Last month turned out to be a really great month for new additions to the collection. This month I was able to add more to some rainbows I've started as well as pick up some older cards that have been missing from my collection. Check out the new additions:
2024 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Edition - 2006 Topps Heritage #50, SN3. You know it wouldn't be a good month without adding another Topps Archives Signature Series card! These Topps Heritage cards are just as good looking as the Allen & Ginter cards in my opinion. Especially when it comes to the on-card autograph! There aren't any competing facsimile signatures to contend with on these and the cards just look great with ink on them. It certainly helps that this card features a great portrait of my favorite Hall of Famer while he was on my favorite team.
2024 Panini Donruss - Retro 1984 Materials #33. I really want to like this card, but I only added it to the collection this month because the price was low enough to add it. It is incredibly plain; exaggerated by the fact that there are no team logos in the photograph. Then there's the jersey (pants?) swatch. It leaves a lot to be desired. But, it's a Rolen card, it's on my checklist, so I felt like I needed a copy of it in my collection.
1998 Topps Gallery - Player's Private Issue #PPI74, SN250. These were inserted at a rate of 1:17 packs. Twice as easy to pull as the Proofs. But for some reason I wasn't able to find one until now. And really, I didn't find it so much as it found me. A fellow collector on Instagram reached out to me with several Rolen cards he had. This was the only one in that lot that I needed and after some discussion, he sent it my way!
2023 Topps Finest - Buyback Autograph, SN20. I've loved these Topps Finest cards ever since they were released in 2007! Topps was able to get their hands on some of these and have players sign them, on-card and insert them into 2023 Finest at a rate of 1:2,421 packs! With 13 different cards in the buyback checklist, you can see how tough it would be to pull any specific player (1:31,473). I was able to wait out the prices that were being asked for these cards and was able to score this copy this month for a great deal.
1998 Ultra - Platinum Medallion #490 PZ, SN98. This is easily my favorite addition this month! I have been looking for this card for quite some time and I was surprised recently when this copy hit ebay. The "buy it now" price was far too good to pass up, and I couldn't hit that button fast enough! This was the missing piece to my 1998 Ultra Platinum Medallion run. These Pizzazz cards are limited, and serial numbered, to just 98 copies which were released in Series 2. Although they are serial numbered to 98, only 88 copies were inserted into packs due to a promotion Fleer ran. The promotion was ten randomly inserted exchange cards for a complete set of Platinum Medallion cards.
2024 Topps Tier One - Tier One Autograph #T1A-SR, SN99. This is one of those cards where patience saved me quite a bit of money. I let the newness wear off of these Tier One cards and was able to snag this one this month for a great price! I really like the use of foil on the front of these cards. And of course, the on-card auto is a very nice touch. Even though Rolen is featured as a Cincinnati Red on this one, the photo they used is a great photo. It looks like he just jacked one out of the park!
2024 Topps Museum Collection - Archival Autographs #AA-SR, SN199. Topps did a great job with these Archival Autograph cards! The photo on the front of this card is of Rolen during his debut season with the Cardinals in 2002 as evident by the Darryl Kile patch on his left sleeve. With this card being designed for an autograph, the on-card signature really shines here! I really appreciate a bold signature on my autographed cards. The back is really the only thing I'd change about this card if I was going to nitpick anything. It feels like they cheeped out by not including any stats nor a blurb about Rolen. Oh, and these cards are pretty thick, coming in at 75pt!
2024 Topps Tier One - Tier One Talent Autograph Red Foil #T1TA-SR, SN15. Similar to the blue foil parallel I picked up last month, I absolutely love this card! Not only do we have a team color match with the red foil, but Topps had the forethought to have Rolen sign this card in red ink! And just look at that autograph - bold ink, sweeping signature, and it looks perfect on this card. Obviously we can't have a jersey serial number with this one since it's numbered to just 15 copies. But Rolen did wear jersey number 6 during his rookie year, so there's that.
2024 Topps Tier One - Tier One Autograph Red Foil #T1A-SR, SN25. I liked the card above so much, I had to grab the other card in the set in red as well. The red theme is so cohesive with this card. From Rolen playing for the Reds to the red foil, to the red ink on-card autograph! Even the picture is great! Rolen belting a ball while wearing a red Reds jersey. Very nicely done, Topps. Nicely done indeed!
2023 Leaf Trinity - Steel Auto Prismatic Green #S-SR1, SN7. Here is a perfect example of a confusing release. 2023 Leaf was released this year (pulling a play from Topps' playbook). Then there is the uber confusing checklist. I believe I have it tracked down and applied to my checklist correctly based on what I've pieced together from multiple sites, including ebay. Anyway, about the card; I'm a fan! Leaf has finally turned over a new leaf for me. I don't see myself paying up big for these cards because they are the definition of manufactured scarcity. There are numerous parallels and they all feature sticker autographs and low serial numbering. But, at least Leaf has decided to use actual photos of Rolen on their Rolen cards unlike in previous years where they used a generic Phillies style jersey with the number 17 on it. This particular card is a really good looking card in-person though. It doesn't have the embossing/etching that us 90s collectors love, but this card is shiny! It has a really good looking refractor finish on the front of the card. The back leaves a lot to be desired, but at least they tried. They reused the image from the front of the card and "certify" the autograph that is featured on the front. I'll continue picking these up when the cost makes sense for my collection.
