Football Cards by the Inch.

Back in the day, Topps used to send me sample boxes of their latest products. In addition to baseball, they also sent my football, basketball (when they still had that license), and UFC cards. The problem is, I only collect baseball cards.

For the last couple of years, I've had all these football cards that have been collecting dust on my floor. (Not literally collecting dust, they're all in cardboard boxes, but you know what I mean, right?) But I think I've come up with a novel way to liquidate my inventory of unwanted football cards, and make a buck at the same time -- after all those student loans aren't going to pay themselves off, right?

I'm selling all my football cards by the inch.

Yes, by the inch.

Here's how it works:

1. You give me the name of the team you're interested in.
   
   
2. I'll pull all the cards of that team I have, measure, and quote you a price at a rate of $20/inch (postpaid). That's right. ONLY $20 PER INCH!!!
   
   
3. You send me the money (cash, check, PayPal, whatever), and I send out your cards.
   
   
4. Yes, this includes ALL cards from your particular team; base, parallels, inserts, AND the BIG MOJO HITZ!!!
   
   
5. No, I will not tell you what cards you are going to get in advance. It's a surprise; however, if you look around this website, there are clues as to what's available.

If you're interested, send me an e-mail with your preferred team. In the meantime, here's a list of the sets that are available:

• 2009 Bowman
• 2009 Bowman Chrome
• 2009 Finest
• 2009 Topps
• 2009 Topps Chrome
• 2009 Topps Mayo
• 2009 Topps Platinum
• 2009 Topps Unique
• 2009 Triple Threads
• 2010 Absolute Memorabilia
• 2010 Finest
• 2010 Score
• 2010 Topps
• 2010 Topps Attax
• 2010 Topps Chrome
• 2010 Topps Platinum
• 2010 Topps Prime
• 2010 Topps Unrivaled
  

AND... Here are the teams that have yet to be claimed.

Bears
Bengals
Bills
Broncos
Browns
Buccaneers
Cardinals
Chargers
Chiefs
Colts
Cowboys
Dolphins
Eagles
Falcons
Forty-Niners
Giants
Jaguars
Jets
Lions
Packers
Panthers
Patriots
Raiders
Rams
Ravens
Redskins
Saints
Seahawks
Steelers
Texans
Titans/Oilers
Vikings

Card-Ola: 2010 Topps Magic Football

Bad Newz Video Box Break: 2010 Topps Prime

Yeah, I went to the site of Michael Vick's dog-fighting operation and did a box break. Sue me.

A Very Special Hanukkah Box Break: 2010 Triple Threads Football

Card-Ola: 2010 Absolute Memorabilia Football

So, now that Tracy Hackler is working for PanPlayRuss, or whatever they're calling themselves now, I now have two (count 'em, two) different card companies sending me unsolicited wax boxes.

Since I only collect baseball cards, I had been five years since I ripped any wax from this company -- not including Panini World Cup stickers, of course. So with this box, I was curious. Donruss-Playoff baseball sucked, and I was glad when they had their MLB/MLBPA licenses pulled. But have they changed in the five year's since?



More rainbow foil. More gimmicked rookies. More mindless parallels. New name, same ol' Donruss.

Memo to MLB Properties and the MLBPA: Please do not give this company a license. Ever.

The 2010 Finest Football Drinking Game.

It's real simple to play. Here's what you'll need:

* One Hobby Box of 2010 Finest Football

* A six-pack of the brew of your choice

* A fifth of Jeremiah Weed Sweet Tea-flavored Vodka (with the mixer of your choice)

How to play:

* Everytime you pull a Refractor, take a drink of your beer.

* Everytime you pull an autograph, drink some Jeremiah Weed.

I recently played this game with a box of Finest Topps sent me. For some reason, I stupidly recorded it for your enjoyment.

Card-Ola: 2010 Topps Platinum Football

Base Set: 111 of 165 (67.27%)
Vets: 68 of 110 (61.81%)
Chrome Rookies (two-per-pack): 43 of 55 (78.18%)

Parallels

3 Rookie (thick) Variations (55 cards, 1:6): T. Tebow, J. Skelton, E. Decker
2 Chrome Rookie Refractors (55 cards, 1:16, numbered to 999): J. Gresham, J. Graham
1 Chrome Rookie White Refractor (55 cards, 1:34, numbered to 499) D. LeFevour

Autogamers

1 Autographed Chrome Rookie Refractor (55 cards): A. Dixon /900
1 Autographed Chrome Rookie Red Refractor (55 cards, 1:1575, numbered to 10): M. Easley
1 Autographed Patch Chrome Rookie Refractor (55 cards): R. Gronkowski /800

Observations:

I don't ever recall a set were the "short-printed" rookies are actually easier to find than the base cards. Can you?

