If you've received Random Packs of Kindness (RPOKs) and you've written about them, please let me know so I can be sure to read them! I just "discovered" a couple posts I had missed from folks that took the time to share their findings with the world.
Just respond to this post with the URL to your RPOK post(s) and I'll stop by to see what you say (good or bad!).
Thanks!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Contractural Monopoly
Two things first:
1) This was written some time ago and appears on my 'poppedinmyhead' blog. I don't know why that's important to say, but it is... or not... Hard to tell.
2) Motherscratcher actually expressed his feelings on the whole Topps 'exclusive' MLB contract in a manner that appeals to the collector in all of us. You can read that HERE (after you read my thoughts, of course).
Without further adieu, here is my take on the whole Topps thing, though for a card blog, this appears much too late to really be worth the read. Alas, I put it here for your enjoyment (or outrage). Happy Motoring!
"Contractual Monopoly" - if that's not a phrase, then let it be said I coined it here, though I'm sure I could Google it were I so inclined. What am I talking about? Baseball cards, of course. Back in the early 80's, a small company called Fleer took Topps (the only company that was 'allowed'' to make cards featuring the actual team logos) to court over monopolistic practices. They won, and soon card companies popped up like online web sites did during the dot-com era. Competition was everywhere. Some say that was good, some say it was bad, for collecting. Where I come from, competition is ALWAYS a good thing.
Many collectors became disenfranchised with the hobby as the years went on, however. They complain of bad photos, stupid gimmicks, you name it, and say the hobby lost its focus. Do train collectors, Beanie baby collectors, teddy bear collectors, stamp collectors, currency collectors, ad naseum, feel that way about their own hobbies? I have no idea. And, I digress. Basically, though, they also complain about having too many sets to try to collect, too MUCH choice, not enough creativity in what was being offered, and in some sets, very shoddy photography and worksmanship - not to mention outright fraud in some cases of player auto's etc.
With the stroke of a pen (or ten or twelve, which will eventually end up as fodder in future "ink'd deals" sets, I'm sure), Topps and the MLB signed a deal once again giving the company exclusive rights to use MLB logos on cards from 2010 into the foreseeable future. Many card collectors are loving it. Many are hating it. And some collectors are still trying to figure how it will affect them at all.
I have two huge issues with the deal:
First, we have taken a 30-year step backward. Once again, Topps has managed to put themselves in a monopolistic position. I can only imagine this will get challenged in court. Supposedly, the argument is akin to the deal Reebok (or whomever) signed with the NFL for shoes. Here's my problem: it is not the same thing. If the cards were being supplied only *TO* the MLB, then sure, they could pick they wanted. Much like bats, helmets, cleats, EQUIPMENT, or heck, beverages, whatever. That is a different type of agreement. Baseball cards, any trading cards, are NOT the property of or the exclusive use of the MLB. in fact, I would venture many MLB-connected folks probably aren't even collectors. If the only place a person could buy cards was through the stadiums or through the team sites, then sure, ink the deal, we're done here. But that is not how it works. Evidently, hockey and maybe even the NFL for all I know have already inked similar deals. I don't collect those, so I dont pay attention. If so, those are also contractual monopolies. The collectors and fans should be pissed as hell at this move.
Will this move slim down the number of choices? Of course. Will this end the confusion of card collecting? Not even close. Take a look through a baseball card almanac. THOUSANDS of pages dedicated not only to the big brands, but also to all the goofy oddball brands that were around for as long as Topps has been. And why were there oddball brands? Because of the monopoly. We will see a return of the oddball cards, which will not only NOT clarify collecting confusion, but will actually ADD to it. Then again, I loves me some oddball cards, so as a collector, maybe seeing Topps shoot themselves in the foot is a good thing after all.
Secondly, an argument is being made by several collectors and fellow bloggers that the quality will rise now that there is no competition. I disagree. If only one company makes cars and they make crappy cars, they will always make crappy cars. Why? There is no competition to drive them to improve. Frankly, does any collector remember what kind of crap Topp was putting out UNTIL Upper Deck and Fleer came out with cards that blew Topps out of the water!? Yeah, Topps was on the slippery slope to suckdom until then. And, wasn't Topps recently about to be swallowed up by Upper Deck and everyone cried and boo-hooed because that would be then end of competition in the hobby? Yet, now, many of those same people applaud the contractual monopolistic move by Topps? How is that different? How is that going to give Topps ANY incentive to get better?
