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Day 64: Topps Gallery "Players Private Issue" /250. Very similar to Gallery Proof, slightly different. I like the border colors on the Proof better.
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Earlier in this thread, I posted the 1997 Essential Credentials. It was /99 and had a less rare counterpart, Credentials, /299.
In 1998, they introduced a numbering system that they would use for several other years. They made a Future and Now version of the Essential Credentials parallels and did away with the Credentials. There were 100 cards in the set. The checklist was basically organized as a ranking system where the top players were near the beginning of the checklist, and the younger players were toward the end of the checklist. So, the way the Essential Credentials set worked was the Now version was numbered to the card number that player was in the set. Card #1 in the set was a 1/1, card number 2 was /2, and so forth until you get to the last card in the checklist /100. The Future version was the opposite. The young players got the really rare cards, and the stars got the less rare version. The Futures were numbered to 101 minus the card number. So card number 100 in the set was a 1/1, whereas card number 1 was /100. Meaning each player had 101 total Essential Credentials. Barry Larkin was card #25. Therefore, his Essential Credentials Now was /25, and his Future was /76. The cards themselves were multi-layer, as the previous year, with acetate and foil coming together to make a shiny masterpiece. Below is the Barry Larkin Essential Credentials Future. I do not yet have the Now version, but am on the hunt. I will do a separate post when we get to 1999, but they used a similar numbering system that year as well. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ef43e9ba90.jpg |
Day 66: 1999 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallion. Of all the cards out there, I find the gold parallels the most attractive. 1999 was Larkin's last big career year, and a magical year for the Reds as they won 96 games. He recorded 5.1 WAR in his age 35 season, but the Reds lost game 163 to the Mets, and they missed the postseason. At the time, I believe they were the first 90 win team to miss the playoffs under the new wild card playoff format. While other 90 win teams have missed the playoffs more recently, the 1999 Reds still hold the dubious distinction of most wins without making the playoffs. The Mets got there at together in 2000, and made the World Series, remembered more casually as the Subway Series.
The 1999 season would end Larkin's peak years, which started in 1988. Only showing WAR, here are his numbers: 1988 = 7.0 WAR (All Star, Silver Slugger) 1989 = 3.8 WAR (AS, SS) 1990 = 5.7 WAR (AS, SS, MVP7) 1991 = 6.1 WAR (AS, SS, MVP17) 1992 = 5.6 WAR (SS, MVP12) 1993 = 3.8 WAR (AS) 1994 = 4.0 WAR (AS, GG) 1995 = 5.9 WAR (AS, SS, GG, MVP1) 1996 = 7.2 WAR; first shortstop 30-30 season (AS, SS, GG, MVP12) 1997 = 3.5 WAR (AS) 1998 = 5.7 WAR (SS) 1999 = 5.1 WAR (AS, SS, MVP22) https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3da55abbde.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
Larkin has some beauties in the 1998 Flair Showcase set.
Here is the Row 0, the precursor to the current mojo refractor design: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f9cc140af0.jpg Here is the Row 1 Legacy Collection: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2de5f0d0cd.jpg And here is the Row 3 Legacy Collection: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...50388eba40.jpg |
I'm going to post a bit early today, because I've been excited to get to this one. It is one of the rarest and most interesting cards I own.
