Wow - what a repack!

Before we get to the repack, more from dilemma19 first...

First, my second card from the 1986 Fire Safety set...

I love the blue used for this set, so appropriate. This is the youngest Gruber card I think I have too.

Another great pick up in the pack...

The Blue Jay part of this would be the hologram photo as Winfield as a Blue Jay. Inserts from early 90s Upper Deck - I will take this one.

And this one too!


As for the rest of the cards in this one...

Maybe not the most cards compared to others, but some really nice ones!

It has been a while since I have opened one of these 80 baseball cards fro $3 packs from Dollarama, and if this is what I am going to get each time, I need to get a whole lot more.

As usual, a few Jays in the pack which is nice...

I actually needed both the Tom and Josh cards. I went from never hearing about these 1991 Topps 90 Debut cards to getting a few in each of these repacks. Might have to work on the set one day.

There was a decent bunch of cards I didn't have...


Not too bad going back to 1984 - usually there a few early 80s cards, but nice to see a fair bit of Fleer.


Here we have a few more 1991 Topps 90 Debut cards...



Here is the time period I really don't know much as far as what is out there - late 90s through early 2000s. The Topps Finest Josh Hamilton is a pretty nice card to pick up here.


First Signature Series card I've had, and definitely designed for a signature to be added. Otherwise, some typical, but nice because I don't have a lot, late 2000 Topps sets.



As for the duplicates I don't need - plenty of 1987 Topps not unsurprisingly..





So the best part of the pack, I saved for last - the inserts.

The Bowman cards are a bit of a cheat because I think the prospect "inserts" are what those sets are really all about, but with three serial numbered cards, and a sweet 1992 Topps Gold card, I am not going to complain one bit!

The Jason Bay is numbered out of 250 while the Dawkins is numbered to 2000. The Masterpieces Thome is decent, but would be even better with a jersey patch or "piece" where the logo is.

Will probably do another of these on the weekend given how good this one was.

On a separate note, as an update to my goal of getting rid of trade cards, just throwing another box out - this one to Mike at Not Another Baseball Card Blog which will bring me up to....1,095 trade cards sent towards my goal of 5,000 for the year. I know Feb-April will be slow with my busy season at work, so getting these couple boxes out now is a good head start!

An awesome micro error mess and Toronto Tin 2

Yes, there are some more Jays cards below from dilemma19 today, but this definitely takes the cake...


Not only do these 1991 Topps Micro cards include a couple Jays, they are all miscut! I do like my miscut cards, so a great add, especially as this is obviously a whole line of cards that were cut. Probably the single best thing so far that I've gotten out of the cards from dilemma19 so far!

Now, only makes sense that in the same pack as the micros, are some big cards too...Topps Big and Bowman (as well as some 1989 O Pee Chee, and an additional 1989 Topps error cards).




That is a lot of big cards I didn't already have. Honestly, the Topps Big cards have a good design I wouldn't mind seeing come back with the head shot and an action photo. Bowman just being typical Bowman....


A number of O Pee Chee adds and...


A version of the error Stan from 1989 Topps as mentioned. The error is really the print job in the bottom left corner (varies from pink to purple).

Now, let's get on to tin number two to see how close we can get to completing the 100 card base set of the 2017 Centennial Leaf set.

Pack 1:

I should have picked this pack to put aside and save, but always easier to say that after the fact. No new base in this one, though the short print and the die cut are new.

Pack 2:

Another pack of dupe base. The Ace Bailey is a nice short print though as it notes the Stanley Cup win their first year in Maple Leaf Gardens.

Pack 3:

Same as the first two - I don't like this theme. Though a nice Doug Trophy Winner card, and the die cut of Johnson is decent as well.

Pack 4:

Finally a new base add with Osborne. At this rate, I will need another two tins (which isn't going to happen). First retired number subset card I believe which is nice to get as well.

Pack 5:

Now that is MUCH better - all new base cards. This means 15 base cards left which is basically two packs plus a card. Still think I am going to end up short, but it does open the window of possibility a bit.

