Sunday Verse

Psalm 59:16 New International Version But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Read at Bible Gateway Read all of Psalm 59

 

Rey Ordonez COMC Haul

Today's post is a shameless plug for my YouTube channel. Bear with me however as this is one of the first time I've tried sharing cards using this format. I used my light box I usually use for my toy photography to record the video so I'm still trying to iron out all the wrinkles.

Well all know of the delays in requesting cards you've purchased from COMC.com and my order was no exception. I honestly can't remember when I requested shipping, but I remember that it took several months for the order to arrive...maybe 6 months? It didn't bother me too much since some of the cards sitting in my account had been sitting there for years in some cases! I love the service, but the prices aren't always great so I don't immediately think to use their services when searching for cards. However I was able to find some great deals on some hard to find a parallels of Rey.

At the time of this post I hadn't planned on scanning the cards as I thought I'd just "borrow" the card images from TCDB, however updating my collection I see that there are a lot of images missing that I can provide. I love the site so much that I feel obligated to help so I guess I know what my Sunday afternoon project is going to be this week!

It's getting harder and harder to find the cards I still need for my PC. I'm down to some very low numbered cards and HTF non-numbered parallels like his 1996 Pinnacle Certified Mirror Gold. I've got saved eBay searches in place to help. I've also got my eye on a few cards of his that I need...but I need to move some various items first to free up the $. Thankfully I'm not actively searching his 1/1 cards and will consider my super PC complete without those. Then again, if I ran across a 1/1 at the right price I probably wouldn't say no either.

Affordable Group Break: 2021 Topps Series 1 (Hobby)

** UPDATE 02/25/21 - Break is full! **

 

This break will feature a hobby box & a retail blaster box of the newly released 2021 Topps Series 1. Prices listed beside each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday, 02/26/21 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Arizona Diamondbacks $4 - Diego Torres PAID

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID
Baltimore Orioles $6 - Hal Sauceman PAID
Boston Red Sox $6 - Shane Salmonson PAID
Chicago Cubs $6 - Ben Martin PAID
Chicago White Sox $6 - Hal Sauceman PAID
Cincinnati Reds $6 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
Cleveland Indians $6 - Marcus Scott
Colorado Rockies $5 - John Donovan PAID
Detroit Tigers $5 - Ben Morris PAID
Houston Astros $6 - Diego Torres PAID
Kansas City Royals $6 - Chad Pacey PAID

Los Angeles Angels $8 - Diego Torres PAID

Los Angeles Dodgers $8 - Joey Nigro PAID

Miami Marlins $6 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
Milwaukee Brewers $5 - Chad Pacey PAID
Minnesota Twins $5 - bbcardz PAID

New York Mets $6 - Diego Torres PAID
New York Yankees $8 - @Lost_Collector PAID
Oakland Athletics $6 - Diego Torres PAID
Philadelphia Phillies $6 - John Donovan PAID
Pittsburgh Pirates $5 - Wade Fisher PAID
San Diego Padres $8 - kitwekumquats PAID

San Francisco Giants $6 - Ben Morris PAID
Seattle Mariners $8 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
St. Louis Cardinals $6 - Kerry Biggs PAID

Tampa Bay Rays $5 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Texas Rangers $5 - Diego Torres PAID
Toronto Blue Jays $6 - bbcardz PAID

Washington Nationals $6 - kitwekumquats PAID

Affordable Group Break: 2007 Upper Deck Elements

** UPDATE 02/25/21 - Break is full! **

This break will feature a hobby box of 2007 Upper Deck Elements. 3 mini boxes / 5 packs per mini box / 3 cards per pack. Each box features a different card technology (foil board, LTFX, PETG or acetate). Box should yield 3 hits. Prices listed beside each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday, 02/26/21 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Arizona Diamondbacks $3 - Diego Torres PAID

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID
Baltimore Orioles $6 - Joey Nigro PAID
Boston Red Sox $6 - Shane Salmonson PAID
Chicago Cubs $6 - Matt Pederson
Chicago White Sox $6 - Diego Torres PAID
Cincinnati Reds $8 - Joey Nigro PAID
Cleveland Indians $6 - Marcus Scott
Colorado Rockies $6 - John Donovan PAID
Detroit Tigers $6 - Ben Morris PAID
Florida Marlins $5 - Ben Morris PAID
Houston Astros $6 - Sam Pair PAID
Kansas City Royals $7 - Matthew Brenzikofer PAID

