Take My 2014 Topps S1 Parallels and Inserts, For I Need Them Not

So far I've only bought two hanger boxes of Series 1. I'm happy with that, because I'm on a pretty tight budget as of now. It also helps that I'm not in love with S1, although it does offer some good stuff- none which I've pulled. In my opinion, everything I've pulled is crap. Big lack of Pirates too, which is disappointing. 

Here's all the crap that I've pulled. It's all for trade, and it won't take much in exchange for you to take them home. If you're interested, drop a comment or shoot me an email at nsbell440@gmail.com!

Thanks for reading, Nate

2012-13 Panini Timeless Treasures Hobby Box Break and Review

Merry Christmas eve! I decided to treat myself to a small hobby purchase this Christmas. The decision was made primarily because dacardworld was nice enough to send me a coupon for $10 off a purchase of $50 or more. There was also free shipping for all orders over $50, so I was able to get this nice little tin for around $40 shipped. A steal, if you ask me.

Here's the box, which is actually a tin. Panini has switched away from the tin for the 2013-14 set, which has disappointed many collectors. It is a nice bonus.

Although the box states that you get a total of five cards, I received seven including a redemption. Three of the cards are hits- auto or memorabilia. Above are the four base cards. Nothing too special to see here. I was annoyed to see J.R. Smith here, because he shot 17 three's the other night. In one game. He missed the vast majority of them, of course. He's a big reason that the Knicks are so dismal this year.

Here's my first hit, a Nikola Vucevic Rookie Glass Auto, numbered to 499. I really like the look of these cards. I think the glass works well in this set. Nikola has developed into a dependable big man this year, although he plays for an awful team. Very happy with this pull.

Next hit was also an auto, a Jeff Teague "Validating Marks" numbered to 199. This card isn't bad looking, but it's certainly bot attractive as the previous. Like Vucevic, Teague is having the best year of his career right now and developing well. Another solid pull.

My final hit was a third auto, albeit a redemption. This Tony Wroten card will be the same exact as the Vucevic card. So overall, all three of hits were autos, all numbered, and no memorabilia cards. I'm more than okay with that! Wroten has broken out Philly over the past few weeks, here's to hoping he breaks out! 

REVIEW

Overall design: The base cards are above average in design, although no one cares about them. And why would they? This is clearly a hit-based product. The base set consist of 150 cards, but I don't see many collectors chasing it. The glass rookie autos work well. Flashy, but not overdone.

Box contents: Again, this a hit based product. There are three hits per box, two of which will be autos, and one of those autos will be a rookie glass card. You'll get 3 or 4 base cards as well.

The Hits: This product seems to come through with the hits, at least in my case. I was VERY happy that all three of my autos are from guys that are still in the NBA. Not only that, but they're all young guys that are really producing. I feel very lucky in that respect. The auto and memorabilia checklists are pretty solid, and they feature a good mix of vets and rookies. This set is affected by the double rookie class, which really waters down the talent pool, in my opinion. In other words, it just creates more cards of guys who are/will be in the D-league or Europe.

Positives: Rookie Glass autos, on card autos, availability of rookies, serial numbered autos, mix of vets/rookies.

Negatives: Lack of base cards, double rookie class

Rating: 7.5 out of 10. Very happy with this product. It's nothing outstanding, but definitely worth a shot at a discounted price.

An Ambitious Set - Call Me Crazy

Thoreau once said,

"We must walk consciously only part way toward our goal, and then leap in the dark to our success.” 

I'm not really sure what the hell that means, and I know he wasn't referring to collecting cardboard. Nevertheless, I'm going to leap into the dark and try to complete a set of 2013 Topps Chrome Sapphire Blue Parallels. Why these specific cards, you ask? Here's my reasoning:

1) Topps Chrome is my favorite set of the year. I love everything about these cards.

2) 2013 has been the most significant and exciting baseball year of my life and I'd like to commemorate it.

3) These cards are numbered to 199, and I have a fetish for numbered cards. 199 is high enough that the cards are affordable and attainable... in most cases.

I want to shoot high here and go beyond the regular base set. I've already got 31 cards, which brings me to a whopping 14% completed.

I know that I'm going to face some serious challenges here, the main one being the "prodigy" himself, Yasiel Puig. Puig has been a pain in the ass for set collectors and this situation is no different. The cheapest Puigs on eBay range from 45-60 bucks, although some have gone for as low as $25 in .99 cent auctions. Thankfully I already own the Jose Fernandez card, which is a big plus. Manny Machado will likely be the other wallet-breaker.

Call me crazy, but this is my new project... and I would LOVE YOUR HELP! If you see any good auctions or better yet want to trade, give me a shout. I've got tons of stuff up on my Trade Bait page so please check it out. I'm willing to be generous and creative here. PWE's, bulk trades... you name it, I'm game. Drop a comment or shoot me an e-mail at nsbell440@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading! 

2013 Topps Cut to the Chase - SET COMPLETE!

It's glorious. I'd never tried to chase a set of inserts before, but for some reason this set really appealed to me. I think my favorite aspect of the set is the player selection; lots hall of famers, future hall of famers, and of course... three Pirates. 

I picture myself skimming through this set ten years from now and being overwhelmed with great baseball memories- Mike Trout's huge splash onto the scene, Cutch's MVP year, Manny Machado's Web Gem of the year, and so on.

And the best part is, this is all pre-Puig- an era of baseball which I enjoyed. It could be the last set of Puig-free inserts that Topps ever produces.

A huge thanks to everyone was helped me out with this set! Its great to sit back and enjoy these, finally.

Who likes die cuts?

I like die cuts. Alot. Especially when they're shiny. Who doesn't love shiny things?

Because of my passion for die cuts, things that sparkle, and Topps baseball cards, I've decided to attempt to complete a set of the Topps Cut to the Chase inserts. These cards were inserted into both Topps 2013 Series 1 and Series 2. 48 total cards. Here's what they look like if you need a quick refresher:

This is a PSA to those of you who have any of these lying around! I'll list the ones I already have at the end of this post. If you have any of these that I don't already have, I'd love to trade with you! To see what I have available for trade, please refer to my "List of additional cards" page, here. I also have tons of base cards, parallels, and inserts from Topps 2013 and Topps 2012. Or, if you have a favorite player or team, don't be afraid to ask me about that too! You can reach me at nsbell440@gmail.com.

As always thanks for reading!!

CTC's I have so far:

CTC-2 Ken Griffey Jr.

CTC-6 Carlos Gonzalez

CTC-7 Stan Musial

CTC-11 Yu Darvish

CTC-13 Brett Lawrie

CTC-14 David Price

CTC-19 Mike Schmidt

CTC-21 Andrew McCutchen

CTC-27 Ralph Kiner

CTC-35 Chris Sale

CTC-38 Prince Fielder

CTC-39 Yeonis Cespides

CTC-40 Cal Ripken Jr.

CTC-41 Stephen Strasberg

CTC-42 R.A. Dickey