I still don't get the plain foil veterans and chromium rookies. And what's the deal with scattering the foil cards with the Chrome cards throughout the set?

Is it possible that an single "event-worn" NFL player jersey can yield 800 usable swatches of patch material?

Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of 5)

Card-Ola: 2010 Topps Football

Part One:



Part Two:



Base Set: 269 of 440

7 Golds (1:5, numbered to 2010): J. Pierre-Parl, M. Pouncey, M. Hardesty, D. Reed, T. Pike, J. Skelton, Z. Robinson

32 Topps Attax (50 cards, one-per-pack)
2 Drew Brees Ring of Honor (1 card, 1:36)
4 Topps Reprints (20 cards, 1:9) A. Johnson, D. Marino, D. Brees, F. Gore
12 1952 Bowman (50 cards, 1:3) G. Tate, A. Rodgers, T. Tebow, B. Marshall, R. Moss, C. McCoy, B. Tate, S. Bradford, J. Beason, M. Turner, M. Austin, D. Brees
6 NFL Draft 75th Anniversary (50 cards, 1:6) R. Lewis, T. Tebow, V. Young, E. Manning, D-Jack, P. Harvin
8 Gridiron Lineage (20 cards, 1:4): Aikman/Romo, Dawkins/Berry, Dickerson/Jackson, Montana/Brady, Namath/Sanchez, Sayers/Forte, Smith/Tomlinson, Thomas/Spiller
10 Peak Performers (50 cards, 1:4): D. Bryant, P. Manning, R. Rice, K. Winslow, J. Dwyer, J. Mayo, B. Favre, C. Johnson, D. Clark, G. Tate
6 Gridiron Giveaway (1:6)

Product Rating: 2 1/2 Gumsticks (out of 5)

Card-Ola: 2009 Triple Threads Football

Base Set: 3 of 100 (numbered to 799) J. Delhomme, R. Moss, T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Parallels

1 Emerald (numbered to 149) S. Slaton
1 Gold (numbered to 99) B. Quinn
1 Sapphire (numbered to 25) C. Johnson

Hits

1 Sepia Combo Relic (numbered to 15) P. White/S. McGee/N. Davis
1 Gold Rookie Rising Autographed Relic Book (numbered to 9) M. Thomas

A Couple of Topps Football Video Breaks

2009 Finest Football



2009 Bowman Chrome

On-Location Box Break: 2009 Bowman Sterling Football

Base Set: 22 of 201 (10.95%)

Base Rookies: 8 of 50 (each numbered to 799): T. Fiammetta, R. Quinn, C. Barwin, R. Johnson, A. Allen, K. Barnes, T. McKenzie, Q. Lawrence
Veteran Relic Base Cards: 4 of 50 (production varies): S. Jackson /719, J. Charles /999, D. McNabb /249, A. Gates /999
Autographed Rookie Base Cards: 6 of 45 (production varies): I. Johnson /999, W. Moore /999, J. Davis /999, B. Foster /999, M. Teel /299, C. Ogbonnaya /699
Rookie Relic Base Cards: 4 of 34 (numbered to 749) J. Johnson, S. McGee, D. Brown, P. White
Veteran Autographed Relic Base Cards: 0 of 16
Veteran Autographed Base Cards: 0 of 6

Variations
2 Rookie Autographed Relic Base Card Variations: L. McCoy /150, K. Britt /500

Parallels
2 Rookie Base Card Refractors (1:3, numbered to 299) Q. Johnson, R. Brace
1 Rookie Base Card X-Fractor (one-per-box, numbered to 100) V. Davis
1 Veteran Relic Base Card Refractor (numbered to 199) C. Taylor
1 Veteran Relic Base Card Black Refractor (numbered to 50) M. Forte
2 Rookie Relic Base Card Refractors (1:5, numbered to 199) B. Robiskie, A. Brown

Win a box of 2009 Bowman Sterling Football

We have a winner. Please, no more guesses.

