Baseball cards 2012

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

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The first Topps sighting of the year. And it's a Jose in a painted-on uniform. And Albert, too.
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[seawolf17]

Super short-prints in the Series 1 set, released next week. They'll be in Series 2 for real, which usually comes out in late spring.

[Edgy MD]

In my world, the sets start coming out shortly after the season starts, with runs proportionate to a player's time on the roster.

[Edgy MD]

Wait, there was a time when the Giants wore royal blue caps? Making them indistinguishable from later Mets caps? And they even had an orange dot? Making them an absolute precedent for a Mets cap scheme that didn't debut until much much later?

My mind just keeps getting blown. Is this something everybody knew except me?

[Benjamin Grimm]

News to me, too.

[Edgy MD]

And Owen Wilson caught for the Giants in 1950? How did I not know this?

[seawolf17]

Um, Edge? That's a painting, not a photograph.

[Edgy MD]

Well, yes. And knowing that the artist would typically try and portray accurately the colors a player is wearing, particularly knowing how important they are to the team and brand, I deigned to ask if this is truly representative of a hat the Giants once wore.

[Benjamin Grimm]

seawolf17 wrote: Um, Edge? That's a painting, not a photograph.

Well, yeah. But why would the painter paint a cap in the wrong colors?

But now that I think of it... Maybe this is like Lois Lane's hair. Comic book colorists would often use blue to represent black. Look at the old comics and Lois' hair often has blue highlights. The Black Panther's costume is another example.

I never understood why this would happen, but maybe the artist here was using blue to represent black?

[stevejrogers]

Maybe the artist was somewhat akin to those whom wished the Mets get rid of the black as the Giants did wear blue caps from 1936-1946

http://exhibits.baseballhalloffame.org/dressed_to_the_nines/uniforms.asp?league=NL&city=New+York&lowYear=1936&highYear=1946&sort=year&increment=12

But now that I think of it... Maybe this is like Lois Lane's hair. Comic book colorists would often use blue to represent black. Look at the old comics and Lois' hair often has blue highlights. The Black Panther's costume is another example.

Apropos of nothing, but did hear a funny debate about this on a sports talk show, where the hosts were debating if in fact Superman had blue in his hair.

Of course neither host knew about this mid 1990s development:



But rather stuff like this



Which is one thing in the confines of a silly debate to kill some time on local radio, but the funniest part is that a caller called with "proof" of Superman's blue hair because of a thumbnail sketch bio on a Six Flags ride that gave Superman's hair color as "black with blue highlights."

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

My son has gotten into baseball cards recently after my wife picked up a package at the grocery store. It's been nearly 25 years since collected baseball cards regularly so I have a couple of questions.

1. Where do they sell them these days? The places I used to get them - corner stores, pharmacies, toy stores - don't carry them. My wife says they're no longer available at the grocery store, although she got some more at Target. The only place I could find them was at a baseball card store downtown. Are baseball cards really that specialized that you can't just pick them up anywhere anymore or is this just a Boston thing?

2. What are the brands these days? When I was a kid there was Topps, Fleer, Donruss, Score and just entering the market Upper Deck. What I've seen recently is only Topps, except they seem to have sub-divided into several different Topps' boutique runs. Again, are there any just ordinary baseball cards out there other than Topps and their gimmicky stuff?

[Benjamin Grimm]

I've seen them at Target and was surprised at how much they cost. I think it came to something like 30 cents a card? (Could that be right? It's been awhile.)

[seawolf17]

Topps has an MLB exclusive. There are UD and Panini branded cards out there, but they're operating on individual contracts and the like and don't use MLB logos.

And for the most part, your options are Target/Walmart/Kmart and card stores (if you can find one). Occasionally a 7-11 near us will have packs too.

Standard flagship packs are typically 1.99 for 10-12 cards at Target, a little more at hobby shops.

[HahnSolo]

Modell's and other sporting goods stores sell them as well.

[Guest Mets � Willets Point]

Not to sound like a fuddy-duddy, but I liked it better in the old days.

[Lefty Specialist]

For random fun when you're in Manhattan:

On 108 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side is a store called Economy Candy. Step inside and it's as if you've entered a time warp to an old-style candy store. They have EVERYTHING, including the types of candy you thought disappeared 40 years ago.



One of the things they have is a big bin of unopened baseball card packs, mostly from 1988 through 1991. They sell for a buck apiece. It's worth it just to see how hard a stick of bubble gum can get in 24 years. And hey! Wally Whitehurst!

[ashie62]

Ran into a Topps Chrome Wright Dick Perez insert..

[Ceetar]

For random fun when you're in Manhattan: On 108 Rivington Street on the Lower East Side is a store called Economy Candy. Step inside and it's as if you've entered a time warp to an old-style candy store. They have EVERYTHING, including the types of candy you thought disappeared 40 years ago. One of the things they have is a big bin of unopened baseball card packs, mostly from 1988 through 1991. They sell for a buck apiece. It's worth it just to see how hard a stick of bubble gum can get in 24 years. And hey! Wally Whitehurst!

This is a fun store. I've found similar packs at an A&P around here. got a stick of that gum on my desk.