A Mini 1/1

I haven't bought a lot of this year's Goodwin Champions so I'm not all that familiar with all of the possible cards and hits, but I stumbled across this card while looking for something else...a mini printing plate.  I didn't know those existed.  A few days later and I was able to snag it for around $4 shipped.  Not bad for a 1/1 card, huh?

 

Blaster Break - 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions

I guess I was still intrigued about this stuff enough to try my hand at a blaster.  My chances of pulling an auto or relic are slim, but the box says 6 minis on average.  Let's see what we get.

Pack 1:
#057 Barry Sanders
#135 Anfernee Hardaway

#175 Wong Fei-Hung SP
#038 Nolan Ryan

Pack 2:
#139 Jon "Bones" Jones
#128 Bob Gibson

#216 Michael Choice - Lady Luck Mini
#116 John Lamb

Pack 3:
#087 Sidney Crosby
#095 Willie Keeler

#163 Ed Delahanty SP
#084 C.J. Hobgood

Pack 4:
#052 Brittany Linicome
#005 Cam Neely
#216 Michael Choice - Mini SP
#045 John Stockton

Pack 5:
#058 Mia Hamm
#019 Lou Brock

#151 Mahatma Gandhi SP
#15 Bo Jackson

Pack 6:
#074 John Dillinger
#011 Greg Maddux

#043 Stan Musial - Lady Luck Mini
#125 Mike Weir

Pack 7:
#137 Chris Paul
#108 Billy the Kid

#210 Abner Doubleday SSP
#094 Ozzie Smith

Pack 8:
#056 Jim Rice
#030 Evgeni Malkin
#043 Stan Musial - Mini
#063 Cristie Kerr

Pack 9:
#004 Bobby Orr
#073 Steven Stamkos

#GC-10 Alfred Nobel - Goodwin Citizens
#017 King Clancy

Pack 10:
#093 Layne Beachley
#147 Grant Hill

#106 Tim Hardaway - Lady Luck Mini
#127 Matt Poskay

Pack 11:
#134 Patrick Roy
#027 Nastia Liukin

#189 Eddie Plank SP
#098 Anthony Kim

Pack 12:
#107 Kasey Keller
#049 Cammi Granato
#106 Tim Hardaway - Mini
#066 Landon Donovan

From my research the blue ribbon cards are SPs while the black ribbon are Super SPs.  UD's blog says the set consists of 150 regular cards, 40 SPs, 20 SSPs and 21 high numbered Minis.  Yeah, the set building bug ain't going to bite me here.  Fun to open none the less.  While I don't know who a lot of these people are it is interesting to read the card backs to find out more information.

Pack Break - 2011 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions (Hobby)

Before I read a lot of the fan reaction to this product online I grabbed one lone hobby pack of the new Goodwin Champions from my LCS the other day.  To be honest I was kind of excited.  Then I read the comments online...and well, I'm not sure where I stand.  Let's take at look at the the packs' contents.

#011 Greg Maddux

Alright!  Off to a great start.  Nice looking card of the former Braves ace.

#058 Mia Hamm

I'll never look at this card the same way after reading Cardboard Junkie's recent Goodwin post!

#019 Lou Brock

Not a bad looking card of a HOF.

#122 Brodie Merrill

Well I guess all of the cards in the pack can't be interesting.

 

#11 Greg Maddux - Lady Luck Mini

Until I turned the pack over and saw the insert odds I thought the minis were one per pack.  Nope, 1:2 packs this year.  At least the mini I got was one that's a keeper.

So there you have it.  5 cards for $4.00.  I can see why some people find this set boring or a poor man's version of Allen & Ginter.  I don't dislike it, but I don't love it either.  I did find 2009's Goodwin effort more appealing and I still wouldn't mind completing the set (stupid SPs), but I don't see myself going after much of 2011 GC.  That said I do want the Orville & Wilbur Wright card I saw...