2005 Donruss Team Heroes

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Team Heroes

Card Number: 176

Card Type: Base

Donruss produced the Team Heroes brand for 3 years, 2003-2005.  The 2005 set while the last set produced embraced the parallel format that Donruss inserted into most of it's sets in 2005.  If I counted correctly there are 7 parallel sets to the base set.  The theme is pretty simple and the overall design isn't anything to write home to mom about and the backs are pretty boring.  I don't remember even seeing this product on the shelves, but doing a quick internet search boxes had 24 packs and a guaranteed auto.  The big selling point was the Showdown Gold parallel cards numbered to 10.  The set was fairly large by Donruss standards at 440 cards.  

On the Radar - 2016 Panini Diamond Kings

Just a quick blurb.  I combed through the recently released checklist and found Robin's in two different sets and has a total of 4 cards to chase.

Heritage Collection #1
Heritage Collection Sapphire #1 #/25
Sovereign Signatures #20 #/5
Sovereign Signatures Prime #20 #/3

2016 Topps Series 1 Back to Back insert

Year: 2016

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Back to Back

Card Number: B2B-8

I was pretty excited to see Robin featured in a few of this year's Topps Series 1 inserts and get the auto and relic treatment, even though I doubt I'll ever own those cards.  But I knew the base inserts would be finding a home in the collection.  I was also curious about the Back to Back insert.  Topps hadn't released any preview images of the set and I always like the Donruss/Panini Back to Back Jacks insert.  I guess the set featured players that were Back to Back in the batting line up and back to back homers as well, at least that what Robin and Paul card commemorates.  I like the idea of the set, but to be honest the graphic just confuses and kind of scares me.   I think it could have been done much better, but in the end I'm still happy to have a card to add to my Yount collection and I always love cards that Robin shares with my second favorite Brewer.

1990 Post Cereal

Year: 1990

Manufacturer: MSA

Set: Post Cereal

Card Number: 26

Card Type: Base, Food Issue

For those that don't know Topps recently released a new food issue set.  I think this came as a surprise to just about everybody.  Topps and Wal-mart teamed up to offer a 50 card set available in specially marked packages of Wal-marts Marketside pizzas.  I do believe we are now calling this the Marketside set.  Overall the cards look ok, much better than any food issue in recent memory and with full logos, team names, and colors.  I think this gives hope that maybe food issue and oddballs might be making a comeback.  Given Wal-mart is a huge corporate entity and has teamed up with Topps on other Wal-mart only card exclusives, but there is hope for us oddball and food issue lovers.  

And what better way to celebrate than with a 25 year old food issue from Post cereals.  One of the original food issue brands Post first put out a card set way back in 1961.  The mid-nineties would see a return of issued sets starting with this 1990 set and running through 1995 and would pop up again in 2001 and 2002.

Manufactured by MSA the cards feature players in all their air-brushy goodness.

2003 Fleer Showcase Base

Year: 2003

Manufacturer: Fleer

Set: Showcase

Card Number: 98

Card Type: Base

Fleer Showcase is an interesting set, as with a lot of product put out by Fleer near the end of its life.  Hobby boxes had 3 types of packs Leather, Lumber, and Jersey.  Each 24 count box had 8 packs of each.  Only certain base cards were found in certain kinds of packs.  Robin's card, #98, was found in the Jersey packs. Almost seems that these base cards should have been serial numbered.  There are two base card parallels, Legacy numbered to 150 and Masterpiece numbered to just 1.

I think the design is suppose to mimic those old cabinet cards from a 100 years ago and it's not a bad looking card, simple.  The backs are pretty sparse.

On the radar - 2016 Topps Legacies of Baseball

Topps just released the checklist for it's new Legacies of Baseball.  From the promo images it kind of looks like Topps Fire and Valor had a baby and this is what came out.  I'll wait to pass judgement until I see live photos though.

Robin is featured in Lasting Imprints insert set.  Sadly he's not featured in the Autographed version.
These inserts will be serial numbered, but to what we won't know till it's released next week.  The checklist also list 3 parallels, purple also numbered but not stated to what, Red #/5 and Black #/1.  The set also features a few other Brewers, Ryan Braun and Paul Molitor, plus Rollie Fingers, but as an Athletic.

The product is high end with an estimated price tag of between $150 and $200 dollars.  Box break down is pretty simple, One pack per box, 4 cards per pack: 2 Autos, 1 Vault Metal card, and 1 insert #'d to 99 or less.  I'll probably be hunting down at least Robin's base version.

