(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

2008 Allen & Ginter Rip Card Update – WATCH OUT!

You may remember my post about rip cards and how people use flashlights to see whats inside.  Well, the 2008 version of Allen & Ginter doesn’t use the triangle foil stickers on the back of the mini autographs, but the flashlight trick still works.  I found this video of a collector finding out what was inside their rip card.  My original post is still very important, I just wanted to inform you that there is no foil sticker to see on the 2008 mini autographs that could be inside.  Apparently now you can see everything thats inside, not just whether its an autograph or not.  PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHEN BUYING THESE CARDS!!!!!!  Most likely they have been searched.

Hot Packs and Pack Searchers

Lets face it, hot packs and pack searchers go together like two peas in a pod.  People will weigh packs to determine whether or not there is a memorabilia and/or autographed card inside.  Then they will sell or open the packs.  Searching eBay you will find many people selling hot packs.  Some people are satisfied with the results but many are not.  How do you know what they are selling is a hot pack or not.  They could just be out to make money.  You never want to purchase a product that has been searched.  If there was something really good inside don’t you think they would open it before they sold it to you?