Los Angeles Angels - Colbey PAID

Los Angeles Dodgers $5 - Joey Nigro PAID
Milwaukee Brewers $3 - Diego Torres PAID
Minnesota Twins $6 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID

New York Mets $6 - Diego Torres PAID
New York Yankees $10 - Hal Sauceman PAID
Oakland Athletics $5 - Chad Pacey PAID
Philadelphia Phillies $5 - Diego Torres PAID
Pittsburgh Pirates $4 - Wade Fisher PAID
San Diego Padres $5 - Diego Torres PAID

San Francisco Giants $5 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Seattle Mariners $5 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
St. Louis Cardinals $6 - Patrick W Ayers PAID

Tampa Bay Rays $4 - Diego Torres PAID
Texas Rangers $4 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
Toronto Blue Jays $4 - Diego Torres PAID

Washington Nationals $3 - Diego Torres PAID

Sunday Verse

1 John 3:11

New International Version More on Love and Hatred For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

 

Group Break Recap: 2011 Topps Lineage & 2020 Topps Chrome Update

 

I'm sitting outside enjoying Mother Nature as I bring to a recap post from our last break. People looked at me like I was crazy when I told them we were going camping this week, but the rain tapered off on Thursday and things started to dry out on Friday. The sun is now out and shining and temps are slowing rising out of the 40s! One of the best things about camping is having no schedule...just relaxing. I find dealing with my hobby in any way, shape or form to be relaxing. My daughters have played video games and board games allowing my wife to relax a bit. 

Looking ahead to next week I've already got the sign up posts cued and ready to go live Monday evening around 9 PM eastern. Before I jump back into hosting I wanted to recap the last break which was held on 02/12/21 as it was a fun break.

I lucked out on some 2020 Topps Chrome Update earlier in the month so I grabbed as many as my local Target would allow. Everyone gobbled up the teams for their chance at getting cards of their favorite team and or player. While it was a small sample, we did get a few nice cards.

I'm sure the guys that grabbed the Mariners and White Sox were hoping to see these cards pulled. No Arozarena, but two big RCs out of the few packs we opened ain't bad.

One of the first packs opened yielded this Seth Meijas-Brean auto RC. I personally don't know much about the guy, but its always fun pulling an auto.

These A Numbers Game inserts feature Refractor technology and looked pretty impressive in hand. I was happy to pull a Hank Aaron card, especially since he just passed.

The plain Decade's Next 2020 inserts from flagship Topps were just OK, but give them the Chrome/Refractor treatment and all the sudden they stand out more.

The rack packs contained these swirly pink Refractors and I don't think anyone will complain about any of the players pulled.

Next up was a box of 2011 Topps Lineage. As a Braves fan I was happy to open this box as I had another chance at pulling a Freddie Freeman RC.

Freddie's RCs are criminally undervalued and while this Lineage card may not set the world on fire, I'm glad to have another copy. 

While not initially identified while opening the packs, the 1:12 pack ratio did hold true as we pulled two of the Venezuelan backs.

As with the flagship Topps set in 2011, the Diamond Anniversary sparkly parallels would make their way over to the Lineage set as Platinum. I particular like these parallels and were hoping to see them return for Topps' 70th anniversary this year.

The other parallel was just labeled Diamond Anniversary and feature a rainbow foil.

The nice thing about this box of Lineage is the sheer variety of cards and inserts it offered. From 1964 Stand Ups, to 1972 Cloth Sticker cards to 1968 3D lenticular cards. I believe all of these had 1:12 pack odds.

These 1975 minis are cool. Seeing how I wasn't born until a few years after the '75 set, I don't have a connection to this design, but I do rather like it. The box said it would yield two autos and one relic and we ended up w/ a '75 mini Justin Upton relic. At least it's a swatch of red jersey and not white.

Speaking of the two guaranteed autos, we got a Jason Motte 1952 style auto and a Daniel Hudson 60th Anniversary auto. Neither of these have the star power I was hoping for, but I hear at least the guy who had the Cardinals was happy with the pull.

We break live each week at 10 PM eastern on my YouTube channel. I post the sign ups for each break weekly at Monday (around 9 PM) on both the blog here and in the Facebook group. Be sure to join in each week for the live breaks as we'll have giveaways for those in attendance. Thanks again for everyone's participation. I have a lot of stuff lined up and ready to go!

