Expired Plate

Printing plates are the easiest "1 of 1" cards to find. They make for a unique collectible without breaking the bank.  My rule on plates is to try not to spend more than $10 on any single one. If I do buy them more times than not is either short stay Buccos or guys that don't get the auto/relic treatment.  So while I'll happily take the likes of Gerrit Cole and Starling Marte in trade, my purchases are more focused on the guys like Sean Casey and John Jaso.

My most recent purchase of a plate was a era you don't see as much on the secondary market.  90's Plates!!!!!!

1998 Topps Stadium Club Francisco Cordova Printing Plate (Black)

I think this is only my second or third plate from the 90's and they are all Francisco Cordova. I had to take a picture on my phone of the front of the card because the scan looked invisible. Interesting to see how plates have evolved over time.  This one is much more flimsy and thin than more recent plates. 

Obviously these are not the most attractive cards to add to your collection, but they make up for it in uniqueness. My excitement was a little higher with this one just because of the era. I've been putting a lot of emphasis adding players like Cordova.  Now I need to find an Al Martin from this period. Mission accepted! 

Thanks for reading. 

One of a Kind

I'm often discussing 90's parallels and the price fluctuations that go along with them. Today let's take a look at one of the more affordable parallels from the era, Stadium Club One of a Kind.

1998 Stadium Club Tony Womack One of a Kind /150

I feel like I should always put a disclaimer on these type of posts that if you collect Jeter or Griffey Jr then my "affordable" line doesn't apply.  Those two are in a league of their own for the era in terms of pricing.  Other expensive players of the era like Chipper Jones and Maddux will sell for less than $10 while the big 2 will be in the $50 to $100 range.  Crazy stuff. 

Interest in the One of a Kind's on eBay seems tepid overall. To me the reason seems obvious in that making a parallel of an already great base set is likely only going to make it worse. Much like the gold parallels in the recent Stadium Club sets (which can easily go unnoticed). Fun inserts like the Triumvarate cards seem much more popular.  

When trying to pick these up my usual protocol is to either find sellers that offer free shipping on eBay or make them part of a bulk order on COMC.  Most of the Pirates seem to sale in .99 to $3 range. I believe this Womack ran me around $1.50 on COMC. So you can how shipping can sometimes be more than the card itself. 

If anyone happens to see the Al Martin version of this card let me know.  The 1999 version has been on eBay for a while, but can't seem to locate the 98.  

Enjoy the games today! 

Thanks for reading.