I want to start this month's post off saying just how thankful I am for a few things. One, I'm thankful that we have a hobby that we enjoy that brings collectors from all walks of life together. I'm thankful that I'm in a place in my life that allows me to purchase little pieces of cardboard (and other collectibles) to escape the day-to-day life things that we are constantly bombarded with. And I am really thankful that I have a supportive family that, while they may not completely understand my collection, they acknowledge that it brings me joy and they fully support that.
With all of that said, I would like to share what I was able to add to The Rolen Collection this month:
2001 Topps Stars - Game Gear Bats #TSR-SR. This was released back when game-used was still fairly new to trading cards. Having said that, the odds to pull this game-used card was 1:187 packs with 21 different players in the checklist! This card comes from the last year Topps Stars was offered as a product too. Game-used is largely overdone nowadays, but I do enjoy these early cards that kind of kicked things off.
2023 Leaf Trinity - Steel Lava Silver #S-68. This card, and the foil they used, looks really cool in-hand. The way the light bounces around the 'Lava' foil is mesmerizing. It's a relatively simple design for a card. They aren't even using logos or team names on these cards. And even if you don't want to collect all 60 foil parallels, there is something for just about anyone with a player in this set! I'll probably never get all 60 variations since there are several cards that are numbered to five or less, but I'll have fun chasing the ones that do surface for sale!
2023 Leaf Trinity - Steel-Iron Donut Circles Green #S-68, SN4. Here is another Leaf Trinity card that follows suit with the copious amount of parallels/variations. I wasn't really expecting to pick this card up this month, but when it came up for auction, I threw out a bid. As it turns out, it doesn't seem like too many people are chasing these cards, because I was able to add it to the collection for less than the cost of lunch!
2023 Panini Flawless - Flawless Signatures #FS-SR, SN25. These cards are thick! And the foil they used on this card shines! I know it doesn't seem like it from this flat scan, but I feel like we've covered that countless times in the past. One of the things I like about these Panini cards that is different than the Leaf products...on-card autos! The bold blue autograph against the white card really pops! And scoring a Hall of Famer's autograph for as much as I paid for this card, it almost seems criminal. That's one thing I enjoy about buying singles, especially well after the product release date, is picking these cards up for pennies on the dollar.
2024 Leaf Metal Hockey Legends
We Own This City Crystal Dark Blue Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Crystal Gold Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Diagonal Shimmer Dark Blue Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Diagonal Shimmer Green Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Blue Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Green Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Orange Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Red Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City White Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
We Own This City Autographs Super Prismatic Gold Pre-Production Proof #NNO, SN1
I bought one of these last month and these quickly surfaced after that. Since they are selling for so little, I figured I'd make a run for as many of them as I can find as long as the price makes sense. I'm not exactly sure how many different parallels exist of this "card", but I do enjoy seeing all of these together like this!
2024 Panini Boys of Summer - Holo Silver #11, SN25. Even though this card isn't licensed, and it is missing logos/team name, I still find myself liking this card. This parallel makes it even easier for me to like because the foil that they used on the front of the card is a holofoil that shines nicely in-hand. There are still a couple parallels that I'm missing for this run, but I have a feeling those will take some more time to surface. This product isn't new anymore, so there's very little (if any) currently being opened. I'm still looking for the Holo Gold/10, Emerald/5, and the Platinum/1.
2024 Topps Allen & Ginter - Mini Framed Autograph #MA-SR. When I saw the checklist for this year's Allen & Ginter, I was beyond excited to see Rolen on the autograph checklist once again. I'm a huge fan of the Allen & Ginter releases year after year and this year does not disappoint. I'm glad that the card is a framed mini this year. I don't mind the mini cards because I have ways to store them properly, but I think the frames on these elevate the overall eye appeal of the card. Of course, the on-card autograph is a must from a release like this too. There are also a few parallels for this card (of course). I think I'll probably wait for the newness to wear off of these before I make a move for the parallels.
2023 Topps Update - 1988 Topps Baseball All-Star Autographs #88ASA-SR. This is an all-around solid card. It's got that nostalgic throwback feel to it. Rolen is featured on this card in his Cardinals uniform. And it has a nice bold signature that is actually on-card! I've passed on these cards for quite some time now because they were all too expensive for my taste. This one though, it popped up this month for a great deal, so I had to add it to the collection now.
2024 Topps Archives Signature Series Retired Player Edition - 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter #236, SN11. I feel like I've written, quite possibly, everything I could ever write about these Topps Archives Signature Series cards. I find myself drawn to the Allen & Ginter releases for this product though. I'm a big fan of their designs year in and year out. And the on-card autographs always look great on these cards!