I found it at that National this year in Cleveland. A dealer had it that mostly sold vintage oddball stuff like pins and buttons and other trinkets. I saw it and immediately knew it was coming home with me. I asked him how much he wanted for it, and he said I was probably the only person in the building who even knew what it was, and since it wasn't his specialty, he quoted me a super low price. I couldn't give him the cash fast enough. The card is a 1998 Topps SportzCubz test issue. This entire set is a mystery as it never made it past the prototype phase. The description on baseballcardpedia.com says, "1998 Topps SportsCubz were plastic 3" square "cubes" apparently issued by Topps as a test issue. The fronts have a player photo set against their team's logo with the words "Topps SportzCubz" on the bottom left and the player's name located on the bottom right. The backs have biographical information as well as season and team stats. Any further information about these cards is appreciated." It is rare that even baseballcardpedia doesn't have much information on a set. According to an article on sportscardinfo.com, there are rumored to be 5 total sets produced. The article states, "Very little is known about 1998 Topps SportzCubz. The main reason for this is because it never made it past the test phase. About five prototype cards are rumored to have been made for each player. Then the idea was canned. What the end product would have looked like is a mystery. Judging by the prototype, it looks as if it would have been wrapped around something. I guess we’ll never know." A user on collectors forum and freedom cardboard named frankhardy seems to have the most information on the set. In response to a statement in a thread on collectors forums in 2017 that said "I have two of the five Mark Grace's. I say five because that's the rumored total pop. I know two sets sold in 2014, and three more sold in 2016-- by a son of a former Topps employee. I assume the three from 2016 were independent of the other two... if so that would account for the five," frankhardy had this to say: "I don't think that the sets in 2014 were independent of the other 3. I am certain that those sets that were sold in 2014 were sold by the same son of the Topps employee. He sold one of those sets in 2014 to a guy in Texas. I know, because I bought the near set from the guy in Texas (he kept 3 of the cards....Griffey, Bonds, and Alomar). I bought the near set from the guy in Texas AFTER I dealt directly with the son of the Topps employee. "Here is how it all went down.... "In May of 2016, I bought my first set from the son of the Topps employee for the sole purpose of keeping the McGwire for my Cardinals collection. I sold off the rest individually. He contacted me again in October of 2016 wanting to sell another complete set and another near set (22/25). I purchased them, along with some other nice Topps items like wax pack wrapper proofs, uncut sheets, etc. "Ironically, the very next week in October, I saw where a guy was selling 3 Sportzcubz on Ebay. I thought, "That's just great"...after I thought I had pretty much cornered the market so to speak, here are 3 more cards. So, I contacted him in Texas to see what he had. He had a complete set, but he wanted to keep a few. He agreed to pull the 3 he listed on Ebay and he sold me all but the Griffey, Bonds, and Alomar. He confirmed to me that he bought them from the son of the Topps employee (who had passed away a few years ago). "So, to sum it all up, of the 5 sets or partial sets known to exist, I have owned 2 complete sets and 2 more near sets. I still own the complete set in BGS slabs and I still own 2 partial sets. As I stated earlier, I broke the first set and sold individually (keeping the McGwire). As for the 5th set......I don't have any information on it....or whether there are any more out there." As you can see, other than information that these sets came from a former Topps employee, not much else is known. If you have any information on the set, please share. Here is a photo of the front and back of the card. They appear to be some sort of 3D puzzle, when joined with other cards they made a 3" x 3" cube. The backs of the cards say "Product Prototype" on the bottom right. They are made of plastic rather than card stock. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b8f91dcf59.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ee1a2e2e43.jpg |
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1998 Ultra Platinum Medallion /100 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...61d40bf36d.jpg |
Day 67: 1999 UD Retro Gold /250.
Side note: I didn't post a couple days because I got double whammy infections: Covid and Stomach Flu. Gross. Stay away. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...65ac4a5a1f.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
I hope you get to feeling better.
I had a different plan for my first 1999 post, but mail is delayed, so it will have to wait. Instead, I'll go with a nice pair of Essential Credentials. 1999 Essential Credentials had the same numbering system as 1998, except there were 120 cards in the set, rather than 100. Larkin was card #34, so his Essential Credentials Now was numbered /34, while his Essential Credentials Future was /87. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f567d42a8c.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0a30e451e8.jpg |
Day 68: 1999 Topps Chrome Refractor.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...331602ae8e.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
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In fact, the base card is cooler than both of them. The 99 EX-Century is one of the best base cards ever. |
For today I'll post some more Flair Showcase Legacy Collections. Here are a couple of the 1999s. They are /99.
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Day 69: 1999 Skybox Molten Metal Xplosion. 1:2 packs. What an interesting parallel that is so easy to obtain. I liked this as a kid (it was actually in my childhood collection), and I still like it now.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ee773ea250.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
For today, since I'm still waiting on a big one in the mail, I'll go with a card that got me really into card photography.
