Pin Highlight: 2023 Masters Tournament – Berckmans Place

The first rule about Berckmans Place is that you DO NOT talk about Berckmans Place. The second rule about Berckmans Place is that you DO NOT talk about Berckmans Place.

Just when you thought the most exclusive event in all of sports couldn’t get more exclusive, in walks Berckmans Place.

What is Berckmans Place? Its an ULTRA MEGA SUPER SECRET VIP 90,000 sq/ft venue hidden behind the fifth fairway at Augusta National Golf Club that opened in 2013. Even members of Augusta have a difficult time finding a ticket to get in here.

For the low price of just $6,000 you can enjoy watching the Masters like a king. Benefits of this venue include various bars and restaurants, complimentary food and beverages, TV’s, and exclusive merchandise. Its heaven for golf fans.

Full-sized replica greens are also there for your enjoyment. Its just like being on the course. They have all the high-end putters and golf balls for you to try out. An official Augusta caddie is even available to help.

Merchandise from the Masters can be quite expensive. Augusta doesn’t like to sell merchandise online. The secondary marketplace is where fans who aren’t lucky enough to attend have to go.

Souvenirs from Berckmans Place are even rarer. Pictured below is what pin collectors can find at Berckmans Place this year. I don’t believe you can buy these pins even after gaining access to Berckmans Place. It looks like they’re distributed as a promotional item.

Product Highlight: 1995 Fleer Easter Cards Premiere Edition

Basing an entire product around the Easter holiday may not have been the best idea. But that’s exactly what Fleer did in 1995 with their Easter Cards Premiere Edition. Let’s just say the Premiere Edition is the only edition they made.

The entire set consists of (42) cards. (6) 7-card subsets make up the whole set – I’m A Little Teapot, Little Chick’s Easter Treasure, Mother Goose, Peter Cottontail’s Surprise, The Story Of The Easter Bunny, and The Ugly Duckling.

1:6 packs has a Golden Memories parallel. One card from each subset has a parallel like this. They don’t carry much of a premium on the secondary market.

Dealers received an uncut 6-card promo sheet featuring one card from each subset.

I think the most interesting thing about this product is the pack design. There is a window on the front that allows you to see inside the pack. Definitely not the most secure packaging, but these cards were made for little kids and there really isn’t anything worth searching for.

As a standalone set this product couldn’t survive. Cards like this make better inserts for Allen & Ginter and Goodwin Champions.

Hobby Pack

Base Front

Base Back

Golden Memories Parallel Front

Golden Memories Parallel Back

Uncut 6-card Promo Sheet

Product Highlight: 2005 Upper Deck Mini Jersey Collection Football

You’ve got to give Upper Deck credit for creativity on this one.

Packaged inside each box of 2005 Upper Deck Mini Jersey Collection Football you will find (18) packs. Each pack contains (3) cards, and (1) Replica Jersey. There are (20) Replica White Jerseys, (10) Replica Dark Jerseys, and (9) Replica Jerseys Autographs to collect.

Autographs include:

• Andrew Walter
• Charlie Frye
• Carlos Rogers
• David Greene
• Dan Orlovsky
• Fred Gibson (Redemption)
• Kyle Orton
• Roddy White
• Vernand Morency

The base set consists of (100) cards. Three subsets make up the base set – Regular Cards (#1-70), Jersey Generations (#71-85), and 2004 Season Review (#86-100). No parallels, inserts, relics, or autographs. The only autographs that you can pull are on the Replica Jerseys.

It doesn’t surprise me that this product flopped. Finding a way to store and display these Mini Replica Jerseys has always been it’s downfall. Football boxes are quite expensive mainly due to the Aaron Rodgers RC.

Upper Deck also made Mini Jersey Collection sets for the MLB and NHL. You will find NBA Mini Jerseys, but those were not issued as a standalone set. Blaster boxes of 2007-08 Upper Deck Basketball each contained a Mini Jersey.

Hobby Box

Aaron Rodgers RC #72

Tom Brady Replica Jerseys Dark

Tom Brady Replica Jerseys White

Kyle Orton Replica Jerseys Auto

Kyle Orton Replica Jerseys Auto Certificate Of Authenticity

Product Highlight: 1991 Hot Aire Trading Cards

Hot Aire Trading Cards made their debut in 1991 during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It was the brainchild of two hot air balloon enthusiasts, Danny Edwards and Patrick O’Hea. Edwards would collect pilot bios and take photos while O’Hea designed the cards.

