Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! Are you guys ready to win a really awesome rookie card from the 1980s? Okay, then relax and read on...
I had a lot of plans for this blog. It was my best friend for six months. When I woke up, I read everyone’s blogs, when I got home from school-I posted, when I got home from work-I posted. While I was at work I was writing future posts. I love writing this blog, I have a ton of really awesome folks and pulled off some amazing trades and my collection has really flourished in the time that I have been blogging. I had always planned on having a HUGE contest to celebrate achieving the Collective Troll's 50,000th hit. It always seemed like an impossible or improbable number, but here I am knocking on the door. The only problem is I am without cable, a computer, a scanner and internet access. I have decided however that this blog is important enough to me to try and persevere, to blog on. While blogging on I have passed the 49,000 mark and in theory should be hitting 50 grand in the next week or two. Assuming that I hit that mark I do want to go ahead and have a contest. The prizes won’t be as grand and abundant as I had hoped, but I can still make them pretty sweet. As is typical with my contests (does anyone remember one of my contests?) there will be some voting attached. The vote will be to select the most iconic rookie card of the 1980’s. I am going to start the voting now and it will continue up till 50K and on up to 51,000.
That should leave the contest up for about a month and should allow plenty of people to have the chance to vote. The normal rule that you must follow the blog to enter will apply. You must vote for a card to be eligible, but that is it.
No other hoops to jump through. After hit number 51,000 I will close the contest, all of the entrants will be randomized (only 1 entry per blogger) and a winner will be selected. The winner will receive the card that is voted as most iconic rookie card of the 80’s.
I picked the 80’s for a couple of reasons-1. It is a hell of a lot cheaper to furnish the prize-I don’t wanna buy a Mike Schmidt (70s) or Steve Carlton (60s) rookie to give it away. 2. I started really collecting in the 80’s and I think most bloggers did as well. 3. The hobby really took off in the 80’s-there were negative side effects like overproduction and crappy product, but the hobby grew to a crazy, almost mainstream level in the 80s.
Okay, now who wants to vote for the most iconic rookie card of the 80’s? You need to choose the year, the brand and the player, that’s it. Some year by year suggestions include: 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson. 1981 Fleer Harold Baines,
1982 Topps Cal Ripken, 1983 Fleer Tony Gwynn, 1983 Topps Wade Boggs, 1984 Donruss Joe Carter, 1984 Topps Don Mattingly, 1985 Topps Mark McGwire, 1984 Topps Traded Dwight Gooden, 1985 Donruss Roger Clemens, 1986 Topps Traded Barry Bonds, 1987 Fleer Update Fred McGriff and of course the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. You don’t have to choose from these suggestions, pick whatever you feel is the most iconic rookie. Whichever card wins will be the prize. That is guaranteed.
If over 100 people vote I will add a second and maybe even a third prize, but either way someone is going to win a really sweet rookie card. You don’t get an extra entry for advertising this contest, but if it helps get more entrants than it would be appreciated. What are ya waiting for? VOTE GOSH DARNIT!!!
I know I said I wasn't going to post any of the group break cards myself, but I have to make one exception. There were some pretty awesome cards pulled. A couple of autos, several relics, a really low numbered card and plenty of Hall of Famers. There are also some unusual cards. Failed prospects, Bip Roberts on several different teams, Jose Rijo with several unusual props, glow in the dark cards, Nolan Ryan playing high school basketball, players eating, with their kids, making faces, wearing silly sunglasses and carrying oversized bats. It really has been a fun trip down memory lane for me. My wife has been helping me get the boxes ready to ship and this card came up. Now there a lot of cards that made us stop and laugh, but we agreed this was the best card out of the entire rip. Ryan, you might have to fight me for this one! It was a hard choice though. The '95 Collectors Choice was loaded with interesting photography. Aside from the cards, the old gum has been very interesting... I saved the gum from the 1978 O-Pee-Chee. 30 plus year old Canadian gum... It didn't look much worse than the 1995 Bazooka, that was pretty gross. 
Anyway... I found a few more packs than need homes. 
I only have a couple of each of these, but the first to claim will get them... Hersheys and Harleys. Have at it. Anthony K. I still need your address... Go Rays! Troll out.
The set includes (and PatP sent) legendary Hall of Famers and 
stars from my youth (who also happen to be HOFers) as well as current stars 
and more current stars. 
Thanks again to 
#57 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles (I can’t help it, I get giddy anytime I pull a card of the Iron Man)
#89 Jeff Conine Florida Marlins (I love this pic! The Niner with a sledgehammer)
#38 Brady Anderson Baltimore Orioles (1996 was Brady’s 50 homer season, complete with broken ribs and 90210 sideburns)
#96 Randy Johnson Seattle Mariners (The most intimidating mullet of the 90's!)
#144 Tino Martinez Peak Performers New York Yankees
Stick around cuz you never know who will be around for the next pack. Go Rays! Troll out.
#126 Jose Cruz Jr. Seattle Mariners (He was the 3rd overall pick in the 1995 draft out of Rice University. He was traded midway through his rookie year (1997) to the Blue Jays for bullpen help. He finished with 26 homers between the M’s and Jays and finished 2nd to Nomar in ROY Voting that year.)
#??? Swing for the Fences Game Card-Raul Mondesi LA Dodgers
#11 Cecil Fielder New York Yankees (I really don’t like seeing Prince’s Dad in a Yankees uniform-I hope it isn’t “like father, like son” with them. As usual Cecil hit the long ball, 39 in ’96)
#114 Michael Tucker Atlanta Braves
#57 Cal Ripken Jr. Baltimore Orioles (I know I don’t get to keep these, but I was really itching to pull a Ripken card! Cal drove in 102 in ’96)
#104 Raul Mondesi LA Dodgers (unbelievable, 2 different Mondesi cards in one pack. Raul batted .374 in Sept/Oct and hit .297 overall in ’96)
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