I don't know much about Donruss Optic cards.
I have never bought any, as they come 4 to a pack. Even in a blaster, you're only getting something like 28 or 32 cards. Not for me.
Pus there are a bunch of parallels I haven't taken the time to learn about. But the cards do end up looking nice from time to time.
I can't quite recall how I stumbled on this one. I think I may have seen it on TCDB, but didn't have anything to offer the other person.
So I did a quick eBay search and found one for cheap. This is called a Red & Yellow Prizm, which I think is Panini's word for refractor.
Regardless, I thought the card was pretty striking. Not just the refractor-like shine, but the borders are excellent. The card goes from red on top to yellow on the bottom, but each is a very vibrant form of the color. Regardless of the scan, it's a very neon type of yellow, a color I've always liked and gravitated towards.
I'm not a person who combines ketchup and mustard at the same time. Those people creep me out. But on this card, mixing a little red and a little yellow works very well.

I collected baseball cards from the late '80s through 2002. Then I went to college and when I came out, I was lost. There were too many brands, sets, choices, relics, autos, parallels, variations. It was a turn off. However, I slowly made my way back. So here is my attempt to venture back into the hobby. I'll buy a few packs of cards here and there, comment on some cards I have, send out some TTMs, and follow the progress of my Topps Yankees Project.
Saturday, April 18, 2020
Friday, April 17, 2020
Free Card Friday
I really appreciate a lot of the Free Card Fridays (and other days!) I've seen, so here's a quick one from me. No rhyme or reason to these cards - I just grabbed them out of a box I was going to add to TCDB.
In the photos below, where you see multiple cards, those come as a lot and must all be claimed. First come, first served.
If I don't have your address, drop me an email at thelostcollector at gmail dot com.
In the photos below, where you see multiple cards, those come as a lot and must all be claimed. First come, first served.
If I don't have your address, drop me an email at thelostcollector at gmail dot com.
2012 1987 Minis |
Thursday, April 16, 2020
Going Vinsane
One thing I've been doing with my extended time at home is catching up on movies and documentaries I've been wanting to see, but haven't for whatever reason. Number one my list, which I'm about halfway through...Top Gun! I know, I know. I haven't seen it all the way through. I've seen bits and I know the premise. But with the sequel coming out at some point, I wanted to see it.
Outside of movies, the majority of my lists consists of sports documentaries on Netflix, and when my wife decides to go to sleep, I usually turn one on for a few minutes. One I watched the other night was The Carter Effect, a short doc on Vince Carter and his impact on basketball in Canada.
I loved Vince Carter, from his time at UNC to the leap he made to the NBA, so I was excited to watch. And honestly, I wouldn't say the doc was very good. It was fine. But seeing the old footage of him for an hour was worth it.
With all the excitement around basketball cards right now, between Zion Mania and MJ cards soaring once again with the upcoming release of The Last Dance, I've been feeling serious nostalgia for NBA cards. I collected NBA much more heavily in my age 10-14 years, really from 4th-8th grade, so they mean a lot to me still.
As I actually scale down my collection a bit (it's true!), I decided I wanted to pick up some rookie cards of past and current great players...guys like Stockton from the past, or a guy like Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, or Donovan Mitchell presently. Just to have. Not to flip or hope I get rich or anything. But after watching the doc, I started with Carter.
Carter probably came the year after I stopped collecting NBA to focus just on baseball. His RC was 1998-99, a time I really would have been focused on Tino and the Yanks dynasty. So I decided I wanted a Vince Carter RC. I didn't want something crazy high end. Regular Topps would be fine.
So as I was searching, I actually found a lot that included two Topps RCs, a Stadium Club RC, and a about 15-20 cards from other years. It was actually less than some listings for two Topps RCs. Weird. Sometimes buying in bulk is cheaper.
I pulled the trigger, and now own a few VC RCs.
I'm not sure what I'll do with the other base cards. It sort of goes against what I want to do, which is NOT accumulate. But they were fun to go through and see a bunch of designs and card years that I missed.
I'm happy to add Carter's RC to my collection, and appreciate the trip down memory lane with his doc.
It feels good to buy a basketball card or two, as well.
Outside of movies, the majority of my lists consists of sports documentaries on Netflix, and when my wife decides to go to sleep, I usually turn one on for a few minutes. One I watched the other night was The Carter Effect, a short doc on Vince Carter and his impact on basketball in Canada.
I loved Vince Carter, from his time at UNC to the leap he made to the NBA, so I was excited to watch. And honestly, I wouldn't say the doc was very good. It was fine. But seeing the old footage of him for an hour was worth it.
With all the excitement around basketball cards right now, between Zion Mania and MJ cards soaring once again with the upcoming release of The Last Dance, I've been feeling serious nostalgia for NBA cards. I collected NBA much more heavily in my age 10-14 years, really from 4th-8th grade, so they mean a lot to me still.
As I actually scale down my collection a bit (it's true!), I decided I wanted to pick up some rookie cards of past and current great players...guys like Stockton from the past, or a guy like Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard, or Donovan Mitchell presently. Just to have. Not to flip or hope I get rich or anything. But after watching the doc, I started with Carter.
