Gaddafi, Seaver and Munster: My BoBuBingo Experience

So I didn't end up getting a bingo last night during Christopher's BoBuBingo (or Box Buster Bingo) box break at Crackin' Wax.  Thus, I didn't have the opportunity to snag any of the hits from the 2012 A&G box.  Just as well, I guess, as there wasn't much to howl about in that department.  Our box produced a pair of jersey relics (Mark Reynolds, Jed Lowrie) and an auto redemption for Anaheim's Jered Weaver, which I guess is kind of cool.

There was also a mini card from the "Guys in Hats" insert set (it was a fez, in case of curiosity) that apparently was pretty rare.  It created quite a stir, actually.

Therein lies my issue with Allen & Ginter.  I fully understand that there are bushels of products produced by Topps that deal exclusively with baseball; some just with today's players, some with a mix of current and retired, etc.  So, for me to want Ginter to be of the same stock is silly of me.

But, I guess this was a pretty good illustration of why I never found A&G to be as appealing as most other collectors do.  Call me old fashioned, but when I open a pack of cards I only want to find baseball players in there.  I can't see myself getting overly excited about opening a pack to find cards of Miguel Cabrera, Gaddafi, cow brains, and the Alamo.  That's just me.

Gaddafi in a Hat: An obvious 2012 A&G snub

And I certainly don't begrudge any collector that does happen to enjoy the zany themes of A&G.  As I've said time over, the thing that makes our hobby great is the number of ways it can be enjoyed.  If collecting an entire set of "Lizards of the World" inserts makes you happy, then God bless you!  It's just not my thing.

So, while there were no David Wright jersey cards pulled and I didn't win a bingo, my night wasn't a complete wash.  It was a fun event and a great time.  Major kudos to Christopher for organizing it and pulling it off flawlessly.  Not too shabby for your first time, sir!

Oh, and I also got a few cards.  I selected the Mets as my group break team, which could have gone better, but certainly could have been worse.  Hey, as a lifelong Mets fan, you pretty much just assume things are either going to fall apart or blow up at inception when it comes to our beloved team.

Out of 24 hobby packs, I will be receiving four Mets cards.  Three of them are base cards and one is an insert. The base cards (in order that they were pulled) are: Ike Davis, Jason Bay and Johan Santana.  Ike and Johan are great additions, obviously.  I could do without the Jason Bay card, but he is still a Met and he did hit a home run last night (finally).

The fourth card is an insert from the "Baseball Highlight Sketches" set, and it is Tom Seaver!  This insert set is found in approximately 1:10 hobby packs and includes 25 total cards of players ranging from retired to current. Here's a glimpse at what the card looks like:

Three-time NL Cy Young winner

I'm banking on this looking better in person.  I like the gold bordering, and the sketch is pretty decent.  Though, it kind of has a 1980's Donruss Diamond Kings vibe, doesn't it?  And what's with Seaver's face?  He doesn't really look like Tom Terrific.  Rather, he looks more akin to Fred Gwynne's lovable Herman Munster character from The Munsters TV show:

Zero Cy Young awards

Oh well, beggars can't be choosers, and I'm happy to add a Herman...err...Tom Seaver card to my collection. And, if I were to ever collect any of the A&G insert sets, this one would definitely be campy enough to draw me in.  However, this box break will likely be my one and only Ginter investment this year.


Once more, a big thank you to Christopher at Crackin' Wax for letting us in on all the fun.  I can't wait to do it again!


MK