Adding To The Title Wave Of Set Posts.....

I know that there have already been several blog posts in 2019 about different set projects that I am working on at that moment.  It feels like the number is higher than two, but I am going to post a third one today.  It's not only a post about a set project, but it is a brand new set project.  Fresh off the presses.

At some point in December, I sat down and wrote different ideas for set projects I could work this year.  It was a good list and there were several good ideas in a notepad on the desk in my office.  Unfortunately, my two year old daughter colored over all of the pages in purple crayon and ripped out the other pages.  It was a good list, I remember most of it.  The first set on the list was the 1998 Donruss Preferred Title Waves set.

The cards look like this:

It's a die cut insert set.  I have tried to track down on the ratio for these cards, but I do not think that they were very difficult to come across based on the availability of the cards, the price, and the fact that there 30 cards in the set with almost 2000 copies of each card.  That's 60,000 cards.  

I best remember this set as the cards that came in tins.  I think I used to have some hanging around the house, but I am fairly certain they fell victim to a Goodwill run.  Not my picture, but the packaging tins looked like this.....

Thanks Ebay for the picture.  Each tin had a different player on them.  There were different sized and different colored tins, but that's not why I am here.  

There are thirty cards in the set with each card featuring some sort of accomplishment connected to an award or accomplishment of the player on the card.  The card is then serial numbered to the year that the event, or accomplishment took place.  The card at the top celebrates Andres Galarraga winning the 1996 National League Home Run title, so the card has 1996 copies.  

I have a good chunk of the set, but there is really no rhyme or reason to what I own.  I feel like these are cards that I have found in cheapie bins at card shows and the whatnot.  I found a copy of the Manny Ramirez card in a top loader with a $0.50 orange sticker attached.  

The card actually looks like it has been sitting in the sun or something.  Might have to replace this card.  Checklist with the cards I have highlighted red.  

1 Nomar Garciaparra 1997

2 Scott Rolen 1997

3 Roger Clemens 1997

4 Gary Sheffield 1997

5 Jeff Bagwell 1997

6 Cal Ripken, Jr. 1997

7 Frank Thomas 1997

8 Ken Griffey, Jr. 1997

9 Larry Walker 1997

10 Derek Jeter 1996

11 Juan Gonzalez 1996

12 Bernie Williams 1996

13 Andruw Jones 1996

14 Andy Pettitte 1996

15 Ivan Rodriguez 1996

16 Alex Rodriguez 1996

17 Mark McGwire 1996

18 Andres Galarraga 1996

19 Hideo Nomo 1995

20 Mo Vaughn 1995

21 Randy Johnson 1995

22 Chipper Jones 1995

23 Greg Maddux 1995

24 Manny Ramirez 1995

25 Tony Gwynn 1995

26 Albert Belle 1995

27 Kenny Lofton 1995

28 Mike Piazza 1993

29 Paul Molitor 1993

30 Barry Bonds 1993

In all, I have 19 of the 30 cards, which puts me just north of 60% of the set being completed.  I think the biggest challenge in completing this set will be the fact that I need to find a lot of the "big name" players from the late 1990s.  It's going to take some patience to find most of the remaining cards, maybe not Mo Vaughn, at a good price.

For example, there are several copies of the Griffey card floating around on Ebay, almost all of them are around $20 or higher.

and if I just wanted to finish off the set and cross it off the list, I could go buy one of these cards this afternoon.  It would probably be at my house by the weekend.  Same with the other cards I am missing on the checklist.  However, I feel like I am likely going to go the auction route on several of these cards.....

An auctioned copy of the Griffey card.  No, I did not win this one.  I did not even bid, but a difference of $18 is worth a little time to complete this project.  Add in that I am still putting the finishing touches on my Topps Glossy Mail-Ins, and I am going to give myself until April to finish this project off.  

1998 Donruss Preferred Title Waves Albert Belle

The Donruss Preferred set was a high end product that ran during 1998, 1997 too,  that reminded me a lot of the Fleer Showcase, or Topps Finest,  products of the same era.  High end, glossy cards with several different "tiers" of players that collectors could put together to make a set.  Some of the high end sets from that era focused primarily on the base set and left collectors a little short on the inserts.  However, a few products offered quality beyond the base set, but sometimes at long odds.

1998 Donruss Preferred Title Waves Albert Belle

Odds were never given on the Title Waves cards when the cards were released because the cards are all serial numbered to different amounts.  In the case of my Albert Belle, the card is numbered to 1995 since the card recognizes his American League Home Run title in 1995.  While the exact odds of pulling a Title Waves card was never released, the cards can be in pretty high demand at times depending on the player.  I picked this card up last week in a small trade and have considered adding this insert set as my second set I am trying to complete for the year.  I am currently working on the 1998 Topps Tek set too.  This Albert Belle gives me a total of 23 out of the 30 cards in this set which would leave me with seven to find.  However, after checking a few secondary sites I can only find one of the cards I need to complete the set and it is probably a little bit more than I wish to spend.  I will sleep on it for a few days and consider putting this up to finish.  In the meantime, I am happy to give this sweet Albert Belle card a new home.