Video Box Break and Review: 2009 Topps Chrome Football

One box of 2009 Topps Chrome Football (provided by Topps)
24 packs per box, four cards per pack

The Video


The Pulls

Base Set: 74 of 220 (33.64%)

short set: 62 of 110 (56.36%)
Rookies (1:2): 12 of 110 (10.91%)

Parallels
8 Refractors (1:3): E. Reed, H. Ward, P. Willis, P. Manning, A. Smith, Jr., C. Barwin, M. Johnson, B. Pettigrew
2 Copper Refractors (1:12, numbered to 649): C. Coffman, M. Stafford

Inserts
1 Santonio Holmes Ring of Honor (one card, 1:24)
3 Cheerleaders (15 cards, 1:8)
1 Cheerleader Refractor (15 cards, 1:207, numbered to 199)
6 Chicle (25 cards, 1:4) S. Jackson, L. Tomlinson, P. Manning, L. White, J. Cotchery, J. Porter

Autogamers
1 Autographed Base Card Rookie Variations (47 cards, 1:24): S. Greene

The Review

I can now understand why football collectors go ga-ga for Topps Chrome. ToppChro gives the football card collector what he/she wants: Refractors, stars, short-printed rookies, and autographs. While a similarly structured set wouldn't work in baseball; for football, Topps has the formula down.

Product Rating: 3 1/2 Gumsticks (out of 5)

... and another thing

Another design element that has been missing from Topps' chrome-stock baseball releases the last few years, but has remained in football, are the "etched" outlines. Take a look at a Topps chrome-stock baseball card from this year and compare it with a card from Topps Chrome Football, and you'll see what I mean.

Card-Ola: 2009 Topps Football

For the video, go watch it on BlogTV.

One box of 2009 Topps Football -- provided for free by Topps
36 packs per box, 10 cards per pack

Base Set: 291 of 440
no doubles

Parallels
12 Gold (1:3, numbered to 2009) H. Baskett, C. Johnson, T. Thigpen, K. Smith, L. Fitzgerald, M. Ryan, Reed/Lewis, B. Orakpo, C. Greene, S. McKillop, J. Freeman
1 Black (1:42, numbered to 54) E. Graham

Inserts
25 Topps Town (25 cards, one-per-pack)
4 Gold Topps Town: McNabb, A. Rodgers, T. Romo, K. Collins
6 AFL 50th Year Flashback (15 cards, 1:6) A. Haynes, J. Marshall, D. Maynard, G. Blanda, B. Cannon, B. Groman
6 Chicle (100 cards, 1:6) J. Cutler, A. Curry, T. Jones, D. Mason, C. Wells, A. Gonzalez
4 Cheerleaders (15 cards, 1:9)
1 Ring of Honor (one card, 1:36) S. Holmes

Autogamers
1 Career Best Relic: C. Matthews

Product Rating: 3 Gumsticks (out of 5)

This can not possibly be a Topps card.

It can't be. Where's the tractor? And where's the ghost of Tommy Kramer peering over Favre's shoulder?

(h/t Beckett Blog)

Card-Ola: 2009 Topps Magic Football

Topps sent me this box over a month ago. Shortly after I ripped this box, my laptop was out of commission for a few weeks, and I completely forgot about this break. All apologies.

Part One:



Part Two:

Cardola: 2009 Bowman Draft Picks Football

Again, courtesy of Topps...

Part One



Part Two


So why can't Bowman Baseball be more like this?

Cardola: 2008 Topps Mayo Football

One Hobby Box supplied to me for free by Topps of 2008 Mayo Football (street value: $100)
24 packs per box, eight cards per pack

Part One

Part Two

The Pulls

Base Set: 144 of 330 (43.64%)

Parallels
19 Minis
2 Yale Minis (1:13) E. Sims, D. Northcutt
1 Princeton Mini (1:24) T. Brady
1 Harvard Mini (1:50, numbered to 25) J. Gage

Inserts
2 Mini Famous Ships (19 cards, 1:12) Andrea Gail, RMS Carpathia
22 Super Bowl Logo History (33 cards, one-per-pack)

Autogamers
1 Mayo Relic (43 cards*) C. Henne
1 Mayo Americana Relic (18 cards*) W. Haynes

* Odds of finding an autogamer: 1:12/packs

Box Rating: 4 Gumsticks (out of five)
Product Rating: 4 1/2 Gumsticks (out of five)

Cardola: 2008 Triple Threads Football

And Topps, Meanwhile, Continues Its Grim Slide.

Here we go again with another "Chris bitches about the latest Topps bullshit gimmick" post.


Another Topps product, another bullshit gimmick card. Who cares, right?

I'm curious to know (and for all you dealers out there, I'd appreciate your feedback), if the gimmicks really have stimulated demand for Topps wax. (Or not?)

And for all you Favre collectors (why you'd be reading a baseball card blog, I don't know), does this make you want to go out and rip a wax box of 2008 Bowman? Or were you planning on buying (or not buying) a box of Bowman anyway?

UMMM, IIIIII..... WANT TO HEARRRRR...... FROM YOU CARD COLLECTORS!!!!

SHOW ME YOUR LIGHTNING BOLT! GIMMICK CARDS!

(Rome Clones may, or may not, get that last reference.)