2011 Topps Rising Rookies Football Rip Party

Yesterday afternoon, my local card shop – Sports Zone Memorabilia held a 2011 Topps Rising Rookies Football Rip Party.  Everyone got assigned 4 teams at random.  You got to keep all the cards associated with those teams.  I got the Browns, Jaguars, Ravens, and Rams.  Check out the haul I got!!!

Parallels

• Jimmy Smith #’ed/1339
• Tyrod Smith #’ed/1339
• Jabaal Sheard #’ed/1339
• (2) Lance Kendricks #’ed/1339

Relics

• Joe Flacco Playmaker Jersey
• Todd Heap Draft Selections Jersey

Autographs

• (2) Lance Kendricks NFL Draft 2011 Auto #’ed/260
• (2) Greg Salas NFL Draft 2011 Auto #’ed/260
• Austin Pettis NFL Auto #’ed/260
• Cecil Shorts III NFL Draft 2011 Auto #’ed/260
• Cecil Shorts III Red Ink Auto #’ed/15
• Jimmy Smith Auto
• Cecil Shorts III NFL Draft 2011 Manufactured Patch Auto #’ed/170
• Tandon Doss NFL Logo Manufactured Patch Auto #’ed/115
• Austin Pettis NFL Logo Manufactured Patch Red Ink Auto #’ed/5

I received all of that for the price of one box.  I think I did pretty well 🙂

2010 Topps Prime Football Rip Party Results

Yesterday evening my local card shop, Sports Zone Memorabilia, held a rip party for 2010 Topps Prime Football.  I had a really great time a got some good stuff.  My three teams this time were the Raiders, Eagles, and Dolphins.  I scored a few hits, including a Jared Odrick autograph #’ed/25 and a Tebow/Cooper/Hernandez Triple Jersey #’ed/199.  I also won a free box of 2009 Bowman Chrome Baseball for being the first person to pull a Brett Favre card.

Before

After

Prizes

Rip Party Results: 2010 Topps Update Series Baseball

Last night I attended my very first rip party at my local card shop, Sports Zone Memorabilia.  We each got to bust a box of 2010 Topps Update Series Baseball.  Everyone picked three teams at random, and you got to keep all the cards associated with those teams.  I got the Reds, Rockies, and Indians.  Each hobby box guarantees at least (1) autograph or (1) relic.  I ended up with (2) relics since (2) Reds relics were pulled – Scott Rolen and Joey Votto.  You also got to keep any Million Card Giveaway codes pulled too.  I didn’t win any prizes, but it was a lot of fun and I’d do it again.

Check out some of the photos.

Thats a lot of cards!!!

Thanks to Topps for supplying some great prizes

Group Shot

The next Rip Party will be sponsored by Panini and is scheduled for Saturday, November 20.  It will be for 2010 Panini Certified Football.

2009 Press Pass Premium Box Break Review

This morning I opened a box of 2009 Press Pass Premium Racing that I received in the mail yesturday.  Below you’ll find the highlights from the box and my review.

Design:

The three tiered 90-card base set has a simple design.  You’ll notice a lot of white being used within this product.  I think the white color gives the base set a nice clean look.  Many of the inserts such as “Win Streak”, “Top Contenders” and “2009 Daytona 500 Winner” are designed like the inserts you would see in Co-Signers or the old Hobby Masters from the 90’s.  One thing I did notice was that on the “Contenders” cards, some of the names have white spots where the printer may have been running low on ink.  I think its funny that the relics state what color firesuit is in the card.

Price:

You can find boxes of ’09 Premium for $50.00 – $60.00.  The prices have come down a bit since their release.  Even with a decreased price I think it would be hard to make your money back.

Hit Quality:

Each box is suppose to contain two hits – 1 autographs & 1 relic.  I received the average, but nothing hugely spectacular.  I would like to see Press Pass do something a little different for Premium to really set it apart from their other racing products.

Overall:

I give this box 2.5 tires out of 5 (1=poor and 5=perfect).  It has a nice clean design, nothing looks too busy.  I think it would be hard to make your money back on the box if thats what your planning to do.  Your most likely going to pull the average autograph and firesuit relic.  In the future I’d like to see them really do something to make Premium standout more.

Contest Results Are In

Congrats to Sports Card Info reader Chris for winning this week’s contest.  Chris wins everything pictured below from the box of 2009 TRISTAR TNA Knockouts that I busted.  Would the winner please send me an e-mail with their shipping address so I can mail your package out ASAP.  