1993 Donruss Triple Play

Year: 1993

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Triple Play

Card Number: 188

Card Type: Base

If Donruss' flagship baseball was too expensive for you in 1993 Donruss offered and even cheaper alternative in Triple Play.  I'm sure most of us remember good old Triple Play, 1993 marks the second of the three sets released between 1992 and 1994, before Panini resurrected it in 2013.  Simple in design I think I like the 1993 set the best although the 1994 set had a more mainstream look.  There were a couple inserts you could pull, but Triple Play was pretty bare bones.  Black bordered cards are always tough to keep in mint condition and it's the same with this set.  But the black and red borders do look nice.  The back is pretty minimal as well with another player photo, but only one year of stats, a small blurb and trivia question, and sparse personal data.

2011 Topps 60 Years of Topps insert

Year: 2011

Manufacturer: Topps

Card Number: 60YOT-25

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: 60 Years of Topps

In 2010 Topps hit on a great idea with it's Cards Your Mother Threw Out and in 2011 decided to do something similar with it's 60th Anniversary programs.  Once again you got code cards in packs and entered them online.  If I remember you got virtual rings to collect and you could unlock real cards again and if you jumped though enough hoops you could earn a 60th Anniversary Topps set.  I'm a little bitter about this program.  I was entering cards like a happy clam, jumping though all the hoops and when I won my set and tried to have it delivered I was denied.  Why? Well between 2010 and 2011 Topps decided to void their contests in Alaska, Hawaii, and pretty much anywhere outside of the contiguous 48 states.  

It also seems like every year that Topps has at least one insert that features reprints.  Topps' 60 Years of Topps from 2011 is that insert.  This card featured an original back variation as well.  Robin gets his 1976 card featured in the set.

1993 Topps Stadium Club

Year: 1993

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Stadium Club

Card Number: 173

Card Type: Base

The first few years of the Stadium Club brand all kind of look a like, kind of like Upper Deck's early issues, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  The set features full bleed photograph and the player name and logo are tucked away at the bottom the card letting the great crisp photograph do it's job. We even get another great photo on the back.  The card itself begs to be slipped into a 9 pocket page for display and back in 1993 pocket pages were still relatively pricey.  

This was Topps' original premium brand and packs were not cheap compared to the flagship.  Overall a pretty great card.  

1990 Donruss Rack Pack

Year: 1990

Manufacturer: Donruss

What: 3 blister rack pack with Yount on top, middle.

I'm slowly building a nice cello collection.  Slowly is the keyword here, and nice is in the eye of the beholder.  I picked this rack pack up for less than a buck plus shipping.  Did I overpay for those 48 cards and 9 puzzle pieces, oh yeah.  But I get to add a new piece to the collection and a sub-collection.  Plus it also features Carlton Fisk and Carl Yastrzemksy's puzzle card.  I will say that 90 Donruss is in the running for my least favorite set of all time.  I affectionately call this the puke set.  But I don't hate it, I don't hate any card set.  I lamented on my last rack pack post which was 1988 Topps that I had wished Robin had been in the center blister and here I wish he would have been on the end, but it is what it is.  

2005 Donruss Diamond Kings Team Timeline Dual relic with Lyle Overbay

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Diamond Kings

Card Number: TT-22

Card Type: Insert Relic

Insert Set: Team Timeline Materials with Lyle Overbay

Card Attributes: Serial numbered, Relic

Relic Type: Jersey

Serial number: 089/100

It was fun to watch Lyle come back to Milwaukee in 2014 for his last season even if the 2014 season ended horribly for the team.  Lyle originally played for the Brewers in 2004 and 2005 and here he gets paired with Robin Yount for the 2005 Team Timelines insert.  A nice double relic even if both swatches are kind of boring.  Like all insert in Diamond Kings there are multiple parallels of this card.  With a base version, this jersey relic version, a bat relic version and a prime jersey version.  

2012 Panini Cooperstown Induction Insert

Year: 2012

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Cooperstown

Card Number: 16

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Induction

2012 was the inaugural year for Panini's Cooperstown set. Robin graces not only the base set and all the parallels that go with that, but also has an autograph and a card in 4 other insert sets.  As insert sets go the Induction set is probably my favorite out of the bunch.  We get a great photo from Robin's induction in 1999, plus the overall lay out of the card is fairly well done since there are no logos to hide.

