Junk Mall Junk Wax Wednesday

The junk mall hasn't had anything different in a while, so I just grabbed another pack of 1989 Pro Set, which by the way, will probably be the last pack I buy of Series I since they raised the price to $3.

I like the Super Bowl inserts, and it was always helpful in collecting the subset in that they were the top card you could see through the wrapper.

Always fun to pull a Brian Bosworth card which is a variation.

This one has "Seahawks" as opposed to "Seattle".

Without searching, who can name his first movie?

This Rodney Holman #60 is also a variation.

This one has "BENGALS" all caps as opposed to "Bengals".

I like this set.

I have a little less than half of it...still toying with the idea of collecting the rest.

Do You See What I See?

My memory is rotten these days, so either someone sent me this Jered Weaver card recently or I pulled it out as I was digging for something, but it struck me as unusual. 

You know, just something about it seemed different but I couldn't put my finger on it.

When I went to my Angels binder to compare it to the copy that I was pretty sure I already had, this is what I saw:

See the variation in tint?

The backs are exactly the same, same code numbers so I'm pretty sure its not a fake, pre-meditated Topps variation. The other Angels I have are all the lighter tint.

So is this anything?

Just a printing variation?

What do you think?

Time Traveling For A Checklist

I recently participated in Diamond Jesters Time Travel Trading and came away with a sweet 1966 Topps checklist card. The idea is to trade something older in return as he's trying to see how old of a card he can eventually end up with. I sent him a 1956 Topps, you can see it in the link.

A beautiful thing is an unmarked vintage checklist.

I found it even more beautiful when I turned the card over:

Fits nicely in my Baseball Cards #444 Collection!

This is actually card #444b "456 Red Sox Rookies"

as opposed to #444a "456 R. Sox Rookies"

So amble over to Diamond Jesters and trade up for some cool cards.

Something's Wrong With This Picture (#3)

2011 Topps Gold Mike Napoli #201

Got this card in a trade package from $30 Week Habit a long time ago.

Immediately I spotted a flaw.

Can you see it?

Here's the flawed card on the left next to a good Mike Napoli card on the right.

Upon closer inspection you can see that the silver foil is off.

Didn't take much of a keen eye to spot that printing error.

Couple More To Add To The 1984 Topps Master Set

I forgot that I had this.  It was in my "Good Cards" box.  You know, the box with the relics, certified autographs and such that are in top-loaders.  If you look close you'll see that Mr Green is lacking the black ink on the card.  I love finding cards like this, it's a total score when I do.

I've had the photos in this post without any text for at least a couple months now, so I don't recall why I wanted to show you the back of the card.

Here's the normal 1984 Topps next to the misprint.

Not a lot of black ink to be missing but enough to make you take a second closer look.

This is a card I pulled out of a junk box at the LCS a couple months ago.

This is the 1984 Nestle Wade Boggs Black and White variation.

The more popular is the Don Mattingley card, and there is also a Darryl Strawberry version.

Sometimes these are call "proofs", "test proofs" and even "unauthorized copy".  By all accounts though most consider them fakes.

Cool little card to add to the 1984 master set though. 

Here is the back for kicks.

There are some blank-back variations as well.

Anyone with 1984 Topps miscuts and variations they want to part with?

Picked Up A Few Items Of Note

Won an ebay auction for this rather common 1984 Topps Bob Boone card.

Or is it....

Now look at this rather common 1984 Topps Bob Boone as compared to my other rather common signed 1984 Topps Bob Boone.

Takes a keen eye (and a SCBC) to spot the difference.

See it there in the headshots?

That's right, the one I just picked up is the Encased Variation, sometimes called a "Test" or a "Proof".

Encased meaning Bob's whole head is inside the black outline box, where as the regular card has the top of his head sticking out of the box.

The backs of the Encased Variations are blank backed as well.

There are 66 different player cards in the "Proofs" set according to the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards.

The Angels have 5 players issued in the Proof set, but that might be a tough team set to complete.

I'm glad to have a  least one.

1996 Bowmans Best Preview Refractor BPP 6

Won this on Listia.  Listia had it labeled as a Bowmans Best and not as a Preview.

Had trouble figuring out the difference between the regular Bowmans Best and Bowmans Best Preview, they all kinda look the same.  Appears the Preview series though were inserted 1:12 in Bowman packs (refractors 1:24) whereas Bowmans Best came in their own packs.

The BPP numbering kinda gives it away too.  

Scored a rack pack of 2014 Topps Series 1 Walmart with the Mike Trout Walmart Gatorade Variation.

It says the card is in there right on the front of the pack, so it's no shock to pull one.

Actually I've been scoring a lot of these since I keep finding them at different Walmarts surprisingly.

A couple weeks ago they were going for @ $75 bucks on ebay, I think they're down to @ $20 now.

You'd think all those racks packs would have gotten snatched up pretty fast.