2004 Topps Bazooka - Bazooka One-Liners Relic

Year: 2004
Manufacturer: Topps
Set: Bazooka

Card No: BOL-RY
Card Type: Relic
Relic Set: Bazooka One-Liners
Relic Type: Bat

I literally just got this one in the mail a few hours ago.  I've been looking for an affordable copy of this card for year's, 17 to be exact.  For some reason this card routinely goes for way more than I feel a simple bat relic out of a lower end product should.   But finally I came across a copy on eBay with a nice price tag and even more very affordable shipping.  It was actually my first time having a seller use the .99 cent card postage and other than the shipping never updated, the card was found safe and sound in my mailbox this afternoon.

I really miss this brand.  It was fun, retro, and had a ton of oddball stuff in the set, which I love. Plus a lot of the inserts like this one were just kind of fun and irreverent.  There is one parallel to this set  a foil board or something like it parallel numbered to just 25 copies, and very hard to find.  

I chuckle when I read the one-liner, because it reminds me of the old Brewers Police issue cards where they have something the player "says" on the back about safety, and never have I thought any of those players actually said any of those things, but this one, yeah that seems like something Robin would have said.

2008 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts - Legendary Memorabilia Blue Parallel Bat Relic

Year: 2008

Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Set: SP Legendary Cuts

Card Number: LM-RY

Card Type: Insert Relic Color Parallel

Insert Set: Legendary Memorabilia Dark Blue

Relic Type: Bat

Card Attributes: Piece of Authentic, Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 08/25

2008 holds the distinction of being the year in which the second most cards featuring Robin Yount were produced with 477.  Although 2020, did come close to beating it.  One of the reasons for the title is sets like Baseball Heroes and this set.  Robin is featured in the Legendary Memorabilia set.   A set with 10 different color variations to chase.  

It might be tough to tell by looking at it but this is the dark blue color parallel.  It's a well laid out card with a nice big photo for Robin and a decent chunk of bat.  I also like that they designed in a nice little box for the serial number stamp, even if it looks like they couldn't hit it just right.

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Framed Mini Relic

Year: 2012

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Gypsy Queen

Card Number: GQMR-RY

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Framed Mini Relics

Relic Type: Bat

Card Attributes: Bat Relic

While Robin didn't have a base card in the 2012 Gypsy Queen set he did have two relic cards.  One full sized and this mini framed relic.  Oddly enough Topps wouldn't let this image go to waste as this was picture used for Robin's 2013 Gypsy Queen mini variation found in those little mini box toppers that Topps use to do in Gypsy Queen.  Topps would also use this image in 2013 Topps Museum Collection, Tribute, his sticker, Triple Threads, and his Five Star relic. The same image was used on his full sized relic in this set as well.

2012 Topps Triple Threads Flashback Relics

Year: 2012

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Triple Threads

Card Number: TTFR-21

Card Type: Insert Relic

Insert Set: Flashback Relics

Card Attributes: Relic, Serial Number

Relic Type: Bat

Serial Number: 09/36

COMC Black Friady Haul #17

I picked up a couple nice relics of Robins this past year.  This card was by far the lowest numbered relic of the bunch.  Again this card was purchased months before the Black Friday event, but was included in my yearly shipement afterwards.  I can remember when these came out back in 2012 and thought they were really cool.  I love the double sided relic, although I'm fairly certain it's the same hunk of wood seen from both sides.  The card highlights Robin's nicknames at the start and end of his career.  Nicknamed the Kid when he broke into the majors, a nickname that has been shared by many players before and since.  And of course Rockin' Robin.  Both sides feature images that were very overused that year and have been since.

I'm not ashamed to say I paid just over $6 for the card.  To me that's  a great price for this very low numbered card of my favorite HOF player and to think this was a hit out of a $100 plus box of cards.  Seems I made out OK on the deal.