2023 Topps Tier One - Prime Performers Autographs Bronze Ink #PPA-SR, SN25. It's been a while since I've seen one of these surface for sale. Most likely because everyone has moved onto opening 2024 Topps Tier One. But that means that these have gotten less expensive! I really like how the bronze colored ink pops against the black background, even though this isn't the cleanest Rolen signature ever. For the price I paid for this one though, it was well worth it for me to add it to the collection this month.
2024 Topps Museum Collection - Archival Autographs Pink Sapphire #AA-SR, SN99. Much like the base version of this card above, I absolutely love this card. I was able to quickly snap up this Pink parallel this month. The main difference between this one and the base version above (aside from the serial numbering); the pink foil that Topps used in the accents on the front. There are seven different foil colors in this lineup, so I might just attempt to grab a copy of each color. You know, just to have them all.
2024 Topps Finest - Finest Moments Autographs #FMA-SR. When this set was first announced and I saw Rolen was included in the Finest Moments Autographs checklist, I was really hoping the card would feature him as a Cardinal during the 2006 season when the Cardinals won the World Series. I think this Hall of Fame induction photo is the only thing that could possibly top that. Sure, it's a reused photograph (they used it on a Topps Now card). But I completely agree about this being the crowning achievement moment for the perennial All-Star third baseman! With the autograph being on-card, you already know that I feel that it elevates the card in my opinion.
2005 Donruss - Power Alley Black Die Cut #PA-23, SN5. Here is a card that wasn't even on my radar, but when I saw it come up for sale, I couldn't pass it up. I really like these die cut Power Alley cards from 2005 Donruss. This black parallel just happens to be serial numbered to only five copies (which is why it really wasn't on my radar). Since there wasn't a 1/1 in this set, I just might go ahead and try to put this entire run together now that I have the toughest one to find. There are 12 total parallels of the Power Alley and with the addition of this one this month, I'm sitting at 50% of them in my collection.
2024 Panini Donruss - Retro 1984 Materials Blue Ice #33. I picked this card up this month because I already have the red parallel as well as the base copy. This one is only slightly cooler than those two, mostly because of the cracked ice treatment on the front of the card. That has to be one of my all-time favorite kinds of refractor foil used in trading cards. The way the light just dances off the surface of the card in all different directions really appeals to me!
2024 Topps Tier One - Autographed Tier One Relics Jumbo #AT1JR-SR, SN99. There have been a lot of these listed for sale over the past couple of months. Patience is what I was exercising in adding this one to my collection. The prices of these were too far north of what I was willing to pay for a sticker auto and a jersey swatch that may or may not have come from a jersey worn by Rolen himself. I was able to snag this copy at a really good price this month though, so here it is, in my collection to go along with the parallel copies that I already have.
2024 Panini Donruss - Signature Series Teal #60, SN25. I sourced the checklist for these 2024 Panini Donruss cards from a few different websites, and they all agreed that this card was "teal". Now, I don't believe I'm colorblind at all, but this card certainly looks green to me. Regardless, I'm glad it is in my collection now. Of course, I'm not the biggest fan of sticker autos, but I'm glad to see the Signature Series from "Donruss" make a comeback. That said, I could have done without all of the different colored parallels and wish they would have gone back to the days of base, Millennium Marks, and Century Marks. Beggars can't be choosers though, right?
2024 Topps Museum Collection - Archival Autographs Copper #AA-SR, SN50. This is the third one of these I was able to pick up this month. The foil and the serial numbering being the only difference between this one and the others I added to the collection. I'm not sure if it's a sign of the (economic) times, lack of hype for this product, or if Rolen's market is just softening, but I was able to get this copy that is serial numbered to just 50 cheaper than the other two I picked up this month. Regardless, with the addition of this one (and the other two), I only need the other five parallels.
2023 Leaf Trinity - Steel Auto Prismatic Black #S-SR1, SN5. I picked up the green parallel of this card earlier this month. I like that card so much that I decided to add this one to the collection this month too. This scan does not do this card the justice it deserves - it shines! I'm definitely glad that Leaf finally got things together enough to add a picture of Rolen to the card (unlike other releases from 2019 forward.) There are only two things that would make these cards better in my opinion. One, logos. Since we know that isn't going to happen with the licensing restrictions, the other thing that would elevate the card for me is an on-card autograph. I get that it's less expensive for the companies to use stickers, and I'm certainly glad that this card was designed with the sticker in mind, but I'll always enjoy on-card autos more.
2024 Panini Donruss/Optic #12
2024 Panini Donruss - Liberty #12
2024 Panini Donruss - Red and Blue #12
2024 Panini Donruss - Orange Laser #12, SN299
2024 Panini Donruss - Red #12, SN275
2024 Panini Donruss - Carolina Blue Laser #12, SN249
2024 Panini Donruss - Purple #12, SN99
2024 Panini Donruss Optic - Blue Velocity #12
2024 Panini Donruss Optic - Orange Velocity #12
2024 Panini Donruss Optic - Orange #12, SN199
2024 Panini Donruss Optic - Lime Green #12, SN149
2024 Panini Donruss Optic - Black Velocity #12, SN39
These are a continuation of the rainbow I'm chasing for this set. Like I said last month when I started this rainbow, I really like these cards! I'm still missing several of them, so I'm hoping people continue opening this product and offer them up for sale!
Another absolutely incredible month for additions to the collection in the books. My favorite of the bunch has to be the 1998 Ultra Platinum Medallion. I have been looking for that card for so long! I'm hoping this streak continues next month. Check back soon to see what else I've been able to find. And as always, if you've got something you think I might be interested in, please reach out!
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