New discoveries while player collecting

Player collecting can be fun, regardless if the player is active or retired.

I know it doesn't appeal to some of you, and some even feel the need to be vocal about the way someone chooses to collect since focusing on one player doesn't appeal to them. But when a new-to-you card pops up, it can be just as exciting as learning about an old oddball set, a variation you never knew existed, or coming across a rare minor league card.

A few days ago, Twitter friend Pat sent me a DM asking if I needed any 1997 Donruss Team Set issue Tinos. I figured it was the blue colored team set version I had seen 100 times, but then Pat dropped this exact picture in our direct message:

WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THE RED ONE?

I figured I had seen all the 1997 Donruss Tino Martinez card. But a red foil bottom with gold trim?

That is new. And that's why player collecting can still be fun, even when players have thousands of cards.

It turns out these Pennant Edition parallels fell 1:6 in Donruss Team Set packs. 1997 Donruss Team Sets were a 153-card set featuring 11 teams. I have definitely received my fair share of Yankees from the "base" team set with the blue foil.

It's a sharp looking card, with gold foil on the design, a red band of foil along the bottom, and a "Pennant Edition" stamp along the upper right side of the card. The back has gold trim as well.

What a great addition to my Tino collection. And what a great reminder of why player collecting can be fun for those of us who collect this way.