1992 Fleer Provision

Year:1992

Manufacturer: Fleer

Set: Flagship

Card: Base, Sub-set

Card Number: 708

Sub-set: Provisions

Donruss had Dick Perez and in 1991 Fleer entered the art card market with Terry Smith's Provisions.  The '91 set was an insert and Fleer crossed the insert over into their basketball and football sets as well.  I remember the '91 baseball inserts were super easy to find because they had black borders and stood out like a sore thumb in the packs when you pressed the wax paper to the side of the pack.  Yep I was a teenage pack searcher.  

In 1992, Fleer numbered the Provision set into the main checklist. In 1993 the art would get reused in the Barry Colla Diamond Marks Bookmarks - Art card inserts.  

The Provision cards are still some of my favorites from the junk wax era.  And I'm glad Robin got included in the second set.  Plus Fleer added a very nice write up on the back.

1992-93 Pocket Pages

Year: 1992 - 1993

Manufacturer: Pocket Pages Card Show Digest

Card Set: Pocket Pages Card Show Digest Inserts

Card Number: 23

Card Type: Base Magazine Insert

I've had this card in my collection for quite awhile and I always thought it was an insert or bonus card added to packs of 9 pocket pages.  Like a 10 or 25 pack you can pick up at Wal-mart or something like that.  I was curious exactly how they were distributed and there are quite a few cards in the set.  After a little research and checking a little more closely at the copyright on the back of the card I discovered I couldn't have been farther from the truth.  This card was a magazine insert much like the cards that were put into Baseball Card Magazine.   I don't have a personal copy of an issue of Pocket Pages Card Show Digest, but I can assume from the name it was a publication that listed nation wide card shows. I've found a few images to share here and archive for posterity.  In the center of the digest 6 cards were stapled into the middle.  The checklist over at the Trading Card Database looks to be incomplete, but this set alone looks to have over 50 cards in it and there are other Series' as well.  The cards also cover at least all 4 big sports.  Robin was in the November 1992 issue featured below. If you happen to know more about these cards and the magazine/digest they were in feel free to share in the comment and/or post links.

2005 Donruss Zenith

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Zenith

Card Number: 239

Card Type: Base

2005 a time when the shelves were packed with products.  Zenith was a tribute to the Pinnacle brand that came before Donruss' ownership.  Packs were about $5 each and boxes came with 3 hits.  There were tons of inserts and parallels in the set.  Out of the base cards only the Z-Gold parallels were numbered.   The card is pretty typical of the mid-range stuff Donruss put out in the mid-2000's and what Panini continues to put out today.  The player cropped and placed on a shiny background.  The Dufex parallels do look pretty neat though.

2008 Topps Sterling White Suede Parallel #227

Year: 2008

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Topps Sterling

Card Number: 227 (RY11)

Card Type: Parallel 

Parallel Set: White Suede

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 25/50

I will be the first to tell you how much I hate the new trend in the trading card market.  The move away from affordable products with large base sets to hit driven, expensive, low card count products is one of the things that is slowly killing the hobby.  But back in the mid 2000's the higher products were more like going to a car showroom.  Most car companies have multiple models that are affordable and met different consumer's needs, and sure there was some overlap in the models and what they offered, but they also offered some higher end models for those clients that could afford it.  That's what the early and mid 2000's felt like.  For the most part the hobby was affordable with multiple, ok, a lot of products to choose from with some higher end stuff mixed in for those with a little deeper pockets.   Starting in 2006 Topps brought out a new Cadillac, Topps Sterling.  This was Topps' high end brand.  And it was nice.  The cards were fancy, the hits were pretty, and very low numbered, even if most players featured had lots of different cards.  And in 2008 with Sterling being HOF-centric and featuring player themed boxes, I loved it. Not enough to drop the $200-300 a box this stuff was going for, but definitely enough to seek out some of Robin's hits and all of his base cards.  The set featured a large base set with all cards numbered to 250.  You also got a few parallel sets.  The base being numbered to only 250 made the cards fairly rare, but not too expensive or hard to find, thanks ebay.  The next most common parallel is the white suede.  Numbered to just 50 copies and very, very white.  I've been slowly picking up these parallels as I find them for a decent price.  Robin has 11 base cards in the set so it been a slow process and I think I've manage only 3 so far, but the hunt is most of the fun anyway.

