Pack Rip: 2019-20 Upper Deck MVP

It's not uncommon in this scene for a post like this to start "So I was at Target today..." And that's where this post starts.

Went to the Target in Dedham, MA today with my partner.  We were there to pick up some stuff off our brother/sister-in-law's baby shower registry.  I shot over to where the cards are usually located (on the peg board wall at the end of check out) and I was actually confused.  There was nothing.  I saw an end cap with a gaunt selection of Magic, Pokemon and Yugioh.  And honestly, it may have only been Pokemon and Yugioh.  I did eventually find a small selection of Topps 2019 baseball (series 1 and 2), some repack boxes of football and basketball, and some blaster boxes of 2019-20 Upper Deck MVP hockey.

Set Review: 1990 ProCards Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons

Grades
Quality: B
Design: B
Star Power: C
Collectiblity: B
Intangibles: B
Overall: C
Value: $5

This is the standard bearer set for peak-hobby minor league card design.  The 1990 ProCards set is full of stars and the design hints at some of the classic Topps designs (none the least of which being the '87 woodgrain set).

The full set is littered with stars, including Frank Thomas, Jeff Bagwell and Bernie Williams.  Of course, none of those big names called Lackawanna County Stadium home...

Set Review: 1988 CMC Maine Phillies Team Set Review

Grades
Quality: B
Design: A-
Star Power: D
Collectiblity: D
Intangibles: C
Overall: C
Value: $3

A subtitle for this review could have been "A Great Design Thoroughly Wasted".  

TCMA/CMC released minor league sets in the 80's.  1987 appeared to be the last year under the TCMA banner and starting here with '88 they're considered CMC releases.  As with previous years, TCMA/CMC (or in this case, just CMC) came up with a base design that was applied with minor color changes across all their team set releases.  

Set Review: 1987 TCMA Maine Guides Set Review (Update)

Grades
Quality: B-
Design: B
Star Power: C
Collectiblity: C
Intangibles: B
Overall: B-
Value: $7

At some point this week I decided that I was going to take a run at collecting a full set of Phillies' Triple-A team sets.  I've been sitting on the '88 Maine Phillies team set since 1988, and found this '87 Maine Guides set on eBay for about $10 shipped.  So, good news, I already have a complete Maine Guides/Phillies set.  I also have 2 Lehigh Valley Ironpigs sets, which just leaves every Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, the Ottawa Rapidz and the rest of Ironpigs sets for the complete set.

So, this is the 1987 TCMA Maine Guides team set.

Now Here's a Dumb Idea: Start a Trading Card Company

We can do better than this.

If you're around me long enough, you'll hear at least one of what I call "Awesome or Awful Ideas".  Yesterday was a very slow day at work, so I was watching Jack of All Trades on Netflix.  The movie, plus a lot of free time "on the clock" yesterday triggered one of these ideas.

Start a Trading Card Company

What would it take to start a card company?

1. Team or league licensing agreements
2. Photographer or photo licensing
3. Designer
4. Manufacturer for printing & packaging
5. Distribution

1. One of the things about baseball up here in New England, is that there are a lot of teams and leagues operating outside of Major/Minor League Baseball.  Three summer college leagues, a couple Atlantic and Can-Am League teams just south of Connecticut.  So while the dream scenario is to be the mega millionaire to crack Topps' MLB/MiLB stranglehold, the real deal is to jump in at a smaller level.  Be a big, lonely fish, in a small pond.

Set Review: 1988 Ballpark Cape Cod League Prospects

Grades
Quality: B
Design: B
Star Power: A
Collectiblity: B
Intangibles: A+
Overall: B
Value: $20

The 2019 Cape Cod League playoffs started last night with all 8 teams playing first round games.  For the historical record; Harwich, Yarmouth-Dennis, Wareham and Falmouth won yesterday.  But today, as the summer college season begins to wane, I wanted to revisit one of the incredibly few baseball card sets to feature the Cape Cod League.

Back in April I reviewed the 1988 P&L set, which earned low marks.  In contrast, today we are looking at the 1988 Ballpark Cape Cod League Prospects set.

Topps Design of the Decades Votes

Earlier this week Topps announced that they were taking votes for collectors' favorite designs over the last 67 or so years. Fans get one vote per decade starting with the 1950s. If you haven't voted, jump over there now.

My votes:

Set Review: 1988 Cape Cod League P&L

Grades
Quality: C
Design: D
Star Power: B
Collectiblity: B
Intangibles: B
Overall: C+
Value: $30

One of the things that excited me about moving to the South Shore was the opportunity to dig into the Cape Cod Baseball League.  I had been thoroughly seduced by the mystique of a league that has 1,100 active players in professional baseball and over the last 130+ years has sent a measurable percentage of their alumni to The Show.