Pack 6:

Well, I think this will be pack of the tins. All of the base were needs - now down to 9 cards still needed with 5 packs to go. The auto is really REALLY nice in hand as it is on card and very clean. If I had to pick a Leaf, this wouldn't have likely been in my top 10, but I am not going to complain one bit. These autos fall one in 48 packs, so I had a 50/50 shot given I had 24 packs to go through.

Pack 7:

After that great pack, back to no new base, except the short print, and the nice die cut insert.

Pack 8:

Another short print retired numbers card highlights this pack of dupes.

Pack 9:

I am torn because as much as these are also a pack of dupes, plus the die cut and short print - the dupes are still pretty freakin' sweet!

Pack 10:

OK - Doug Gilmour short print Captain card gives this pack a pass for otherwise being duplicates.

Pack 11:

There you have it....end up short 9 cards. As it is more than a pack of cards, I am not really worried about the tease of opening the last pack since it wouldn't complete the set regardless.

If anyone out there can help with completing the base set, would be more than happy to trade in your favour to get those last missing cards. I can even give up some dupes if needed from the set in exchange.

I got a few other things from Christmas, but rather than list here, I will show them as I get to them.

A dilemma of Christmas goodies

I'll get to some Christmas stuffs, but first more dilemma19 goodies! Today, the big item is a bunch of 1992 O Pee Chee Premier baseball cards for the work on that set. I had about 75% of the 200 card set, and this looks to add about half the cards I needed.




A bunch of great cards here like the nice Wade Boggs, and the memorable McElroy. Also pre-Jays David Cone and Mark Whiten too. A decent little set which is why I have no problem trying to finish it. Although I like the concept of sets including every player on every team during the year, a 1,000 card set is much more difficult (and more ex[pensive) to try and collect to a 200 card set.


There were also these few needs in the same bunch. Jeff Ware did make it to the big club in 1995 and 1996, but didn't have much success with a career ERA over 7, he did get three wins for the Jays.

As I mentioned, I did get two tins of 2017 Maple Leaf Centennial cards - I will open one here today and one tomorrow. As I mentioned, hoping to get a good part of the pure 100 card base set (which is before all the higher numbered short prints in the second half). Each tin came with a topper of a neat little pennant which is about 3 cards in lenth and size. Here are the two from the tin today and tomorrow since I pulled them out when I unwrapped the tins:

It would be nice if I could find one from 2000 or more recent, but alas no luck.

So, each tin has 12 packs with 8 cards each...fingers crossed for a good base set representation here....

Pack 1:

Can't really complain about the base design - lot's of blue, prominent Maple Leaf, decent photos, though no real sense of play given the designed background. Overall, they do look really nice together.

In this pack, all base including one short print (yeah - 200 card set and the second half is all short printed for what that is worth).

Pack 2:

I am not a Matthews chaser per se - not a player collector as I have mentioned, but nice getting this base card of his (again, this is the short print - one per pack). Also in this pack is the first die cut which is the last card, Bower. These are decent as it is a simple rough cut around the Leaf in the top corners.

Pack 3:

A second Auston base card and a James Van die cut. These die cut fall one in every two of these tin packs, so I should end up with about a dozen of these when all is said and done. Interesting to see the "Present" in the dates. Makes me almost want all the players to have been retired so the cards would have been "complete".

Pack 4:

Seeing another full action shot with the Potvin card makes me wonder if this for all the base cards may have been better. It does give reason to chase these short prints I guess if nothing else.

Pack 5:

I was wondering why I ended up with two short print cards in the pack, and one was put in upside down. Given there were nine cards in this pack, I presume this is because of a packing error in my favour. Really happy to get the Douggie memorable moment as I remember the game against the North Stars and his 6 assist.

Pack 6:

As much as I love the older Leaf cards, it is the ones that relate more to my youth that I connect to more such as the Grant Fuhr. Hard to believe he was only here for such a short period in his long career.

Pack 7:

Well, I guess I didn't end up ahead of the game after all. Here we are a card short, which likely explains the card extra in the earlier pack. I didn't know the Leaf mascot, Carlton, had wings because with the Leaf background, that is exactly what it looks like.

