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Collector of the Week- Mudflap02

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tonsofcommons

Active member
Aug 20, 2008
6,102
13
Iowa
Hi everyone! Welcome to "Collector of the Week".
FCB is full of a wide array of different collectors; Set builders, player collectors, prospectors, and the list goes on and on.

Today, we will be talking to Mudflap02. He is known throughout many collector communities as "The Heritage Guy".

He has allowed us to pick his brain about his ever-growing collection.


You are known as Mudflap02, but what is your real name and where are you from?


Jeff D., 32 years old, Midland TX

We all know you collect Heritage sets, but do you collect anything else?

My collecting habits and the cards I own have evolved since I got back into the hobby in 2003.

I collected Nolan Ryan cards with my dad in the late 80's and early 90's, then got out of the hobby for a few years until I got out of college. At first I wanted to rebuild my Ryan collection in PSA slabs, and the PSA message boards and set registry added a huge new dimension to the hobby. After a few years, I kind of soured on grading, and drifted towards the Heritage sets.

I got more involved on other boards, and I was there for the old BMB meltdown. I put off joining FCB for too long, but now it's my favorite online community. There are familiar faces everywhere from old message boards, and I think we have found a permanent home here.

In addition to my Topps Heritage Master sets (1 of every possible Topps Heritage card), I have some side projects that I have started, mainly on-card Topps autograph sets. I have near complete sets of 2006 and 2007 Topps '52 autos, and I still pick up multiple copies of Red autos and blue ink SP's when I can. I am also working on 2011 Topps Lineage autographs, as well as 2005 Finest veteran autograph refractors and xfractors /25.

My player collection is Jonny Gomes, mainly Bowman Chrome rookie parallels and Bowman's Best Rookie autographs, with a few low numbered cards thrown in. I used to go after every possible Gomes card, but after selling the majority of my collection to another member here, I stick with my stuff and let Luc pick up the rest. He and I have very similar collecting habits and I'm thankful we don't have to bid against each other.

I like the fact that the Heritage theme of most of my cards actually makes it a collection, rather than an accumulation of cards.

How long have you been collecting Topps Heritage?

The first year I built the set was 2005, and I have worked on it every year since then, and I have also worked on picking up the earlier years. I think 2012 will be my last year collecting Heritage, since there are still so many cards to go after. The 2013 set will be nice, but there are just too many cards and parallels now for a Master set collector to realistically attempt the set.

What has been the best part of collecting Topps Heritage?

I really enjoy trading with other members. When I first started, I didn't have a lot of money to spend, so I was trading for short prints left and right. There is a really solid group of guys who build the Heritage sets every year, and I have kind of gotten away from trading as much due to finally having a job. Now, the best part of collecting Heritage is paying top dollar for short printed cards of guys like Bengie Molina, Randy Winn, and Fred Lewis. I like that I have found my niche in the hobby. I collect the cards I like, and build the sets I want to. And I am even more thankful to have been doing it for long enough that when someone on the boards comes across a nice Heritage card, they know I'm probably interested in it.

If you sold ALL of your Topps Heritage, what would be the very last card you would sell? Why?

Probably my 2002 Al Dark Clubhouse Collection auto /25. It's a nice card on its own, no doubt, but it showed up in the mail the day I had to put my last dog down. It was a horrible day, but I always think of that card as "DogMan's card" for some reason.

AlDark_zps46594076.jpg


What are your 5 favorite cards?

You know I can't keep it to just 5!

2010 Topps Heritage Jim Woods Red Ink Autograph. I love his signature, and it looks grea on the card, even with the airbrushed hat.
jimwoods_zps6db461d5.jpg


2010 Topps Heritage Robin Roberts Cut Autograph 1/1. They chose a really nice cut for this one, even if the card itself isn't too spectacular.
RobinRoberts_zps55398d79.jpg



2009 Topps Heritage High Nunbers Kevin Gregg Auto. This card was never released, and was issued as a redemption replacement. I have only ever seen two, and I owned both at one point.
kevingregg_zps06723264.jpg


2002 Ray Boone Red Ink Autograph - Amazing signature on a beautiful card, no explanation needed. Purchased from a board member.
RayBoone_zps2e899592.jpg


2001 Todd Helton Blue Autograph. Helton's sig fits perfectly on this design.
ToddHelton_zps71c5c767.jpg


2005 Sean Marshall Black Refractor /56. Black border on a solid black background. None more black.
SeanMarshall_zpscc38200b.jpg


2006 Topps Heritage Keith Foulke Black refractor /57. The colors on this one really pop.
KeithFoulke_zps22b53ef8.jpg



2008 Topps Heritage Jonny Gomes Black Refractor /59. My favorite player on a black refractor.
JonnyGomes_zps8f5eaf7d.jpg



2010 Topps Heritage 1961 Buyback Hank Aaron. Pulled myself at the FCB booth at the 2010 National in Baltimore. I cursed aloud.
HankAaron_zps12084101.jpg


2010 Topps Heritage Al Rosen Player Sample Autograph.
AlRosen_zpsa61d339d.jpg


2008 Topps Heritage Chrome Jerry Hairston /1959. Only a handful have ever surfaced.
JerryHairston_zpsd16eca09.jpg



If 2001 Topps Heritage had produced black refractors serial numbered to 52, what do you think the commons would be worth? What about the stars like Jeter, Ripken, Griffey, Thomas?