2003 Donruss - Timber and Threads Bat Rellic Card

Year: 2003

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Flagship

Card Type: Insert, Relic

Card Number: TT16

Insert Set: Timber and Threads Relic

Relic Type: Bat

Card Attributes: Bat Relic, Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 083/125

It's incredibly rare that I find a Yount card in the wild here in Alaska that I don't have.  As luck would have it one of my LCSs, Don's Sportcards here in Anchorage, has had this card on the drop board for a few weeks.  Don starts the card off well below book value and the price drops every week till it hits $1.  I had been waiting for this card to come down to a reasonible price.  I was playing the odds that I'm the only Brewers collector in town and when I stopped in this weekend I decided to pull the trigger.  

The nice thing about his card is this is all there is.  There are no parallels, no other relic variations, no autographed version.  To be honest when I saw the card hanging there in the store I did a double take and then quickly consulted my collection list on the blog to see if I already had this card.  Seems like I would have, but no this ones new.  It's been a while since I added a new Yount to my collection.  This year in particular has seen most of Robin's new issues in very high end products and most of those have been very low numbered relics, autos and auto relics.  

The best part about his card is the actual bat that this piece came from is depicted on the back of the card.  Seem like now all we get is a general disclaimer that the player was at least in the same room as the relic or briefly glanced at it.  I also miss the large serial numbering that they use to put on cards.  You don't have to squint to read what this card is serial numbered to.  

2005 Playoff Prestige - Prestigious Pros Silver Material Bat Relic

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss/Playoff

Set: Playoff Prestige

Card Number: PP-19

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert Set: Prestigious Pros

Parallel Set: Silver Material Bat

Card Attributes: Relic, Serial Numbered

Relic Type: Bat

Serial Number: 03/50

I was hoping to be able to post checklist of National Treasures, but Panini still hasn't released the official checklist. So I'm not sure if Robin is even in it, but history tells us that he most likely is.

So lets highlight a really shiny relic card from the middle of the last decade.

The Prestigious Pros insert has a rainbow of parallels, as well as, a few relic sets and an autograph set.  Interestingly enough the base set for this product is pretty bland, but the Prestigious Pros are so shiny!  If my count is right there are 14 total parallels of this set.  That's a lot of cards to chase down.  Besides the bat relic set there is also a jersey relic and patch relic. 

2005 Topps Pristine Most Valuable Player Bat Relic

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Pristine Legends

Card Number: VP-RY

Card Type: Insert Relic

Insert Set: Most Valuable Player Relics

Relic Type: Bat

Ah 2005, the year of the Yount. 2005 marked a year that saw the most individual Robin Yount cards ever produced.  Couple years ago I did a graph showing all the cards produced for Robin based off of what was in the Trading Card Database.  Of course you have to account for some error, but 2005 had 1000 cards.  The next two most numerous years (2004 and 2008) combined doesn't even add up to that.  The majority of those cards are all the crazy parallels put out by Upper Deck and Donruss, but Robin also has his fair share of Topps cards that year.

Topps Pristine had an interesting layout.  It was high end before high end got a little too crazy.  Each box had 5 tri-packs. In each try pack you got: 1) a Refractor Relic, Autograph Card, or Celebrity Cut Signature, 2) a Game-Used Memorabilia Card or a Celebrity Relic Card, and 3) Retired Legends Cards.  

Not only that but cards were chromed and shiny.  While these MVP relics are unnumbered there is a low numbered refractor version to chase.

2008 Topps Triple Threads Relics Sepia Parallel

Year: 2008

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Triple Threads

Card Number: TTR-218

Card Type: Insert Multi-relic Parallel

Insert Set: Triple Threads Relics

Parallel Set: Sepia

Card Attributes: Relics, Serial Numbered

Relic Type: Bat, Jersey

Serial Number: 11/27

Sorry about the scan, I should have taken the card out of the top loader and penny sleeve, but I'm not going to dig it back out so it is what it is. 

I've never been a huge fan of Triple Threads.  Maybe its because the cards look the same year after year, or that the relic gimmicks just aren't my taste, but I'm not going to let that stop me from adding any of Robin's cards from the set to my collection.  This card celebrates Robin's 251 career home runs.  Not a monster number compared to the some of the power hits, but still very respectable.  And while the lettering may make this card look like a 6 relic card it vary obviously is only 3 separate relic pieces.  Like all things Topps there are a ton of parallels in the set, but even what is considered the base relic card is limited to only 36 copies and this sepia parallel is numbered to just 27.  The star of the card are the relic pieces with Robin's head taking up a very small portion of the card.