Below are the results from random.org

 

Philadelphia Sports Card and Memorabilia Show Results

Pickups:

3 – boxes of 2008 Leaf Certified Materials

1 – pack of 2008 Bowman Sterling football

2 – packs of 2008 Razor Cut Signature Edition

Jim Langer 1973 Topps RC

Jim Thorpe 2005 Playoff Absolute Jersey #’ed/250

Doak Walker / Walter Payton 2007 LCM Fabric of the Game Dual Jersey #’ed/100

I arrived at the Greater Reading Expo Center at exactly 9:00 a.m.  The big news that all the dealers were talking about was that the show was sold to Hunt Auctions.  Many of the dealers I talked to were not happy at all.  Not only are the dealers angry because they are moving the show to a new location, but they also hear rumors that it will cost them $500.00 per table to setup and they will no longer be able to reserve their usual spot on the show floor.  Now its going to be on a first come first serve basis.  A lot of the dealers I talked to said they may not even setup at the next show in March.  

Other than the fact many dealers were bummed about the new show’s owner, I thought it was a great day.  When I first got there I headed over the the supply table because I needed top loaders and penny sleeves really bad.  About five minutes later I visited one of my local card shop owners and picked up a 2007 Leaf Certified Materials Fabric of the Game Dual Jersey of Walter Payton and Doak Walker #’ed/100.  I eventually traveled over to a dealer from New York and picked up a Jim Thorpe 2005 Playoff Absolute BASEBALL jersey #’ed/250.  Around lunch time while eating one of Reading’s finest cheeseburgers I ripped open a box of 2008 Leaf Certified Materials which contained a bunch of inserts and memorabilia cards such as a Matt Ryan Fabric of the Game jersey, Fred Biletnikoff jersey and a Jeremy Shockey Mirror Emerald insert #’ed 5/5.  Throughout the day I opened a few more boxes of 2008 LCM and pulled a bunch of nice looking cards.  I knew it was going to be a good day when the first card I pulled was Brett Favre wearing a Jets shirt.

If there is one player that I hope does well this year in the NFL it would be Matt Forte.  I pulled three really nice cards of him: (1) 2008 LCM Jumbo jersey #’ed/599, (1) 2008 LCM Fabric of the Game 2 color patch #’ed/25, and (1) 2008 Bowman Sterling RC Auto #’ed/1050.  I purchased most of my boxes from the dealer near the back from Tennessee.  I got some really good deals from him.  It was his stand where I purchased two packs of 2008 Razor Cut Signature Edition.  That was the first time I saw any of these cards in person.  In the first pack I received a Yogi Berra Cut Signature numbered to 10 or less made and in the second pack I received a Faith Hill Cut Signature numbered to 10 or less made.  I really like these Razor Cut Signature cards.  Most of them are numbered to 10 or less which I think it pretty cool.  

Strolling past a small dealer I found a bunch of vintage cards in which I picked up a Jim Langer 1973 Topps RC for my Dolphins collection.  All day I was looking for an affordable 1886-87 Old Judge card.  I have been wanting to pick one up for awhile because they are some of the first mass produced baseball cards.  I came across one dealer that had a bunch of vintage cards that included some Old Judge.  I saw one for $110.00 and the dealer said he would sell it to me for $90.00.  It was in an SGC Authentic holder and I was about to buy it when he told me that it could possibly be trimmed.  As soon as I heard that, I knew I wasn’t going to purchase it.  So, the search continues for an Old Judge card for my collection.  

I got Tom Herr to sign my bat around 1:00 p.m. and after about another hour of browsing I decided I was finished for the day.  These shows really remind you of what the hobby is all about.  People swapping stories, showing off their collections, and being able to find cards for your personal collection.  Attending a show like this really takes you into the “belly of the beast” and can help you understand whats going on in the hobby.  I thought it was a great show, and I hope to see most of the dealers at the next show in March.

P.S.

I did see Chris Harris from Stale Gum, but he was walking up the steps to go in as I was leaving the parking lot 🙂

Susquehanna Valley Mall Card Show Results

Last weekend my local mall, Susquehanna Valley Mall, had its second card show of the year.  It only had a few tables but I thought it was pretty good.  One of the local card shops in the area had a table and I checked out some of the stuff.  While I was there I purchased two boxes of 2008 Playoff Prestige football cards and a few jumbo packs of 2008 Bowman baseball cards.  The two Prestige boxes yielded a Brett Favre jersey /25, Kitna/Palmer dual jersey /250, a Favre/Brady/Brees/Romo quad jersey /250 plus a few other rookie autos and memorabilia cards.  There were a ton of insert cards too.  The two lowest numbered cards I pulled were a Eddie Royal Picks rookie /25 and a Mario Manningham Picks rookie /50.  My best hit didn’t come until the end of the day.  I put all of my serial numbered cards in holders and put everything away.  After searching eBay for 2008 Prestige card I came across a Felix Jones #139 rookie card.  I looked at the picture and thought, “I know I have seen that card before”.  So I started going through all of the base cards and found it.  I couldn’t believe that I pulled that card.  It proabably is one of the hardest cards to pull from that set and I did it in only two boxes.  What a great show!!!