Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Digging through some dollar boxes

Once again, continuing my purchases from Showtime Sports Cards in Tempe, here are some cards that I found in their football dollar boxes in a short period of time between dropping my sister off at the airport and making my way to an Arizona Fall League baseball game.


As with before, I didn't get through all the boxes, and I didn't have access to my collection lists so I was just pulling things that I thought I needed and hoping for the best. Well, okay, there were quite a few that I knew that I needed, but my memory still isn't as good as I would like it to be.


On the dollar boxes, there was a sign that the cards were also 12 for $10. Knowing that I would have more than that, and also from dealing with the owner on the Friday, I suspected I would get a better deal than that, but I figured even if the cards did wind up at those prices I didn't mind since they would be in hand and I wouldn't have to worry about any shipping. As it turned out, in the time I had, I wound up with 53 cards, and when I went to pay he said that he would reduce the price to $0.50 a card. I was pretty happy with that and it just reinforces that I will definitely want to go back to that store the next time I am visiting my mom. I ended up needing 35 cards.



Top (l-r): 1999 Upper Deck HoloGrFX #72; 2000 Donruss #209 (#/1325)
Bottom (l-r): 2001 Donruss Classics #142 (#/475); 2001 Pacific - Retail LTD #21 (#/299)


Some needed rookie cards, and I hope that I didn't leave any other of those Retail LTD cards behind in the box. I don't know if I really noticed the SN and the holographic overlay of "RETAIL LTD" that goes left to right on the front of the card through both players' pants. It would have been really easy for me to miss out on what I thought were regular 2001 Pacific cards.


Top (l-r): 2001 Upper Deck Rookie F/X #282 (#/750); 2002 Fleer Focus #148 (#/1850)
Bottom (l-r): 2002 Leaf Rookies & Stars #212; 2004 Leaf Rookies & Stars - Longevity True Blue #24 (#/249)


I remember the roles that Andre Davis and William Green played with the Browns, but I didn't remember Darnell Sanders playing in 26 games over two seasons with the Browns. He caught 15 passes and 2 TDs in those seasons.


The Longevity True Blue card is pretty sharp looking.


Top (l-r): 2003 Bowman Chrome # 165 and #178
Bottom: 2004 Topps Chrome - Premiere Prospects #PP9


Some more rookie cards, and a rookie year Winslow insert.


After being a 2nd round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, Chaun Thompson played five seasons with the Browns. Other than on Special Teams, he didn't make an impact during his rookie season, playing all sixteen games and finishing with 10 tackles. He wound up playing five seasons with the Browns, and playing in all 16 games in each of those years. His best season was 2005 when he had 62 Tackles, 5 Sacks, and 2 Forced Fumbles.


Lee Suggs was a 4th round pick in 2003. He played in 25 games for the Browns from 2003-2005, and finished with just under 1600 combined yards in his Browns career. (1048 rushing, 204 receiving, 318 kick returns)


Top: 2004 UD Diamond Pro Sigs #121
Bottom (l-r): 2005 Topps Turkey Red - Red #191; 2007 Topps Chrome - Refractors #TC113


I'm sure that I wasn't the only one surprised when Charlie Frye won the starting QB job in 2007, was pulled in the first half in a loss in the season opener against the Steelers, and then traded to Seattle two days later.


The funny thing is that with Derek Anderson, they went on to finish the year 10-6, their last winning season. After that Week 1, I didn't see that coming.

Top (l-r): 2005 Donruss Throwback Threads - Throwback Collection TC-8; 2005 Topps Turkey Red - White #200
Bottom (l-r): 2009 SP Authentic #156; 2008 Donruss Elite - Teams Black #ET-11 (#/800)


I found a lot of Braylon Edwards cards that I needed, and almost all were horizontal inserts.


Top Left: 2006 Donruss Elite - Passing the Torch Green #PT-3 (#/250)
Top Right: 2008 Donruss Classics - Membership Silver Holofoil #M-7 (#/500)
Bottom Left: 2009 Donruss Classics - Sunday's Best Silver #9 (#/250)
Bottom Right: 2009 Donruss Classics - Monday Night Heroes Gold #12 (#/100)


He wasn't the only star of horizontal inserts that I found.


Top Left: 2008 Donruss Classics - Sunday's Best Silver Holofoil #SB-2 (#/250)
Top Right: 2008 Donruss Elite - Zoning Commission Red #ZC032 (#/200)
Bottom: 2012 Panini Prestige - NFL Draft Tickets #3


I've always liked the Draft Tickets inserts. It is interesting to see what looks like a general template with the information typed on it. The back of the card was slots to type in the Name, Team, Height and Weight and another check box for the position.


Top: 2006 Donruss Threads - Retail Blue #192 (#/200)
Bottom (l-r): 2006 Playoff Contenders - ROY Contenders #ROY-21 (#/1000); 2006 Topps Chrome #170


Some rookie cards of D'Qwell Jackson. He was one of my favorite Browns during his period with the team, and I think they could still use him as a veteran with their defense now. He was let go after the 2013 season, and has played well for the Colts since.


I was a little surprised that I needed the base Topps Chrome card, but grabbed it because I know that I still need quite a few rookie cards as they seem to not be included in a lot of the random lots that I have bought off eBay over the years.


Top: 2007 SP Authentic #114 (#/1399)
Bottom (l-r): 2011 Topps Prime - Gold #148 (#/699); 2014 Bowman - Rookies Gold #74 (#/399)


Wow, only 1399 of those Charles Ali cards out there and I now have one! Woo hoo!


Seriously, though, here are a few other rookie cards or rookie parallels that were in the box. I've got so many cards of Greg Little wearing the 00 at the rookie premiere event, or whatever it is where all those photos were taken.


Top (l-r): 2007 Bowman Chrome - Refractors #BC124; 2008 Topps Chrome - Refractors #TC94
Bottom (l-r): 2010 Topps Chrome - Anniversary Reprints; 2014 Topps Triple Threads #95


I'm sure that I've mentioned on my blog before how much I appreciate it when the card companies identify their refractors as such. It is nice and easy to see on the back of the top two cards right underneath or beside their card numbers.


It is unfortunate to have that light line going across the chrome Jim Brown reprint but it isn't as noticeable in person, and I'm sure I'll see another some day.


It is always nice to pick up higher end cards like those from Triple Threads, and I like the Josh Gordon photo on the card. I just wish that he gave himself a chance to play. I hope that he stays clean and that someone gives him a chance at a new start if the NFL reinstates him. I think the Browns will move on from him no matter how talented he is.


Outside of the dollar bins, I also picked up some other football cards on that trip.


As I did a final look through the store, and noted some old junk era boxes that I may pick up next time, I noticed a starter pack for the 2001 NFL Showdown game, and a package of black and white replacement cards that were to be given out to players of the game whose machines had trouble reading the foil cards. Now the Browns only had one foil card, Tim Couch, but I knew that it was in there and that I needed it. When the owner gave me a nice inexpensive price for both, I picked them up. There was one Browns card that I needed in the starter pack.


L: 2001 NFL Showdown 1st Edition #102; 2001 NFL Showdown 1st Edition - Monochrome #103


The great thing about the game is that they had a wide selection of players for each team, with 14 Browns in the set. This becomes the only Browns Stalin Colinet card that I own. He only has two - the second is from the following year's NFL Showdown set.


The Monochrome cards have blank backs. If anyone is interested in the cards for their team, send me an email and if I still have that team I'll send them along. Click here to see the checklist.


I still have one more Arizona post to go, and then I'll move on to other recent additions to my collection.

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