2024 Stadium Club - Autographs #SCBA-SR. I absolutely love this card! The image Topps chose for this card defines Rolen's prowess on the hot corner. On his knees, making that powerful throw across the diamond, delivering a strike for a sure out! Stadium Club remains true to it's roots with the incredible photography they continue to use for their cards with this one! The bold on-card autograph is a beautiful example here with that high swooping 'R'. Stadium club did change things up slightly this year featuring a name plate on the front of the cards. Some collectors have complained about that, but for me, I don't mind it one bit. I'm excited about collecting as much of this rainbow as I can!
2024 Stadium Club - Autographs Black Foil #SCBA-SR, SN25. I really enjoy the design of the parallels Stadium Club offered this year. This Black parallel mutes the background enough to put emphasis on the image of Scott. Of course, with the parallels, they have changed the color of the foil on the front to identify which parallel the card is. And the serial numbering being placed on the back is one of the best decisions a card manufacturer can make in my opinion. There's no need to put the numbering on the front of the card.
2024 Stadium Club - Autographs Red Foil #SCBA-SR, SN50. As much as I love the Black parallel of this card above, I love this Red parallel 10 times more! I'm a sucker for the team color match if it's done correctly, and this one is most definitely done correctly in my opinion! Leaving Rolen in the true color of the photograph while making the rest of the image red, just works. I think the only thing that could possibly make this card any better would be if it was a Chrome card.
2002 Fleer E-X - Essential Credentials Now #19, SN19. Exact odds of pulling one of these cards isn't known, but I can tell you one thing - they rarely come up for sale! I was able to land this one this month after some back and forth bidding took place on ebay. I received it as a graded PSA EX-MT 6. But you know me, I don't care for graded cards. So upon receiving the card I immediately cracked it out of it's plastic tomb. I had passed on one that was on ebay for awhile, and I'm glad I did as I was able to save a little bit of money by practicing some patience.
1999 Topps Tek - Pattern 16 Gold #22A, SN10. I will most likely be chasing these Gold parallels until the day I die. There are 60 different ones to collect, and they're all serial numbered to just 10 copies. Well, except for the copies that somehow escaped without serial numbers, but that is another story for another time. Anyway, these cards seem to be all over the place with regard to pricing. When they do come up for sale, I'll continue picking them up if the price makes sense. The gold foil on these cards looks absolutely stunning in-hand and with this particular pattern, the baseballs almost appear to move when you shift the card in the right lighting. Another great looking card that I'm excited to add to the collection this month!
2024 Panini Donruss - Red and Green Laser #12. Here is one that has taken a while to track down. Exact odds of pulling these Red and Green Laser parallels is unknown, but I can assure you this particular parallel isn't overly available. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the Red/Green combo for baseball cards, but what I do know is that I love the Laser treatment on these cards. It is so reminiscent of some cards from my favorite era: the 90s! The way the light dances on the surface of this card is simply mesmerizing!
2024 Panini Donruss - Gold #12, SN10. The scan of this card is incredibly misleading. In the scan, it looks like a boring flat gold color. In reality, it really shines! Although I enjoy the laser parallels more because of their nostalgic appeal, this Gold parallel (serial numbered to just 10 copies) feels great to add to my collection this month. I'm down to just needing a few more parallels of this card to complete the rainbow, but there are a couple of them that I've never seen offered for sale yet. Luckily for me, I'm a pretty patient collector and I'll continue adding these as I see them surface.
2024 Panini Impeccable - Immortal Ink #II-SR, SN35. Panini continues to impress me with their new releases. But at $500 per box, with only one nine card pack, I'll pass on purchasing any of this product to open myself. Instead, I'll continue buying singles of Rolen as they hit the secondary market. Rolen has 12 different cards in this year's Panini Impeccable with several of those cards being limited to five or less copies. What I do really appreciate with this one though, is the on-card autograph! I can overlook the fact that there are no team logos here since the overall design of the card is simple and clean.
2024 Topps Tier One - Tier One Autograph Holo Silver Foil #T1A-SR, SN10. Topps' design team nailed it with this card! I have the base, Red, Green, and Blue parallels already...but this Holo Silver Foil takes this card to the next level! What you can't really appreciate here is the beauty of the foil treatment on the front of this card. You'll have to check out my instagram page to see a photo that better represents the card. But the blackout area where Rolen scrawled his signature in a silver Sharpie - that is gorgeous!
2024 Topps Tier One - Tier One Talent Autograph Holo Silver Foil #T1TA-SR, SN10. Since I was able to pick up the card above this one this month, and this card here was available for a steal of a deal, I decided now would be a great time to add this one to the collection as well! It received the same Holo Silver Foil treatment on the front of the card as the previous card I shared. And the silver Sharpie signature is sitting atop a solid black area that really accentuates the autograph. I just love these cards!
That's it for me this month. It has been a really fun month for adding cards to the collection. I already have more cards en route for next month, so be sure to check back in soon to see the newest additions!
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