Pack 8:

King Clancy holding the Cup - great card, nothing else to say than that about it. The Potvin here is the first record holder card from the short printed base set that I pulled. Nice that the back shows the top 10 with full figures for their saves - a nice concept for the cards.

Pack 9:

Another die cut with Dimitry.

Pack 10:

Eddie the Eagle makes for a great pose on the background for the card. Very nice. As for Russ Courtnall, he isn't a Leaf to me, even though he had a good time while playing here - I remember him more an a Canuck. Again, probably because of my more focused time on the Leafs was early through mid 90s.

Pack 11:

Standard fare for the second to last pack.

Pack 12:

Well, we end with a bit of a whimper. All new base cards at least and that gets the amount through the first tin at 78 of 100. My best guess ahead of the second tine - might get to about 90 of the 100, then I should be able to (or at least I am hoping to) be able to trade to get what I need to complete the 100 cards.

Still opening from the fall....

Happy new year to everyone out there. I hope everyone had an enjoyable (and responsible) New Year celebration to bring in the year 2018. We did the usual family thing of watch a couple movies with the kids - putting our 4 year old to bed a little later than normal, but nowhere near mid-night. Then our 7 year old stayed up until midnight with us. At 7 I wouldn't normally have done so, but he is very much his mother, quite the night owl but not a morning person (exact opposite of me and his sister). So, since he has no problem staying up per se, and with no school for another week, he can catch up on his sleep.

Speaking of catching up, in our hobby it always feels like there is something to catch up on, but really, it is the continuing goal of collecting whatever it is you collect. If you have every card you wanted, what would be the fun in collecting more, as there would be no "more" to collect.

Today, going to go through another one of the CNE packs of cards I picked up...wow....back in August - I really can take my time getting to things...

Well, still new to me!

Not new Toronto cards, but still a couple more is always alright.

Now the interesting "inserts"

So Kal - no big deal - but what to do with this 1993 Topps info card. I will probably keep it as I didn't have one before, but I can see that back in the day these would have been thrown out by many left, right and centre. What a difference 25 years makes.

Other cards which are good pickups...


Some nice Penguin pick ups - even if Ron should be a Whaler always. The one card showing which is why I picked this pack to begin with was the J.P. Kelly as I like the Parkhurst cards from this 2006-07 set.

To finish up...



A decent pack overall from the CNE, as most of these have tended to be.

Let's also take a quick look at another bunch from dilema19 which have heavy focus on the mid 80s.





I went from having just a couple 1985 and 1986 Leaf cards to having more than half from each. I will say, I like almost all the Diamond King cards, but that Upshaw just doesn't quite work for me. Not sure why exactly, but just seems a bit off. I do really like the Canadian Greats though. Maybe a bit too much white some may say, but works for me with the nice portrait shots.

Well, a decent start to the year too - here is to hoping everyone a great start for 2018!

Tomorrow we get to some Christmas stuffs - I promise - but before I go, I will share one new year resolution which I am not going to hold myself to too closely, because it'll probably be a bigger focus in the second half of the year. I should finish off with the Santa Lot in the next few months, and then what I would like to do is trade/send away as much of my for sale/trade stuff as I can. So for all those interested, keep it in mind, and let me know if you want anything, and we will see how much I can move during the year.

Though I have done trades in the past, I haven't had the focus on trading to reduce which I plan to this year. If I were to set a real goal, I would love to get rid of at least 5,000 cards from my dupes this year (I have in the neighbourhood of 15,000, and this doesn't count a lot of a few thousand I am trying to get rid of on Kijiji, or consider whatever will be added from the remaining Santa Lot). I think 5,000 is a good stretch goal as this would be sending about a dozen significant boxes over the year. I do have a first box which is going out. A bit of a cheat as I got it ready over the holidays, but for this count, it starts us at 368 of 5,000. This one is a "send me back whatever in return". I am more than happy to get less than what I give up, especially if it fits my collection. I'll keep tabs on this goal through the year and see how it goes.