Focus Pocus!

One of my goals for ages has been to organize my Derek Jeter collection. I don’t think I’ve purchased more than 10-15 Jeter singles since I got back into collecting. Nearly every trade package from my blogging friends tends to include a Jeter or two, and as a result, I’ve accumulated several hundred. For that, I thank all of you!

I don’t have the final numbers yet, but it’s been a great first use of my new card sorting tray!

During my COMC Black Friday order, I decided to take a quick browse for some cool looking Jeters I knew I didn’t have. I added two to my cart:

The first one was what really caught my eye. It’s a 2001 Fleer Focus insert called Focus Pocus. Fun! The card itself is very shiny. I knew without checking that I didn’t have it.

The second was from 1997 Circa. The insert itself is from the Circa Boss set. It’s got some texture to it and the text is a bit raised and bumpy. Sort of like an old Goosebumps novel. However, I admit I was disappointed by the card itself. It looks better in the photos than it does in hand. It just felt a little lackluster. Still, it was just a throw-in to a large purpose, and was a card I didn’t have, so I’m happy.

I don’t see myself really buy more Jeters outside of the eventual autograph, but it’s not a bad strategy to throw a few into large COMC orders. However, hopefully my blogging friends will continue to include Jeters once in a while in trade packages. That’s where my collection has grown most!

Two Raves down, two to go

I'd love to collect all of the Tino Martinez Circa/Skybox Thunder Raves. They are hard to find, yet over the past few months, I've added a couple to my collection. I purchased two 1997 Raves, as I found one for a price I couldn't pass up.

If you collect a player from the late '90s, even if not a superstar, you might be surprised by what Raves sell for.

My second Rave comes from 1998. In true Circa/Skybox Thunder fashion, the card is loud and a bit all over the place. I didn't expect the font with the player's last name to be so shiny, but it has an awesome effect with the foil.

I still need 1996 and 1999, so I'll stay on the lookout for those. Then, of course, there are Super Raves. I don't think I'm ready to chase those.

Purposely buying a dupe

Do you ever buy a card you already have, on purpose?

I do it from time-to-time. There are a lot of instancess when I blatantly screw up, thinking I don't have a card and buy it, only to discover it's a dupe. However, there are other times when I buy a card, already knowing that I have it.

It many cases, it might be because you upgrade a card for a vintage set. In most cases for me, it's actually because I know how hard certain Tino Martinez cards from the late 90s are to find. When one pops up for a great price, even if it is a dupe, sometimes I can't help myself from pouncing.

I just did it on this 1997 Circa Rave. These cards aren't easy to find, and one came up in my saved eBay search and it was essentially a steal. I had to get it, even though I already have one. It's not the worst thing to own a scarce card like this, and I did second-guess myself a bit, but ultimately, I felt like I couldn't let it pass me by.

I've recently done this with a Donruss Crusade Tino as well. I guess that's the life of a player collector. If new stuff doesn't pop up, but what you already have.

Finally invited to a Rave

You may find this hard to believe, but I'm not particularly cool.

In college, I did go to my fair share of house parties and the occasional frat party, but I never experienced a rave. I remember there being a few, whether it was at one of the aforementioned frat houses or somewhere off campus, but i just never felt very inclined to go.

When I got to NYC, I remember my good buddy going to one in Brooklyn, and he tried dragging me along. I didn't go though. It just never appealed to me.

Well, I finally found a rave I can get on board with:

Circa Rave parallels are some of the harder mid-90s cards to find. Circa, in general, was a whackadoo set, then throw in the Rave set, and it's even more out there. I do remember these going for big bucks back in the day, and I know nowadays the big stars like Griffey still go for a few hundred dollars on eBay when they pop up. Luckily for me, the minor stars have come down in prices quite a bit. Still, I feel fortunate to cross this one off my collecting bucket list. It was one of the more coveted Tinos on my want list.

JBF Epic Boxes: Packs 9-10

Two more of SIXTEEN total team bags that Jaybarkerfan sent me in his epic flat rate boxes full of Yanks. We are now on to box #2!

Here is how Pack 9 unfolded:

First up, another Mattingly oddball. I love his follow through on the swing. These KMart cards were always a favorite growing up. I feel like they came in a small box, like a deck of cards would. Can anyone confirm that?

A pair of Jeters I didn't have, nor had I seen. These were from my non-collecting years, so I appreciate the enlightenment.

And the card of the pack? It was tough choosing this, but I liked the cloth stickers a lot from 2012 Archives. I had actually traded this one away to someone who needed it, so the card karma gods hooked me back up.

Total cards in pack: 43
Running total: 308

Pack 10

Spoiler alert! Packs with a relic may contain less cards!

But first, this should be called the Topps Traded pack. There were near team sets of both 1986 and 1989 Topps Traded. From '86, all that was missing was Lou Piniella. From '89, two cards were missing: Bye Bye Balboni and Leon Sandcastle. Question - why were the backs of Topps Traded cards always lighter in color? To differentiate?

Next, a few cards from one of my all-time favorite sets (no joke): Tristar Projections. I love the look of the set. The scan doesn't do it justice, but the white is stunning. I love getting these cards signed too. They look awesome. Almonte is currently helping the Yanks as a 5th OFer.

Ugly Tino alert!!!! Circa!!! AHHHH!

Ok, for as bad as Circa was, Upper Deck SP was usually pretty classy. This Paul O'Neill is no different.

Here's the relic! It's also the card of the pack. Why? Simple! It's a Tino relic I didn't have. This one is super cool. It's from 2003 Stadium Club, and I love how the bat is shaped like the state of Florida, where Tino was born. Very, very cool card, and not just because it's one I needed! I appreciate when companies try to back a relic an odd shape. Helps make it more interesting.

Total cards in pack: 38
Running total: 346

Fake grass on cards

Ahhh, the '90s. I miss 'em...at least for insert sets anyways. I don't really miss roller blades or the Macarena or AOL. Along with the seemingly hundreds of card brands came hundreds of inserts with some pretty wacky designs.

Many of us remember Circa. Ugly base cards, often with a random quote from a coach on the front. What a lot of don't remember are some of the crazy insert sets that came along with Circa. Case in point: this 1997 Fast Track Mariano Rivera. This card was in a binder I have but clearly stopped putting cards in around 1999. I took it out of it's page and was shocked to rub my finger across it to find that the green was actually a felt-like material. I guess it was to mimic grass? Either way, add this to list of crazy inserts from the 1990's. In a weird way, I miss it.