4 random packs of 2008 Allen and Ginter

So, after seeing all the hype that comes with the Allen and Ginter release, and checking my local box store for blaster boxes seemingly once a day, I decided I should just go to the moderately overpriced card shop and buy a couple packs. When the card shop owner reminded me of the Topps Trading Card History giveaways, I felt beholden to buy two more.

So that night, my wife and I tore into, two packs a piece. And I’m not sure how I felt about it. They’re nice looking cards and all, and sure it’s interesting to get a card of Claude Monet or Bigfoot, but I wasn’t blown away as I thought I would be from reading all the fawning.

And then when I leaf through them, when I hold them in my hands, they don’t actually feel like baseball cards for some reason. They feel like they belong in a board game from my childhood. I just can’t figure out which one.

So will I still buy a blaster? Probably. Because I need to bust a box of something. But at this point, I’d bust some Goudey or Upper Deck Victory hockey, too. And on a side note, can you believe the first hockey release for 2008/09 is already out there? A full two months before the first game of the season. It blows my mind.

On to the results. I forgot to sort this pack by pack, so here’s the general roundup:

24 base cards, including a pissed off David Eckstein.

(this is not the card I received, but for illustrative purposes only)

I’m not sure why he’s so angry. After all, he’s got his own trading card in one of the most anticipated releases of the season. Even James Bowie has something like a smile on his face, and he faces certain death at the Alamo. Maybe Eck’s expressing his displeasure with becoming a part time player in Toronto. Or maybe he’s angry because that move by Toronto forced me to cut him from my fantasy team. It’s nothing personal Dave, and I really wanted things to work out for you up north. But you’re still a free agent in the league, so there’s always next year.

3 flag cards – Curtis Granderson (IL), Derek Jeter (NJ), and John Buck (Wy) – I thought these were one per hobby pack, but I only got three. Oddly, and continuing with the fantasy theme, all three of these guys were discussed in trade this year. Jeter, obviously, would have replaced Eckstein. Instead, I went with the young and cheaper Asdrubal Cabrera, who has since been demoted and promoted and is now hitting just above the mendoza line. And since we’re discussing him in with the flag cards, here’s the flag of his home state:

My team’s also employed Felipe Lopez (Puerto Rico), Jamey Carrol (IN), and Aaron Miles (CA) at the SS position. We’re hoping that Cabrera’s state flag will be good luck for him for the rest of this season and into 2009.

4 minis – Clayton Kershaw, Derek Lowe, Jeanette Lee, and Ryan Church. The Kershaw gets a trip in the mail to Pennsylvania since it’s got roller marks on it, which is too bad because he’s probably the best of the bunch. Jeanette Lee looks so angry for someone who plays pool for a living. Maybe she and Eckstein can get together to work on their smiles.

I did get a game used card, but I’ll discuss it later. Needless to say, my wife was the one that pulled it. I should start taking her to the shop with me. I like the framing idea, but I worry a little about the mini card sustaining damage within. I’ll just have to be careful with it, I guess.

So it’s not like the four packs were just part of a bad break. All in all, I’d say it was pretty successful. But both my wife and I were pretty ambivalent about the whole thing. Maybe it’s just because we were missing a box to go with it.