2005 Topps Rookie Cup #45 Blue #/50

Card Review: 9.8  This card, for reasons I can't explain, has eluded me for a very long time.  It was somewhat satisfying to cross it off my most-wanted list (they all are at this point).  Granted, there were only 50 of them made, but I've picked up cards from this set #'d a lot lower than that.  In any event, I have one, and only need 49 more.

I find blue works well with the Expos uniform.  Like the rest of these color variations, the scan doesn't really begin to do this card justice.  It looks much better in person.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

2015 update: n/a

2016 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: 2

2005 Topps Rookie Cup Original Relics #399

Card Review: 9.5  This card is in a word, awesome.  In 1982 Topps didn't put the "Rookie Cup" on cards.  I spent the next decade arguing with other kids that Wallach had in fact been a "Topps All-Star Rookie."  I "lost" almost all of those arguments.  23 years later Topps righted a wrong with this card.  Not only did they put the cup on it, but the cup is made from some sort of metal.  It's a heavy card, and as thick as about 5 regular cards.  It appears Topps glued two '82 Topps to a piece of thick card stock, then cut a hole about half way through to place that cup.  If you were to dig it out, I believe it would be a square peice with a raised cup on it.

I know my love of this card is a bit hypocritical.  I've been very critical of old cards being modified or stamped, then passed off as "new" cards.  In general, I think that's kind of sleazy.  But this card is an exception.  For one, it's not just some forgettable '90 Leaf being stamped with foil.  It's the classic 1982 Topps Wallach.  The card I've carried in my wallet for the last 25 years.  And it's not just foil stamping, it's an extreme enough modification that it almost becomes an entirely new card.  If your going to engage in that sort of practice, this is the way to do it.

It does also present some issues, primarily, how store it.  I keep a three-ring binder with one copy of every unique Wallach card.  This one belongs in the binder.  But I'm not sure it will fit, at least not without damaging it, in a 9-pocket page due to it's thickness.  It's a dilemma I'm in no hurry to solve though as for now I'm happy to keep it out and available to show off to as many disinterested friends and family as I can.

Number of this card in my collection: 1, only one more to go and I'll have them all.

2005 Topps Rookie Cup #45 Green

Card Review: 9.8  The Green Variation of the '05 Rookie Cup card is very nice.  I'd put it on par with the yellow and just above the red and orange.  It's scarcer than both, numbered only to 199.  

Number of this card in my collection: 1

2013 update: 3

2014 update: 6

2015 update: 8

2016 update: 10 
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 11

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 13

  

2005 Topps Rookie Cup #45 Red

Card Review:  9.6
I think I like the Red variant a little bit less than the Yellow and Orange variants, but they're all very nice looking cards, though I'm nearly positive this photo is from 1982 and not Wallach's 1981 rookie season for which he was awarded the "Rookie Cup."   Once I get around to posting every Wallach card there is to post, I'm going to start posting some photo shopped efforts of Cards there should have been, i.e. 1981's, missing Topps All-Star cards, and probably the simplest one to do, will be adding a rookie cup to Wallach's '82 base card.

Number of this card in my collection: 1 (only 498 to go)
2012 update: 2  
2013 update: 9
2014 update: 14
2015 update: n/a
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 15
2019 update: 16

2005 Topps Rookie Cup Rookie Reprint Refractor #191

Card Review: 9.6  I really like this card.  It's the kind of treatment Wallach's iconic rookie deserves.  I figured the Chrome version only numbered to 25 had to be fanciest of these, but I was wrong.  This card also set a new high dollar mark for me as far as buying Wallach's goes.  $11.61 on ebay.

The reproduction of the '82 white border lends itself very well to the refractor treatment.  Of the five Wallach refractors, this one is the best looking by a wide margin.  It even scans better than the rest.  I've never collected an insert subset, or least not a modern one (I admit, I was a huge fan of some of Fleer's subsets in the 80's and early 90's like Pro-Visions and Headliners), but I'm half-way tempted to chase down more of these rookie reprint refractors.  I probably never will given they're priced like early 50's Topps, but who knows.  I'll add it to my list of things I might do.

Number of this card in my collection: 1 (14 more to go)

2005 Topps Rookie Cup #45 Yellow

Card Review: 9.8  I love this 2005 Topps Rookie Cup set.  I'd been actively collecting new cards in 2005 I almost certainly would have tried to complete it.  It's a decade later and I still play with the idea of buying a box of it and trying to piece one together.

I'm ranking this yellow variant just a little ahead of the red variant.  I'm sucker for primary color combinations.  These yellow variations were numbered individually out of a run of 299.  Which makes it easy to know how many more I need.

Number of this card in my collection: 1
2012 update: 2    297 to go.  (102 & 227)
2013 update: 6
2014 update: 9
2015 update: n/a
2016 update: n/a
2017 update: n/a
2018 update: 10
2019 update: 11

 

2005 Topps Rookie Cup Reprint Chrome #191

Card Review: 9.3  I find this card to be pretty cool.  It almost makes up for the 1982 set not having the rookie cup trophy on the front.  These chrome variations were individually numbered out of 25.  This one is #15 of 25.
Number of this card in my collection: 1 (only 24 more to go!)

2005 Topps Rookie Cup #45 Orange

Card Review: 9.7  I pretty much love everything about this 2005 Topps set, and also more or less hate everything about it.  It's added a ton of fresh excitement as far as tracking down new Wallach cards for the first time in over a decade, but also created a major annoyances at the extreme rarity of a few of the variations.  That said, I'm glad it exists.  These numbered cards also give a tangible goal and glimmer of hope to literally "collecting them all."

 These orange variants were numbered individually out of 399.  In person they look very "orange," but the scan came out very red.  But I assure you, it's very orange.  Like Syracuse Orangemen uniform orange.  But just like they look red on tv sometimes when playing at Georgetown or St. John's or some hillybilly ACC school now, these cards look red in the scans.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

2012 update: 3   
2013 update: 6 
2014 update: 11
2016 update: 13
2017 update: 14

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: 15