2005 Upper Deck Reflections Blue

Year: 2005

Card Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Set: Reflections

Card Number: 152

Card Type: Base Parallel

Parallel Set: Blue

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 07/75

Have I told you how much I've missed Upper Deck in the baseball card scene?  The very crowed card market of the early and mid 2000s saw lots of innovation and gimmicks to try and grab the attention of the average card collector.  Upper Deck's Reflections gimmick was that it was shiny or at least a lot of the inserts and parallels were shiny.  The product offers all the trappings we've come to expect out of a product, autographs, relics, relic autographs and of course base parallels.  Reflections offered 6 colored and shiny base parallels.  

Here is Robin's blue parallel.  Numbered to only 75 it's got great eye appeal pairing well with his Brewers uniform.  The backs of the base card are pretty basic with just a line of total career stats and a small blurb.

 

2017 Topps Gallery - Hall of Fame Gallery Blue

Year: 2017

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Gallery

Card Number: HOF-28

Card Type: Insert, Parallel

Insert Set: Hall of Fame Gallery

Parallel Type: Blue

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 74/99

COMC Black Friday Haul #44

I'll admit I'm a bit fan of Topps Gallery from way back in the early days of the brand.  2017 marked the return of the set, which I was excited for, I was not excited that this was a Wal-Mart exclusive as this is a set that also begs to be in hobby shops.  I love that Topps also commissioned artists for the set. It would have been easy for Topps to just run some Getty Images through some Photoshop filters to get a similar result, something I sure they've done, but Dan Bergren does a great job on this Yount piece.  Add the marbly blue border for this parallel and it's a cardboard masterpiece.  As I stated a few posts ago one of the best things about COMC is being able to find cards like this as they pop up for great prices, sometimes it's a waiting game.  But it pays off.

2013 Topps Museum Collection Blue Parallel

Year: 2013

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Museum Collection

Card Number: 27

Card Type: Base parallel

Parallel Set: Blue

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 08/99

Some parallels just stick out.  That can be good or bad, For Robin's 2013 Museum Collection Blue parallel card the blue border with gold strip match the Brewers colors so well this card really pops.  

1990 Donruss Best of the American League

Year: 1990
Manufacturer: Donruss
Set: Best of the American League (Best of)
Card Number: 22
Card Type: Base


If you bought any 1990 Donruss, and I did, a lot, you probably got sick of it, which I did.  I don't really have any affection for the set.  I even nicknamed it the vomit set, since it kind of looks like someone spit up all over the border.   But Donruss put out a few other sets in 1990 and by then collector's were looking for something other than base flagship cards.  Fleer and Topps had been putting out small 44 card boxed sets for a few years and of course we got those lovely boxed update sets.  Donruss ramped it up a little with two 144 card boxed sets in 1990, one called Best of the National League and on called Best of the American League.  Both set used the 1990 card design, but changed the borders to blue.  I've also seen these sets just refered to as Best Of, or Best of the AL or NL.  I guess you'd have to know what league the player was playing in to know which set you had, unless you had a checklist somewhere since both sets were numbered 1 to 144 and no where on the card is does it tell you what set or league it's from.  The age of parallels and variations would start for a few more years, but it's too bad because I could have seen a whole rainbow of color parallels for the 1990 Donruss set,  neon yellow and pink, this was the early 90's remember, etc.

It's also nice they used different photos for this set and the Learning Series.  To be honest I think if this had been the flagship color I might have liked the set a little more.

2005 Playoff Prestige Prestigious Pros Blue Parallel

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss/Playoff

Set: Prestige

Card Number: PP-19

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert Set: Prestigious Pros

Parallel: Blue

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 854/900

The 4th card of the 8 new Yount's I got from COMC's Black Friday promotion.  Oh the colorful rainbow that are the Prestigious Pros parallels.  So many to chase.  I won't complain though.  This is only the second Prestigious Pros color parallel I have in the collection, I also have a Red version.

My favorite color is blue so I guess this has to be my favorite parallel of the set.  I also like that it was one of the cheapest cards I picked up for Robin during my Black Friday shopping and a welcome edition to the set.  I actually think this counts as the base card for the insert as there is no unnumbered version of this card and this card has the highest production.  This insert set also features relic and autographed version both of which Robin has cards in.

2005 Upper Deck Baseball Heroes Blue Autograph card

Card Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Card Set: Baseball Heroes

Year: 2005

Card Number: 64

Card Type: Base Parallel

Parallel Set: Blue Autographed

Card Attributes: Autographed, Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 16/20

2005 was without a doubt the year that the parallel craze got out of control. And Topps isn't even to blame!  Donruss and Upper Deck put out sets that had so many inserts, parallels, and variations it boggles the mind.

Take the card below.  This is the Blue Autographed version of card #64. Robin has 5 base cards in the set #61-65.  That means that there are 4 more blue autographed cards numbered to 20 you could chase.  As well as autographed green, red, beige, etc.  Let's not even start talking about the relic and auto relic versions.  Whew!

Still a nice card and one of the lowest numbered autographed cards I own.  Sorry for the blurry scan, the card is encased in a protective bunker of lucite, or plastic, or whatever screwdown holders are made of.