The COMC Pirates Package

I recently received a package in the mail containing over 100 cards for my player collections of Andrew McCutchen, Gary Sheffield, and various Pirates players I like to collect. 

While the package arrived in 2021, I am not going to count it towards my 50 card goal because they were all purchased in 2020.  It is only because of COMCs slow shipping that forced me to receive the cards many months after requesting shipment.

Let's dive into some of the highlights of the package...

This card is extremely difficult to find.  

And I mean extremely difficult.

If you travel with me into the way back machine to 2011, the hobby wasn't as strong as it is now.  

Not only could you find retail packs at retail establishments, but many collectors were doing just that...collecting.

Topps wasn't producing factory sets with multiple parallels encouraging people to open their retail factory sets.  Granted there was 1 (yes only 1) pack inside every sealed factory set containing a handful of cards with a unique color border parallel.  

These were often red or orange.  

Trying to find one of these 10 years later of your player?  Good luck!

They are numbered to 245 copies on the back and I suspect many of them are still sealed away in factory sets.

So remember what I just said about 2011 Topps Factory red parallels?

The same is even harder for the 2010 Factory red parallels.

There is another McCutchen that has been looking for one of these for a few years.  I'm hoping to use this as trade bait to help me acquire a card of his that I have been after.

If you've followed the blog for a bit, you probably know that I love the 2015 Topps Strata set.  It is the first set that Topps produced featuring an MLB authenticated sticker on every relic used in the set.  My goal is to collect as many of these of possible.  I added 3 more of the plain grey swatches to the collection.

They will go nicely with all these patches I already had from the set

Next up is a 2016 Optic Teal parallel numbered to 50 copies.  This helps get me closer to completing this rainbow.

Speaking of 2016, here is a 2016 Diamond Kings silver Artist Proof.  It's not numbered, but rare to come across 5 years later.  I really like the design of this year's Diamond Kings release.

This 2016 Bowman Platinum would be a perfect card to show off next month for St. Patrick's Day.  The green parallel, numbered to only 99 copies, really pops in the background.

Here is a card I was surprised I didn't have.  It's a 2013 Topps Heritage Chrome Refractor.  I have the black Refractor, the base chrome, and the purple chrome, but never got the refractor...until now. It's numbered to only 564 copies and is based on the 1964 Topps design.

Ok. This one is kind of a cheating card.  It features Cutch in a Pittsburgh uniform, but is from 2018.  Cutch was traded prior to the start of the 2018 season and this technically doesn't count as a Pirates playing days card because he didn't play for them in 2018.

What do you think?  Should a 2018 card that features Cutch playing for the Pirates count as a Pirates playing days card even though his last game played was for the Bucs in 2017?

Here is the first Panini relic card I picked up that I needed.  I've shown the dual relic off of this card, but not the single relic.  It's from 2014 and is a nice designed card.

Here is one of those cards that I knew existed, but a few things prevented me from adding this to my collection over the past decade:

It is a Topps Heritage card so Master Set collectors are always looking for this.

It is a rare card (only 62 copies) from a set 10 years old.

It features the Baltimore Orioles, who in my eyes have a very loyal collecting fan base.

It features a former MVP in his early career.

It is a stamp set so there are stamp collectors who also collect things like this.

What an awesome looking card.

And to finish up its another pajama party card.  Despite no logos, this early Donruss release is a much needed Press Proof parallel.  The silver proof is numbered to only 199 copies.

That wraps up my Cutch Pirates cards from my COMC pickups from the 2nd half of 2020 (except one notable card).  I'll show off some others in the future.  They will include my Giants, Yankees, and Phillies Cutch pickups. 

So Many Factory Set Parallels

Did you know that Topps has made even more options for rainbow chasers?

Topps has added to their portfolio with more factory set parallels. 

In the past there used to be red parallels, but that parallel was given to Target with an exclusive in 2012.  Then Topps used orange factory set parallels beginning in 2012 until 2016.  In 2017 Topps introduced foilboard parallels that were serially numbered and available as a limited pack inside their factory sets.

Then 2020 happened and everything got confusing and screwed up.

There are now 6 (yes six) parallels to chase in factory sets.  

Topps introduced the Walmart Green box factory sets this year which could contain complete factory sets in a number of 4 different parallels.

The most common is the gold star (1 in 3 factory boxes will have a complete set with the gold star).  The others include (non serial numbered) print runs of 299 (blue) and 99 (orange).  There is also a 1/1 complete set, but to my knowledge that hasn't surfaced yet.  

Inside the retail factory sets are Foilboard card packs with a pack of 5 cards each serial numbered to 264 copies.

The hobby foilboards packs are similar looking and limited to 229 copies.

Below are the 4 parallels I have so far.

Only the foilboard is serially numbered on the back.  It has a print run of 229 copies.

I still need the foilboard numbered to 264 copies which is a retail exclusive.  

Have you bought any of these Walmart Green box factory sets? Did you open it to see if you had a parallel set?

Scripture Sunday is Back

It has been a long time since my last Scripture Sunday.

Today I am going to show off my latest card pickup that features a cross.

It is the 2017 Factory Set sparkle foil numbered to only 175 copies.

These are tough pulls because you can only get them in the factory sealed sets and each set only has about 5 of these randomly inserted. 

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like , be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love.