Affordable Mini Break: 2020 Topps Chrome Update

** UPDATE 02/12/21 - Break is full! **

This mini break will feature an assortment of retail 2020 Topps Chrome Update packs. Prices listed beside each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday, 02/12/21 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Arizona Diamondbacks $1 - Wade Fisher PAID

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID
Baltimore Orioles $2 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Boston Red Sox $4 - Matt Keppel PAID
Chicago Cubs $4 - Ben Martin PAID
Chicago White Sox $4 - Paul Dionne PAID
Cincinnati Reds $3 - Denny Wagner PAID
Cleveland Indians $3 - Marcus Scott PAID
Colorado Rockies $3 - John Donovan PAID
Detroit Tigers $3 - Ben Morris PAID
Houston Astros $4 - Denny Wagner PAID
Kansas City Royals $2 - Joe Greever PAID

Los Angeles Angels $3 - John Donovan PAID

Los Angeles Dodgers $3 - Joey Nigro PAID

Miami Marlins $1 - Brian Butzen PAID
Milwaukee Brewers $3 - Chad Pacey PAID
Minnesota Twins $3 - Paul Dionne PAID

New York Mets $3 - Bret Alan PAID
New York Yankees $6 - @Lost_Collector PAID
Oakland Athletics $3 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Philadelphia Phillies $3 - Chad Pacey PAID
Pittsburgh Pirates $3 - Wade Fisher PAID
San Diego Padres $3 - Jennifer Peebles PAID

San Francisco Giants $2 - Denny Wagner PAID
Seattle Mariners $6 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
St. Louis Cardinals $3 - Patrick W Ayers PAID

Tampa Bay Rays $5 - Hal Sauceman PAID
Texas Rangers $2 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Toronto Blue Jays $2 - Hal Sauceman PAID

Washington Nationals $3 - Denny Wagner PAID

Affordable Group Break: 2011 Topps Lineage

** UPDATE 02/12/21 - Break is full! **

This break will feature a hobby box of 2011 Topps Lineage. 24 packs / 8 cards per pack. Box should yield 2 autographs, 1 relic and 1 giant box loader. Prices listed beside each team. All cards ship. Stacking applies so the price does not include shipping. If you have questions on how this works please let me know. We'll break this box Live on my YouTube channel on Friday, 02/12/21 at 10 PM eastern. 

To claim your team(s) please comment with your request and submit your payment at that time. If you haven't participated in one of my breaks, please email me (flywheels@yahoo.com) your name & mailing address. Please send your payment as Friends & Family: http://paypal.me/flywheels86

Arizona Diamondbacks $2 - Diego Torres PAID

Atlanta Braves - Colbey PAID
Baltimore Orioles $8 - Chad Pacey PAID
Boston Red Sox $8 - John Donovan PAID
Chicago Cubs $8 - Ben Martin PAID
Chicago White Sox - Colbey PAID
Cincinnati Reds $3 - John Donovan PAID
Cleveland Indians $7 - Marcus Scott PAID
Colorado Rockies $2 - Diego Torres PAID 
Detroit Tigers $7 - Ben Morris PAID
Florida Marlins $2 - Diego Torres PAID
Houston Astros $2 - Diego Torres PAID
Kansas City Royals $4 - Matthew Brenzikofer PAID

Los Angeles Angels $2 - Diego Torres PAID

Los Angeles Dodgers $5 - Joey Nigro PAID
Milwaukee Brewers $5 - FiresNBeers PAID
Minnesota Twins $5 - John Donovan PAID

New York Mets $5 - Joseph Inzirillo
New York Yankees $10 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
Oakland Athletics $3 - John Donovan PAID
Philadelphia Phillies $6 - Dan Horton PAID
Pittsburgh Pirates $6 - Wade Fisher PAID
San Diego Padres $2 - Joseph Inzirillo

San Francisco Giants $8 - Denny Wagner PAID
Seattle Mariners $6 - Joseph Inzirillo PAID
St. Louis Cardinals $7 - Matthew Brenzikofer PAID

Tampa Bay Rays $2 - Diego Torres PAID
Texas Rangers $4 - Jennifer Peebles PAID
Toronto Blue Jays $6 - karsal PAID

Washington Nationals/Expos $7 - Jennifer Peebles PAID

 

 

Sunday Verse

James 1:19

New International Version [ Listening and Doing ] My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, Read at Bible Gateway Read all of James 1

Group Break Recap

The last few weeks of breaks have been a lot of fun. I know that not everyone can join the live video feeds on Friday night or even want to view the (sometimes long) video. That said here are some of the highlights from 2003 Topps Stadium Club, 2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX, 2002 Fleer E-X and 94-95 Fleer Excel.

