherwise instead of 10+ each, and the dupes don't need the attention, except if you need some, then please, check out what I have on TCDB.

I am also curious at the end of this, how many cards we get from the 5000 count box. Yes, it was a bit overflowed - a few hundred cards, but we shall see.

A Quick Two Trade Wrap Up

 A couple trades for share today, and first up with FreakVOE - someone I have done solid trades with before.

A solid little pack of Leafs which include, not one, not two, but three Leaf one card team insert sets. The Centre of Attraction is a nice colourful Upper Deck insert, as is the Matt Murray from the Timmies recent set. Add in the older Owen Nolan, and that's the three. 

The second trade up for share is from fellow Canadian TCDB member nordiques24. The trade was for a couple cards and a SUper Star sticker back was thrown in for fun...

As it worked out, the wrong Nylander was sent but I needed this one as well so all good there, and the Tony Fernandez was a nice surprise. Always like the trades with fellow Canadians with O Pee Chee content!

A Bunch of BoBo!

 Onwards with 2021 Topps and we get to one of my favourite Jays these days....Bo Bichette.

We are through the first series with this post and are only about 40 cards short for now, so not too bad, and there have been some solid photos and great stars, mostly rookie cards missing from the lot - not a total surprise.

Here is one Bichette for the base set, and a few more copies you can see below. Bo has been a great player for the team and continues to shine and along with Vladdy, make a great combo for the team. Bo definitely had a down year in 2024, but expect he will bounce back in 2025.

Definitely not as many copies as there have been for other cards in the first series with a handful of each Jay versus 10-25 of each, but I guess I can't have them all be in excess amounts I guess. Too bad on Bichette, but all good - I can try to always change some of the other base cards into more copies if I really wanted.

Mask Up

 Todays run through 2021 Topps flagship hits one of the Jays I was a bit sad to see go - Teoscar Hernandez.

He had six solid years in Toronto and did well throughout. His best year was 2021 where he was over 30 home runs, 100 RBIs and an average just shy of .300 - a great season to be sure. He probably isn't too upset about leaving since 2024 saw him with the Dodgers who seemed to have a decent enough season last year, you know, winning the World Series and all.

Never mind a good "floating ball" card - definitely can be a little collection there as there have been many - more than floating helmets or bats, I am sure.

Tomorrow I should get to the end of the 330 card first series (second is also 330 cards). As shown, not too bad and definitely on pace for being over 500 cards done on the base set, though I won't have 10+ dupes of each card in series two. From the looks of it, may be more in the range of 3-5, but I can live with that!

Vladdy Is Here, and Here, and Here!

 Chugging along through 2021 Topps flagship set, and specifically series 1, we get to a couple more Jays today including the big gun Vladdy.

Vladdy has absolutely had times when he has looked human and even underwhelming - be it cold streaks or being off a bit, that his star power was questioned at times. I think this past season put that to rest - guy is a star and with a long enough career, a Hall of Famer in the making. 2023 was definitely a down year and Vladdy found himself, coming back with a 2024 year that was on pace with his great 2021 year. I do hope he is a long term / permanent fixture with the team and that they truly build around him in a way that let's him get a World Series in Toronto.

Unfortunately Cavan's Toronto run came to an end. I mean, when you are having a hard time hitting above .230 and are below .200 for most of a season, it gets to the point that, no matter how great a defensive player you may be, it's not going to be enough to stick around long term in the bigs. Still hope he can pick it up and find a home in the bigs.

Not going to complain about getting 25 cards over 2 Jays - sweet!

Setting Foundations

 Back in November, this Magic The Gathering set was released, and as usual, I picked up some packs for the unopened pack collection, and some of the cheap Artifact cards as well, so let's take a quick look from the 401games pickup.

Here I thought I was going to just have to buy two packs, but we are up to three with this release as the here again, there it's gone "jumpstart" booster shows up again. December enough looking packs and great to have them added. As for the individual cards, no rares, but here are foil versions, though I picked up the regular ones as well for most of these cards too...

