2004-05 Pacific

On to a nice little journey through a product that is completely new to me. 2004-05 Pacific - not only a year well into my hibernation from collecting, but Pacific was not something that I saw much before my hibernation (it had just started into the hockey card foray), and since, it isn't until the last couple years I have been able to trade and get a number of Pacific year cards, but as it happens, none from this one.

So, for this fact, and the sale at Dave & Adam's last year, I threw a hobby box into my card, and I believe it was about $20 USD, so I figure this should give me half the set or so, and maybe s couple nice inserts and a couple good Leafs, so why not for the fun of ripping packs?

So obviously like the odds of 2 jersey cards in the box (or thereabouts as they don't guarantee per box, but as odds over the run), and I like getting one new pack for the unopened pack collection...at least so I thought...but apparently I picked up one along the way in a previous repack so...

I have a whole box to go through...at least no chance of "missing a hit by putting it away. Bonus points on the box for, as Pacific tends to, making the odds nicely and clearly stated...

So, my scoring system as per usual...

Base Card	1
Base Sports Card Need	3
Base Variation / Short Print Card	Odds
Base Toronto Card	15
Base Toronto Variation / Short Print Card	5 * Odds
Insert Card	Odds
Toronto Insert Card	5 * Odds
Error Card	Double Score

Here's the first pack:

The overall design of the base cards is fine, though I'd probably get rid of the white strip across the top, and maybe use a flat silver instead of the shiny foil for the name. I always find the foil more difficult to read.

I am going to guess that the last shot is indicative of what the last 30 cards of the base set will look like as these cards are the prospects subset, but we shall see if that holds true.

This is the Philadelphia insert set represented which are one every 30 packs. Almost wondering if I could get this design but with a full action shot - kind of the best of the two designs between this and the base.

1 Pack, 7 Cards, 28 Points.

A Spiffy PIFfy

Today I get to share an unexpected package that came as a single stuffed PWE, which surprisingly had 36 cards packed in (with postage of about $4, which makes sense, but still surprised it mailed so nicely in a PWE.

This package came from avsbruins65 at TCDB and I would like to go through with you today as it has taken a while for me to get to actually posting about it.

We start with the first bunch which are just on the outskirts of my Leafs collection. I only count these because they do specify that these are Toronto drafted players, and these happen to be the gold parallel versions of these Classics cards.

The package had a lone Jay, but a good one with a Vanguard Delgado - 200 being a perfect year for filling holes in my Jays collection, so that's great.

An excellent bunch of Leafs which include covering some retro Leaf cards including a few from 2006-07 Parkhurst. I also love the Artifacts Steen, but they are all great additions!

Here are my first 2014-15 Upper Deck Masterpieces cards, and like Artifacts, these are sets that are hard for me to dislike - beautiful cards, great card stock, and excellent players to have chosen. That love started with...

2008-09. These two cards help with the set build,. It may only be 87 cards, but the base set has been a slow go after getting a good start from the Santa Lot a few year ago. Definitely want to finish this one at some point though.

Amazing pay it forward package and many thanks to Mark.

Oh - and quickly before I go, a one card Listia win...

Woo hoo - always enjoy a pre-80s Jay. May have already had one, but now Willie has a twin Willie friend!

No excuses

Okay, I cracked and I give in - a little bit at least. With everything that has gone on the last few months - pandemic and excessive work and all, it's been really hard not to pick up something new card related at the only store I have basically gone to for the last three months - Walmart.

Well, I paid for it so serves me right. I picked up a few lose packs for the unopened pack collection...



Nothing specifically special about any of these, but just newer packs I haven't touched in not buying "new" cards. There was also this mystery box which I though, given the price where it was sitting, was $12...



First time I had seen it, and there was only one. It was sealed just fine, so I figured why not. Yeah, it was $16 which, for 4 packs and what will be a meh Young Gun, is overpriced on the surface.

Open it up and we get...



So the good - the 2018-19 packs are needed for the unopened pack collection, and the Young Gun is okay - middle of the road type card in my opinion. Would have been happier with some others, but at least it is someone who has played more than a dozen NHL games.

The down side is the couple packs I will be opening,an O Pee Chee and 2008-09 Upper Deck Series 2 pack - probably not much in these to save this one.

Let's go Upper Deck first...

This is a slow collecting set for me, so good that all the base cards are new and get to be added to the collection at least.

The last couple cards from the pack, also solid keepers...

Left, a set I am not collecting in 2009-10 O Pee Chee so, these are up for grabs...

Finally, we end with the best of the pack - a Legend card (so a keeper), and a Leaf insert that was new to me, and I do like these rainbow foils!

Overall, still not worth the price tag on the box, but at least it was an interesting package for opening. Will have to see how long I can keep going without cheating again on buying new cards...