2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Sepia Mini Parallel

Year: 2011

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Gypsy Queen

Card Number: 61

Card Type: Mini parallel

Parallel set: Sepia

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 81/99

I'm a sucker for gimmicks.  And the gimmick I'm the biggest sucker for are the tobacco mini's.  I don't know why.  Maybe it's the homage to the birth of baseball cards and baseball card collecting.  Pacific may have been the first to put out the first tobacco sized mini insert, but it was Topps' 2002 206 set that really hooked me.  I'll be honest they are one of my favorite inserts and parallels.  And I really love it when I can chase cards with Robin on them.  In 2011, Topps decided to cash in on the retro card market it had helped pioneer by creating a new retro-vintage card set with Gypsy Queen.  Robin was include in the set, and many since, and of course that means mini parallels and parallels of those parallels.  The 2011 set was a direct homage to the original Gypsy Queen sets from the late 1800's and the sepia parallel really kind of captures that.  Sure the black border parallels look cool, but I think the sepia has a great vintage feel.  

2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Tools of the Trade Red

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss/Playoff

Set: Playoff Absolute Memorabilia

Card Number: TT-173

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert Set: Tools of the Trade

Parallel Set: Red

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 029/250

2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia is one of those mid-2000's sets that really pushed the envelope in how many insert parallels you could put in a set.  It is a Donruss product after all and like so many of their products it's mind numbing to try and keep track of just how many parallels there are.  But that's what the Trading Card Database and Beckett are for.   Anyway, presented here is Robin's Red Parallel.  Actually this might be considered the base for Tools of the Trade, I'm not sure. There are at least two other base color parallels, blue and black, and they have lower serial numbering.  

Like so many of these base parallels from the mid-2000's it was designed with the relic and autograph parallels in mind.  So we get a small photos of Robin off to the left side.

1992 Leaf

Year: 1992

Manufacturer: Donruss/Leaf

Set: Leaf Flagship

Card Number: 64

Card Type: Base

Today we go back to a simpler time in baseball cards.  Back with gray borders were suppose to represent silver and high class.  Fleer Ultra tried this as well.  Had this card been produced a few years later or even today it most likely would be foil board or the boarder would be made completely out of foil with a foil logo.  What we get though a very clean looking baseball card.  While the plain battleship gray is kind of boring it works well showcasing the great color photo on the front of the card.  The name plate below fits well into the card as does the team logo.  The only thing really missing is the team name.

The back of the card has full career stats and a large second photo, although I question Leaf's choice.  It looks like Robin's about to crack his neck, but why put that on a baseball card?

1984 Brewers Police Issue - Milwaukee Police Dept.

Year: 1984

Manufacturer: ??

Set: Brewers Police SGA

Town/Police Dept: Milwaukee Police Department

Card Number: NNO

If you collect Brewers cards, and I know there's at least 3 of us that do, the Brewers Police sets are pretty iconic.  Starting in 1982 and running till 2007, each 30 card set featured most of the team with a card for the coaches and manager.  The Milwaukee Police Department cards were given away as an SGA or Stadium Giveaway.  But there are also hundreds of local Wisconsin police station variations.  I know in my hometown that the cards were passed out by law enforcement during the 4th of July parade and festivities.  From 1982 to 1990 the cards were oversized and a pain to store and display, but in 1991 the cards went to standard trading card size.  The set from 1982 to 1989 all kind of look the same with the card being oversized card a player picture and then the name and sponsor below.  The standard catalog numbers these cards by the number on the front of the card which is the player number, but I consider these cards unnumbered.  Fellow Brewers collector Tony L. from Off Hiatus Sportcards sent me over some extra Brewers Police cards a while back and I can't remember if this 84 card was one of them or if this is one that I already had.  I have a running list of town variations on their on page on the blog.  Tony was nice enough to send me a copy that he had acquired and while I can't guarantee that it's complete, it is the best list I've seen compiled and believe every town listed has been confirmed to exist.

