1991 Comic Images Frazetta

 

Here we have a pack of 1991 Comic Images Frazetta. The set consists of 90 cards. 

The card fronts feature prints of the artist Frank Frazetta. Each card showcases a borderless image of the fantasy-themed artwork. Some of the images are definitely adult-oriented and those have been edited for general public consumption.

The back of the cards feature a black border styled like a hedge row or old parchment or something. The "FRAZETTA" name dominates the top portion of the back. Below that is the card number and title of the featured piece. That is followed by a paragraph related to Frazetta more than the artwork itself. There is a line art drawing of two people engaged in melee combat. At the bottom, we have copyright information.

The full checklist is found below:

https://nslists.com/fraz1.htm

1991 Comic Images X-Force

 

Today, we have a pack of 1991 Comic Images X-Force cards. The set contains 90 base cards and there is an autograph chase card of Rob Liefield. 

The card fronts feature comic-style renditions of X-Force characters. The central image is surrounded in an outline border that resembles the X-Force logo. The outer edge of the cards are color-filled in different colors. Centered at the bottom of each card, in a different color than the filled border, the X-Force character name or caption appears.

The backs of the cards feature an uncolored border. Inside this border, a black stylized border surrounds an orange center area. At the top of this orange area, the "X-Force trading cards" logo appears. Below that, in black text is the card number and caption from the front. Below this, a paragraph gives context to the item featured on the front. Serving as a watermark in the orange area, a large head of  Cable (I believe that's who that is) leers out at the collector. At the bottom, copyright information appears.

The full checklist can be found below:

https://nslists.com/xforce.htm

1993 Skybox Return of Superman

 

Here we have a pack of 1993 Skybox Return of Superman cards. The set contains 100 base cards. In addition to those, there are foil cards, an uncut sheet, a silver factory set, a gold factory set, and several promo cards.

Each card features a comic-style image surrounded by a Superman logo border. The border is gray/silver with a darker gray/silver Superman "S" emblem. The center image occupies the majority of the front. At the bottom, in white text, the card's caption appears (usually left-justified). In the opposite lower corner, the Superman insignia appears in a stylized metallic appearance. The logo is not metallic, it's just drawn that way - a la Jessica Rabbitt.

The backs of the cards feature the text, "The Return of Superman" at the top center. This has a background designed to look like Superman's cape with the logo below the word "Superman" in a yellow-ish color. Below that, the card's caption from the front is repeated, here in black. Below that, text related to the card gives background info or context. Below that, the card's number is centered in a small blue oval. The number itself is white. And finally, we have copyright info at the very bottom.

The full checklist can be found below:

https://nslists.com/superret.htm

2001 Dart FlipCards I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary

In this post, we feature a pack of 2001 Dart FlipCards "I Love Lucy 50th Anniversary" cards. There are 72 cards in the base set and a slew of chase sets including stickers, foil cards, holographic cards, box loaders, promos and more.

The front of each card features a black and white or sepia-toned scene from the series. In a lower corner, a pink heart with "I Love Lucy" script mimics the show's iconic logo.

The backs of the cards feature multiple additional stills, the heart logo, copyright info and the card number also inside a heart logo. The center of th back is dominated by a large pink heart. Inside the heart, a teal card title appears in a script font. Below this, curved to match the curve of the heart, text related to the image(s) portrayed on the card give background info and insights.

 

The full checklist can be found below:

http://nslists.com/lucy50.htm

1998 DuoCards Happy Days

 

Here we have a pack of 1998 DuoCards Happy Days. The set contains 72 regular cards. There are additional cards part of the overall set as well. There are 6 "The Fonz" cards (numbered 1-6), autograph cards from Marion Ross and Henry Winkler, 2 signed unopened boxes, and 2 promo cards.

The front of the cards feature full-color, bordeless stills from the show along with publicity stills.

The backs of the cards feature a "Category/Subset Name" along the left edge. Next to that, we have a small photo with the card number. Below the picture, the "Happy Days" insignia, the card caption, and copyright info. To the right of that, fun facts about the show, usually related to the person/people featured on the card.

The full checklist can be found here:

http://nslists.com/happyd98.htm

2022 Bowman Platinum

Here's a short and sweet pack that I picked up in a Walgreen's repack thing. I typically never open Bowman Platinum stuff because we don't really have Walmarts around here, but I'll pick up a few cards here and there for my team collection.

44 - Trevor Story - This particular Bowman Platinum year features a swirling background of sorts. Story was new to the Red Sox at the time. His offense has really fallen off a cliff since he landed in Boston.

