CONTEST!!! Picture Game
Hi Haters. I know you are all going to get your boxers in a bunch when I saw that I scanned this from (gasp!) Beckett, but this is probably the only thing I can take for what it’s worth. I like reading the previews, I enjoy flipping through it, and most of all I only bought it because Albert is on the cover. There is a short article on his chances of winning the triple crown, and I will read anything about him really. So if you don’t want to play, you don’t have to.
Here is a fun little game. Since I know pretty much all of you don’t read or buy Beckett I am going to offer a prize for the first person to get at least 6 correct answers. The prize will be a game used card from my pc (Yankees are not an option here) or you can have an A-Rod hater t-shirt.
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bill ripken
gary sheffield
eric davis *
mark mcguire
ryan sandberg
ricky henderson
griffey jr
bonds
canseco
greg maddux
mattingly
tony gwynn
More specifically…
'89 Fleer Billy Ripken
'89 Topps Gary Sheffield
??? (Steve Garvey?)
'85 Topps Mark McGwire
'83(?) Donruss(?) Ryne Sandberg
'80 Topps Ricky Henderson
'89 Upper Deck Griffey Jr.
'87 Topps Barry Bonds
'87 Topps Jose Canseco
'87 Donruss Greg Maddux
'84 Donruss Don Mattingly
'83 Fleer(?) Tony Gwynn
I just saw this issue in our local grocery store tonight. I picked it up and flipped through it. And put it back when I saw that the price was $9.99.
Interesting how they were just now doing a box break of 2009 A&G. I know that there is a lag in the print media, but they could have done a sidebar article on Gint-A-Cuffs. Come on.
The only one that I knew in the store was the Mattingly. But looking at them now I can pick out the Team USA McGwire. And the Billy Ripken. And the Jose Canseco.
And Sooz, Curt Schilling had a nice post on his blog about Jeter.
Ooh! Can I enter? Haha.
Glad you liked it.
Mark – I know we all love our blogs and hope that someone, somewhere, of some importance reads them and takes our opinions to heart. In reality, there are only one or two of "us" who have any sort of impact on the hobby.
If they printed something about Gint-a-cuffs I can't imagine more than a small handful of readers actually "getting it", especially since most bloggers refuse to read the publication.
I still don't totally understand the hate towards Beckett, so long as you take their reviews, previews, and pricing with a grain of salt. No, their prices may not be realistic, but they serve as a perfectly acceptable barometer of what is/isn't "hot" right now, in addition to being a relatively comprehensive checklist of what's out there. I use mine all the time for this very purpose – seeing who is in the relic/auto sets and which rookies are in any given product.
For that purpose, Beckett is as good as any source out there.
Joe –
My comment about Gint-A-Cuffs was tongue in cheek. I don't hate B*ck*tt. I enjoy their articles and features. I just don't need to spend $120 per year (newsstand price) for a price guide that I won't use.
I dislike B*ck*tt for their messed up database/website.
That's all.
True, their price guide is absurdly expensive. I usually buy just one or two a year, usually towards the end of the season when most of the newer products on the market are listed. I bought one in May when I sort of got back into collecting and I'll check the current issue to see if SPx, Legendary Cuts and Allen & Ginter have made it in.
Even if I did care about prices, so few of them actually change month to month anyway that it's not worth it.
Peter* has won the contest. Tony, perhaps you should get a little something as well.
As far as Beckett goes, you should all take it for what it's worth and use it as it's intended, a "guide". I stopped buying them when they went to $9.99 unless Pujols is on the cover, or if he doesn't appear on the cover I buy one a year and read the rest in Barnes n Noble.