2005 Playoff Absolute Memorabilia Spectrum Silver parallel

2017 Chronicles - Swatches

Year: 2017

Manufacturer: Panini

Set: Chronicles

Card Type: Insert, Relic

Insert Set: Swatches

Card Number: CS-RF

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered, Relic

Relic Type: Jersey

Serial Number: 040/299

To say it's been slow at the Rollie Fingers Collector world headquarters is an understatement.  At least when it comes to picking up new cards for the collection.  But as luck would have it I just got a trade package in the mail from Julie who writes A Cracked Bat.  She also happens to be a Tigers collector amongst other things and I sent her a slug of Tigers a while back.  In the trade package were a great selection of Brewers cards about 85% of them I didn't already have, which is a boon considering the massive sorting and cataloging of my Brewers collection I've been undertaking, closing in on 9000 unique cards for the team!  To help add to that total and to my Rollie collection Julie also sent this gem.

I've seen this card pop up on my ebay searches, but I've been really limiting my online purchases lately and mainly to just new Yount cards.  So adding a new Rollie, a new Rollie serial numbered relic, and he's featured as a Brewer, or as close as Panini can get is great.  The card commemorates Rollies 300th save.    

Thanks Julie! 

2005 Upper Deck Hall of Fame baseball Silver

In hopes that I don't want the Rollie Blog to get booted from the Sportscard Blogroll and in the event that I find time to start posting regularly again I give you my arbitary 6 month post.  

This time featuring Rollies 2005 Upper Deck Hall of Fame Silver Parallel card.  

2005 Upper Deck Origins Baseball Red Bordered Old Judge

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Upper Deck

Set: Origins

Card Number: 128

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert set: Old Judge

Parallel Set: Red Border

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 27/99

I guess this will mark the bi-annual Rollie post. I've really let this blog go.  It doesn't help that I have been focusing any of my collecting time, energy, or money on my Rollie collection.  Factor in that the collection has been stored away as we try and sell our home and the lack of office space to scan and to even write post and well something has got to give and that is unfortunately this blog.

Anywho  I do have a few cards cued up and so I figure I should post something to prove this blog isn't dead and won't get booted of the blogrolls.

We have featured here one of the many many sets and paralle sets Upper Deck produced in 2005.  There are tons of parallels to chase for this insert that include some autograph versions.  I like the overall look of the read bordered cards and it being serial numbered to just 99 doesn't hurt either.

On the Radar - 2016 Topps Legacies of Baseball

It's somewhat of a surprise to see Rollie feature in the set, as Topps really hasn't been giving Rollie the time of day and to be honest it's only one card with a couple parallels, but it's a start.

Rollie is featured in the Traditions Autograph set.  The base cards will be serial numbered and so will all the parallels of which there are 4.  Green, print run not stated, Purple, print run not stated, Red #/5, and Black #/1.

This is a new issue for Topps, but it looks like Topps Fire and Topps Valor had a baseball baby.  I'll reserve judgement until I see actually images of the cards though. This is also a pretty pricey set with boxes going for between $150-200.  You get one pack per box, 4 cards per pack.  2 autos, 1 Vault Metal card, and one parallel numbered to 99 or less.

2015 Topps Archives Signature Series 1982 Topps

Year: 2015

Manufacturer: Topps

Set: Archives Signature Series

Card: 1982 Topps #585

Card Attributes: Autographed, Serial numbered

Serial number: 30/34

I knew that eventually I'd end up picking up one of Rollie's cards from Topps' Archives Signature Series.  Unlike my other main player collection, Robin Yount, who's cards are super limited, Rollie has a lot of cards and most of them are relatively serial numbered high.  Of course calling a card serial numbered to just 34 a large print run is kind of ridiculous, but compared to a lot of the other players in the set, Rollie really does have a lot of cards to choose from.  After trying waiting a while I settled on a couple examples I'd like to add.  This 1982 was kind one of them.  For one it features him in a Brewers uniform, the card is numbered to Rollies player number, and I really love the 82 design. Plus you get his on card signature right next to his Topps facsimile one.  All of these card come slabbed with in a one touch with a Topps sticker sealing it shut.  The best part was this card cost me under $10 delivered!  This is why I won't gamble on high end stuff like this.  I know this has come down in price, but still $60 buck for a single card of who knows?  

