Seeing A Subset

 Sometimes it's better to just have an insert set instead of a subset in a base set, here is one I'd always prefer as an insert set...prospects.

I like my base sets being current stars, maybe all star subsets or coaches or refs, but leave prospects separate.  Once they are in the NHL, go for it.

I won't have on the design here, it's fine and very 90s Upper Deck.

What, if any, preference do you have between what should be a subset versus an insert set?

Highlighting A Great

 When you think great QBs and throw in the 80s - Joe Montana has to be a main conversation point. One of the first stars in the NFL I remember watching as a kid, drawn to the machine that was the 49ers.

It was his 4 Super Bowls with the 49ers that made him a legend, it was the last two in 88 and 89 that I remember as a kid, which made me a fan.

After 1992 though, Joe wasn't done but San Fran was moving on which saw Joe spend his last two years with the Chiefs.

He played well, though maybe not at the greats he did with San Fran, it was a good couple years before he retired.

A guy who deserves to still show up on cards as an homage to the past, like the Prizm card here, one who deserved his easy way into the HOF.

I find it hard to consider players against each other when they play in such different times. Not sure Joe would stack up to a Brady or what a certain other KC QB may end up as when all is said and done, but a king in the 80s, he was.

Most of the Rest

Before we get to the 2026 Lot, let's throw a quick trade share in, this one being a PWE from dsuave624.

One of these cards is not like the others. Don, missing some sideburns here, keep dwindling down my remaining base cards needed to complete the 1994 Studio base set. Most of it came from purchasing mixed card lots, but I do like these early 90s Studio sets.

The Tiffany Ward from 1989 is very nice. I find the scans pick up the off-white colour of the card, at least my scanners always have, so a good way I have been able to tell the Tiffany version, and the gloss of course.

A solid Springer, and a one and done Bo Bo Jays insert from 2024 Topps Chrome. I still miss Bo...so enough about baseball, how about some hockey!

Another visit from 2000-01 Be A Player Memorabilia's hockey card Rookie and Traded box set, and we start with a win today...

A quad of Leaf cards is a great day for me. McCabe is probably my fave and I forgot about Manson's Leaf stint to be honest, but a solid turn out of keepers.

As it turns out, if just counting the box set, there is only about a dozen cards missing now. I'm still not going to collect this one as I'd then want the whole numbered base set, but it is a good run.

Andreychuk was a better Leaf - didn't like seeing him leave.

A nice take on the back with the by team played against stats. Different and unique.

Scares me just how long ago the Sedin twins started in the NHL as that one feels more like 10-15 years ago.

Speaking of Unexpected

 Only two cards to share from the 2026 Lot today, but that is because they were a bit unusual.

First up...

Not as old as one would have thought since this is really the 2001 Topps Archives release, but the card itself looks like a 1983 release. A neat pick up and one I am not use to seeing in these lots. Partly because the 2000-2010 date range usually is a bit of a dead zone for cards in these lots, or at least fairly minimal. Time will tell how this one goes.

At least I did also get an actual vintage card - though I'm tempted to put it as packaging material given the condition...

This is half of the 1971 Scratch-off insert from Topps. Given it's only half, and someone tried scratching the front, creating a good dig into the card itself, I'm not going to keep the card. Condition definitely matters less with age as far as vintage cards go, but not enough here for me to feel the need to keep it.

Very cool find in the lot though, and nice to see, warts and all as it is.

Premium Base Cards

 A bit of an unusual, and small number of cards from the 2026 Lot today as we get a few high end related base cards. Each of these was in it's own small plastic case - though these are just base cards from the set.

2020-21 Upper Deck Stature is a set whereby boxes go for about $300 and contain eight cards. The base set is 100 veterans/stars and 100 rookie cards - rookie cards SN'd to 399. So, the boxes are all about the hits, but that is a lot to pay for a box. These base cards look really nice, are thick like jersey cards or other memorabilia cards would be, too bad none that fit my collection, and even at just 100 cards - I won't be going for this set. The value of the box is all about the hits, so you can still pick up the base cards fairly cheap, but I don't want to collect by just picking up singles to the base set that way.

Missed opportunity for full stats on retired stars, but nice enough design. Reminds me a bit of Artifacts or a similar release. Either way, a very cool and unexpected pick up for a lot like this as I never expect high end or vintage cards to be anywhere in sight.