TOP-94 - Colby White - Similar to other Bowman products, the set includes a separate Prospects set. White hasn't cracked the Rays regular season roster yet, but he did start off the current season at the AAA level, which is a good sign.

55 - Ketel Marte - Marte was last year's NLCS MVP in his team's unlikely run to the World Series.

18 - Christian Yelich Aqua Ice 078/250 - With only four cards in the pack, I was surprised that one of them was numbered. This will probably end up in the hands of some Brewers fan at some point.

Here's a bonus look at the back of one of the base cards. At least we get a few stats here, but it's otherwise pretty basic.

2024 Topps Series 1 Rack Pack

Greetings...

Happy Opening Day everyone!  Sure the Dodgers and Padres played a couple of games already, but today is the real deal.  Spring hopes eternal and all that.  May your favored team do better than expected!

The Target I occasionally work at had a separate display of rack packs in the Toy section.  When I was last there, they didn't have any blaster boxes and they still don't have gravity feeders for loose packs (I wonder if Topps put the kibosh on gravity feeders). There was an empty box in the card aisle, however, so the card vendor did at least put a box of loose packs out.  I also saw ads online about Mega boxes (like what they did for 2023 Topps Update) available as well, if that floats your boat.

I was going to post my first pack here for posterity, but a week or so ago my kid came back from a Target run with 2 packs, one for me and one for him.  7 bucks for 36 cards; let's see what he got:

#247 - Clay Holmes

#133 - Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds (Checklist)

For the record, my first card of 2024 was the Bryce Harper Checklist, #275.

#319 - Miguel Amaya

#108 - Jarren Duran

#317 - Starling Marte

It's been a few weeks since the release of 2024 Topps Series 1, and other than the regular, but legitimate, gripes (uninspired inserts, way too many parallels, and collation issues), it appears the blogosphere approves of this year's set.

#106 - American League Leaders (RBI)

#279 - Angels Team Card

If you tilt the card just right, you will see the team name and border shine in the light.  I was in my car when I opened my pack and it was quite impressive...for a card anyway.

#35 - Adley Rutschman

#211 - Rays Team Card

#119 - Hunter Greene

That's a nice Rays team card, but I think the Randy Arozarena card has the same pose.  I hope he doesn't get typecasted.

#71 - Brandon Marsh

#128 - Christopher Morel

#43 - Daulton Varsho

#195 - Dominic Canzone (RC)

My kid was quite pleased with the Future Stars look of the Christopher Morel card.  The picture has to be from his walk-off against the White Sox on August 16, 2023.

#156 - Corbin Carroll

#246 - Chris Taylor

#174 - Nathaniel Lowe

Not a fan of the Rangers' City Connect uniforms.

#309 - National League Leaders (Wins)

#2 - Padres Team Card

#337 - Hayden Wesneski

As for the City Connect uniforms for the Padres, well, it's certainly different.

#213 - Camilo Doval
#12 - Bryan Woo (RC)

#201 - Miguel Cabrera

Very respectful of Topps to give a sunset card for Miguel Cabrera and not to another Hot Rookiez.

#331 - Ryan Pressly

#82 - Curtis Mead (RC)

#SB-9 - Juan Soto (Superstar Blueprint)

Time for the inserts.

There are 25 cards in the Superstar Blueprint set.  I think the pack odds are 1:4.  I'm not able to decipher their spreadsheet; anyone know the difference between "EA HH", "SE HH", and "NT HH"?

#SMLB-14 - Bryce Harper (Stars of MLB)

#SLMB-4 - Jordan Lawlar (Stars of MLB)

Each Rack Pack comes with 2 Stars of MLB cards.  There's 30 cards total, but not every team is represented (no Rays, for example).

And yes, that is the numbering for the Lawlar card.

#104 - Connor Wong

#78 - Mark Vientos

#293 - National League Leaders (RBI)

There's 350 cards in the set this time out, so that's nice.  Here's the checklist if you need it.

#126 - Phillies Team Card

#307 - Austin Hays

#227 - Jhoan Duran

It's a Duran hot pack!

#348 - Dane Dunning

#238 - Reds Team Card

Finish the pack off with another City Connect uniform.  Cincinnati's isn't as bad as the others though.

Here are some backs because Opening Day:

Look at all those Miggy stats.  If this was Panini, you'd get a Tigers logo and a sentence about how he's retiring.  And the faces with the stat leaders is a nice touch.

Anyway, that's the pack.  Not too bad, right?  Enjoy Opening Day, and thanks for reading!