Monday, January 18, 2010

A Treasure Trove of Troll Heritage (or, Troll Trade #5)

Any trade with The Collective Troll is bound to be a huge one, but this latest package took the cake as far as volume goes. I received an entire 400 ct (I'm guessing on the size - it's been a long time since I've bought and sold these) box of 2007 Heritage cards which dwarfed the meager stack of cards from the set that I had accumulated previously. As much as I love Heritage, there are plenty of things to dislike about this set, so I can see why it's not nearly as popular as some of the other years. There were a few Cardinals cards that I had not even obtained for my team collection, so these will head to the Cardinals binders as I seek out more copies. I thought I'd show these here and spare you all from the dozens of other cards from the set.

Albert and Maggs look like cardboard cutouts here. These two may have participated in the 2006 World Series, but neither were the main difference makers for their respective teams.

I think Izzy's card here is an example of one of the biggest complaints with this set - the extreme close-up head shot with awkward facial expression. Well, you can only successfully pay tribute to a set by being as good or as bad as the original.

Weaver was a significant portion of the Cardinals staff heading down the stretch and on into the playoff run, but it's weird to see him named as a Verlander rival. Again, they look like cardboard cut-outs in front of a vintage stadium background.

Of course, most of the cards in the box were not Cardinals. I was lucky enough to receive three short printed cards, including Boone Logan. This might be even a bigger deterrent to potential set collectors. No, I'm not talking about Logan's photo, which is just begging for a caption contest. I'm talking about the SPs. Not only do you have your usual array of short printed cards, but the sheer number of variations which just add to the SP total is very dizzying.

A few extra Cardinals were sprinkled in, which is always a nice touch. I received a couple of 1971 Topps cards, including Jose Cardenal. I wonder what other ballplayers had the same or similar last names as their team's nickname. If Chris Ray ever played for Tampa Bay, it would be one thing, but I'd be shocked if there was a George National out there.

3 comments :

  1. Packages from the Troll are always fun to open.

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  2. I have the same issues with this set. I hate the extreme fuzzy close-ups and the crazy SPs. Back in 2007 I bought 6 boxes and 22 blasters and a bunch of loose packs. Needless to say that was HUGE investment! I put together 6 basesets without SPs and I am still working on finishing ONE set complete. It is ridiculous, but its also an obsession. Topps gets ya hooked and your done. This was the first set that my wife and I built together and it was a ton of fun ripping it together in the beginning... Good luck finishing your set. I wish I had more SPs for ya. Its funny you mentioned Chris Ray, that is the last card I need!

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  3. Mark me down as a fan of that Boone Logan card. Rad!

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