Topps just found their golden ticket to mediocrity, and I hate the fact that if I am going to continue to collect cards, I am forced to ride the only train in town.
1) This was written some time ago and appears on my 'poppedinmyhead' blog. I don't know why that's important to say, but it is... or not... Hard to tell.
2) Motherscratcher actually expressed his feelings on the whole Topps 'exclusive' MLB contract in a manner that appeals to the collector in all of us. You can read that HERE (after you read my thoughts, of course).
Without further adieu, here is my take on the whole Topps thing, though for a card blog, this appears much too late to really be worth the read. Alas, I put it here for your enjoyment (or outrage). Happy Motoring!
"Contractual Monopoly" - if that's not a phrase, then let it be said I coined it here, though I'm sure I could Google it were I so inclined. What am I talking about? Baseball cards, of course. Back in the early 80's, a small company called Fleer took Topps (the only company that was 'allowed'' to make cards featuring the actual team logos) to court over monopolistic practices. They won, and soon card companies popped up like online web sites did during the dot-com era. Competition was everywhere. Some say that was good, some say it was bad, for collecting. Where I come from, competition is ALWAYS a good thing.
Many collectors became disenfranchised with the hobby as the years went on, however. They complain of bad photos, stupid gimmicks, you name it, and say the hobby lost its focus. Do train collectors, Beanie baby collectors, teddy bear collectors, stamp collectors, currency collectors, ad naseum, feel that way about their own hobbies? I have no idea. And, I digress. Basically, though, they also complain about having too many sets to try to collect, too MUCH choice, not enough creativity in what was being offered, and in some sets, very shoddy photography and worksmanship - not to mention outright fraud in some cases of player auto's etc.
With the stroke of a pen (or ten or twelve, which will eventually end up as fodder in future "ink'd deals" sets, I'm sure), Topps and the MLB signed a deal once again giving the company exclusive rights to use MLB logos on cards from 2010 into the foreseeable future. Many card collectors are loving it. Many are hating it. And some collectors are still trying to figure how it will affect them at all.
I have two huge issues with the deal:
First, we have taken a 30-year step backward. Once again, Topps has managed to put themselves in a monopolistic position. I can only imagine this will get challenged in court. Supposedly, the argument is akin to the deal Reebok (or whomever) signed with the NFL for shoes. Here's my problem: it is not the same thing. If the cards were being supplied only *TO* the MLB, then sure, they could pick they wanted. Much like bats, helmets, cleats, EQUIPMENT, or heck, beverages, whatever. That is a different type of agreement. Baseball cards, any trading cards, are NOT the property of or the exclusive use of the MLB. in fact, I would venture many MLB-connected folks probably aren't even collectors. If the only place a person could buy cards was through the stadiums or through the team sites, then sure, ink the deal, we're done here. But that is not how it works. Evidently, hockey and maybe even the NFL for all I know have already inked similar deals. I don't collect those, so I dont pay attention. If so, those are also contractual monopolies. The collectors and fans should be pissed as hell at this move.
Will this move slim down the number of choices? Of course. Will this end the confusion of card collecting? Not even close. Take a look through a baseball card almanac. THOUSANDS of pages dedicated not only to the big brands, but also to all the goofy oddball brands that were around for as long as Topps has been. And why were there oddball brands? Because of the monopoly. We will see a return of the oddball cards, which will not only NOT clarify collecting confusion, but will actually ADD to it. Then again, I loves me some oddball cards, so as a collector, maybe seeing Topps shoot themselves in the foot is a good thing after all.
Secondly, an argument is being made by several collectors and fellow bloggers that the quality will rise now that there is no competition. I disagree. If only one company makes cars and they make crappy cars, they will always make crappy cars. Why? There is no competition to drive them to improve. Frankly, does any collector remember what kind of crap Topp was putting out UNTIL Upper Deck and Fleer came out with cards that blew Topps out of the water!? Yeah, Topps was on the slippery slope to suckdom until then. And, wasn't Topps recently about to be swallowed up by Upper Deck and everyone cried and boo-hooed because that would be then end of competition in the hobby? Yet, now, many of those same people applaud the contractual monopolistic move by Topps? How is that different? How is that going to give Topps ANY incentive to get better?