I have always cataloged my collection by taking pictures and organizing them into albums on my phone. This card was like looking into a mirror in person, but was like the most boring and dull card in photos. That sent me on a journey to figure out the best ways to coax out the beauty of my 90s Larkin collection. These days, my photobox setup against a black backdrop seems to be my go to method. But natural light is always king. So this photo was taken outside at about 2 pm on a sunny day with a nice blue sky with a few scattered clouds reflecting off the mirror like surface of the card. The card is a 1999 Fleer Brilliants Gold parallel numbered to 99. There is an even more shiny parallel in this set called 24 Karat, numbered to just 24. I am still searching for that one. Until I find it, this beauty will have to suffice. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5b3136a832.jpg |
Day 70: 1999 Topps Stars and Steel. A follow-up to Molten Metal. There is also a very nice parallel to this card: Gold Domed Holographic (1:24 packs). I'd really like to have that one!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7cb0f1427d.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
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These are some of the most interesting cards out there. Metal card stock with a rubbery domed surface. Like 180 point thickness. But gorgeous refractor finish on both front and back. They are SUPER hard to find. Don't let the 1:24 odds fool you. These were sold in a 3 card package that was a tri-fold booklet. The print run was miniscule, so 1:24 is very rare for these. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...ad09b4fcf9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...343b0f0101.jpg My two copies together: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c2a2188492.jpg |
Day 71: 2000 Pacific Omega Generations w/ Jeter. 1:145 packs. Crazy to see a combo player card such a hard pull! This was the most difficult insert to pull in the entire set! Platinum Blue, also was 1:145, numbered to 55, but it had 150 subjects so it matches the odds of Generations. Thus, each Generations card is printed to 412.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0607f9b095.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
After what felt like an eternity waiting on USPS, it finally showed up! This is a big one for me.
It starts at the National this year. There wasn't a ton of 90s stuff there, and even fewer of Larkin. But I did find a few gems. One was the SportzCubz test issue I already posted. And another was this 1999 Bowman Chrome International Refractor /100. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2cd4a48b57.jpg I was thrilled to have it. I love that the Cincinnati cityscape in the background not only fits the Reds, but the hometown kid, Barry as well. I thought that was likely the end of the 1999 Bowman road for me because the only rarer card than that is the Gold Refractor. But it's numbered out of only 25. Fast forward to today, and after finally working out a deal for this beauty, it arrived in the mail. 1999 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor /25 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f8a09cc6cf.jpg |
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Day 72: 2000 Pacific Vanguard "High Voltage" Green /99.
2000 was Larkin's last season as more than a replacement level player, bringing in 2.6 WAR. After the Reds acquired Griffey over the winter, following their successful 1999 campaign, the 2000 season was a disappointment. It was the start of a decade of mediocrity. Griffey never lived up to his hype in a Reds uniform, and Larkin was oft injured. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e33b19ef2f.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...16daf0c42b.jpg And just as interesting, the next card I had queued up to share was also a Pacific card. 1999 Pacific Revolution Shadow Series /99 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...bf29b2d52e.jpg |
Day 72: 2000 Pacific Prism Raindrop. Print run less than 1000.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...49f42b84f2.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
This is one of the coolest cards out there.
1999 Skybox Premium Star Rubies /50 It is a card that looks like it's moving, even when it's not. It prompted me to mess around with moving images to see if I can capture it. Here's what I came up with. Stationary image: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...08889783a7.jpg And here it is in motion (please forgive the pixelation as the website compresses it pretty severely): https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...28b06494cf.gif |
Day 73: 2001 Topps RetroFractor. 1:12 packs. Back of the card is cardboard cardstock.