A PWE From an Independent Place

Happy Independence Day to all the Americans out there reading. How different a world it is this day from a year ago, but a good time to remember all there is to be grateful for and all that Independence Day means.

Instead of a patriotic post, I figure a short post about a PWE I received from one of the great people from that little country below us, would be fitting enough

A first time trade with TCDB member torald.

He was nice enough to let me know, when the cards arrived (and they arrived in perfectly good shape), that the PWE had been opened and inspected on the Canadian side, sealed up with some official looking tape, and got to him just fine.

This is the first time I have heard of any of my sending being opened at all, but I know there is more such activity happening, and hopefully if they inspect, the pull tabs for opening things up, make it easier for them to see that we are just sending along some sports cards, and they go on their merry way like they did here.

The package which came my way, wasn't so inspected...



Nice to get not one, not two, but three Auston stickers, but my fave of the bunch is the 1988 Donruss All-Stars Pup Up as it is the one and only from the set that is a Blue Jay, so we can knock off the massive one card team set and add him to the shoe box of Toronto one card team sets.

Thank you to torald, and hope we can trade again in the future.

Now every go off and enjoy some fireworks and what not!

Completing an insert set

It may not be a big set, and it may not be an overly difficult set to complete, but it does mark my lucky set number 13 that I have completed this year, and it came by way of a PWE.

Another small trade to share today, this one from TCDB member galemann, a fellow Canadian though he is way out on the coast of BC.



A few different things here.

A few 1990-91 Upper Deck base cards to continue the slow set build, a couple late 90s Leaf cards.

Then we have the second to last (I still need Stevie Y) 1999-00 McDonalds set card - a Dallas Eddie.

The bottom row we have the lone 2018-19 O Pee Chee Blaster Box Leaf card in Nylander, and the last Timmies checklist card I was missing in order to complete that 5 card insert set!

I  am not a big fan of the All-Star unis or logo that year, but do appreciate the overall design for the insert set.

Nice to get so much in a single little PWE!

(Un)expected returns

So a couple months ago, I sent a number of packages to a number of people just filling holes, and a lot of it was with cards from Jeff Scott, another local guy that gave me cards to send loose where they were needed. I always put in a note just, if they wanted to send anything back, Bruins were good so I could pass those to Scott.

Of course, no surprise given the TCDB community, and the blogs, that there were some cards included for me, which I am grateful for, but were totally unnecessary.

As I want to keep the Bruins cards a surprise for Jeff, I will just share the "me" cards.

From kdinthejaw...



A couple nice Parkhurst Leafs from 1992-93 which I needed as dupes for the slow set build.

Doug will almost always win as best card in the PWE if he's there, and here is no exception as this is the 2009-10 McDonald's Checklist insert card, only Leaf one too so a nice get and a good looking card.

A separate envelope from althib with a couple more Toronto cards...



A nice Bowman Wells, and Jonsson, both needs in my collection, and a welcome surprise couple of cards.

The other part of today is more of an expected return - a new trade partner of TCDB with corey42080. He offered up mostly a bevvy of Bautista but with a little EE as you shall see...



The 5 Tool inserts try a little hard, and 5 images I find to be a little much, but those 2013 Topps Walmart blue border Jays are still very sweet looking. I appreciate the trade Corey, and hope we can do more in the future!

A dabble of everything on Canada Day

The world is very different this Canada Day to last - no way to overstate that, but it is still Canada Day so we celebrate in our own way. Here, on the blog....yeah, I am not one for themes or specialties, so let's just go with this...

Well, with another box behind me, today we have a PWE trade that I have finally gotten around to sharing. This one from althib at TCDB. I have had a few trades with althib over the past few years, and the fellow Canadian has been able to send along dribs and drabs from different things I collect, and that's true here today in our trade.



A splattering of base cards from sets I am slowly working on, and a couple nice 1989 Donruss MVP inserts, including everyone's favourite Ozzie (sorry Guillen).



Just a few Jays before getting to some hockey.

Yes - there are a few checklists I consider Leaf cards and this Donruss one, dead centre, definitely fits the bill.

I really like any design that brings out the blue colours with the Leafs, they just look that step better. Never seen the Ice Wars cards before and a nice light blue border makes then solid, and does the Ice design with the couple toned blue border.



We end with what is my first Leaf card from the 2004-05 In The Game Franchises Canadian set. I am not generally a fan of In The Game sets, but the old school design and retro players, I can get behind this one.

A separate PWE that was unexpected, and in response to some cards I had just sent to althib with no expectation of cards in return, and I got these...



My first cards from 2010-11 Panini Limited. Both being SNs out of 299, and looking excellent and shiny...a great way to end the post!