Topps just found their golden ticket to mediocrity, and I hate the fact that if I am going to continue to collect cards, I am forced to ride the only train in town.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Cards from Brian!
Not only did BSnider (Brian) send his 5 bucks for the group break, he slipped in a handful of great Indians cards to go with it!
First, we have a Fleer Focus Green (Emerald? I dunno) Roberto Alomar #'d 195/310)! Very cool indeed.
The next card is an Upper Deck MVP Silver Script Omar Vizquel! That is a great-looking card of a super Triber!
Omar makes several appearances in here, and this time he is showing off his Crowning Moment (Diamond Kings style)!
If that wasn't enough (which it could have easily been), Brian also dropped in an Omar Vizquel UD People's Choice Game-Used jersey card!
But, wait, there's more! Not only did Brian include a jersey card, but he also threw in a game-used bat card to go with it (UD SP Game Bat Milestone Edition Piece of the Action International Connection - try saying THAT three times fast!)
Man, these are FANtastic cards!! Thank you so much, Brian!
I am amazed at the generosity of the card-blogging world! I have been working the past few hours on getting lots and lots of cards entered into my CardCollector database (still have a LONG way to go yet, too), since I have been so lazy about doing that. If memory serves, I started blogging when my collection was around 4500 cards, I think. I am currently over 9300 cards, due mainly and massively to everyone's kindness and generosity found through this incredible medium we call "The 'Net." Thanks again!!
First, we have a Fleer Focus Green (Emerald? I dunno) Roberto Alomar #'d 195/310)! Very cool indeed.
The next card is an Upper Deck MVP Silver Script Omar Vizquel! That is a great-looking card of a super Triber!
Omar makes several appearances in here, and this time he is showing off his Crowning Moment (Diamond Kings style)!
If that wasn't enough (which it could have easily been), Brian also dropped in an Omar Vizquel UD People's Choice Game-Used jersey card!
But, wait, there's more! Not only did Brian include a jersey card, but he also threw in a game-used bat card to go with it (UD SP Game Bat Milestone Edition Piece of the Action International Connection - try saying THAT three times fast!)
Man, these are FANtastic cards!! Thank you so much, Brian!
I am amazed at the generosity of the card-blogging world! I have been working the past few hours on getting lots and lots of cards entered into my CardCollector database (still have a LONG way to go yet, too), since I have been so lazy about doing that. If memory serves, I started blogging when my collection was around 4500 cards, I think. I am currently over 9300 cards, due mainly and massively to everyone's kindness and generosity found through this incredible medium we call "The 'Net." Thanks again!!
Dinged Dinged! And in this Corner(s), NightOwl!
The other day, I received a gift pack of my own from Patricia and the girls at Dinged Corners! Some time ago, she had a post describing an Indians card she had, and through a series of high-level meetings, a deal was inked that had cards being traded for other cards among several card bloggers, and when all was said and done, I ended up with a VERY nice auto from DC!
Before I get to that though, I opened the package to find Julio Franco in triplet! Julio is one of my all-time favorite players from that era! Wahoo!!
There were also two 2008 A&G mini "World's Leaders" cards - Greece and Ireland. These are very cool! The best part, to me, are the looks on the faces. It is as if Bertie (Ireland) just heard something very shocking and Konstandinos (Greece) was the one to tell him:
Of course, the main attraction of the pack is the 2005 Donruss TeamHeroes autograph card of Jake Dittler!
THANK YOU very, very much, Dinged Corners for some great cards!! I am going to take the words of your note and redirect them back to you, "thank you for always making trading fun!"
On the same day (or I think it was the same day), I received a bonus item from NightOwl! How about a 2009 O-Pee-Chee Kerry Wood!?
