Josh Johnson Is Following Me

A trip to Target finally provided me with a chance to sample some Gypsy Queen. An employee was putting new product on the shelf so I had first crack at the fresh wax. I decided to try my luck with one of each and bought a blaster, one rack pack and a single pack from a opened box. This is significantly more than I originally intended but this release has been extremely difficult to find.

When this set was originally announced I didn't think much of it except that Topps was yet again releasing another retro set, and I wondered if there was really a need for another set like Allen and Ginter. The images on the sell sheet looked nice but nothing really caught my eye, except for the minis, so I told myself I would buy a pack or two as a sample. Since then and with the lack of product available in my area, I have seen these cards all over other blogs and I gradually began to like what I saw. I'm not going to build the set but I have decided to buy more of the product. I would love to pull the Markakis auto and I may try another blaster and pick up a few more rack packs. I really like the retail exclusive green framed parallels and my pack yielded a Brooks Robinson. I'm not going to show the cards from this break, its been done already and everyone is well acquainted with the release by now. Most of you have moved on to 2011 Bowman. From the loose pack I pulled this card.

I was hoping for an Oriole, but Josh Johnson is a solid player and the pin strip is a nice added touch. In my last post I mentioned I had yet again bought another Topps Value Box and I had kept it on my desk for a few days before opening the packs. When I did get around to opening the two Heritage packs I found my old Friend Josh Johnson again.

For me, it is a rare occasion to pull two relics in the same week, especially of the same player. I only have a couple relics in my collection so this came as a bit of a surprise. Both cards are for trade if anyone is interested, just drop me a line.

Overall Gypsy Queen has been a nice surprise and very popular with collectors. I like the inclusion of legends and past stars in the checklist, especially players like Barry Larkin and Ozzie Smith who you don't see that often in a new set. With the success of the inaugural release of Gypsy Queen, I assume we will see a second edition of the set next year.

How do You Build Sets?

I think the greatest aspect of card collecting as a hobby is because of the abundance and wide variety of material available, every person can collect and build their sets or collection in any manner that fits their spare time and budget. With that being said, I'm asking the question above because I'm entertaining the idea of building this years Heritage Set. Now, I'm aware of the difficulties of building this set and the scourge the short prints can be (not mention the variations in the set), but I have bought a lot of Heritage this year and since I have not built a Heritage set before, I thought why not.

Thinking about whether to build this set got me to thinking about how I build sets and how other collectors build their sets. For me the number one factor whether to build a set is not the time it will take but the cost. I collect cards on a budget and like to find affordable prices for cards I need in my set. For modern sets this isn't much of an issue, unless the set has short prints and short printed variations. For my vintage sets, this means purchasing my needs in lesser condition. To me the time it takes only adds to the chase of building a set.

So I have realized I like to build my sets slowly. Vintage sets inherently can take longer to build because the material is not as readily available as modern sets and can be more costly.When I build a modern set, I'll buy  two or three blasters and some loose packs to build a starter set and then work to complete my set through trades or card shows. The appeal to leisurely working on a set building project is it makes finding the last cards you need to complete the set much more rewarding. If I complete a set too quickly the end can feel anti-climatic and not as satisfying as a set I spent more time on. The ultimate chase  becomes the last card you need for your set, and you may find a 1982 Topps Mario Soto my be more valuable to you and have more meaning in your collection than the latest auto-patch card of an over hyped rookie.



I have decided to Build the Topps Heritage set. You will be able to find my want list above in the next few days, and I welcome any trades, just don't send the cards over too quickly.