Gumming Up the Works

A package from Community Gum nets me one of the largest top loader to non-top loader ratio'd hauls I've ever received.

I have a thing for serial numbers. I've admitted this before. I use this a guideline to whether or not a card gets a top loader instead of a plain old binder page slot. I've also been known to use the $5 "book price" threshold. (I know, I know. Book price is for old people with hideous boils.) Not long ago, Jon of Community Gum blasted a hole through my top loader budget by sending me a fat stack of serial numbered goodies, many of which came from the all-serial madness Moments & Milestones line. And also, Fredbird!

First things first, because these are probably the best - I was also lucky enough to receive a couple of the thick die cut giveaway cards from the 2012 Topps Golden Giveaway. I was not lucky enough to win anything from that promotion, nor did I know such a thing was really even possible.

These things are nice and shiny, but stuck underneath a protective layer that begs to be peeled off. Even '90s Finest cards are frustrated with these. I have a really hard time permanently altering any card I want to keep, however, so the crumbly peeling "protection" piece stays... for now.

I though Spectrum was a pretty lousy set, but it did produce this lovely low numbered Jim Edmonds parallel. I need more Edmonds cards like this.

I still have a ways to go before my list of Matt Holliday cards is online. After thinking long and hard about it, I think I am going to stay with Zistle to catalog my single player collections. There's really nothing I feel capable of doing as far as my team collection want lists go, though, but I've taken the step of breaking up my Cardinals list into more manageable chunks. Expect to see improvements in these areas in 2014.

There's nothing that pops quite like a black refractor Chrome card, unless it's a blue refractor Chrome card. This looks great, and no scanner is going to be able to explain that.

Finally, as mentioned, the bulk of the package was a stack of Moments & Milestones, the not surprisingly short lived Topps product where every card was numbered at least three different ways. Crazy pants.

I almost left out Mr. Pujols. Hi, Mr. Pujols.

And Scott Rolen rounds out the group. This is probably the nicest looking M&M card of the lot.

Thanks again to Community Gum. Be sure to check out the case break they have cooking up.