2009 Rawlings Official Major League Baseball (Selig) Single Signed on Sweet Spot w PSA/DNA COA

This is a pretty standard item in any player collection I would imagine.  You gotta have the ROMLB single signed with the PSA.  Shown here in the Ultra Pro UV protective case.  Very cool to hold in the hand. I won't put a lot of non-card stuff on TFO but this one was too sweet to pass up.

2014 Topps High Tek Fisk Rainbow

Lately I've been rambling on about how I love parallels.  Topps High Tek was the pinnacle of 2014 in this regard with 15 different parallels of each player available (by my count).  Added to that, they have a cool throwback feel to them being made from clear acetate.

Part of the fun was that it was confusing as hell to even figure out what cards where IN this release, much less how to get them.  Ryan Cracknell over at Cardboard Connection headed up an awesome and very helpful visual guide.  The initial information online was that EACH pattern was available in all the numbered parallels.  As Ryan's guide pointed out, the parallels are only available for the BASE pattern.  In the case of all American League players, that is the WAVE pattern.

As always, the collectors that contribute to Baseball Card Pedia created a great article on this set that helped immensely in solving the puzzle.

I am holding out a sliver of hope for getting the #/15 Black & White Diffractor and the #/5 Blue Dots Diffractor.  Have seen no copies of the B&W on eBay and only one Blue Dots which sold for crazy money.

So along the top row of this image you see the Wave pattern parallels.  The second row are the other five available patterns, from left to right is more rare to less rare.  Bottom row is, left to right, the base card, the National Sports Card Collector Convention dealer-only Promo card, and the on-card auto.

Top Row, left to right: Red Storm Diffractor #06/10, Clouds Diffractor #23/25, Disco Diffractor #42/50, Ice Diffractor #40/75, Gold Diffractor #83/99
Middle Row, left to right: Stripes pattern, Cracked Ice pattern, Circuit Board pattern, Laser Ice pattern, Spirals pattern
Bottom Row, left to right: Base card, 2014 National Show Exclusive Promo card, Wave pattern on-card autograph 

2012 Topps Tribute Fisk Rainbow

Call me crazy, but I thought 2012 Topps Tribute was a nice looking set of higher end cards.  As I've said numerous times, I really love the chase of getting lots of low numbered parallels, so this set is always perfect for me.  After spending an arm and a leg to get the /5 red, this rainbow is finally complete.  This one was fun and I don't care who you are - that's a pretty rainbow!

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Red Parallel #5/5, Gold Parallel #09/25, Orange Parallel #22/50, Green Parallel #54/75, Bronze Parallel #071/299, Blue Parallel #070/199, Black Parallel #08/60, and Base.

2012 Topps Triple Threads Fisk Rainbow

Not as sexy as the Tribute design and colors, the Triple Threads base cards are still an interesting chase. In addition to the always hot multiple swatch cards and autos, the Rainbow fanatic in me was juiced by the challenge of getting all seven Fisk cards. If you own the 1/1 Ruby, the contact button is on the bottom right :)

Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Sapphire Parallel #21/25, Onyx Parallel #41/50, Gold Parallel #48/99, Amber Parallel # 066/125, Emerald Parallel #118/250, Sepia Parallel #028/625, and Base.

2014 Topps High Tek - Wave Pattern On Card Auto

The old 70's and 80's collector in me likes these cheesy see-through plastic jobbies Topps re-introduced this year.  Kind of reminds me of collecting Kellogg's 3-D from cereal boxes.  We know that they're schmaltzy but we like them anyway.  Also, I hear A LOT of guys online griping about the number of parallels being produced but here is one man's vote for MORE parallels!  As a player collector, the wide number of parallels is part of the chase.  Trying to get all the variations of a release is A LOT of fun for me every year.  In that spirit, my next few posts will be rainbows of my recent Fisk acquisitions.  Semper Parallelis!

2010 Topps Triple Threads - Triple Game Used Bat Relics #36/36 BGS 9.5

I won't rub it in by telling you how cheap I picked this up on The Bay.  I have to say from an investment point of view, the nice Triple Threads seems to hold it's value over time.  More so than almost any other relic card.  I didn't have any 2010 Triple Threads in the Fisk Collection so I grabbed this BGS-graded 9.5 when I had the chance.  Pretty sweet.

2011 Topps Tier One - Top Tier On Card Auto - Gold Parallel #06/10

Three years on, I still think this is a beautiful card - even for Topps.  I bought off eBay shortly after the release and sent to PSA myself.  A little bummed it came back only an 8 which is why the manufacturers should NOT be putting this level of card into packs raw - EVER.  But a beautiful on card signature in blue sharpie with a great looking gold card.  It stays in The Shrine so I can see it every day.  :)

2014 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Goudey On Card Auto

Crummy card, but hey an On Card auto for less than ten bucks? Every time...

1981 Chicago Tribune Original Wire Photo

Not a baseball card, but a sweet oddball item.  You can find these all over eBay and I have a few of them.  The downer is that, although it IS the original art that appeared in the newspaper, it does NOT come with the copyright to the image.  MMG Archive sends them out with a COA in a sturdy, good looking folder.  On the back are the little handmade marks that the file clerk used to file the image in the Tribune photo archive.  On the front are the handmade crop marks that the art department made for the pre-press folks.  Having said all that the reason I pulled the trigger on this one is it's one of the coolest Fisk images I've ever seen (and I've seen almost all of them!).  A truly great photograph. Photo by Ed Wagner, Jr and copyright held by The Tribune Company.

From the Chicago Tribune April 14, 1981

2008 Upper Deck Premier Trios #25/33

Pretty sweet low numbered mem card for $11 bucks with a Bench and Berra swatch. These days - unfortunately - I look at this card and seriously wonder if these patches are real. Still a cool card I could probably double my money on someday.

2009 Upper Deck Icons Immortal Lettermen "PUDGE" Series # /45

Well, it took me three years but I finally completed the # /45 "PUDGE" from 2009 UD Icons. When I finally saw the letters all together on the kitchen table, was quite satisfying. Being numbered to 45 I wonder how many guys have this one completed? What got me started was getting the letter "D" for $3.50 on eBay in December 2011. Couldn't pass up that smokin price. $50 and three years later I've got my first ever Fisk "name" series. Stoked!!