The first set consists of (100) cards.  When they were first introduced, you could purchase them by the pack for $2.50 or in factory set form for $23.50.

Producing only 30,000 sets was thought to increase it’s value. That certainly didn’t happen.

Hot Aire Trading Cards lasted for a few years, and then fizzled out. If you’re looking for chase cards, there aren’t any. No “hot” packs containing inserts, parallels, autographs, or relics.

The hobby is filled with a lot of obscure sets.  With the rise of sports cards as an investment, people were willing to put anything on cardboard hoping one day it would amount to riches. We all know how that went. Not so well.

I wouldn’t hold out any hope for a standalone hot air balloon product to make a comeback anytime soon. At the most maybe a cameo appearance in Allen & Ginter or Goodwin Champions.

A modern day interpretation of a hot air balloon set would be interesting to see. It would give some card manufacturer the opportunity to invent the hobby’s first inflatable card. Or perhaps have a good excuse to bring back puffy stickers.

Product Highlight: 1998 Topps Super Chrome Baseball

Here in America we do everything bigger and better. We will supersize anything. Right down to our baseball cards.

(36) cards are in the 1998 Topps Super Chrome Baseball set. The overall design looks just like 1998 Topps Chrome Baseball with one tiny change. Cards measure 4 1/8″ x 5 3/4″.

Inside each box you will find (12) packs. Each pack has (3) supersized cards. You can tell by the large hanging tab on the pack that this product was made for retail stores such as Walmart.

Are there any chase cards? Yes. Each base card has (1) refractor parallel. You should find (1) refractor per box.

Too bad Topps didn’t make SuperFractors back then. Pulling a Super Chrome SuperFractor would have been fun.

Topps Super Chrome Baseball saw a return in 1999. After 1999 it wasn’t heard from again.

Base

Refractor

Pack

Box

Checklist:

• Tony Gwynn #1
• Larry Walker #2
• Vladimir Guerrero #3
• Mo Vaughn #4
• Frank Thomas #5
• Barry Larkin #6
• Scott Rolen #7
• Juan Gonzalez #8
• Jeff Bagwell #9
• Ryan Klesko #10
• Mike Piazza #11
• Randy Johnson #12
• Derek Jeter #13
• Gary Sheffield #14
• Hideo Nomo #15
• Tino Martinez #16
• Ivan Rodriguez #17
• Bernie Williams #18
• Greg Maddux #19
• Roger Clemens #20
• Roberto Clemente #21
• Chipper Jones #22
• Sammy Sosa #23
• Tony Clark #24
• Barry Bonds #25
• Craig Biggio #26
• Cal Ripken, Jr. #27
• Ken Griffey, Jr. #28
• Todd Helton #29
• Mark McGwire #30
• Jose Cruz #31
• Albert Belle #32
• Andruw Jones #33
• Nomar Garciaparra #34
• Andy Pettitte #35
• Alex Rodriguez #36

Product Highlight: 1989 Fleer Glossy Baseball

Glossy was to Fleer as Tiffany was to Topps.

In an attempt to compete with Topps, Fleer issued a series of Glossy sets. At a quick glance these cards look just like the normal Fleer flagship set. But upon a closer look you’ll notice minor upgraded changes that give the cards a higher-end feel.

Lets take a look at the 1989 Fleer Glossy Baseball set.

This set consists of (660) “Custom Coated” cards, (12) “Custom Coated” Limited Edition World Series cards, and (66) full color team logo stickers.

When compared to a normal 1989 Fleer Baseball card you’ll notice that the Glossy example has a shiny finish, and has been printed on white card stock.

Turning the card over you can see blue was used for the Glossy instead of yellow. A big “Collectors Edition” logo is in the background on the Glossy card as well.

Sets were distributed in tins only. About 30,000 sets were printed.

Key rookie cards include Randy Johnson #381, Ken Griffey, Jr. #548, and John Smoltz #602.

The 1989 Fleer Glossy Baseball set has a famous cameo appearance in the 1990 film Home Alone.

When Kevin is snooping around his older brother’s bedroom a 1989 Fleer Glossy Baseball tin can be seen on the top shelf.

