Clearing the Deck

Recapping a few weeks' worth of #CrackinWaxMailDay breaks from @CrackinWax 

 

I took a vacation week at the beginning of the month and have another one coming up next week, so the cards have been piling up. (Literally, in fact, because I have a lot of piles of cards to mail out still.) I'll run quickly through some stuff I got from Crackin' Wax recently, which covers a few weeks of box breaks.

Panini Select is back for another year, and it pretty much looks the same as ever. I'm not sure how many years of life this has in it, but the cards do like nice for an unlicensed set. Don't let the scans fool you.

This is my first proper card of Johan Oviedo, who been in the rotation more often than not since about midway through last (abbreviated) season. Unfortunately, he has yet to really put together a single notable start, but the staff must see something in him because he keeps getting opportunities. Let's hope for the best tonight!

The big highlight of this one was a low numbered (to 35) "Carolina Blue" parallel of Paul Goldschmidt. Goldy has been a slow starter since arriving in St. Louis, but now that we're in the second half of the season his bat has been heating up.

I don't have a lot to say about this year's Stadium Club set and its minimalistic design. It's fine. I am glad to finally own a non-Photoshopped Nolan Arenado Cardinals card, however. (Yes, I checked. It's from a February 28th spring game against the Nationals.)

Ditto 2021 Topps Heritage, which managed to survive the COVID-and-capitalism fueled price gouging relatively unscathed. Although I had to resort to mostly online purchases, I was able to buy up all I really cared for without breaking the bank. Here's a couple of new short print additions to my set, with the Cards/Cubs rivalry coincidentally in progress right now.

Contenders is one of the least exciting products Panini has to offer, with its base set pretty much being a throwaway. I did manage to get the Blazers base team set out of the deal, but that was it.

Every year, the set design uses the same ticket motif, with just a few minor variances from year to year. I like tickets and I like sporting events, but it just does not make an attractive looking card.

CW also included a nice bonus pack of 1991 Leaf Series 1 baseball in one of the mailers, which I'll be saving for a rainy day (or may end up paying forward to someone else.)