Back to the card shop

With all the trading I have been doing lately, I run out of supplies faster than ever. I had to make another stop at the card shop I mentioned last week. I picked up my supplies, plus 2 more packs of 2004 Topps Chrome and 5 packs I'll be discussing in a day or two. The 2004 Topps Chrome has entirely too much border for my taste, but the price is right and it's a product I never opened when it was new. This makes 4 packs total for me and I liked what I saw today. I probably won't buy any more stuff this year (except a couple things I've already bought and will be posting shortly). I'm saving to buy Topps flagship in the hobby form when it goes live. Now, for the Chrome goodies.

2004 Topps Chrome Series One--4 cards

The Astros are well-represented in this pack. I don't have much to say about Mr. Wagner. He was a 5 time All-Star and in 2009 had 0 saves for the first time in his career, if you don't count 1995 when he had 0.1 IP with Houston.

According to the stats on the back of this card, Mr. Mulder was 64-34 after his first 4 seasons. That is a very nice start to a career. He would win 33 games the next two seasons, only 6 in 2006 and none since. Unfortunately, injuries would soon plague Mulder and he missed the entire 2009 season rehabbing from shoulder surgery. According to the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal, he may be a Brewer in 2010.

Brad Ausmus, Astros. When you only get 4 cards in a pack and two of them are Astros, that won't make a Rangers fan real happy. However, I DO like the refractor and the black refractor is even better. These fall 1:10 packs so I'm not complaining.

Hmmm...let's see, two Astros, an Athletic and what could possibly top this pack off but a Yankee. It looks like Mariano Rivera has an otherworldly aura around him. Oh, he does. I know that any card photo that includes the pitching screen is wrong. Just wrong.

2004 Topps Chrome Series 2--4 cards

According to a the write up on this product, there are hot packs falling at a rate of 1 per hobby box. "PARALLEL HOT PACK - ONE HOT PACK PER BOX! HOBBY EXCLUSIVE! Hot packs contain 2 Gold-Bordered Refractors, 1 Black-Bordered Refractor and 1 HOBBY HOT PACK EXCLUSIVE All-American Refractor parallel card". So...

Gold Refractor Jamie Moyer, Mariners. The gold refractors fall 1:9 packs. Unless you get a hot pack...!

Gold Refractor Randy Johnson, Diamondbacks. The 2nd gold refractor so imagine my surprise. I didn't have any idea there were hot pack for this product. Just like the first pack in this post, we have a one team taking up half the pack. Care to guess which team?

Carlos Baerga XFractor, Diamondbacks. I suppose this is what they mean by "All-American" parallel card. Nothing I could find on the product description about XFractors. Now all that is left for this hot pack is the black refractor...

Torii Hunter Black Refractor, Twins. This one I like. Actually, I like all the shininess these packs provided. Alright, bring on 2010 Topps!