The shelves eventually come crashing down. Inside the tin you can see a few cards. One card is definitely of Fred McGriff.

Product Highlight: 1982 Chicago Cubs Red Lobster

Thought you had this set but can’t find it? Then you’re a lost claws. Get it? That’s a lobster joke.

On August 20, 1982 baseball fans attending the Chicago Cubs game received a promotional set of cards. The Chicago Cubs and local Red Lobster restaurants came together to make this set possible.

About 15,000 sets were produced. The cards are numbered in order of the player’s jersey number, and contain a facsimile autograph.

Ryne Sandberg’s card is the most desirable. Most collectors see Sandberg’s cards made by Topps, Fleer, and Donruss in 1983 as his true rookies. The Sandberg card included within this set predates all of them. Its his first card to feature him in a Cubs uniform. His other cards prior to 1983 have him in a minor league uniform.

28-card Checklist:

• Doug Bird
• Larry Bowa
• Bill Buckner
• Bill Campbell
• Jody Davis
• Leon Durham
• Lee Elia – Manager
• Steve Henderson
• Willie Hernandez
• Fergie Jenkins
• Jay Johnstone
• Junior Kennedy
• Ken Kravec
• Randy Martz
• Bob Molinaro
• Jerry Morales
• Keith Moreland
• Dickie Noles
• Mike Proly
• Al Ripley
• Ryne Sandberg
• Lee Smith
• Scot Thompson
• Dick Tidrow
• Bump Wills
• Gary Woods
• John Vukovich / Gordy MacKenzie / Billy Williams / Billy Connors / Tom Harmon – Coaches
• Team Picture

Product Highlight: 1987 ACME Phillie Phanatic Figures

You and your mother are grocery shopping at the local ACME. She is embarrassed because you are sitting in the shopping cart throwing a fit. That’s until you lay your eyes on these awesome Phillie Phanatic figures.

The Philadelphia Phillies and ACME came together for this fun promotion that began on June 28, 1987. Every week for eight weeks a new Phillie Phanatic figure would be released. Each figure only cost $0.99 plus tax.

This set of Phillie Phanatic figures has the world’s greatest mascot in eight different poses – fielding, waving, handstand, batting, kneeling, Mr. Formal, pitching, and sliding.

None of the figures are that rare. All can be found today fairly easily. They’re made of solid plastic with no moving parts. Paint chipping is the main condition issue you need to watch out for.

Product Highlight: 2007 Upper Deck Holiday Inn Baseball

The 2007 Upper Deck Holiday Inn Baseball set is nothing earth shattering, but an interesting promotion.  For those members of the Holiday Inn Priority Club that stayed at a participating Holiday Inn hotel between May 31, 2007 and July 30, 2007 received a special pack of Upper Deck baseball cards.  You received a pack for each night stayed.  Inside each pack there are (4) cards – (3) base, and (1) Cal Ripken, Jr. insert.  There are (5) Ripken inserts, and the entire base set consists of (60) cards. Its possible to find those Ripken inserts with a code on the back. The codes were meant to be used in the Priority Club Rewards Program.

You won’t find any rookies, relics, autographs, or parallels.  Adding at least one of those elements would have drastically increased people’s interest in this set.

In my opinion, Upper Deck’s idea of printing cards on hotel room keys for promotional purposes makes for a more unique souvenir.

Product Highlight: 1988-90 Topps MLB Sports Shots Duo-Tang Pocket Folders

Whether you’re heading back to school or looking for some fun office supplies I think we can all agree these pocket folders are freakin’ awesome.

I’m going to be dead honest. There really isn’t much to say about them. Pocket folders designed to look like giant Topps baseball cards. You could find them in a variety of stores between 1988 and 1990. We know those are the years they were available because 1988, 1989, and 1990 Topps baseball card designs have been used.

Without an official checklist its unclear if every card in each 1988, 1989, and 1990 set was turned into a pocket folder. You will find folders of stars such as Tony Gwynn and Mark McGwire. But then folders were also made for guys like Greg Walker and Dion James. Folders were not just limited to top name players.

These pocket folders are about as easy to find as their baseball card counterparts. Plenty of them floating around the secondary market.

Folders were issued in 1991, but the design doesn’t follow any known baseball card set.