2003 Fleer Rookies and Greats - Through the Years dual relic with Scott Podsednik

Year: 2003

Card Manufacturer: Fleer

Card Set: Rookies and Greats

Card Number: TY-RY/SP

Card Type: Insert Relic

Insert Set:  Through the Years

Card Attributes: Relics, Serial Numbered

Relic Type: Jersey and Bat

Serial Number: 050/360

Wow that's quite a header.  I didn't open a ton of cards in 2003.  That was mainly due to my lifestyle at the time and where and how I was working.  That also happens to be close to the pinnacle of product production for sports cards.  I'm not talking about the billions of cards produced in the junk wax era, I'm talking about the fact that in 2003 there were over 100 different baseball products produced alone.  Think about that.  That's at least 2 new products a week, sometimes more of just baseball.  Now factor in that most card companies had multiple licenses if not all 4 and the shelves were packed with products.  The nice thing was most of those products were affordable, but there were just so many.  

Anyways the one thing we got out of the 2000's was dawn of the guaranteed hit! Autographed and relic cards had been around since the 90's.  And they were and are great for the hobby and they were a big hit with collectors.  With anything that's popular you can bet that the companies take notice and will run it into the ground.

What does that have to do with this card?  Nothing.  Other than it's from a set I never rip a single pack of.  Robin has three cards in this set, all relics.  Besides this great dual relic with Scott Podsednik, he has a patch version of this card and a relic card in the Boyhood Idols set. 

Over all the card isn't all that exciting in the layout, but I do enjoy the multiple relic cards that feature players from my team exclusively.  Scott only played for the Brewers two years 2003 and 2004 before moving on to the White Sox where he would help them win the World Series in 2005 and then married a Playboy Playmate.

2002 Topps Gold Label MLB Award Ceremony relic

Year: 2002

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Topps Gold Label

Card Number: ACR-RY (Class 1, Gold)

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: MLB Awards Ceremony Relic

Relic Type: Bat

It's been a while since I posted a relic card.  Here's a nice bat relic from the 2002 Gold Label set.  2002 would be the last year for the Gold Label brand.  Back in 2013/14 Topps asked for suggestions on what collector's would like to see.  One of my suggestions was to bring back Gold Label, Tek, Laser, etc, but not as sets, as inserts.  And in the 2014 Topps did in the Update set.  Gold Label started back in 1998 and at the time was very high end.  

It might be hard to see from the scans, but the card is super shiny and looks like a brick of gold.  It's also cool that the relic window is on both sides of the card.  This was also a time when Topps and other companies boldly stated that the relic was game-used.  Not event used, not from any specific game, event, or year - Game Used!  Well for what that's worth.  A little odd the back of the card wasn't designed better as the relic cut out covers up some of the wording.

2012 Topps Gypsy Queen Full Size Relic

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Year: 2012

Card Set: Gypsy Queen

Card Number GQR-RY

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Full Size Relic 

Relic Type: Bat

In 2012, Robin didn't have a base card in the Gypsy Queen set.  He did, however, have two relics in the set, this full size version and a framed mini.  If this image looks familiar it's because it's one Topps has used over and over again.  Just from a quick scan through the collection this image was also used for his Gold Rings Manurelic card in Topps Series 2, it would also get heavy usage in 2013 as Robin's Gypsy Queen mini box variation image, Tribute base card image, and Triple Threads base card image.  In 2014 Topps would use it again for his Breakout Moments insert and some of his relic cards in Topps Museum Collection.  

Now don't get me wrong it's a great pose, a great picture, with that classic baby powder blue uniform, but those examples up top are just what I could find from a casual search.  I had thought about compiling an image gallery of all the cards Topps used the same image for and see how many, or few, are original.  I don't know why Topps does this.  It might have to do with licensing, but I would assume a company that has been around since the 50's and was the major card producer for all of Robin's career would have image gallery so huge and enviable that they could pick a different image for Robin till the end of days.

