Recent slab pickups / grading

[2014BESTSERVICE]

So back in THIS PRIOR POST I had updated my 2003 Fleer Box Score stash. Two more back and one pissed me off to no end. Usually very careful about not wasting slab funds on damaged stuff- totally missed the damages on the Dual . Obvious when I look on the back. So I made an eBay sale and went out and used the funds to buy 3 more Duals to try again. Maybe one will get the NearMint I want for registry

Just annoyed I didn't pay better attention to it - it's not like there were a lot of cards on that sub (15 total- I should have caught the issue)

Another individual slab from 2004 Bowmans Best. This scan completes the 3 card run
The base and Red I posted Prior 2004 Bowmans Best

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Surface on front was clear of pitting and print " dots" common on these. Slight white on back upper right corner prevented the Gem. Otherwise was happy with condition

Had to use my phone to take the front pic

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Scan updates on some base sets I haven't really spent time worrying about. First up today is 2003 STADIUM CLUB . Only 3 Clemens cards in the series- Base, Gold , and a Photographers Proof. Honestly don't think I purchased a single box back then of this - if it wasn't Finest didn't want any Topps product. I like the Proof though cool idea. I may have brought a pack now and then for a single shot at a possible Mays / Aaron auto, but I highy doubt I'd have purchased a box. I did recently check out the set and I may track a box down to open as there are some interesting inserts in it

Info about the set can be found here 2003 STADIUM CLUB BASEBALL

Tried one on a sub to test edges back in 2023 - not so good- but did better on sub 2 after seeing how they'd treat the rough cuts. Just have to get a base card slabbed and the 3 card subsets done. I'll upgrade the proof down the road

Today's gona be a scan day as I have medical again and its gonna take scan time away later in the week


DUPE

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Next up is 2003 UPPER DECK PLAY BALL. Another base set I'd have ignored due to limited ROI and limited Clemens possible. I did own a Level 2 gold jersey but it was damaged so I gave away to another collector. Cool idea and if your a Yankees collector Dimaggio's all over this set. Almost completed this just have to find an acceptable Level 2 jersey piece and slab the promo card

Info about the set can be found 2003 UD PLAY BALL

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[2014BESTSERVICE]

Scanning more little stuff. Received back my two mislabeled 1996 Stadium Club Members Only Metallist Parallel cards now corrected. Can now sell the spare. Along with the extra crossover Sportflix below as I already owned the Gem

DUPES

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Another PSA crossover is this 1996 SELECT Artists's Proofs Clemens recently back and entered into my registry
Rescanned my Team Nucleus card from that series - so I updated both registry pics and sent both scans to my insurance lady

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

And another mislabel found= guess i gotta get another mislabel sub started

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

BACK IN THIS POST I showed a bunch of my 1994 Collectors Choice. Had to send this one back as I had noted on the card it was the Black Bar variation , but it came back as a base labeled Silver signature. There was an unknown amount of these Silver Signatures that were printed with base backs ( Black Bars) instead of the Silver bars

Came back today correctly labeled. Now I have to start subbing my additional Black Bar items so "maybe" it can be officially recognized as an accepted variation


BLACK BAR VARIATION ( HAS BASE BACK INSTEAD OF SILVER)

WHAT ITS SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE ( SILVER BAR FOR SILVER SIGNATURE)

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Back in my unopened box thread I opened a few packs from an unopened 1999 UPPER DECK CHOICE (formerly Upper Deck Collector's Choice). Haven't had time to list the unopened packs yet from that box yet, but I did get time to scan in some slabs from that series. Still have yet to come across a Gold I like. Should have knocked off years ago when I had the chance but too many other goodies were around

Info about the subset can be found here 1999 UD CHOICE STARQUEST INFO
I included one of the other can / pack inserts since it's been slabbed forever
Below are 3 of the 4 Clemens Starquests I have slabbed already.

