(2) 2012 Sportkings Series E Box Break – The Search For HK

On Black Friday I pulled the trigger on a few boxes of 2012 Sportkings Series E from Blowout Cards.  Former Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas had a cut signature inserted into this product, and I’ve never seen it surface.  Sportkings also supposedly made a sketch card of him too that could only be obtained via redemption, but that too has gone undetected.  In order to get a 1/1 sketch, you needed to spell out the word “SPORTKINGS” a few times, and then mail those cards into Sportkings.  Every box had one base card containing a letter on the back, so it could get expensive.  Whether or not that Harry Kalas sketch was redeemed is a total mystery.  I don’t believe they let you choose which sketch you got.  If you met the criteria, they probably shipped you what was available at the time.  It was either redeemed, and is currently sitting in someone’s collection.  Or it was still in their inventory when Sportkings was sold to Leaf.  If that’s the case, who knows what happened to it.  The only sketch card from this product I remember seeing popup was of Phil Rizzuto.

Sportkings ran what I think was a decent promotional program during the 2012 National Sports Collectors Convention.  For each box of Sportkings Series E opened at their booth, you received a raffle ticket with a number on it.  That number would then be matched to a specially made relic card just for the show.  It would either be limited to (19) copies or (1).  I got lucky and received a Roberto Alomar/Eddie Murray Gold Version Dual Jersey #’ed 1/1.  A collector offered me $200 for it, and I took the deal.  Even though it was numbered 1/1, dual jersey cards usually never sell for that much unless they’re autographed or have crazy patches in them.  I wish Leaf would continue this program in the future.  At the time this promotion was offered, Dr. Price was still in control of the Sportkings name.

Here is what I pulled from my two boxes.  No Harry Kalas cut signature.  Its still floating around out there with a handful of other 1/1’s I need.

Relics

• Roberto Alomar/Paul Molitor Double Memorabilia Jersey Silver Version
• Paul Molitor/Ken Griffey, Jr./Scottie Pippen/Patrick Roy Decades 1990 Quad Jersey Silver Version

Premium Backs

• Doyle Brunson #246 – letter “G”
• Mark Wells #237 – letter “T”

Base

• Dick Vitale #222
• Martina Navratilova #251
• Dick Weber #224
• Annika Sorenstam #235
• Man O’ War #241
• Evander Holyfield #225

Topps Comes Through With HK Cut Signature Redemption

Lately Topps hasn’t been receiving the best feedback from collectors when it comes to their redemption cards.  Many are left out in the cold for months (sometimes years) wondering when they’ll get that card they’re due.  Unfortunately for some collectors the wait ends up in a total disaster.  They’ll get that bubble mailer in the mail, rip it open, only to find a replacement card not worth nearly as much as the card they were originally promised.  I don’t know what to say, other than they need a better system with improved communication.  An official Topps blog would be nice.

I rarely redeem redemption cards, let alone buy one.  But I certainly didn’t have a choice when someone posted the Harry Kalas 2013 Topps Series 1 Chasing History Cut Signature redemption for sale back in May.  Normally this is something I would never do, but I thought I’d take a chance on it.  My thinking was this.  Harry Kalas passed away back in 2009, and Topps didn’t have to chase him down for an autograph like they have to with many living players they issue redemptions for.  It was good enough logic for me to pull the trigger on the card.  After seeing that the Babe Ruth cut signature from 2013 Topps Series 1 was shipped, I was hoping the status on my card might change, and that’s exactly what happened a few days ago.

Here it is.  The Harry Kalas 2013 Topps Series 1 One-Of-One Chasing History Cut Signature.  He doesn’t have many cards, and this is one of the rarest for the former Phillies broadcaster/announcer.  Kalas rarely has cards appear in products, and that makes it even a bigger deal for me when I hear he is going to be included within something.  I have all of my Harry Kalas cards uploaded to Sports Card Album.  One of these days I’d like to get much more uploaded, as I have boxes full of relics and autographs I wouldn’t mind trying to sell.  Plus some other stuff I’d just like to show off.  At least this redemption card story has a happy ending.

I’m still looking for the following HK cards:

• Harry Kalas 1984 Tastykake Phillies Broadcasters #7
• Harry Kalas/Gary Maddox/Richie Ashburn 1988 Phillies Tastykake Phillies Announcers #39
• Harry Kalas/Chris Wheeler/Andy Musser 1990 Phillies Tastykake Phillies Announcers #35
• 2004 Fleer Greats of the Game Mike Schmidt/Harry Kalas Announcing Greats Dual Auto #’ed/25
• Harry Kalas 2004 UD Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Auto Black #’ed/100
• Harry Kalas 2005 UD Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Auto Black Stitch #’ed/1
• Harry Kalas 2005 UD Sweet Spot Classic Signatures Auto Red-Blue Stitch #’ed/40
• Harry Kalas Sportkings Premium Back Redemption Sketches #’ed/1
• Harry Kalas Sportkings Series E Top 50 Broadcasters Cut Signature #’ed/1

Card of the Day: Cliff Lee 2010 Topps Opening Day #59

What can I say?  He still has the HK patch on his jersey.  Good job Topps 🙂