Still a great addition.

2005 Donruss Diamond Kings HOF Heroes Green Framed parallel

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss

Set: Diamond Kings

Card Number: HH-91

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Insert Set: HOF Heroes

Parallel Set: Green Framed

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 21/50

If I had a hankering to try and track down all of Rollies' parallels from this set it would be a lifetime goal.  There are just so many parallels to chase, color wise and relic and autograph wise. Plus Rollie has two cards in the set, double parallels!!

Hard for me to pass up a cheap low numbered card though.  Here we have the green framed and green foil version of Rollies HH-91 (the black and white or sepia or whatever portrait version, HH-66 features the color portrait).

2005 Playoff Prestige Prestigious Pros Red parallel

Year: 2005

Manufacturer: Donruss/Playoff

Card Set: Playoff Prestige

Card Number:PP-74

Card Type: Insert Color Parallel

Insert Set: Prestigious Pros

Color Parallel: Red

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial  Number: 479/700

I have to say my Rollie Fingers player collection has really taken a back seat to just about every other collecting goal and aspiration.  I blame the total lack of new Rollie this year.  Yes there have been a few auto cards and I've been picking them up pretty cheaply here or there.  But Rollie hasn't been featured in a base set in a couple years by Topps so there's not too much to chase.

So we'll dip into the old collection.  

Here's another color variant or parallel or whatever from Donruss' Playoff Prestige Prestigious Pros set.  There's a whole rainbow to collect.  The red cards are numbered to 700 and look like all the other variations, just this one has red foil.

2005 Donruss Diamond Kings HOF Heroes Blue Framed parallel

Card Manufacturer: Donruss

Card Set: Diamond Kings

Year: 2005

Card Number: HH-91

Card Type: Insert Parallel

Inserts Set: HOF Heroes

Parallel Type: Blue Framed

Card Attributes: Serial Numbered

Serial Number: 082/100

Yowza, I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted here.  I blame it on the lack of new Rollies, among other things.  Rollie only had one licensed card from Topps last year and a hand full of higher end autos and relics from Panini.  Since I've had so little to chase my collecting dollars and interests have kind of left my Mr. Fingers collection to gather dust.  But I do have a few scanned cards to share.

2005 Donruss Diamond Kings one of the most paralleled sets of all time.  So many parallels to chase I doubt even if you had unlimited funds you could put together a complete player rainbow. Not only does this insert have color parallels, but relic, autographed and relic autograph parallels and color parallels of those!  

2012 Topps Museum Collection Bronze Parallel

My last Black Friday pick up is this 2012 Topps Museum Collection bronze parallel card.  I love the look of the card and a classic photo of Rollie in his prime with the glorious mustache!!

I realized long ago that it's not worth opening high end products like this.  It's so much better saving the money on the excitement and most likely disappointment of ripping open a box of this and just picking up the singles you want down the road.  

Rollie hasn't been getting the love as much in recent years and new cards are few and far between so I'll take the ones I can get and all those colorful parallels.

2005 Donruss Champions Impressions Red parallel

Nothing like a mid 2000's Donruss set with a ton of parallels. Here we have the Red Foil Impressions parallel.  By my count Rollie has 8 parallels in this set not counting the printing plates and one relic card.  The only difference between this card and the base and all the other parallels is the foil color, the impressions stamp in the center of the card, and that it's serial numbered to 250.

Basically this card is designed for the relic and autographed versions that some of these cards have.  But as a base card and as a silly parallel to the base card this card has so much wasted and unused space. Really the whole right side of this card is nothing.  It's one of the main failings of a lot of inserts and parallels from this time frame and still happens all the time today.

2014 Panini Immaculate Heroes Relic

Let me introduce you to the first new Rollie Fingers card of 2014.  It's not the only new one now. This card has a prime parallel and Rollie also has some autographed cards in the new Panini Hall of Fame set, but this card marks the first new card of the year to make it into the collection.  

I'm a big believer in timing when bidding on cards. Most of the time it's patience and waiting that lets me get great cards at really good prices, but this card is the exact opposite.  I ended up nearly stealing this card because no one knew it was out there.  Either way a great addition and I'm glad to see Rollie showing up on new cardboard.