Carter probably came the year after I stopped collecting NBA to focus just on baseball. His RC was 1998-99, a time I really would have been focused on Tino and the Yanks dynasty. So I decided I wanted a Vince Carter RC. I didn't want something crazy high end. Regular Topps would be fine.
So as I was searching, I actually found a lot that included two Topps RCs, a Stadium Club RC, and a about 15-20 cards from other years. It was actually less than some listings for two Topps RCs. Weird. Sometimes buying in bulk is cheaper.
I pulled the trigger, and now own a few VC RCs.
I'm not sure what I'll do with the other base cards. It sort of goes against what I want to do, which is NOT accumulate. But they were fun to go through and see a bunch of designs and card years that I missed.
I'm happy to add Carter's RC to my collection, and appreciate the trip down memory lane with his doc.
It feels good to buy a basketball card or two, as well.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Customs count!
Do any of you player collectors count custom cards in your "official" total of a player? I sure as heck do.
I've received a few customs over the years, and I always make sure to include them in my number of unique cards for a player. It's part of the reason why my numbers will ever match on TCDB, but I don't care about that. The custom cards mean a whole lot to me. Whereas Topps puts no thought into many of their cards, the same can't be said for guys like Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown, who makes awesome customs.
On Monday, I got a sopping wet envelope from him, but luckily the cards were perfect. Gavin told me I sent him some cards like a year ago and wanted to hit me back. I suppose that's true? I can't remember what I sent.
There were a few Tinos and such, but what really stood out - and this should come as no surprise - are the awesome customs Gavin made.
I loved them all, but I think my favorite is the Ty Hensley from his current team, the Utica Unicorns. Ty is battling his way back to affiliate ball (and deserves a shot...former first rounder with upper/mid 90s heat...someone take a shot!), and he's clearly working hard to get there. To my knowledge, the Unicorns did not issue any team sets while Ty was there.
The card looks phenomenal, and as he always does, Gavin spends time on the card backs. While I wish I was better about enjoying card backs in general, I always make sure to check out the ones Gavin does. Sometimes I forget Ty's name is "Michael."
Also, as I told Gavin, when I shared this card on Twitter, Ty himself liked the Tweet.
I LOVED this custom in the look of 1987 Donruss. Tino in his Team USA gear, reminiscent of Panini Stars and Stripes. Tino led Team USA to a gold in the '88 games. Look at the metal Easton bat! That's the best part of the photo to me.
As as expected, a perfect replica of the back!
Lastly, such a cool card. Mattingly in the look of a 1973 Kellogg's. I wouldn't put it past Gavin to one day figure out how to use the same 3D effect on his cards. I love this old shot of Mattingly. Is he wearing a shirsey?!
Gavin made sure to do a very detailed back. I didn't know Donnie Baseball was ambidextrous. Go figure. I think he made the right call being a lefty.
Truly special work, Gavin. Thank you!
I've received a few customs over the years, and I always make sure to include them in my number of unique cards for a player. It's part of the reason why my numbers will ever match on TCDB, but I don't care about that. The custom cards mean a whole lot to me. Whereas Topps puts no thought into many of their cards, the same can't be said for guys like Gavin of Baseball Card Breakdown, who makes awesome customs.
On Monday, I got a sopping wet envelope from him, but luckily the cards were perfect. Gavin told me I sent him some cards like a year ago and wanted to hit me back. I suppose that's true? I can't remember what I sent.
There were a few Tinos and such, but what really stood out - and this should come as no surprise - are the awesome customs Gavin made.
I loved them all, but I think my favorite is the Ty Hensley from his current team, the Utica Unicorns. Ty is battling his way back to affiliate ball (and deserves a shot...former first rounder with upper/mid 90s heat...someone take a shot!), and he's clearly working hard to get there. To my knowledge, the Unicorns did not issue any team sets while Ty was there.
The card looks phenomenal, and as he always does, Gavin spends time on the card backs. While I wish I was better about enjoying card backs in general, I always make sure to check out the ones Gavin does. Sometimes I forget Ty's name is "Michael."
Also, as I told Gavin, when I shared this card on Twitter, Ty himself liked the Tweet.
I LOVED this custom in the look of 1987 Donruss. Tino in his Team USA gear, reminiscent of Panini Stars and Stripes. Tino led Team USA to a gold in the '88 games. Look at the metal Easton bat! That's the best part of the photo to me.
As as expected, a perfect replica of the back!
Lastly, such a cool card. Mattingly in the look of a 1973 Kellogg's. I wouldn't put it past Gavin to one day figure out how to use the same 3D effect on his cards. I love this old shot of Mattingly. Is he wearing a shirsey?!
Gavin made sure to do a very detailed back. I didn't know Donnie Baseball was ambidextrous. Go figure. I think he made the right call being a lefty.
Truly special work, Gavin. Thank you!
Monday, April 13, 2020
The Melkman
Melky Cabrera was a solid player for the Yankees. He wasn't flashy, wasn't a superstar, and in turn, players like that can get overlooked. He's a guy you take for granted. Someone who was going to hit .270 with a some pop here and here, get on base at .330 clip, and play good defense.
