2017 Topps Triple Threads Relic Autographs Gold Parallel #8/9

You know it's time to retire Triple Threads when the jersey relic spells "Hitz Carlton".  What does that even mean?  Anyway, the design is very good.  Another awesome Gold Parallel /9.

2017 Triple Threads Gold Parallel

1979 Boston Red Sox Team Issue or Vietnam Series

Oddball alert! The folks here on The Fisk Obsession loves some old, weird oddball cards.  Lots of fun just figuring out what in the heck these cards are!  Very true in this case as well.  There seems to be universal agreement that these are from 1979 and are associated with the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park.  From there details are sketchy and opinions diverge.  I believe Bob Lemke (editor of the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards for many years) reference that the Boston Red Sox may have authorized Vietnam veterans to sell these cards outside Fenway Park as a fundraiser.  Along that line, the good folks over at www.carltonfisk.com list this issue as "1979 Vietnam Series".  The site tradingcarddb.com lists them as "1979 Boston Red Sox Vendor Cards," also implying that the Red Sox authorized these.  Of note is that the images on tradingcarddb.com do not show any names underneath the image - blank cards.  The plot thickens.

Finally, after years of searching finally came across a partial Red Sox team set I picked up on eBay for $17.50.  I pulled the Fisk card out and re-listed the remaining cards and immediately sold them for $14.95.  So I'm all-in on this rare card for about Four Bucks. 

1979 Red Sox Team Issue / Vietnam Series

2018 Topps Series 2 1980 All-Star Game Commemorative Pin Rainbow

I really enjoy it when Topps or Panini put Fisk in the current releases.  It gives me a few days or a couple weeks of fun chase again when I already have 99% of every Fisk card ever issued.  This one from Topps is pretty OK.  Very thick cards with the 1980 All-Star pins.  White is base, Black is /99, Gold is /50 and Red is /25.

1974 Topps Deckle Edge

In the hierarchy of cards that I obsess about on The Obsession, this one is very near to Holy Grail status.  Definitely in the top 5.  I love this proof card, but I still don't have an actual Deckle Edge card in the collection.  The one's I have seen for sale are many hundreds of dollars and I haven't been able to pull the trigger.  I got this one on eBay a few years back and sent it to PSA myself.  Not so happy with the Authentic grade, but maybe that comes along with being a proof card.  It's beautiful to look at but yet, it taunts me.  The obsession continues, in search for an edge made of deckles......

1974 Topps Deckle Edge Proof

2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970's Jersey and On-Card Auto

This is a pretty basic card by today's standards, but I really like the design.  The bright green, blue and purple colors and glossy finish really make this card pop.  The offset of a black and white photo enhances it too.  The "circle" theme where the patch is echoed in the purple concentric rings really finishes it off.  Unfortunately for Upper Deck, the gloss finish didn't allow the blue sharpie to stick really well and the auto reflects some running/smudging.  It's pretty subtle and doesn't detract from the overall eye appeal of the card.  Overall, really dig this card baby!

2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970's Quad Bats

Up to three of these now.  Anybody know of any others?

2007 Topps Triple Threads Relics Autographs Gold Parallel Relic Auto #2/9

The latest in my series of Triple Threads Gold Parallels.  This is the oldest one I've been able to get so far, with Triple Threads having started in 2006.  Those 2006 cards seem to really hold their value.  Anyway, the 2007 to me seems to say "old school" Triple Threads when it was THE hot high end product.  I like the simple 3-letter patch, big and bold.  These days they're getting into complete sentences with little tiny relic pieces!  Anything numbered to single digits is still super cool to me.  Finally, I would love to have the White Sox version of this card. 

2008 Donruss Threads Baseball Americana Gold Parallel Auto #24/50

From 2007 to 2009, the Donruss brand name - owned at that time by the Playoff Corporation - decided to produce cards without an MLB license.  That being the desperate cash grab that it sounds like, you get these type of cards as a result.  Cheap, uninteresting design.  Player not in uniform, with no MLB team logos.  And a sticker slapped on for good measure.  This card really sucks.  On the flip side, the photograph of Fisk on this card is taken from an on-field celebration event.  Fisk is actually holding his arm surreptitiously by his side and subtly "flipping the bird" to a former rival.  Explains the playful look on his face I guess.  The Donruss/Playoff designers simply cropped off the "one finger salute" and ran with it.  It's fun to think about the kind of hard-nosed baseball, rivalries and plain of good times that led to a moment like this one.  Cool photo if you know the back story.  Other than that, just another auto off my checklist.

2007 Upper Deck Premier Stitchings Green Monster Manufactured Patch Auto #16/25

Here's another sweet auto I got for the price of a nice base card.  Forget the haters, I like the manu patches.  Something different.

2008 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts Memorable Moments #1/1

I think this is year I've gotten my first one-of-one Fisk cards.  I have a few now and boy are they addictive.  This one isn't that great but I couldn't hold back from having that "Juan de Juan" in my hand.  What is lame is that UD just changes the little indented story, the text in the "memorable moments" box, then calls that card "1 of 1" also.  So there's no telling how many of these "1 of 1" cards are out there.  There are 2 on COMC right now.