Not As Bad As Expected

 I thought I was going to get stuck with another day of 1991 Upper Deck football, but luckily, that's not the case...

It quickly turned around to a number of newer football sets which are cool to see. I like the Select designs, wouldn't mind seeing more of them, but we quickly get into Chronicles...

Mr. Tay-Tay himself shows up, nice.

We also get a bunch of 2022 Panini Absolute, so let's take a look at the back design as well...

Panini being Panini, we get the same photo on the back as we do on the front, except cropped a bit. Stats lacking, and a logo which could have been reduced to give more of, well anything. Oh well...an alright design, but just feels a bit wasted in design space.

Bring The Hockey

 A Lot of hockey cards from the 2026 Lot today, and sweet start with some more set building help.

Haven't seen much 2012-13 and the one Upper Deck flagship card is a need, and a bunch more 2023-24 Upper Deck extended series cards which continue to fill gaps on the set.

Quite the photo with the flames and what is a very memorable Kraken card.

May no longer be a Leaf, but still a star, and last need for the set building I got here in the lot.

I did get a couple Leaf additions too..

Jeff's NHL career lasted a total of 11 games over three seasons, with eight for the Leafs, and the last few with Atlanta. The card is such a Pacific design with the flashiness - I'm just glad that the colours work well for a Leaf card.

As for the remainder of the cards, all already on the trading block with TCDB...

More of the box set update cards from 2000-01 Be A Player Memorabilia - none of the Leafs I'd like to be seeing, but a good section more of the cards which is cool.

A Pre-NHL Binnington, in duplicate nonetheless. Took a while to get a break into the NHL with St. Louis, but a nice job of taking the team to a Stanley Bup Championship in 2018-91 when he finally did get the call up.

A few more 2023-24 Upper Deck base cards which I already had, and that calls another day of cards from the 2026 Lot!

Baseball Help

 Yay - baseball in the 2026 Lot today, and we have a page worth of keepers for set builds...

A nice George Springer which, as a Jays fan, is the best of the bunch. Sure, it was pre-Toronto days, but he has had some great Jays moments now, especially with the playoff Springer Dinger that he will be a Toronto playoff legend. Would have been more so of course if they won it all....but I still have PTSD on that issue, so let's skip discussion of that further now...

Russell spent four years with Toronto before going back to the Dodgers where he started his career, to end it. In Toronto, over four season, he had a poor average of about .225 which was below his career average, and with his last season in Toronto being an average below .200 in 90 games, it's a good reason, and given his age, that he was done in Toronto.

Still - card here is good!

A decent run of other Topps related cards, just sets I don't collect, or ones I already have. I don't mind the Heritage set, just not on my radar to collect. The Albies sliding into the holidays to end is a nice photo though.

Back Again

 Well, didn't take long for the 2026 Lot to get us back to some 1991 Upper Deck football, so, it's mid-April, let's go through these quick and hope for a better time tomorrow!

Well, the Collector's Choice cards continue to be nice and pick up the star quarterbacks of the time - that Aikman guy did alright, so did Cunningham and even Jeff George really.

LT was one of the first cross over / celebrities who wrestled a decent enough match when having his match with Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania. Came over great as a kid watching.

Not too much to look for in that bunch...

We end with that guy from Ace Ventura. I know Dan Marino had a great career marred only by not winning a SUper Bowl - but as a Bills fan at the time, I enjoyed seeing his falling short in that regard as I wanted the Bills to win it all - though we know how that worked out....four years in a row...

Round Two!

 Will today be better than the pack opened yesterday, or much the same? I expect much the same, but maybe Dollarama will surprise me...

Drumroll.....

Well, the sleeves here are red instead of the blue from yesterday - but otherwise, the pack make up is exactly the same.

A little variety on the energy compared to yesterday, but both really don't do much to add value or bring any excitement to the pack.

Rapidash is the foil, and again, maybe a fifty cent card at best. Nothing spectacular with the rest either.

A bit better, I'd say, with the 5 card pack, a couple non-Pokemon cards with a trainer and supporter card, and Meowth is an alright pick up I guess.

All in, we can just repeat - buy at your own risk and more so because opening stuff is fun, because you are not going to get your value out of these packs - at least from what I have shown in the couple packs. At least my kids come out winners with free cards and sleeves.