eBay Mailbag: 2006 Topps Turkey Red

I recently purchased a lot of 2006 Topps Turkey Red cards on eBay for about 75 cents shipped. I have really taken a liking to Turkey Red cards. I wish Topps still made them as a standalone set. There are no Yankees in this lot. However, as a Yankee fan, I can still appreciate Granderson pictured in a Tigers uniform, Abreu pictured in a Phillies uniform, and Pettitte pictured in an Astros uniform. This is another nice addition to the Turkey Red collection at a cheap price. By the way, Juan Pierre’s got it.

Topps Turkey Red Parallels

I purchased the three 2006 Topps Turkey Red cards above recently for six cents a pop. You may notice that these are the Red Parallel cards. I love any kind of parallel cards so this seemed like a pretty good deal. The first card is Willy Taveras sporting an Astros uniform. Taveras has made a career out of his speed. However, these days he plays for the AAA Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in the Phillies organization. Although Taveras is well-traveled, it’s hard to believe that he can’t find a Major League job. Who doesn’t need speed? The second card features Kameron Loe. I remember Loe from the Rangers, but then he seemed to fall off the map. I had to look this one up. He actually played in Japan before returning to the states. He is now playing for the Brewers. I love those high socks. They are so old school. You may notice that Loe is in front of a similar skyline to the one Taveras is in front of. Texas must have a lot of skylines. The final card is of Joe Blanton back in his days as an Oakland Athletic. You may notice that Oakland does not have a lot of skylines but it does have plenty of trees. Like Loe, Blanton is sporting the high socks. Blanton was traded to the Phillies where he still plays. He has always been a 3-4 starter. So far, he has had a pretty crummy season, but he’s still starting. And Blanton is the most successful player out of the three. Overall, this was a pretty decent purchase. I expanded my puny Turkey Red collection to include some Red Parallels for less than a quarter. I love cards that do not have a glossy finish and I love parallels. I also purchased some base cards as well which I will discuss in a later post.

Where have you gone Topps Turkey Red?

I miss Topps Turkey Red. These cards were great. The design was simple and had that retro feel that reminded you of the original Turkey Red cards. The card surface had those barely noticeable ridges on them. Best of all the surface had no gloss, which is great for us autograph hounds. But alas Turkey Red was reduced from stand alone set to insert. I purchased the two 2006 Turkey Red cards above for a total of 12 cents. I picked up the Hafner card just because. But I picked up the Anderson Hernandez card because I did not have any Red cards in my collection. The card is essentially the same as a regular card except that it has a red border. I'm a sucker for parallels. I think Hernandez is somewhere in the Nationals system these days. At least I can now say that I own a Red Turkey Red card.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everybody has something to be thankful for. I for one am thankful for food, friends, family, and football. I'm sure I'm thankful for other things that begin with the letter F as well. Is there any better day to show off a Turkey Red card? I suggest that there is not. I never had a lot of Turkey Reds although I like the design. I don't think I have ever bought a pack. Below is a 2007 Turkey Red #118 of Hideki Matsui. I acquired it as part of an eBay lot a while ago.