2017 Panini National Treasures Legends Cuts Booklet Material Quad Relic Auto #1/5

For the third Panini card in a row, this one is a whopper.  Still nothing like Upper Deck, but pretty sweet.  It actually looks to me like they paid Fisk to sign slips of paper so they could call them "cuts" but I can't be sure.  Who doesn't love a booklet numbered to 5?

2012 Panini Signature Series Lumber Cuts Jersey/Auto #01/10

Not sure what material this auto in on, but it looks like "lumber" for the Lumber Cuts line.  Pretty cool.

2016 Panini Pantheon Scripted Rudiarius Auto/Bat #02/15

Probably the cheapest Fisk auto I've ever picked up.  Not sure why, the 3D effect is pretty OK.  Alright, it's a bad card.  Gotta work on your game Panini.

2006 Upper Deck Epic Endorsements #04/30

Another not so great photo.  This card really looks fantastic in-hand.  For the 97th time, Upper Deck's quality is way past everyone else.  The sheen on this card is amazing and somehow makes up for the sticker auto jammed right in the middle of the card.  Older low-numbered cards like this don't come up for auction very often.  Really sweet pick up.

2016 Topps Triple Threads Autographed Relics Jersey/Bat/Auto Gold Parallel #3/9

Another day, another 10-piece relic auto numbered to 9.  This time, "Wave It Fair".  Just got this in the mail last week.  Sa-weet!

2012 Topps Triple Threads Autographed Relics #02/18

Your basic Triple Threads.  Sticker is off-center.  Something just catches me about the different relic spellings they put out.  Makes me wanna click "place bid".

1977 Topps Venezuelan

Boy I could write a book about these.  As everyone knows, Topps tried to make an extra buck by licensing card images to a Venezuelan printer, who then turned them into stickers in 1977.  Kids pasted them into books by the hundreds so all the backs are destroyed.  Extremely tough to get in decent condition.  I've seen a PSA 4 as a best condition card and it's worth several hundred bucks.  I got this one for a song, I think due to the mis-cut (MC) qualifier which is very common on these stickers.  Cool card history.

2003 Donruss Diamond Kings Team Timeline - Hawaii Conference Embossed #37/50

I actually think event-based embossed cards could make a comeback.  It's cheezy but hey, we all love a chase.  The concept could easily be overdone, but every few years a special event tag would be cool.  I don't know the story of this particular card or conference other than it is very rare and took me a decade to find one.  Didn't cost much but really glad I have it.

2010 Topps Series 1 Manufactured Hat Relic #30/99

I can see alot of collectors scoffing at a blog post for this card.  Don't care.  Was the first manufactured logo patch I ever got and I loved it at the time.  Numbered to 99 ain't bad.  I paid a lot for it back then too!

2007 Upper Deck Goudey 1941 Double Play and Diamond Stars both hand-numbered to /15

I had these cards on my want list for years.  I love the long, patient chase for rare cards.  When it pays off it really is fulfilling and rewarding.  Writing this post just makes me re-live it all over again.  Never thought I would have one of these cards, but now I have three!  Only two in the photo for now.  One of the oldest cards I've ever seen hand-numbered.  Very, very basic throwback card but just super sweet and rare.

2012 Panini Playoff Prime Cuts Icons Patch Auto #14/25

Your basic Panini sticker auto.  Numbering is on the back.

2009 Topps Sterling Career Chronicles Quad Bat Relic #11/25

I get the impression that Sterling was a really high-end release back in the day.  I was collecting base cards only in 2009 so I may never know.  One great thing about most cards going down in value, is if you're patient you can get these cool scores for your collection. 

2011 Topps Triple Threads Autographed Relics Gold Parallel Jersey Auto #1/9

Even a few years ago cards like this were outside my budget.  It's nice to show these cards to my kids who totally freak out at a five piece, two color patch with auto paralleled to 9!  It's just fun to look at.

2012 Topps Museum Collection Signature Swatches Triple Jersey Auto #15/25

This seemed so super sick when it came out six years ago.  Seems a bit meh in 2018 with the sticker auto, even though the gold border is a very nice way to present the auto.  Also not a big fan of very late-stage Fisk photos from 92-93.  But hey, it's a sweet card.

2012 Topps Series 1 Classic Walk-Offs Autographed Relic #08/10

I can still remember how completely geeked I was in the early 2012 when this card was actually featured on the Topps "sell sheet" that they use to market their releases to the hobby shops.  I drooled over it.  Obsessed over it.  And totally and completely KNEW that it was out of reach.  Nobody EVER really gets these cards. So I ended up paying way more than it's worth now, but I don't care.  It makes me smile and that's why I collect.

2005 Upper Deck Ultimate Signature Edition Signature Supremacy #05/25

Once again, I am constantly amazed at how good UD cards were back in the day.  For 2005 this is still better than most Topps products coming out now.  BTW, did I mention this is an ON-CARD auto?  No sticker.  Makes such a difference.  In-hand this card really pops.  The purple has a great sheen and really flows with the grey nameplates and the auto.  The horizontal theme on the left is a great contrast to the vertical swoosh element on the right, tied together by the hitting Fisk.  Just a really beautiful card overall.