We've all pulled damaged cards from packs before. It could just be one card or every card in the pack might be damaged. I was looking through a box of cards this morning and ran across the best card I've ever pulled that was "factory" damaged. Here's a pic of the damage.
The damage is almost dead center running along the top edge for an inch or so. It doesn't look like your standard crimping that happens when the packs are sealed. It's much less uniform than that. It almost looks like it was crushed or dropped. The odd thing is the damage doesn't show from the back.
I'll admit, when I first pulled this card out of the pack and saw the damage, it didn't really bother me much because it was a prospect card and being the experienced collector that I am, I know most of those guys don't pan out. I pulled this card back in the day when I was the hit man. You know the type. I'd bust a box of cards only looking for the hits. Unlike a lot of those guys, I did NOT leave the commons or non-hits behind for the store owner. I just left the cards in the packs, the packs in the boxes, and the boxes in a big storage tub.
It was a couple of years after I pulled this card from a 2001 UD SP Game Used Edition pack that I was going through those already opened packs and I ran across this guy who was bashing the ball.
You might have heard of him. One Albert Pujols. You can clearly see the damage up there just to the right of his cap.
This Super Prospects card is #388/500. I never looked up the "value" of this card because I didn't want to be disappointed that the damage would forever ruin that. As it is, I have a fairly limited rookie card of a player from a team I don't like, but who should go in the Hall of Fame. I guess that's something.
While I'm definitely not a Cardinals fan I do respect Albert. Just hold on to the card and enjoy having it.
ReplyDeleteI have kept it in a box with all the other cards of players/teams I don't collect, but don't want to part with. I guess it'll stay there a while longer.
DeleteMaybe this card will inspire you to start a "damaged card pc". My damaged 1998 Significant Signatures card of Stan Musial got me started. Over the years, I'm closing in on 100 cards in the collection.
ReplyDeleteOh that's too much heartbreak for me. Stan the Man would be too much.
DeleteTime heals most wounds. I was so disappointed when I pulled it... but 15 years later, it's a part of my sports card timeline.
DeleteHoly crap he looks so young there.
ReplyDeleteAt some point I will track down a Pujols rookie card, but I had to give it a few years of breathing room to get over being mad at him leaving, even though it saved the Cardinals a ton of money in the long run.