2001 Topps was a set that I went all in on. I thought the idea of the 50th Anniversary was so cool. Then with the explosion of Ichiro in WA, and the ASG in Seattle, it was probably the best collecting year of my life. My father bought tickets to Fanfest, and we stayed in my sister's apartment in Issaquah, and then we stayed in Fanfest all day! I bought a box of Fleer Tradition and pulled a Jackie Robinson GU relic card. And then we stood in line for autographs all day. I met Bob Gibson, Brooks Robinson, Bobby Thomson and Ralph Branca among others. Later in the summer I was busy buying Bowman Heritage. By the time Chrome came out, my collecting world was already saturated. I picked this card up a couple years ago because the nostalgia of that year is through the roof! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b66671983e.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
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Day 74: 2001 Ultra Platinum Medallion /50. I always wanted one and a year ago one came up on Ebay and I said I'm getting this one no matter what. I need to get the rest now.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...663b47acc1.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
That's a good segue into my next 1999 post.
Here is the 99 Platinum Medallion. It's a beautiful card. I still need the 2000 and 2001, but I'm happy to have the 97-99. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b6d41493a4.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c8365562d5.jpg |
Day 75: 2002 Fleer Box Score 1st Edition /100.
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I feel like these are underrated. Compared to other 90s cards numbered /100, they get very little love. Perhaps it's because 1999 SPx just doesn't have the following of previous years, but the holofoil on these in hand is very pretty.
1999 SPx Radiance /100 https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...35a3ff2f4b.jpg |
Day 76: 2002 Topps 206 Mini, Uzit Back /112 (Series 3). This set was the inaugural release and was spectacular. I loved it. The chase cards are the backs, and they are hard to find! Piedmont, Polar Bear, Tolstoi, Cycle, Bazooka, Sweet Caporal are specific to series.
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BTW, check your PMs. ;) |
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1999 Upper Deck Century Legends Century Collection /100
This card has it all: die-cut, holofoil, low numbered. It screams 90s but just doesn't seem to get the love it deserves. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...60b4e2de43.jpg |
Day 77: 2003 Fleer Box Score All Star 1st Edition /100. The partner for the card a couple days ago.
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Day 78: Barry Larkin 2004 Donruss Elite Aspirations /89. Would love to own Status /11 or Status Gold /24.
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Day 79: Barry Larkin 2004 Flair Hot Numbers Red Die Cut /18.
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Day 80: Barry Larkin 2004 Leaf Certified Cuts Gold Relic Auto /10.
2004 was Barry Larkin's last season, age 40. He still contributed slightly, 0.9 WAR, and played in 111 games (after only 70 in 2003). https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7b55e9987e.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
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Day 81: Barry Larkin 2004 Playoff Honors Auto /25.
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Edit: I have the Red base card /975 (not die cut). Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b2e899dc5e.jpg |
Day 82: 1998 Evolution Revolution. I've had this forever. Cool card, but annoying to display and view.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...18ea2d7a2b.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2b1e2d7d65.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...bc0466e68d.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
Day 83: 2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia "Absolutely Ink" Spectrum Prime Triple Relic Auto /25. Long name, beautiful card!
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5dcacde9e7.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
Thanks, Tim, for helping me get one step closer to completing the Epix run. I only have the hard ones left. :)
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Edit: I realize I posted the wrong description of the picture. Here it is amended.
Day 84: 2002 Donruss Studio Private Signings /25. Odds 1:346. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...256eac93ce.jpg Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
I don't really collect game used cards much, but I wanted to add a bat card to the collection. So I picked up this 2002 Certified Materials Mirror Blue.
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Day 85: 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Debut Solid Contact relic. Odds 1:24.
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Day 86: 2003 Fleer Patchworks Numbers Game relic. Odds hobby = 1:33. Odds retail = 1:213. There is also a numbered parallel of this card to /300.
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2003 E-X Essential Credentials Future (unstamped copy)
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This beauty showed up in the mail today!
1998 Donruss Collections Elite Prized Collections https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7288b5684f.jpg |
Saw these over Christmas and had to have them. Looking for the next two letters D & S.
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Well, it took forever for the last one I was waiting on to make its way through the mail system. But here they are in all their glory!
The GER is pop 2, and the Gold Refractor w/ peel is pop 3, none higher (there are a couple 10s without peel). Bronze base, Bronze Refractor Silver base, Silver Embossed Silver Refractor, Silver Embossed Refractor Gold base, Gold Embossed Gold Refractor, Gold Embossed Refractor https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fc4b8320db.jpg |
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Included in each 1994 Topps "Baker's Dozen" factory set, was a cello-wrapped three-card "sampler" of a MLB player. Each player is represented by his 1994 Bowman, Finest, and Stadium Club cards. These cards are identical to their regular issue counterparts except for a special "Topps Superstar Sampler" emblem on their backs.
