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.

2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Team Tandems Spectrum

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Playoff

Card Set: Absolute Memorabilia

Card Number: TT-11

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert Set: Team Tandems

Parallel: Spectrum

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 135/150

2005 the year of the Yount! The Trading Card Database lists of 1000 cards for Robin that year, 1011 to be exact.  Beckett.com lists 1020.  I'm curious which ones are missing from the database?

Anywho, 2005 marked the zenith of inserts, parallel cards and insert parallel cards.  Seriously even by todays standards it was a little insane.  Upper Deck and Donruss went back and forth trying to one up each other with the number of variations and parallels sets would contain. In this set alone Robin has almost 100 cards to chase.  That's pretty insane.

I like this Team Tandem set not because I like the look of the card or the layout, which was designed with the relic versions in mind.  But I love the fact that this card includes my two favorite Brewers of all time.  Anytime I get a card that has both Molly and the Kid together it's a great card.  Factor in that the base card from this insert set is numbered to just 250 and the chase is one.  This card is the Spectrum parallel which is very shiny.  

2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia - Absolute Heroes

Card Manufacturer: Donruss

Card Set: Playoff Absolute Memorabilia 

Year: 2005

Card Number: AH-28

Card Type: Insert base

Insert Set: Absolute Heroes

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 086/250

It's probably a toss up, but if I was to make a bet I would bet on 2005 as being the year with the most parallels ever issued.  There were just so many.  With all the Donruss and Upper Deck sets with color, relic and autograph versions of many of there base and insert cards it can be pretty daunting.  Hard to believe that Topps was probably the one card maker that wasn't going overboard, yet.

That being said Robin's 2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia - Heroes card is no exception to the parallel beast.  We have here the plain old, bottom of the barrel base card.  This card has foil board spectrum parallels, relic parallels, autograph parallels and relic autograph parallels.  And this base card is low numbered to boot.  

Like most of the inserts from the time that had all those parallels the card was designed with relic and autograph placement in mind.  Not that this is terrible card it's just that with out any bling most of the card is kind of wasted space.