If It's Shiny, I'll Take It

I picked up a 2013 Topps Chrome card of Nick Franklin on Listia recently for 25 credits.  Why?  I cannot say.  It was shiny so I snagged it.  Also, I don't have much of the Topps Chrome product.  Franklin is shown as a Mariner on the card.  However, he was traded to the Rays last year in the David Price deal.  Franklin hasn't really impressed anyone in the bigs so far, but he is still young. 

2014 Topps Chrome: Now with Bonus Pack

I recently purchased 3 packs of 2014 Topps Chrome which happened to come with the bonus 3 card pack of Orange Refractors. The Orange Refractors turned out to be the best cards of these packs. Without further ado, here are the spoils.

Pack 1

CC Sabathia

Tommy Medica (Xfractor)

Marcus Stroman

Mark Trumbo

Pack 2

Giancarlo Stanton

Francisco Liriano

Joey Votto (Refractor)

Yangervis Solarte

Pack 3

Curtis Granderson

Brandon Moss (Refractor)

Tommy Medica (again)

Robinson Cano

Orange Pack

Justin Verlander

Stephen Strasburg

Kolten Wong

Pack Break: 2012 Topps Chrome

Here’s a pack of 2012 Topps Chrome.  The pack only contains 4 cards.  The score of the pack was the Ricky Romero Refractor.  The base cards were pretty decent too.  I got Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Cain, and a Tsuyoshi Wada rookie.  I am still left with a feeling that I got ripped off.  I get that feeling whenever I open a pack containing 3 or 4 cards. 

Pack Break: 2009 Topps Chrome

I found an errant pack of 2009 Topps Chrome and figured it would be a decent pack to open on a cold winter day.  This pack originally was purchased as part of a repack.  I only get 7 cards, so let’s make them count.

5 Brad Lidge – former excellent and terrible pitcher depending on the vintage
122 Carlos Lee – also a recent retiree
W42 Ruben Tejada (WBC) – Star in Panama, Role player in the states

11 Erick Aybar (XFractor) – Not a big name, but definitely the pull of the pack
143 Adrian Gonzalez - meh
1 Alex Rodriguez – great pull in 2009 and I’m still happy to get it
124 Joe Nathan – new Tigers closer and a local product

I have certainly opened worse packs than this.  I got a parallel, an insert, and an ARod card.  That’s a decent pack. 

My First Topps Chrome of the Season

I was fortunate enough to acquire not one, not two, but three 2013 Topps Chrome cards of Matt Cain on eBay for a grand total of 11 cents.  (Photo of the back for contrast!)  These are my first Chrome cards of the year.  I usually don’t buy packs because they are overpriced.  These are decent looking cards though of a legitimate star pitcher.  I will likely pick up a few more Chrome cards here and there.  But I won’t be wasting my money on packs or boxes. 

Shiny Chrome Cards

I picked up a pair of Topps Chrome cards on Listia recently.  I don’t invest much money in Topps Chrome and even less in Bowman Chrome.  The first card is a 2009 Jeff Samardzija.  The second card is a 2012 Jon Lester.  I like shiny cards but Chrome can be condition sensitive.  Also, they don't scan well.  Anyway, these two cards set me back a total of 24 credits, so I still haven’t invested much into my Topps Chrome collection. 

Dontrelle Willis Goes Home Again

Dontrelle Willis just signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs.  Willis was originally drafted by the Cubs.  I suppose he is technically coming out of retirement.  But, I have a bad feeling about this.  I doubt Willis will ever see another Major League inning.  My first thought upon hearing this news was of his 2002 Topps Chrome rookie card.  This is one of the few cards showing Willis in a Cubs uniform before being traded to the Marlins.  I tried to acquire this card multiple times on eBay back in the day with no success.  I still don’t own the card.  A check of eBay shows that you can’t give the card away nowadays.  A BGS 9.5 example drew no bids at $5.00.  Times have certainly changed. 

2010 Topps Chrome Blue Refractor: David Ortiz

I purchased a 2010 Topps Blue Refractor of David Ortiz on eBay for $2.24 a while ago. Why would a Yankee fan do such a thing? Because his eBay Bucks were about to expire so I took what was available instead of losing the credits. I plan on either reselling or trading the card. However, it is a cool looking card. It is my first blue refractor card. The blue border really makes the card pop. It is serial numbered 141/199 which is an added plus. Too bad that it’s a Red Sox card. It’s also too bad that eBay Bucks have to expire, but at least I got something out of the deal.

2008 Topps Chrome Refractor - Jeff Francis

I picked up a 2008 Topps Chrome Refractor of Jeff Francis off of eBay for 35 cents including shipping. I’m not an avid Jeff Francis fan although he is a good TTM signer. Now that I think of it, I should do a TTM mailing to Francis. I just couldn’t resist a refractor for 35 cents. This is my second 2008 Topps Chrome Refractor. These cards just look really cool. Check out the picture below.

Pack Break: 2009 Topps Chrome

This is the first pack of 2009 Topps Chrome that I have opened. I can’t say that I like having only 4 cards in a pack. They had better be some killer cards.

Josh Outman – Who?
Fausto Carmona – I’m starting to have doubts about this pack
JuanCarlos Sulbaran – You don’t play Major League Baseball. Why are you in my pack? I hate these WBC cards.

John Maine – So this pack didn’t go well at all.