Now before everyone goes all "Tipton" on me, let me assure you the card was in great shape when it arrived here. The investigation is still ongoing, but somehow there is a seven year old girl involved with the "Case of the Crinkled Kerry Card." (Yeah, I was going to use all 'ks' but that was going a bit over-the-top in cheesiness. Of course, I do loves me some cheese... Where was I?)
So far, it appears the youngster was checking the Woot of the day, and somehow the card ended up as the seating cushion. I still don't have all the details, but I can assure you justice will be served - most likely in the form of office-cleaning child labor.
Thank you, NightOwl, for a very cool card! For those that don't know - I'm kidding about the justice thing. I collect Indians cards, condition is never a factor - whether the arrives having previously sat upon or becomes that way while in my possession - either way, I'm a happy collector just to have received the card(s) in the first place!!
Before I get to that though, I opened the package to find Julio Franco in triplet! Julio is one of my all-time favorite players from that era! Wahoo!!
There were also two 2008 A&G mini "World's Leaders" cards - Greece and Ireland. These are very cool! The best part, to me, are the looks on the faces. It is as if Bertie (Ireland) just heard something very shocking and Konstandinos (Greece) was the one to tell him:
Of course, the main attraction of the pack is the 2005 Donruss TeamHeroes autograph card of Jake Dittler!
THANK YOU very, very much, Dinged Corners for some great cards!! I am going to take the words of your note and redirect them back to you, "thank you for always making trading fun!"
On the same day (or I think it was the same day), I received a bonus item from NightOwl! How about a 2009 O-Pee-Chee Kerry Wood!?
Now before everyone goes all "Tipton" on me, let me assure you the card was in great shape when it arrived here. The investigation is still ongoing, but somehow there is a seven year old girl involved with the "Case of the Crinkled Kerry Card." (Yeah, I was going to use all 'ks' but that was going a bit over-the-top in cheesiness. Of course, I do loves me some cheese... Where was I?)
So far, it appears the youngster was checking the Woot of the day, and somehow the card ended up as the seating cushion. I still don't have all the details, but I can assure you justice will be served - most likely in the form of office-cleaning child labor.
Thank you, NightOwl, for a very cool card! For those that don't know - I'm kidding about the justice thing. I collect Indians cards, condition is never a factor - whether the arrives having previously sat upon or becomes that way while in my possession - either way, I'm a happy collector just to have received the card(s) in the first place!!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
2009 A&G Hobby Group Break Updates & Highlights
Whew! man, what a night! The group break got off to a late start (well, late if you are in CST or any points east!), but folks hung around to watch it get going and then BOOM, we were rolling.
In the first six packs, I pulled three game-used cards. If most of the boxes are set up this way, ask the dealer to open a new box, and buy the first 6-8 packs and head for the door! Of course, mileage may vary, so there is no guarantee, right? Still... Wow!
My original intent was to list out what everyone received. Yeah, sorry, but not gonna happen. Way too time intensive this go-round. If you do want to know, though, you can read the live break and just search for your name (or the name of any of the participants) and keep doing the "find next" or if you have IE8 (or other browsers that support the following function), you can "find all occurrences" or something like that.
One note I need to make here is that Josh Beckett is not pictured in a Mariners uni, as stated during the break. He is shown in a Marlins uni. What was i thinking? Grant will keep the card since no one had claimed the Marlins. No harm, no foul, no blood, no problem. Hmm, not quite the way that song goes, is it?
I've taken pictures of some of the cards, and those are below. They are not in any specific order simply because Blogger uploads pictures in the reverse order you select them, and Blogger only lets you upload five pics at a time. So who knows what'll happen (and, as you may have guessed, I am typing this before actually uploading the photos).
I don't know when my next group break will be. I am toying with the idea of doing one every couple weeks, maybe allowing for folks who missed this one to get in on another and/or giving the folks that took part in this to get their hands on some more goodies. I will say that any money collected for these breaks goes toward two things: covering the cost of the box/case being broken and/or the purchase of future boxes/cases. We pool our money, and everybody (hopefully) walks away happy (or at least satisfied with what they receive). It's all about having fun, collecting, and spreadin' the good word about our beloved hobby! And, hey, if you happen to walk away with an Albert Pujols game-used bat card along the way, then why not?
Okay, enough of the chit-chat, let's see the goods:
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