2005 Upper Deck Origins

Year:2005

Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Set: Origins

Card Number: 101

Card Type: Base

I really miss the days when we had multiple manufacturers in the baseball card market.  The junk wax era of the late 80's and early 90's gave way to what would culminate in the mid-2000's in an over saturation of the card market from too many products being produced.  But that over saturation would result in some truly unique and different card sets and packaging.  Pinnacle Inside anyone.  Upper Deck also had many unique offerings.  And not just in types of cards, but how those cards were packaged and sold.  Take the 2005 Origins set.  The cards came in a tin that had a foam insert that held the cards.  You also got a small tin sign.  The cards were not protected in any way other than the cut out of the foam insert so these cards had some condition issues.  You also got 2 relics,one auto, and two serial numbered parallels per tin.  The set was split up between the base cards and the Old Judge set.  I've included a Youtube tin break below if you're interested.   Someone can correct me but I think the base cards were based on one of the Old Judge designs.  

The overall design for the base set was pretty simple, but you get a great action shot of Robin playing shortstop, about to snag a grounder or maybe a short infield hit.  Robin also has an Old Judge insert card, all the color parallels, and an autograph card in the set.

2014 Panini Hall of Fame - Crusades Base Blue/Yellow

Year: 2014

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Hall of Fame

Card Number: 83

Card Type: Insert

Insert: Crusade (Base - Blue/Yellow)

It's here we finally made it the end of my COMC Black Friday delivery.  And I've not saved the best for last, but still a great looking card.  Over the last year and during COMC's Black Friday sale I was able to pick up a good amount of the 2014 Panini Hall of Fame cards I didn't have.  Picking up my first Crusade cards and a few of the low numbered base cards.  I've saved Robin's base Crusade card for last mainly because I think it looks the best.  Blue and Yellow (or Gold) are the Brewers colors and they go so well together.   In hand these Crusade cards are very pretty.  But I'm a sucker for chromy gimmicks like this.

2014 Panini Hall of Fame - Diamond Kings Blue

Year: 2014

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Hall of Fame

Card Number: 83

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert Set: Diamond Kings

Parallel Set: Blue

Card Attribute: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 47/50

We are getting close to the end of my COMC Black Friday deliverys.  Only one more card after this.  

This is my first Diamond King out of the set.  The Blue parallel is right in the middle of rarity with the color parallels and oddly enough I still haven't found a reasonably priced unnumbered base card to add to the collection.  All of the colored parallels look really good.  I really like the looks of the green and gold parallels, but the blue really pops as well.

2014 Panini Hall of Fame Red Shield

Year: 2014

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Hall of Fame

Card Number: 83

Card Type: Base Variation

Variation: Red Shield (Frame)

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 29/75

Continuing on from my last post we have another card the 2014 Panini Hall of Fame set.  This card is the base Red Shield variation.  While the cards are all numbered to 83 the front photos are different between all three of the base variations and so are the backs.  Here we get a little older Robin.  Most of Panini's HOF cards have really nice crisp photos, not so much here.  

The write ups on the back are nice and well written, but both this card and the previous one I posted lament on Yount being only 37 when he retired.  Who knows where Robin would have ended up in the record books had he played a few more years?

2014 Panini Hall of Fame - Green Shield - Red Foil Parallel

Year: 2014

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Hall of Fame

Card Number: 83

Card Type: Parallel

Parallel Set: Green Shield (Framed) Red Foil

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 44/50

We are closing in on the last of my Black Friday delivery Younts.  I think there are 3 more after this card.  The 2014 Hall of Fame set is a confusing one.  Back in 2014 I tapped the Library of Congress and the NORAD super computers to figure it out.  You can see Robin's full checklist here.  

There are three base card variations.  I'm not sure which one would be considered the base card as all three base variations are numbered to 75.  They all have different photos on them and framed by either a red, blue, or green shield.  To make it even more confusing there are color variants of those each of those cards.  There there are the Crusade and Diamond King inserts (or are they parallels?) to chase.  And almost all the cards are very low numbered.  

Here we have the Green Shield base card Red Foil parallel.  The red foils are the next rarest after the base cards.  Numbered to just 50 copies.  I was able to pick this card up for a very good price and that may have been helped by just how convoluted the checklist is for the set. 

The last 3 cards to feature from my COMC Black Friday deliver or BFD, are also from this set.