Here is Larkins Superstar Sampler unopened pack! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2237e60067.jpg |
2001 Leaf Limited Lumberjacks /500. Game used odds 1:9 packs.
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2002 Topps 206 framed relic. Odds: 2 per box.
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Recent pickup: 1998 Donruss Collections Preferred Prized Collections. Stated print run of 55.
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Very nice, I will have to post some of my Larkins, I have quite a few auto's, my dad used to work with his sister so I got hooked up with some auto's when I was a kid.
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I am excited as a collector can be! Today, I finally completed the Larkin run from my all-time favorite set: 1998 Donruss Crusade.
The Red Call to Arms is finally mine! This is only the second copy of this card to be seen publicly that I am aware of. I'm not a collector of special serial numbers, but this is jersey number 11/25. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...290941bd86.jpg https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...af0ff35429.jpg Here they are in all their glory, the 3 Call to Arms and the 3 unreleased high number prototypes. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a788d26529.jpg |
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Does the card look equal to or better than the photos provided by the seller? Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk |
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I got this from the local Dairy Queen during the promotion in 1992, the person who worked there got tired of handing out the cards, so I got this advertisement and what was left of the cello packs @ 3
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Just a couple
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Picked up a real beauty! Die-cut /89.
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Recent mailday: 1999 Bowman's Best Atomic Refractor /100
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How does an Atomic Refractor differ from a regular Refractor other than the serial numbering?
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This is the more traditional atomic pattern: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2346fdebb1.jpg They likely decided that pattern wouldn't look very good with the vertical lines of the 1999 design and went a different direction Here they are side by side (regular on left, atomic on right: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...13c386ebb7.jpg |
Been a while since I posted, but picked up a good one tonight on ebay. 2001 Topps Chrome Golden Anniversary Refractor. Odds = 1:100, and it's a 50 card set! Yikes. 5000 packs to possibly get the player you desire. And I got it for $8.75. Feels like a steal. Base Retrofractor is 1:12 packs. I'll post better pictures when it arrives.
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Great pickup!!!
I love getting rare card for cheap. |
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But I don't understand. How "unreleased" were those 3 high number prototypes? How then did you get them? :confused: |
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While many collectors believe that one copy of the Red and Purple and two copies of the Green of each player from this unreleased portion of the set exist, this is more of an exception than the norm. The large majority of players only have one of each color, with some players not having one or two colors confirmed to exist. Most players in the initial Crusade set (#1 - #100) were to have a "base" and "Call to Arms" (CTA) card, for all three colors. The first Crusade "type" for each of these players were released in packs of 1998 Donruss, Leaf, and Donruss Update; however, the second Crusade "type" for many players were part of this unreleased set. For example, the Ken Griffey, Jr. CTA Crusade was one of these unreleased cards that emerged on the secondary market after the bankruptcy - Griffey, Jr. had a "base" Crusade that was officially released in packs but his CTA subset was to be featured in sets that were never officially released. Unlike the CTA Crusades that were inserted into packs, all unreleased CTA cards are sequentially-numbered. Because of the popularity of the Crusade set in general and potential rarity of the unreleased Crusades specifically, these command also strong premiums in the secondary sales market over the pack-issued Crusades. It should be noted, there are a few exceptions to the rule with these unreleased cards. Rickey Henderson (#166) and Vinny Castilla (#138) both do not have a Crusade that was released in packs but have a Crusade in this Unreleased set. Both of Mo Vaughn's Crusades (#12 & #196) - pack-issued and in the unreleased set - were the CTA version; Vaughn does not have a "base" Crusade. All player cards between #131 and 200 have been accounted for although some players do not have all 3 color parallels. Barry Larkin has all 3. I was fortunate enough that a dealer in a facebook group I'm in acquired the whole Larkin set and posted them all for sale at once. I snapped them up as soon as I saw the post. |
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