Hard to say. The 2001 chrome set is really great, and at the same time, possible to actually build if you're patient.

In 2001, chromes were numbered /552, and no refractors were made. The same for 2002 (cards were /553), and in 2003, they numbered the chromes to 1954, while refractors were /554. So the 2001 and 2002 chrome sets are essentially the equivalent of a refractor set today.

Somehow, Albert Pujols did not have a card in 2001 Topps Heritage. I would think a base Pujols 2001 Topps Heritage rookie would sell for $100, if it was short printed, $200, and if a chrome /552 existed, that's probably a $600-$800 card. If black refs /52 were produced in 2001, I would think commons would easily go for $100, Ripken and Jeter probably around $500.

Of the cards that you currently have in your collection, which one has been the hardest to locate?

Shawn Green was the last 2001 Chrome, and it took forever to find. Thankfully a board member came through for me again! Some 2001 chromes seem to be tougher than others - Shawn Green, Ben Sheets, and Kaz Sasaki come to mind.

For black refractors, I have only seen a handful of 2008 Marco Scutaro cards. The first one I ever saw, I bought on COMC, and the USPS somehow lost the package. I was pretty upset! I have seen 2 or 3 more since then, and I finally bought one. (First day no Scutaro, Second day no Scutaro, Third day Scutaro.) Another really tough one from the 2008 black set is Carlos Gonzalez - it's the last one I needed to finish the 2008 High Number Black refractor set 201-300, currently my only complete black refractor set.

Tell us something about the Topps Heritage line that may not be common knowledge.

To determine if you have a tinted 2011 version, look at the fine print on the back of the card. If it ends in "09", you have a tinted version. Base card fine print ends in "01."

If you have a 2008 Jerry Hairston chrome /1959, it's worth around $250.

All Real One Blue autographs have a print run of 200, except 2002 Brian Giles, 2002 Cristian Guzman, 2002 Roger Clemens, 2002 Alex Rodriguez, 2003 Jose Vidro, 2003 Jose Cruz Jr., 2011 Sandy Koufax, 2011 Hank Aaron, and 2012 superstars (Koufax, Aaron, Mays, Musial, and Cepeda.)

If you had to eat one of your Topps Heritage cards, which one would it be and which condiment would you use to add some flavor?

I would stick with the gum. They used the good gum (with sugar) from 2001 to 2004, then went sugar free from 2005 to 2010. I believe from 2011 on, they no longer included gum. Take it from someone who has learned the hard way, the gum with sugar is no longer any good. That ship has sailed.

How can someone contact you if they have a card that may fit in to your collection?

Via PM on FCB (I actually have a couple PM's I haven't gotten around to responding to yet!) I also have a tab on my photobucket labeled "Contact Me" with a picture of my email address, and I have gotten a couple leads that way. I definitely suggest doing that if you have a photobucket, because I don't know how many times I have wanted to email someone about a card I saw.

Photobucket- heritagetrade's Library | Photobucket



Thank you Jeff for giving us some insight as to what makes you tick as a collector. We appreciate you allowing us to get to know you and your collection a little bit better.

Next time, we will be take a look at [MENTION=1742]predatorkj[/MENTION] and his impressive Jeff Bagwell collection.

Thanks guys and gals!
 
Last edited:

Logan2500

New member
May 21, 2012
618
0
PA
Pretty cool collection. Never knew a lot about heritage and had some good info in there. Thanks, really cool!
 

Tpm2780

New member
Dec 27, 2012
400
0
Illinois
I noticed that as well. Can't see any pictures. I'm assuming it might have to do with Photobucket being in a beta version although all of my pics transferred from the original bucket site.
 
Great read! From both sides. Jeff dropping 411 and fast Eddie going Harry Caray with the eating of the card!

Having been working (none so hard) on the 05 base + Sps since 05 I can only imagine how difficult the master sets are from each year.

Good job! Can't wait to read the bagwell article!


Sent from my motorolla startac.
 

TNP777

New member
Aug 7, 2008
3,528
1
the 209
Great write-up, and a great collector to interview. I think maybe, just maybe, there are a couple of decent cards in Floodmap20's collection that I sent his way during the Heritage heydey on CU. That was a really good time to collect Heritage and a fantastic group of trading partners.
 

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