What I Got at the Card Show: 9/9/06

Site: Woodbridge Center; Woodbridge, NJ

One box of 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter (List Price: $99)
One box of 2006 Fleer Tradition (List Price: $58)

Both wax boxes were purchased from the same dealer, who charged me $150 for both.

A big ol' stack of set fillers and commons. (Paid $50)

Total Spent on Cards: $200
NJ Turnpike Tolls: $4.40
Parking and Admission: FREE
Grand Total: $204.40

Stand-by on those box breaks.

The $50 worth of "set-fillers and commons," is a nice sized stack of over 120 '06 base set cards. You'll be thrilled to know (as I am) that I was able to complete the first series of '06 Upper Deck, and have put a nice size dent in the second series. I also finished off the '06 Bowman short-set ("Reds" and "Greens"), and have only four "Blues" remaining to dust-off the Prospect "inserts" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge). There were a smattering of singles from Ultra, Fleer, Topps series 2 as well.

All of these singles were purchased from a New York area dealer, and as such, charges a "regional premium" for Yankee and Met players -- even the commons. He wanted $2.50 for David Wright's '06 Ultra card, $3 for Derek Jeter's '06 Topps, but only a dime for Ryan Howard's '06 Topps. Go figure.

Needless to say, the only cards now needed to complete my '06 Topps (#500, Jeter) and '06 Fleer (#394, J. Posada) base sets; and my '06 Ultra short-set (#93, D. Wright), are all Noo Yawkers.

Oh, and another thing. I found out what neat-o present Upper Deck is sending me for that Exquisite redemption card I pulled: A Jim Thome/Reggie Jackson dual-autographed card numbered to 20 copies. Hopefully, it's not a one of those cheesy "sticker autograph." I guess I shouldn't be complaining though.

In fact, some of the other "prizes" are pretty sweet: Low-numbered autogamers galore; an '06 Exquisite factory set (only 75 sets produced); tours of the UD facilities; and, my favorite, one wax box of every 2007 UpperFleerDeck product.