So when Rod from Padrographs posted this in one of his free card giveaways, I jumped at the chance to add a Melky autograph on a '52 design. I think it's my first and only autograph of him.
I have a fond memory of Melky from a game I attended in person, as I had a great view of him making this catch:
Since then, he has bounced around a few teams and even won an All-Star Game MVP. Sadly, he also got popped for PED usage.
Still, it's an awesome card of a solid, but easily forgotten Yankee.
Thanks, Rod!
So when Rod from Padrographs posted this in one of his free card giveaways, I jumped at the chance to add a Melky autograph on a '52 design. I think it's my first and only autograph of him.
I have a fond memory of Melky from a game I attended in person, as I had a great view of him making this catch:
Still, it's an awesome card of a solid, but easily forgotten Yankee.
Thanks, Rod!
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Easter basket cards
I distinctly remember getting cards in my easter basket four different times.
In fact, each were essentially a blaster box before they were called "blaster boxes." They were the Target boxes that costs $10 or $20, but I sort of looked down on them because they weren't "hobby boxes." I dunno, I was middle-school aged and it felt like getting a cheaper thing than the real thing. Well, dummy, because it was.
It was also a time when the boxes were basically the same size as a hobby box, but had a ton of foam padding inside.
In fact, each were essentially a blaster box before they were called "blaster boxes." They were the Target boxes that costs $10 or $20, but I sort of looked down on them because they weren't "hobby boxes." I dunno, I was middle-school aged and it felt like getting a cheaper thing than the real thing. Well, dummy, because it was.
It was also a time when the boxes were basically the same size as a hobby box, but had a ton of foam padding inside.
The first year I can remember, I actually got basketball cards. It would have been a blaster of 1996-97 Upper Deck Collector's Choice basketball series 2. Not only was Collector's Choice my favorite baseball brand, but I loved their basketball cards too. Maybe even more. Looking back, this was a solid choice because it had rookies of Kobe, Nash, Ray Allen, and Allen Iverson. I still have most of those. It looked something like this:
Pretty solid rookie class, and I'm glad I never got rid of them. Especially happy to still have the Kobe!
I believe it was 1998 that would have brought baseball card under my Easter basket. Yes, not in, but under. I distinctly remember my basked being placed on top of a 4-pack of Pinnacle Inside cans. They looked a little something like this:

Maybe no better card product represents the quirky 90s than these.
Moving on to 1999, I'm pretty sure I got a box of 1998 cards in the form of Pacific Online. These were odd cards that had a massive url at the top. You know, because players now had web pages on the world wide internet. Only instead of something like a vanity URL, you were expected to type in this a long web address to look up stats on your favorite player!
The last box I got, which I still have, was again getting cards from the year before, this time in the year 2000 getting cards from '99. In this instance, it was a blaster box of 1999 Score Rookie Traded with Chipper on the front.
It's funny how I can barely remember yesterday, but cards in Easter baskets 20+ years ago? No problem.
Happy Easter!
Friday, April 10, 2020
Not a Cole collector, but I want his cards
I don't anticipate becoming a Gerrit Cole collector over the next 9 years. I anticipate accumulating many of his cards the way I did a guy like CC Sabathia or Masahiro Tanaka. But I don't plan on making him a focus of mine.
That doesn't mean I won't stray here and there. In fact, I made a purchase this past week to pick up his 2013 Topps Update RC. I probably had it at one time or another, but sent it away in a batch of Pirates cards. It felt like a smart thing to own, even if he's in the wrong uniform.
Now on to the photoshopped right uniform cards. Both of these came in over the last two days via various TCDB trades.
This is my first look at Gypsy Queen, a set I like but don't love. Similar to Donruss and Ginter, all of the GQ designs are now blending together for me.
I was surprised to see Cole's Opening Day card is different than his flagship SP. I wonder if his real Topps base card will look like this, or if it'll be a shot from spring training. Time will tell...maybe.
I'm sure when all is said and done 9 years from now, I'll be sitting on a few hundred Cole cards. I hope some of them have his signature on them. But at worst, one for sure will have the little "RC" logo on it, and that's a great start.
That doesn't mean I won't stray here and there. In fact, I made a purchase this past week to pick up his 2013 Topps Update RC. I probably had it at one time or another, but sent it away in a batch of Pirates cards. It felt like a smart thing to own, even if he's in the wrong uniform.
Now on to the photoshopped right uniform cards. Both of these came in over the last two days via various TCDB trades.
This is my first look at Gypsy Queen, a set I like but don't love. Similar to Donruss and Ginter, all of the GQ designs are now blending together for me.
I was surprised to see Cole's Opening Day card is different than his flagship SP. I wonder if his real Topps base card will look like this, or if it'll be a shot from spring training. Time will tell...maybe.
I'm sure when all is said and done 9 years from now, I'll be sitting on a few hundred Cole cards. I hope some of them have his signature on them. But at worst, one for sure will have the little "RC" logo on it, and that's a great start.
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