Sell Now?:Joey Votto On Card

I bought this little guy in 06 for 8.50 including shipping. I was bolstering what would become a full-blown preference for ONcard autos. This one is selling for around 30-40 dollars in various arenas, and I am thinking of pulling the trigger and letting it go. Even mine is one of the more attractive version of Joey's sig including the pseudo-star double "t". I know powerful little of Votto the player so...
...as for the card design...when have the "SOF" auto cards from bowman not looked super awkward? (especially when they switched to stickers)

The What Now?: 2008 Topps Uncirculated Re-Issue Hand Numbered Autos

And you got this card for auction where?

Maybe I am severely overestimating my awareness of the hobby's dumbshit after-market drumming, but this one, if genuine, totally escaped me.

somebody is about to tell me this is normal and a valuable rarity. Don't.

If The Sticker Fits...:What If It Doesn't?

I hate to criticise, or do I?

Card auction found here

This is a pretty unique version of the Exquisite Rookie Signatures line (that we all knew was a mildly veiled ploy to have us expect the greatness of exquisite, and with a killer crop of rookies! Right?...no.) This shyte was just as expensive as the real when it came out, and there are wayyy too many problems with the set that are starting to show their faces as I carefully choose which card I would like to own.

This set brought us some amazing collectibles that are pieces unto themselves, but when it comes to stickers and thier "wonderful" curves...shit goes wrong...
Could you honestly say that the card above would not be 1000% times more intrinsically/aesthetically valuable if the sticker were not involved?

Granted, I have a long-standing problem with sticker autos, and I am not alone. This one didn't even have a chance...look at where it is placed. It interferes with so many components of the card's oeverall design, it cannot be...but it is. It was the only place the doltish final artists gave it to go. This card was meant for an autograph, act like it.

I would potentially spend a good amount of (really fkking) hard-earned money to add this part of one of the decade's most exciting participants, had his simple auto been allowed to be graced on the card DESIGNED for it. Maybe Upper Deck was getting lazy and complacent in their later years, but this is a common sense/simple design issue.
I miss Upper Deck so much.

U.S.A.:The Party Continues

I am really fkking impressed with how these guys have played through the horrible officiating...and still be fighting tooth and nail at the end of a match.they have made the whole group round harder for themselves than they needed to, but it's a whole new party nowUSA!

Landon Donovan immediately following the match on yet another questionable (at best) disallowed goal:

"We embody what Americans are about, we could moan about it or we can get on with it..and we kept going...we believe, man".

Thanks, Really: 2010 shapes up

Spectacular...now every box I was going to buy this year "tops $100" .....badum ching.



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World Cup 2010: Where's the French Team?

who effing cares which goddam coach flight they had to take back en France, because I don't see the IRISH TEAM around here anywhere.

Quelles Bande De Cons

back to baseball...cards that is I have a bunch of trade packs going out this week. Tim, canuck and Cam's are on the way. Beard, Troll and Andy's are going out before saturday sometime.

Bargain Bin: Still Feels Empty

I got 5 packs of 2008 Bowman Retail and got the cards above, and really didn't have another prospect or refractor to show. I have no clue who this Carr character is, and don't feel like looking him up. That shiny ass sticker with a missing stroke is mocking me. I am all about autos, you all know that, but this one has yet to "hit" me...pun unintentional, but I'll keep it.
I guess I also got the 08 and 09 chrome prospects confused. I am so damn picky. I guess that comes in handy more often than not. Screw the people at subway. Yes I want that many pickles on my turkey sub, deal with it.

Uhhh...:BGS 9.5

how the Bleek is this card (you know that 1/1) purported to be anything over a BGS 8?

I dabbled in graded cards and came out on top.
I have not been back.
I won't be.

Gellman over at SCU explains precisely why this card was supposedly graded as 9.5 and why this is my position.

Amazing How Great Light Is For Photos On The Ballfield...:Don't Photoshop Cards...

I was fairly taken aback by the look of these cards I pulled from series 2. Aside from the fact that they are all pitchers, it also appears that there were reflecting screens set just ahead of the mound, or a bit to the right, in order to "light up" the faces under the "low riding" caps of the age.
I find the effect to be grainy, awkward, and disney-esque. I do not really like anything disney. One of my new favorite blogs Community Gum did a review that reflects the same sentiments. ( link here ) It's creepy, artificial and, well, I (what's the closest to "hate" without actual hate?) 2010 Topps.
I am sending out my entire stash out in the next few days. I am keeping an auto I pulled of Dan Bard (down with him) and a few GU and 2020 and Turkeys (the sky is just so pretty this year) for my PC, but overall, the only two redeeming qualities of the base set are Card #1 and Nick Markakis' "SAFE!" shot.
everything else=do not want.

All Cards Below Still Available

Then I will let the post fade to the backpages...