2004 Donruss World Series MVP

Yikes. Can't believe it's been so long since I got a post up here.  I'll blame the complete lack of Rollie in this years issues.  Rollie has had zero, ZERO, cards featuring his likeness made this year.  I'm not sure if it's the card companies just overlooking him or perhaps Rollie has had something to do with it, but regardless Rollie hasn't been on my mind, so the blog really hasn't been on my mind.  But that doesn't mean I don't have cards to share.  So let's get this fall started off right.

Going back a decade, we have the 2004 Donruss World Series set. Rollie had a card in the MVP insert. Here we have the base insert numbered to 1000.  There are also relic, autograph, and relic autograph versions of this card too. You can tell that this card was designed with the variations in mind with room for the relic and auto.  The design itself is kind of meh, but the low print run is nice.

2004 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection

Back in the mid 2000's Upper Deck set the bar pretty high with it's high end offerings. Between Sweet Spot and Ultimate, Upper Deck really had the corner covered when it came to higher end baseball cards. But since Upper Deck lost most of it's major licenses it's become a side note, unless your a big hockey fan or enjoy seeing your favorite stars in college uniforms.  

What I like best about this card is that Upper Deck gave Rollie card number 34, his number. However they feature him in a A's uniform, but all the information and stats are from his time with the Brewers.  That's something Topps would do. Actually Topps would feature Rollie in a A's jersey and list him as an A and then put a gigantic piece of a Brewers or Padres uniform on the card.

Still a nice card here though. And even though low serial numbered cards are the norm now, it's nice the base card is limited to just 675 copies. 

2005 Playoff Prestige Prestigious Pros Orange parallel

I think 2005 might have been the year of the most parallels ever produced.  And Donruss was the company that made that happen. Without a doubt the mid 2000's were stuffed with sets that offered inserts in a rainbow of flavors.  Topps and Panini still provide us with a seemingly unending variety of parallels and inserts.

 2005 seems to be the zenith of the fad though.  And it's a toss up between Donruss' Playoff Prestige and Diamond Kings as to which set had the most parallels. I tried counting and I gave up.  But between all the base inserts with varaitions and those inserts with autograph, relic, and autograph relic variations and color variations with those variations, you get the idea. I ended up picking up a couple parallels of Rollie from both Prestige and Diamond Kings.  So first up is one of the many rainbow of flavors from the Playoff Prestige set.  

The insert Prestigious Pros, the color orange. I do believe that Donruss made a color parallel for all the colors in the rainbow and then some.  The orange and the red look very similar, even in hand. But the oranges are limited to just 500 and feature Donruss' Micro Etch technology.  Don't believe me look at the box below!

Anyway I think I picked up this orange shiny beauty for about 3 quarters or about 24 minutes of street parking time in downtown Anchorage.

2006 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts When It Was a Game Silver insert

Sometimes I miss Upper Deck, sometimes.  Here we have a 2006 SP Legendary Cuts When it Was a Game insert.  Lots of foil, serial numbered and a blurry, black and white photo.  I like the design, I really like what the card represents, I'm just sad that Upper Deck couldn't find a better photo to use on the card.

This card also has a gold parallel and relic version, as well as, the 4 printing plates.

2005 Upper Deck Past Time Pennants Gold

I'm still digging through the collection, since the looks like 2013 will not be a very good Rollie year for new sports cards.  By my count there are only 3 new cards. Two autos in Panini's Cooperstown Collection and a Colgan's disc insert.  I'm not counting the Tristar cut auto cards.  

So lets take a trip back in time to 2005.  There were lots of products coming out in 2005. And there were lots of Rollie Fingers cards to be had.

I remember when this came out. You got a little Mitchel and Ness mini pennant as a top loader. I bought a box of this way back then. My pennant was one commemorating the 1932 World Series with the Yankees vs the Cubs. Can you guess who won?  I don't remember what else I pulled. I know you got a couple autos and I think a relic too.  I'm also pretty sure I did not pull this Rollie out of that box.  No, I'm fairly certain I got him off of ebay.

Rollie has a couple autos in the set as well, but this card is his Gold Parallel card numbered to just 50.

I also just realized looking at the back of the card here, that Rollie is 5 days older than my father.  But he's also almost 6 inches taller.