1985 The Topps Vault 4-Color Negative One-of-One

I've had a couple other Topps Vault items but this is the sweetest one to date by far. 1985 Topps was a huge set for me when I was a kid. I collected the hell out of it and it was really the last year I was serious about cards for about 15 years. So I love this '85 Fisk. As a player, he hit his second peak, cranking 37 homers at 38 years old. The next season I saw him hit a game-winning homer at Oakland Colleseium that was - and still is - my best baseball moment of all time. So to have THE negative of this card is huge. It's holding a piece of history in your hand. It's not the most beautiful piece to look at, but to know that Topps workers held this in their hands as they created the '85 is beauty in itself.

2013 Panini America's Pastime Trading Swatches Gold Parallel #19/25

As a certified Fisk obsessive, I check eBay and COMC daily and have many searches set up to email me daily as a backstop. In spite of that I wasn't even aware that the 2013 Panini America's Pastime even HAD a Gold parallel until this bad boy showed up on eBay a couple weeks back. The base card is # /125 and I thought that was pretty good - and all there was. So imagine my pleasant surprise when a # /25 parallel pops up! Anyway, it's the only one I've ever seen for sale and now it's all mine!! Panini is starting to impress me and I'm getting hopeful as they've now out maneuvered Topps in the NFL deal and started cranking out some sick sets. The hallmark that made Upper Deck great that Panini is picking up is the creativity: they've made the basic memorabilia card fun again by offering a card with a swatch from each of two teams thusly "Trading Swatches". I don't know, maybe I'm just easily entertained. However, I recently listened to a Cardboard Connection podcast interview with a Panini designer who was actually discussing what Panini is doing to keep the memo cards fresh, like batting glove cards and leather fielding glove cards. We're pulling for you Panini, cause Topps sure ain't goin anywhere....

2005 Upper Deck Hall of Fame Hall Worthy Gold Parallel #/5

Again with the Upper Deck you say. But it's my blog I can say what I want. Yes, Upper Deck's demise is a source of great woe for me. Go back and look at the product description of this 2005 high end release. UD put it out in metal tins with 4 cards per tin (!!!) for $150. The HOF auto were the real chase cards and they still bring big money on eBay but the Hall Worthy, Essential Enshrinement, and Class of Cooperstown inserts all came in /50, /15 and /5 parallels that are really fun to chase and look at even today. They don't come up for sale very often. In fact this is the first /5 Fisk I've ever seen on eBay. Snagged it for $14 and got it last night. Very sharp corners, very happy with this sweet baby.

2003 Topps Tribute Memorable Matchup #MM-BF Dual Game Used Bat w JohnnyBench #115/150

Here's a recent pickup where Topps had a rare hit amongst their frequent misses. The early 2000's Tribute stuff is among their best, and this card might be the best of all those. Low numbered, dual Hall of Famers, dual game used, exquisite refractor coating, sweet old-school All-Star logo. I just love to look at this card.

2001 Upper Deck Decade 1970's Quad GU Bat

As part of the Fisk Obsession, I absolutely love the 2001 Decade issue. This quad bat is the 9th different Fisk card I have from that set. I love the throwback color scheme, the old school UD logo, and the pop of the design. I really never thought I would grab this quad bat version though because of its high price. I had put it out of mind. Then I found this one that had an erroneous listing and a low starting bid. Ended up grabbing it for eleven bucks which I thought was at least half of what I would value it at. It's in good shape too. One last great thing about this card is that the bat pieces aren't under the card like most game used, but sit up above the paper where you can rub it! Hey, it's the little things that make card collecting fun to me!

2010 Topps Update Series Manufactured Bat Barrel #55/99

I have been trying to find this card at a reasonable price for a couple years now. I've had the more rare black bat parallel since 2012 but could never get this one. Finally checked this one off the list recently. It's a bit dinged up but got it delivered for under ten bucks. 

Even though I know it's manufactured, I just love the look and feel of this card! When you see it in person it's almost like looking into a shadow box. That is because this card is it is in unbelievably thick. It is one of the few cards I own that require a 360 point magnetic to store it!!

2014 Historic Autographs 1941 Mini Auto #88/100

Update: sold this card in 2017....

The Historic Autographs offering this year is interesting. On the one hand, it's a PSA graded autograph in an attractive presentation. After receiving the card however, I noticed that the manufacturing is done so cheaply that it really detracts from the eye appeal. Both the red card backing and the 1941 Mini framed inside it are cut waaaaay off center. My 7 year old son could have done better. Since the PSA grade is for the auto only, there's no great way to see this when viewing the card online. Come on HA. You can do better. 

2005 Donruss Elite Passing the Torch Double-Sided GU Bat w Mags Ordonez #196/250

I have several parallels of these base cards, some of them fairly low numbered. The refractor/gloss coating is really sweet on this issue. But I've never seen a game-used bat version of this sweet baby. Grabbed it on The Bay last week for super cheap. 

 

2003 Upper Deck Sweet Spot GU Jersey #138/150

Got this sweet baby last week. Love the early-days manu patch and especially the hand numbering. UD led the way. 

2005 Leaf Limited Trademarks Auto /50

Another value pick up on the auto front this month. It's a sticker auto, yes, but it looks really good in person. The photo is actually good which seems rare these days. The metallic card stock gives a nice throwback 90's feel. The most interesting aspect is the embossed seal that Leaf used with the sticker auto. It is impressed halfway on the auto sticker and halfway on the card, validating that Leaf actually put *that* sticker on that card. Neat little touch I haven't seen from other companies.

2004 Fleer Hot Prospects MLB draft triple Auto

Recently picked this up for a reasonable $15 bid. I believe it's my first triple auto card. Certainly first on this white Fleer material. Ryan Meaux never became anybody I heard about but Josh Fields played a bit with the big club which is cool to me. It's low numbered to 33 on the back. Pretty sweet!

2011 In The Game Heroes and Prospects Auto

Well getting pretty spotty at posting as I suspected I would. Holidays are officially over. Here's a few sweet Fisk cards I've picked up this month.

This isn't my favorite card ever in terms of looks. But I like the "rebel" aspects of In The Game cards - a small guy trying to make it against the big boys. I imagine that's why he's used the paper cut autos on this release. As I don't have any cards with paper cut autos, I thought this was pretty cool, and I got it for for a $6.99.