Ahem.  I really like that his relic in this set is not super rare.  As it were around this time a bunch of Robin's relic cards, most notably those for Allen and Ginter, had very low production numbers and are hard to find and pricey.

2003 Topps Gallery Hall of Fame Artifacts Bat Relic

Card manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Topps Gallery

Year: 2003

Card Number: AR-RY

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: ARTifact

Insert Type: Relic

Relic Type: Bat

Topps Gallery was a staple in the market for quite a few years starting in 1996 till it's last issue in 2005.  In 2003 Topps put out two Gallery sets.  The regular and a Hall of Fame edition, with you know Hall of Famers.

Robin has a bunch of cards in the set with parallels and variations.  Even his ARTifact bat relic has a couple parallels and he even has a couple autographs in the set, although I can't remember ever seeing them.

I was able to snag this base relic from COMC during Black Friday for cheap.  I really kind of miss Topps Gallery.  Topps actually paid artists to produce this, not just run a photo through a Photoshop filter.

The artist for this card is Stephen Gardner, which is acknowledged on the base cards.  Packs and boxes still command a premium with packs going for $8-9 buck and boxes going for about $150-200.

2014 Panini Classics Baseball Yount checklist and gallery

Panini Classics Baseball brings back the old Donruss brand and a really stacked checklist of autos and relics from the greats.  Sadly without logos.  After looking thought the checklist Robin has a base card and 19 other parallel and insert cards to chase.  Looks like most of the autos and relics will be very limited and of course that means a premium price although probably slightly less than a fully licensed product, but that doesn't mean they'll be cheap.

Here are all his cards I found while looking thought the checklist. If you noticed  one I missed let me know and I'll add it.

I'll also add some scans when I find examples of the cards later.

Panini Classics Baseball #113
Panini Classics Baseball #113 Timeless Tributes Silver Parallel #/149
Panini Classics Baseball #113 Timeless Tributes Gold Parallel #/25
Panini Classics Baseball #113 Timeless Tributes Platinum Parallel 1/1
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Lumberjacks Bats Signatures #18 #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Lumberjacks Jerseys Signatures #18  #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Lumberjacks Jerseys Signatures Prime #18 #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Lumberjacks Combos Signatures #18 #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Lumberjacks Combos Signatures Prime #18 #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Players Materials Signatures #22 #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Players Materials Signatures Prime #22 #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Legendary Players Bats Signatures #22 #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Membership Materials HOF Signatures #17 #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Membership Materials HOF Signatures Prime #17 #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Membership Materials MVP Signatures #17 #/10
Panini Classics Baseball Membership Materials MVP Signatures Prime #17 #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Significant Signatures Jersey Prime Gold #62  #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Significant Signatures Jersey Prime Platinum #62 1/1
Panini Classics Baseball Significant Signatures Bats Gold #62 #/5
Panini Classics Baseball Significant Signatures Bats Platinum #62 1/1

2004 Donruss Diamond Kings Legends Bronze Framed Dual Relic card

Card Manufacturer: Donruss

Card Set: Diamond Kings

Year: 2004

Card Number: 164

Card Type: Insert relic

Insert Set: Bronze Framed Dual Relic

Card Attributes: Relics, Serial Numbered

Relic Types: Jersey, Bat

Serial Numbered: 030/100

Here is a set that's going to be featured over and over again here on the blog. That'll happen when you have a gazzlion parallels and variations in your set. It really is an incredible feat if you can keep track of them all. I can't and  I rely on keeping good notes on what I have so when I come across these cards I can figure out which ones I need.

This card comes in a whole rainbow of flavors. I'll hazard a guess without actually looking it up, but there are probably over 30 to 40 different versions of Robin's #164 card if you count all the color variations, relic and auto versions, and framed parallels. It's almost mind numbing.