1988 Brewers Police Issue - Milwaukee Police, Stadia Athletic Shoes, WTMJ Radio

Year: 1988

Set: Milwaukee Brewers Police Set

City of Issue: Milwaukee PD, Stadia Athletic Shoes, and WTMJ Radio

Card No: NNO

As a Brewers and Robin Yount fan nothing is more iconic than the Brewer's Police cards.  Starting back in 1982 and continuing well into the mid-2000's the Brewers teamed up with local law enforcement and various different municipalities around Wisconsin.  From what I was told the Milwaukee Police sets were giveaways at Brewers games, but by 1988 there were almost 100 different variations of these cards sponsored by different town's police departments and other sponsors.  I know that in my home town these cards were given out by police officers at the 4th of July parade and picnic.  With Robin in sets up till his last year in 1993 he has almost 700 different variations to chase.  I have to thank Tony L from Off Hiatus Sportscards for sending me a fairly comprehensive list of towns that sponsored the cards.  I added that list to the Trading Card Database.  For me personally I consider the Milwaukee Police issue to be the main issue with all the other towns PD's as variations.  And while I doubt will ever see print runs for these sets I think it's safe to say that the Milwaukee Police cards probably have the highest print run and tend to be the easiest to find.  

30 cards in the set.  These cards like all the sets before them are oversized and unnumbered, although some people use the player number as the card number and this isn't right.  The front features a nice player photo and the back, at least for the Milwaukee Police cards feature a Milwaukee Police badge, Stadia and WTMJ logos and of course a safety quote.

2003 Donruss Studio Enshrinement

Year: 2003

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Studio

Card Number: E-8

Card Type: Insert

Insert Set: Enshrinement

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial number: 056/750

The Hall of Fame theme for some of Robin's cards is one I enjoy.  I'm very proud that my favorite player of all time is a member of the exclusive club with the likes of Babe Ruth, Roberto Clemente, Duke Snider, and Jackie Robinson to name a few.  And over the years card companies have taken just about any chance they've gotten to feature players in that theme.  It's a sure fire win for any insert set when you get to feature HOF members.  Donruss' 2003 Studio set features this Enshrinement insert which features 50 greats in the Hall.  And the majority of the subjects were also alive at the time, as is evident by the large number of subjects also featured in the autograph version of this card, 34.  There is also a proof version numbered to just 20 and Robin's autograph parallel is numbered to just 5.  Heck this base card is numbered to just 750 which even today is a pretty low print run.  The autograph would have been placed over the Inducted 1999 part of the card.  

2005 Topps Retired Signature Series Gold Parallel

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Retired Signature Series

Card Number: 77

Card Type: Parallel

Parallel Set: Gold

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 149/500

Topps put out it's Retired Signature Series for 3 years starting in 2003 and ending with this year. Each box had 5 packs.  There was a slabbed (non-circulated) autograph card in each pack and a parallel card plus 3 base cards.  The design follows the flagship design from that year like in years past.  It was an interesting concept that's been tried again here and there.  If Topps was to bring this back I'm sure it would be a single pack/box product like the Archives Signature series was.  

The big difference between this and the flagship inserts, other than the price per pack was the parallel numbering.  Gold parallels were numbered to 500 instead of 2004.  It's a sharp looking card in hand with bright colors and a nice gold sparkly border.  And the serial numbering was still done in foil.

2016 Panini Donruss Baseball Yount Checklist and Gallery

Panini once again has graced us with a new Yount card in Donruss this year.  Robin has a card in the Base 1982 insert set and all the parallels that go along with it and a buyback auto.

Base 1982 #48
Base 1982 #48 Black Border #/99
Base 1982 #48 Gold Press Proof #/49
Base 1982 #48 Holoflow #/199
Base 1982 #48 Holometric #/299
Base 1982 #48 Pink Border
Base 1982 #48 Printing Plate Black #/1
Base 1982 #48 Printing Plate Cyan #/1
Base 1982 #48 Printing Plate Magenta #/1
Base 1982 #48 Printing Plate Yellow #/1
Base 1982 #48 Test Proof Black #/25
Base 1982 #48 Test Proof Cyan #/49
Base 1982 #48 Test Proof Magenta #/10
Base 1982 #48 Test Proof Yellow #/5

Recollection Autograph Buybacks #510  #/5