It's getting harder and harder to 1) find sealed boxes that aren't priced crazily and 2) trying to appeal to everyone's tastes. However I feel as if the last few weeks have done a good job at bringing some variety to the product busted. Hopefully others feel the same and I can get the this trend moving forward.

I was particular fond of the 2003 Topps Stadium Club box. When the base cards look this good the need for parallels and inserts isn't quite so high. Be on the lookout for a future post where we look at more of the great photography from this set.

We did pull a Photographer's Proof (1:39) of the Ranger's Hank Blalock (202/299). 

Beam Team (1:12) is a long standing insert set with the Stadium Club brand. This particular design though isn't one of the best. Bonds showed up in a lot of early 2000 sets/insert sets. Glad we pulled a Rockies player...always fun pulling inserts for the teams that aren't always well represented in breaks.

I was not familiar with the Stadium Shots (1:24) insert before this card was pulled. Wow, what a beautiful shot. If the other cards in this set look this good I may just have to build this insert set.

The box said one relic per box, but I did not expect to pull this Stadium Slices Trademark relic (1:415) of Gary Sheffield. As the host I prefer the hits go to other participants, but I won't turn down a card like this for my Braves.

Moving on to 2000 Upper Deck HoloGrFX, this box was requested by a member in the Facebook Group. It took awhile to find a box that wasn't overpriced, but once I found it I jumped on it quickly. I vaguely remember this set when it was new, but hadn't paid it much attention since it was released.

All of the HoloGrFX cards feature some sort of light refracting technology. The base cards are shiny and busy, especially in hand...but I can't deny the images of the players look a little washed out.

LongBall Legacy (1:6) were the easiest insert to pull. These feature a rainbow foil background and looked quite nice in hand. McGwire, Williams, Rodriguez, Rolen, Griffey Jr. & Bagwell...not too shabby of a line up.

Stars of the System (1:8) features young and upcoming players (for the time). This insert by far was the best looking by far. Reminded me of the current "Scope" parallels that Panini is using in sets like Select. Burrell, Soriano, Burnett and some kid (Riley) for the Orioles.

StarView (1:11) feature a holographic section with an image of the player in the background and stars in the foreground. If you can move these just right underneath the light, these don't look half bad. Piazza, Griffey Jr. and McGwire filled out the round.

Bomb Squad (1:34) features the same rainbow foil background as the Longball Legacy inserts. I should have scanned the back of the card as it showed the longest HRs hit the previous season. Very cool set.

Future Fame (1:34) inserts put the spotlight on would be future hall of fame players such as Cal Ripken Jr. here. Beautiful card, the new owner of this Cal was super happy to see it pulled.

I selected a box of 94-95 Fleer Excel minor league just to have something a little different. I figure not many breakers are breaking stuff like this, plus the box would yield a lot of cards for each team.

The big chase of the set would have to be Mr. Jeter...but several his teammates (Pettitte, Rivera) were on the checklist as well...all of which were pulled as well. 

This guy again?! The first of the 3 insert sets would be All Stars, which features a very 90's design. Most of players pulled I had not heard of, but this guy would be the exception.

The League Leader inserts were the most plentiful and feature a minimalistic design.

First Year Phenom highlighted stand out player during their initial season. There was a lot of chatter amongst the views when I pulled this Aaron Boone. I'm glad someone was happy to see this card!

Up next was a box of 2002 Fleer E-X. I thought it was essentially an old school blaster since the box just had 11 packs, but once we got the opened I noticed all the packs were of the Hobby variety! Game used cards were seeded at 1:8 packs so I was hoping we'd get some sort of hit.

This Hit & Run insert (1:12) has some sweet bat or base varieties, but we had to settle for the base version. At least the participant who had the Phillies was happy to see this card of Pat Burrell.

The only other insert pulled was this Behind the Numbers (1:8) Sammy Sosa. The memorabilia version of these cards looks better, but we'll take this since we weren't sure at what so few packs would produce.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if there is a product you'd like to see featured let me know and I'll do my best to find down a box for us to rip. If you want junk wax, let me know. If you want some older high end box, alright. Current stuff...well that might be tough (for me). As long as everyone is happy and wants me to keep on going, I'll do my best to keep everyone entertained.