But here we have a really nice dual relic.  And I really like the dual relics that have different kinds of relics in them like this one.  I apologize for the blurry image. This card is entombed in a screwdown holder and I wasn't going to take it out.  

Serial numbered to just 100. There is also a nice blurb about the artist and Donruss even tells you what years Robin had Diamond Kings issued for him

2006 Fleer Greats of the Game Decade Greats Bat Card

Card Manufacturer: Fleer

Card Set: Greats of the Game

Year: 2006

Card Number: DEC-RY

Card Type: Insert Relic

Insert Set: Decade Greats

Relic Type: Bat

Fleer's 2006 Greats of the Game was a great set featuring tons of HOFers and other popular players.  This would be the fifth and final time Fleer would put out this brand, but overall it was a pretty great set with lots of great autos and relics to be had

Robin has a base card in the set, as well as, a couple of inserts.

That includes this great relic card from the Decade Greats insert set.  There is also a base version of this card and also an autograph and relic autograph version.

The overall look of the card is pretty good. I love the use of Brewer's colors, the old school logo, and great action shot of Robin.  But the placement of the relic seems wrong with it cutting off Robin's hand.  

2007 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Classic Memorabilia

Card Manufacturer:  Upper Deck

Card Set: Sweet Spot Classic

Year:  2007

Card Number: CM-YO

Card Type: Insert Relic

Relic Type: Bat

Sweet Spot was a great offering from Upper Deck.  A higher end product that wasn't so higher end that you had to blow you rent money to buy a box or pack.  And included in the set were some pretty cool cards.  

Of course there are always your run of the mill relic cards inserted too.  I'll take a bat relic with some nice wood grain over a single color swatch relic any day. Nowadays it seems like the only Yount relics begin put out are bat relics and soon we'll probably only be left with his golf shirts.  I really miss the Upper Deck style of cards, with the borderless full bleed photos and nice simple designs.  I always wonder why Topps doesn't use this style more or why Panini doesn't use this style at all.  Just a classically simple relic card.

2001 Topps American Pie Wood Stock Game Used Bat card

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: American Pie

Year: 2001

Card Number: BBWM-RY

Card Type: Insert Relic

Insert Set: Woodstock

Relic Type: Bat

I've been featuring a lot of older Yount cards and I thought it was time to feature one a bit more modern. And what's more modern than a relic card.

Topps American Pie was one of the first issues to work in Baseball and other Americana. It was a front runner to similar issues brought out by Donruss and Upper Deck. I don't remember how well this product did, but Topps didn't issue another American Pie set for almost a decade and that set was exclusively entertainment based.  

The card design is a homage to the late 60's early 70's with it's retro lettering and design. Back in the early 2000's with relic cards took off these were easy to find and not really all that expensive. It makes me laugh what sellers are trying to get for these now.  The checklist is pretty good too. Willie Mays, Duke Snider, George Brett, and Reggie Jackson to name a few.

2013 Topps Triple Threads Sepia Unity Relic Bat card

Card Manufacturer: Topps

Card Set: Triple Threads

Year: 2013

Card Number: TTUJR-RY

Card Type: Relic

Relic Set: Sepia Unity Relics

Relic Type: Bat

Card Attributes: Bat Relic, Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 10/27

You know the best part of about Topps Triple Threads each year is the base cards. Seriously. It seems that those are the only cards in the set that change.  Look at all the relics and auto cards in this years set and they look exactly like all the years past.  But for some I guess that's a good thing.  I have a hard time keeping up with every insert set in Triple Threads too, mainly because there are a ton and on top of the each set has about 5 parallel versions.  

It was a little overwhelming for a player collector. Until I realized that I could be happy with just one representative card for my collection.

I ended up picking up this beauty recently and for a great price.  This is from the Unity Jumbo Relic set.  The base cards in the set are numbered to only 36.  This one happens to be the Sepia parallel numbered to 27. And there are 4 more parallel versions numbered even less.  But I'm happy to finally have this one card in the collection.  Not that I wouldn't hunt down the other parallel versions of the card for the right price, but I'm happy to have just the one Unity Jumbo Relic card in the collection.   Now to find some cheap base.