Trolling for Cardinals

I've received a number of packages over the last couple of weeks and I have to admit that I've been really slacking. I want to get to the Allen & Ginter blaster I picked up the other day, but first I thought I'd show off what I got from The Collective Troll recently.

The Troll busted up a 1987 Opening Day set and gave away all of the cards in teams (the way they were actually displayed in the original packages if I recall) and I was the lucky recipient of the Cardinals team set. I know I have several of these, but there's a good chance that I did not have the entire team set. These used to only be sold at department stores if I recall, and I was always jealous when I saw people that owned this set because I really liked the concept. Each card (sans the pitchers, I believe, which is weird) was printed for each player that started their team's first game that season. For many players it was a first look at that player on a baseball card in their new team's uniforms, with no airbrushing. Donruss rebranded the set as Baseball's Best for the next couple of years or so (the 1988 set was the "Halloween Set") before dropping the idea completely.

This Ryan Ludwick All-Star card is the last Cardinals card I needed to complete the 2008 base team set. And yes, I include Updates & Highlights when I talk about a set. The lines are so blurry these days and "traded sets" have always been an extension of the regular season's set to me anyway. I was very happy to receive this card.

Here's a Stan Musial insert that I also didn't have. I like this card a lot more than the George Bush card that I own from the same set.

Gibby! This is the Target version of his Legends of the Game insert from Series 1 '09 Topps if I'm not mistaken. I need to find some reliable checklists of the legends-type inserts and their retail giant-specific counterparts so I can tell what I really need to go after since Beckett is not very helpful (shocking, I know.)

I'll have to check my VHS tape storage boxes, but if I don't own the game commemorated on this card on tape here then I'll definitely be kicking myself.

Mmm... tasty high end cards. I won't buy 'em (at least until they're like a nickel a piece at some card show 10 years down the road), but I love getting 'em in the mail.

What a goofy looking card of Brian Jordan. He looks like he's about to get hit by a train and just realized it. Why does his card have the card number on the front?

Ah, I flipped it over and this happened. Guillen's side is much, much shinier in that mid-to-late-'90s METAL foil sort of way. This seemed to be a concept doomed to failure because you're just about guaranteed that several of the cards in the set are going to have opposing players on the flip side that are completely hated by the collector.

If the mustaches haven't all come off already, current Cardinals players should take note: This is how you wear facial hair. And I like the interesting placement of the Cards logo and how it fits underneath the right-hand bird on the bat.

Thanks again to Mr. Troll, who has assured himself as a permanent home for any interesting Rays that I get.