By Any Other Name and...Anyone Collect Stamps?

I have decided to get rid of my stamp collection. It isn't much and was a focus as a kid, but I wanted to see if anyone out in the blogosphere was a collector, as I would happily send some of it along by mail knowing it was going to a good home. I do have a bunch of the stamps "loose", so can send by PWE easily enough. Drop me a message if interested at all. Some pictures for a look...

Anyway, on to cards as today we get to talk about a silly - well, to me anyway, variation that the set from the 2026 Lot highlights today - the name variation. The set in question, 2019 Donruss...

Photo variations to base cards, I can accept and can be cool if there is a "basic" photo, and the variation is maybe more of a short print and more of an action shot or something, but here we Jacob Tyler, but as you see in the next scan, we also have J.T.

It doesn't appear that these variations have a big value difference, thankfully, but still a variation and I will keep the variant (which is apparently his full name) but my insert/parallel/short print and variant collection, but it is a minor variant. 

If variation photos is your thing, the Torres, Baez cards above and Chapman below are all apparently the variation photos according to TCDB. I guess these are not really short printed given how many I have popping up here, but still a cool card to keep, even if not for value purposes.

I thought for a minute the retro cards may be a parallel, but no, just the last subset in the base set - still a nice use of the design while still making them clearly 2019 cards with the dating, which I can appreciate.

A decent set, and a couple keepers for me - though no Jays, but plenty to trade if anyone is working on building this one.

Cards That Traveller

I recently was able to be the first trade partner and completed trade of new TCDB member travellerofdawn, a fellow Canadian - actually, fellow Ontarian, as the member lives in Ottawa, and in the trade, hockey cards, and of course Tim Hortons cards as part of that, came my way.

The 2022-23 Flow Of Time card is a nice add as I SLOWLY continue to inch through some of the tougher insert sets to complete for that year.

The Above The Ice insert gives me my Toronto team copy in addition to the copy for the set completion.

It's Their Time MVP insert is a nice one and done fir my Leafs and some 2024-25 flagship Upper Deck help to finish.

Appreciate the trade and being the TCDB fiest for a newer member.

Vintage (Enough) Football

Well, you may call early 80s vintage, and probably not when looking at 1990, but Topps football cards from that era are not something I get or see a lot of. Partly, because, I don't want it or collect it, but also, just doesn't show up much in the lots I have bought. Today, we get a glimpse... 

I think 1984 Topps is the earlies year of football cards I have ever owned as 1988 or so was the earliest before this. Very simple designs that work as far as the cards go, and I don't mind that we seem to be 49er heavy - great team, especially through the 80s.

I haven't heard of many of the names, though I have heard of Vinny with his 1989 card here. Though, most of the cards are from 1990 Topps...

The cards are in great condition, and I like the backs, very nice and remind me a bit of the hockey set same year, though the colour scheme is of course different.

I find in interesting that the team colour design work includes changing the colour of the Topps logo. I guess that's one way to keep the logo large and a focal point while trying to tie into the specific card.

Anyone more into football than me can let me know if there is anything specifically of interest in the bunch. Happy to find a better home for all, just reach out - football definitely isn't my thing, and this is a time before I followed as a kid - which was really from 1991 on into the mid to late 90s. Still, cool to get some cards on the older side in this lot.

Someone Collected Rookies...

 Sometimes it is quite obvious what these card lots consist of. Here, at least this chunk, is someone dumping the rookie keeps they had from 1999-2000 Pacific Omega. These were not like Young Guns with their own section in the base set, and I don't think they were short printed in this set, so they were "just" base cards, but they did capitalize on getting two rookies for the price on each base card.

Adam only played about 20 games over two seasons for Toronto, then a move to LA where he faired similar followed by a full time stay for about 6 years in Buffalo is where he played his best and most regular for his career.

Dmitri played 2 games for Toronto in the NHL, and that was the extent to his NHL career. otherwise, a minor league and other league player for about a decade.

This does provide one card to keep, but here are the rest...

It wasn't the strongest of rookie classes and the cards reflect that, but at least they do so in a nice style as I like this design for showcasing two players.

They have done many different All Star Game formats over the last couple decades, and honestly, I prefer when it was just a game with the best from each league against each other - that's it. Have the uniforms the same, and maybe their team logo on the arms or something, then let them play.

I get that it's hard to draw fans and attendance the way they want, and trying to make a show of it that draws intrigue, but I just always wanted to see the best play the best, and the NHL skills competition as it was, was great. Same events each year, give or take, and the best trying to showcase it. I don't think it's as big as the MLB Home Run Derby, but I can't think of a better way to showcase hockey than league versus league and the skills competition.

More On Topps

 The 2026 Lot continues to help me with some base set builds today, these out of 2019 Topps...

Only Perez to help with the flagship set, but tons of help for Opening Day with 7 more here. I'm up to 139 of 200 for the base set and expect there's more help floating around in the lot.

I still keep Encarnacion as a Jay when I think about him even though it was only about half his career.

A few dupes including Cabrera who showed up twice, though I did need a copy.

I really like the Votto pose. Wish his Jays try went a bit better than it did, but happy there did end up being a couple cards with Joey as a Jay so I have an excuse to have a few cards of his in my collection.

We end with Gausman in his pre-Jays days. No Jays today actually - but not going to complain, set help is still a great way to go.

Been A While Wayne

For the 1999-2000 year in cards, Upper Deck put out a set with Wayne Gretzky's name all over it. It's a set I have picked up enough of in past lots, I am trying to complete the base set for, and having Wayne's thoughts on the players is an interesting twist. With this being the end of Wayne's career on the ice, the timing to get a set out in his name made sense too. So, kudos with Upper Deck doing so without it just being 100 Wayne Gretzky cards and more like a real set at least.

On the down side, I just got two pick ups for the set build. In case you needed to know, some of the cards are rookies, some prospects, and apparently such labels are more important that the name / position info as I find the rookie and propsect type labels stand out a lot more.

The design for the front is fine - I mean, mostly picture so works well.

The backs remind me of - I think it's 2006-2008 Upper Deck flagship sets that have a similar design - small picture, side bar, stats and a write up in the main box. I'm okay with that though, decent back design.

May not be a great one for the keepers, but the great one getting a set with his name - cool. I wonder how involved (if at all), he really was with it though....

Posh Platinum Cards

 Well  if the 2026 Lot is going to send some more football cards my way, at least we have something a bit different come up today.

We have some 2013 Topps Platinum Sapphire parallels. A set, I don't think I have anything from before, and we get hobby pack inserts (one per pack). I am guessing there must have been a box opened by someone at some point and these weren't good enough to keep - I don't know, but they look pretty sweet. They are thick cardstock, and the design has the track of blue dots in the background versus an empty strip - at least that's what I could tell from seeing the different sets and parallels.

Very cool cards, and a reminder that RG3 was a thing. Following right after we then have a card from a Panini Phoenix set. I have seen a card or two from that set, but not much else really.

Chronicles with a design I now think of from wrestling because those are the cards I would actually collect with the design - not these football ones.

Keeping the cool shiny in the post, we then get some 2021 Panini Illusions football. Just a few cards, but they are pretty nice designs as well.

Not too bad a day of pulls from football considering, it's football. :)