A number of cards I have from other sets generally, but the one that has the most pull at my memories is...

Definitely the Juggernaut. I remember it back in Revised, and it was one of the cards I first started to use regularly as far as artifact cards go. Wasn't in my artifact deck, but my green deck, and was part of what started my morphing from playing green to just artifacts. Looks a bit different, but the ability is the same.

Still have a bunch of artifacts to pick up in this one, but guessing that won't happen as some of the cards are quite expensive - but hopefully those prices come down a bit so I can at least pick up more....but we shall see.

PAHSports PWE Trade

 As noted, another trade share today and it is a bit baseball and a bit hockey.

There are a number of variations on the Grand Slammers, which I only care about for my Jays collection which now counts three of the nine or so.

I am also getting close on covering off all the dot related variations on my 1992 Fleer base Jays.

The Bo Bo blue print is a neat insert, and the 1992-93 Score Leafs get me close on finishing the base team set there, but winner today is the one and done insert Leaf Nylander.

A lot packed into 9 cards!

A Composed Trade

 A break from the BASEball lot to see some wrestling cards. We have a trade with TCDB member ComposerMike who sent across the following:

The blue border really stands out on my fiest two 1991 Classic set cards in my collection.

The next few are 2005 Heritage cards including one who we shall not mention, though closely aligned with Eddie in their wrestling careers.

Sticking with the set, we end with a trio of sticker inserts to wrap up the solid trade. The stickers definitely stand out with the borders and are all hall of famers, a great way to end the day!

A Couple More Jays

 Continuing through 2021 Topps flagship set, we get a couple Jays along the way.

I must say, they did a good job with the tram cards which are peppered through the set.

Brandon Drury lasted for what really ended up being about a season and a half of games over 3 seasons with an average of about .200, well below his career mark of about .245. After a few stops after Toronto, he ended up with the Angel's the last couple seasons.

Nice - a couple more team cards.

Last up, another Jay, and a bunch of copies to just show how many I picked up.

Robbie Ray was another short term Jay, in for just 2020 and 2021 - the COVID years, as it was. Wasn't as great a time as I am sure Robbie was hoping for, but happy to get a few of his cards nonetheless.

Something That Screams 2021

 Let me start by showing the next bunch of 2021 Topps flagship base set keepers, and then let's discuss at the end.

There is one card up here, that I now have a bunch of which is one of the few which come to mind whenever I think of COVID era baseball....

To be honest, it is the "good" that it reminds me of - coming out of hibernation as it was, taking precautions, but starting to get back to life, and working together to do it as safely as possible. No matter your stance on vaccines, COVID, issues with how it was or wasn't handled, I like to focus on the human spirit aspect and how well, in many faucets of life, people came together to do as best possible with it.

Happy to have a bunch more of the Vladdy card, and hand sanitizer was definitely something we all became more aware of for the times. Even now, I find it amazing to think this was just a few years ago - time is funny that way, sneaks past so quickly.

Oh Lourdes

 We continue the march through 2021 Topps Baseball base set from the BASEball lot, and we hit upon another Jay/

Lourdes is no longer a Blue Jay, having spent the last couple years in Arizona after departing Toronto. He has had solid time there, and did something with the team that he wasn't able to do in Toronto - play in a World Series. Of course, Arizona didn't win in 2023, but he did get there at least. I wouldn't have minded seeing him stay - looks like he has kept strong since, but it wasn't meant to be.

Thought we may be missing Judge in the set, but we have plenty if anyone is looking for a copy!

We continue to be missing many of the rookie cards - even the ones that haven't panned out yet, but there is the odd one or two getting through as I guess no one is perfect sifting through these lots, but their miss is my gain.

Speaking of rookie cards which happen to slip through, we get to end with Marlin Monte to close the cards out today.

As you can see, we have on average more than 10 copies of every card, so plenty to find new homes for. As for the set completion here, we are chugging along at about 90% so if that keeps up, should be around 600 of the 660 in the set, but time will tell. My guess is it will be closer to 500.