Wednesday, April 28, 2021

A Post-Timbers Match PWE Round-Up

 

Envelopes from @sanjosefuji and more: featuring no actual Portland Timbers.

There was a big Portland Timbers match tonight that made me realize I've only purchase one Timbers card since the pandemic started. (It was a Topps card commemorating their 2015 MLS Cup win.) That really has nothing to do with anything as I show off some cards from a few small white envelopes that I received back in January. Let's take a looksee.

First up are some Blazers and Cardinals cards from Fuji. This Robert Pack card has been something I've desired going all the way back to when I was a teen, which is pretty silly because it's probably never been worth more than a buck at any point in its life. These Rookie Standouts inserts from the first Upper Deck basketball release were "hot" back in the day, much like the first run of the Fleer Rookie Sensations cards. When you combine that with the rampant local interest of the Blazers (everything was overpriced around here), I just never felt like on my jobless teenaged budget I could afford to splurge on something like this. Pack wasn't on the Blazers for very long, but he was very exciting for a bit there on an elite team that didn't have much room for him.


It's fitting that Randolph Childress wore number 12 with the Blazers, because he was never much more than a 12th man. You still have to love the hologram cards, something that seems to have completely disappeared since last millennium.


Here's a trio of Blazers from the "Special Edition" Upper Deck in 1995-96. These foil-heavy cards usually don't scan all that well for me, but this looks fine.


Fuji also sent some Cardinals along, including six of these 1993 Upper Deck B.A.T. cards that are some sort of tri-fold concept. I only included three of them in the scan, but they're all very cool. I've never actually seen these folded before, so I'm not entirely sure what they're supposed to look like in full form. Based on the year, I assume this set was released when I was still collecting cards as a teenager, but I hadn't seen or heard of it until this blog thing happened.


The last of the bunch of cards from Fuji is this mini Jack. It's a quality card of a quality pitcher.


Recent contest runner-up Trevor of Bump and Run passed along a couple of needs from the odd 2017 Honus Bonus set. I came across an unopened box of these online recently for a decent price, but it's probably best that I didn't pull the trigger because I am pretty sure I have most of the base set and a few of the silver parallels squared away. It's still tempting, though, in a time when it can be tough to find cards to open without opening up several lines of credit.


I was wondering if the Final Boss had pitched his final pitch, but it looks like he's returned to pitch in the KBO again in 2021 at age 38. He also closed out games for his Samsung team last season, which makes me wish I had looked harder for him during those late night live ESPN KBO broadcasts a year ago when there was a dearth of live sports to watch. I wish they had continued those broadcasts this season. Like most things these days, the games were broadcasted remotely, so it's not like they could have been expensive to produce.


The last grouping of cards comes from gcrl / cards as i see them. The bulk of these were set filling needs, but the Dmitri Young parallel comes from the lone ranger 2005 Topps Rookie Cup set. The tricky thing here is that the card looks completely orange to me, yet it scans red. I don't even know anymore. It's numbered to 499 in case you're curious.


I don't miss much about 2020, but I miss the times when I would randomly get Turkey Red cards in the mail. I'm guessing that won't happen so much this year. I'm also referring to this year as a future thing when we're already about a third of the way through it (yikes!)


Oh hey, I know this guy.


This six pack of 2020 Ginter cards rounds out the last envelope, which also rounds out the post. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't scanned the Chapman card, but what's done is done. Feel free to vandalize your computer or phone screen when you see his card pop up.

5 comments :

  1. Topps could leave Chapman out of sets and nobody would care. They leave half the MLB roster out of A&G anyway.

    I've learned I don't know who the Timbers are unless a clue (you mentioned MLS Cup) is provided.

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  2. Those Special Edition cards are good looking cards. I don't remember those. The A&G are good as always. Closed my eyes when I got to Chapman... Good post.

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  3. Just found a few more 90's Blazers that I'll be sending your way at some point.

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  4. We must've been buying cards at different places, because I don't remember Robert Pack, even as a rookie, ever carrying a premium in Portland.

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