These are thin, high suspectible to corner damages due to the packaging, and prone to suffer surface dings. Getting Mint 9 or above requires sheer dumb luck ( or contacts at the printing firms that produced them)

For a complete run check out Frank Thomas collector Patrick's ( @radicards ) thread on his hobby website Patricks website

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Seeing Jay's @jmc855 post over on the Sept pickup thread reminds me I have to dig these two out of storage to be re-slabbed. I don't like the white label and the newer Silver label would fit in better. On the Home Run that slab is just dinged to death. This stuff today would just be cost prohibitive to pick up= glad I splurged when money and hobby friends were more plentiful

Newest scans as I attack more inventory stuff. May be closing all my storage units ( I have 3 left) and coordinating a private vault solution. Insurance companies helping me on this one but my part's getting these scans current
Sent these in as "fillers" on a larger sub, and to see lowest points I can expect. Others look better so these are just place fillers until I get around to subbing the rest. Corners / surfaces were weak on all 3

I probably own 200 or more of the 1998 Finest variations so that will be a time consuming adventure if I get that far

Last are two of my Carlton Fisk slabs for inventory girl- both from 2001 Topps Tribute

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[jmc855]

Seeing Jay's @jmc855 post over on the Sept pickup thread reminds me I have to dig these two out of storage to be re-slabbed. I don't like the white label and the newer Silver label would fit in better. On the Home Run that slab is just dinged to death. This stuff today would just be cost prohibitive to pick up= glad I splurged when money and hobby friends were more plentiful




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Newest scans as I attack more inventory stuff. May be closing all my storage units ( I have 3 left) and coordinating a private vault solution. Insurance companies helping me on this one but my part's getting these scans current
Sent these in as "fillers" on a larger sub, and to see lowest points I can expect. Others look better so these are just place fillers until I get around to subbing the rest. Corners / surfaces were weak on all 3

I probably own 200 or more of the 1998 Finest variations so that will be a time consuming adventure if I get that far



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Last are two of my Carlton Fisk slabs for inventory girl- both from 2001 Topps Tribute

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Great cards. That makes 3 of the Hogg autos i ve ever seen. Strangely, I think I just landed my Openers Home Run after posting it in the top 10 wanted thread.

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Scanned in 5 more slabs for my Clemens registry, all related to the 2000 World series
Three of these were from the 2000 Topps Subway series set- missing just his token card ( if your selling it I pay up to 100% Beckett Hi value depending on condition)


Info about the Topps Subway series set is located 2000 TOPPS SUBWAY SERIES

The fourth slab is an insert from the 2000 Upper Deck Subway Series Box set, and 5th the 2001 UD Subway Series Game Used jersey which came out a year later. Think I'm missing a few others as well that I just haven't been slabbed yet

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

My newest Clemens registry scans caught up. Another slab sorta played on the 2000 World Series
And one from the 100th Anniversary Red Sox set. Happy with that grade the jersey cards are a major pain to find not damaged / dinged. The third slab is an item celebrating his 300th win / 4000 strikeouts

Back in JUNE 2024 SLAB UPDATE I made a post on my 2001 Fleer Platinum slabs, and followed it later with one straggler. This slab below holds some meaning to me not due to grade but who owned it
Another item from Dr James Becketts collection owned by me - his 1985 Fleer Anniversary reprint celebrating the 20th year after production. Scratched to all hell, so I might splurge on a newer slab while asking to keep the older label

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Catching up more on my Clemens inventory scans. Two of these ( 60- Silver Signature and 101- Gold Signature) were throw ins on a sub last year tax time. The rest I've had for 20 years in slabs. On the Gold I cannot believe I missed an obvious surface set of flaws on back. The Silver Signature had great centering but corners were so so - 3 were soft and 4th wasn't exactly gem either.

Guess when I care enough to find more can try to Gem the two I missed- for now I have too many items backlogged to try and upgrade anytime soon

Think I have a box of these buried in storage also so maybe try for a pack Gem
Updated both my registry pics and my inventory girl with them



60 BASE
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101- TRADITIONAL THREADS
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[Dazed]

One card return from PSA. It's a Beaut! I love it when I pull a card from my favorite team and it gets a 10.

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Beauty of a card @Dazed !!!

Another rarity going on ebay. Been with me for years and was a gift towards my Fisk PC.
Set collectors may like it. The white lint is "inside" the slab itself


2005 ULTIMATE SIGNATURE SIGNATURE SUPREMACY CF CARLTON FISK

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Back in May 2025 posted about my 1998 PACIFIC PARAMOUNT Clemens items. Recent small sub back now have all 3 of the backlogged cards done so this subset is finished and I can trade / sell all my dupes. On the Holosilver I actually located a better conditioned copy so that #33/99 stayed raw. Crossed over the Inaugural card from its PSA slab

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Two more Mark Mcgwires from the recent small sub back. Really irritated at myself for missing a dimple on the front of the 1999 E-X Mac. Knocked it down quite a bit. Otherwise the usual chipping of surface was good enough to warrant higher. Oh well. The 2002 Upper Deck Six Spokesman cards are undervalued in my opinion. Two Hall of Famers in Griffey and Ichiro and two guys who helped bring baseball back from the brink of irrelevance with the HR Chase ( trust me that strike in the 90's killed the sport and made football king). Have bunch more raw but none Gem worthy

Going you know where tonite / tommorow soon as I get that far. Ebays gotta wait gotta scan dozens of items to handle business. The Mac Topps Chrome card I showed before in the 90's thread is sold to my McGwire BGS Registry guy

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Some slabs from 1998 FLEER SPORTS ILLUSTRATED scanned for inventory girl. Always liked the cover cards from that set and the autos that were included were pretty cool as well. Fairly cheap base set that would go over well today. The graphics in this set rivaled Pacific for their quality and thoughfulness. These cards are slabbed because they were inserts. I have base still sitting waiting to be done. Theres a bunch of inserts I still need to locate decent copies of also. Just never spent much time on any years SI sets

When I initially got the poster back last year in a jumbo size sub I was confused on the low grade. Realized that a) I forgot to scan it before it left and b) it may have been sent that way because dummy me forgot to check it. They were folded and were inserts and I "thought" I sent the pack fresh item. Rather expensive $25 lesson to send one with a corner bent. Filler that down the road I can address I got bigger priorities right now

Info about the 1998 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SET

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Woke up tonight wondering why both my Andruw Jones sold on the same night in my ebay store. Looked online for news, and realized that today was Hall of Fame announcement Day and he was elected. So I just spent a couple hours digging up slabs and scanning

For the viewing pleasure- a few of the rare inserts I kept aside. While the 2003 Gold Spotlight and 2004 Elite Extra Edition can be found easier than the rest, the last 2 are VERY difficult. The 2008 Finest Gold Xfractors pop up very rarely now. No need to even pimp the Evolve auto suffice to say not all 50 made circulation and/or were redeemed. The auto on this one is magnificent- deep blue -ZERO loss of ink !!

 

[2014BESTSERVICE]

Keep being sent more stuff to scan by insurance girl since its been a while. Today had to search long and hard to locate 4 missing slab scans from the 1998 Pacific Online subset. My guy Clemens has numerous cards in this subset

Info about the set is 1998 PACIFIC ONLINE BASEBALL

You will notice below I have two Web cards. The Web Code Left came from Dr James Becketts PC. Other Web Code Right I pack pulled. Never really deciphered the code positions, but I always was under the belief that the left side were winning codes, and right side codes were losers, as there seems to be 10x as many cards with right hand codes as there are lefts. At least that is my "perception". Would love to hear from others about their difficulty finding left side codes of their player


BASE

RED

WEB CODE LEFT

WEB CODE RIGHT