Review: BrentAndBecca

This one is long overdue - but I figured it's never too late to give a recommendation or provide feedback for fellow hobby enthusiasts.

Brent Williams is a very active, energetic and enthusiastic player in the sports card hobby.   Most of us know him and his business - "BrentAndBecca" - in several different mediums.   He regularly reviews Topps products and comments on the various attributes of the product breaks he conducts from the perspectives of both a collector and "dealer".   Is that term accurate?   Topics such as profitability, overall enjoyment and collectability are usually the heart and soul of his articles and I enjoy them a lot.   I try not to get too bogged down in the financial details of our hobby but with the varying costs of different products and conservative status of most family budgets these days (including my own) - a little reading and research can go a long way towards maximizing our enjoyment and comfort as the consuming collector.   His reviews can be found at the Cardboard Connection throughout the year as the 'collecting calendar' progresses through various sports and Topps releases.

BrentAndBecca also has a very active presence on Twitter as, wait for it.......... @brentandbecca  (https://mobile.twitter.com/brentandbecca)!   Looks like some great minds think alike when choosing twitter handles and website and blog names!   He tweets pretty regularly to promote upcoming products or highlight interesting items in his inventory.   He's a collector like us, so some of the cardboard he encounters finds its way into his own collection but the rest of it is packaged up nicely and available for the rest of us via his Ebay Store.   One thing that I find to be really useful is Brent's frequent twitter banter with the folks at Topps.   I can usually gleam some very insightful information and updates from their conversations, thereby saving both time and money on my end.   That's a win-win - and absolutely free.

You can read much more about Brent and how his business got started in an archived CC article, so I won't get too bogged down in the details of recreating that wheel.   Let's move on to my own experience with BrentAndBecca.

I tried out several different collecting approaches last year, as I was on a mission to compile a very diverse assortment of the year's sets for my son's future enjoyment.   Even though I enjoy hand-building complete sets pack by pack, it's way too expensive for me to do that with every release.   So, I tried to save some funds by buying one of the complete sets from a dealer (Seller?) like BrentAndBecca.   The set I was looking for?   2012 Topps Heritage.   I had purchased several blasters of '11 Heritage the year before and, while I am now closer than ever to complete my building of that set (YES!), I had a run of bad luck and suffered through a high duplication rate and lack of "hits" amongst the blasters I bought.   It's all random and part of the chase, but it left a bad (placebo effect) taste in my mouth.   Therefore, 2012 Heritage would be bought outright as a complete set.   My E-Bay searches provided plenty of options, as you might imagine.   I considered several but definitely felt very comfortable with the company I was most familiar with, B&B.

His prices were never THE lowest - depending on how you look at it, how much time you were willing to spend and how much risk you wanted to eliminate.   Sure, there were some sets up for bid that were a few bucks lower than B&B's no-haggle, "Buy It Now" price point.   But most of these came with shipping costs that were just as much if not higher than B&B AND......they were open bids.   So you never knew where the final sales price would fall.   Brent Williams and his team conducts an incredible amount of research and is usually quite fair with their assessment of value and price for the sets they collate and sell from their break efforts.   In the end, price was definitely a big PLUS for B&B and it carries the largest weight with me for consideration.

But what about quality?   Will the cards be packaged well?   Shipped quickly?

Since this was my first experience with BrentAndBecca, I would have to find out for myself when my Heritage set arrived.   The good news was that customer reviews and Ebay feedback scores were all very positive and I detected no negatives for them when it came to collectors' experience with purchasing collated sets.

So, I rolled the dice and took the plunge.  Within 7 working days of the product's release date, the package arrived!   Here it was:

Highlighter Provided By Ryan's Pitch

Exactly what you want to see from a dealer.   It doesn't have to be an official USPS box - but that certainly doesn't hurt.   And while it's common practice for us individual collectors to recycle packaging supplies in an effort to keep costs down, I didn't want to see my Heritage set arrive in a shoe box.   The box was neatly and thoroughly sealed.   Looking good!

Amongst the packing worms and bubble wrap were these two card boxes.   The exact "count" sizes elude me but I am sure some of the astute collectors out there can size them up pretty easily.   The fact that two boxes were used threw me off a little bit as I had ordered one complete set.   Had there been a mistake made?  

Beautiful

Of course not!   The two boxes contained my complete base set of Heritage.   The 'breaking up' of the set into two separate boxes allowed BrentAndBecca to fit my order into the USPS box pictured above and may very well have saved them (and therefore, me) some shipping costs.   I would like to point out that both card boxes were brand-spanking new and in perfect condition.   That counts.   And while I will definitely have to say that dealing with two boxes is a hassle for me, it's because of a personal preference for having sets in a single box.   A reason for visiting a card shop or ordering card supplies?   Always welcome.   In the end, definitely not a deal breaker - particularly if it saved everybody money.

Collector Weirdness - The Smell Was Even Better Than You Think

Finally, here's a peek at how the cards were collated and packaged inside.   They were VERY neatly handled and placed into both boxes, resulting in perfect alignment.   While that's a fantastic sight for my OCD, I think it provides some legitimate support for the cards as they are shipped and helps to prevent the damage of edges and corners belonging to cards should they have been out-of-line with the rest of the set and poking out.   And just for good measure, BrentAndBecca surrounded the wide-side of the cards with strips of bubble mailer, to secure the set even more.

I'm still assessing my enjoyment of the various collecting methods I used (and continue to use!) for chasing last year's sets.   I have every intention of going through the entire '12 Heritage set and checking out each card for appreciation...but I have yet to do so.  I can't say the same for the other sets I am building for 2012.   Might be something to that!

But as for my experience with BrentAndBecca - it was a great experience and I would recommend them without hesitation to my fellow collectors.   Great quality control with their products and it's obvious they appreciate the cardboard just as much as we do.   Again, I would also encourage you to follow @BrentAndBecca on Twitter and check out Brent's columns when he takes a break from busting cases of Topps to put pen to paper.   I think you will find it to be both enjoyable and well worth your collecting time.

Thanks for the excellent service, Brent.

Thanks for reading!      

 

One of My Favorite Cards: 1952 Topps #88 Bob Feller

GUILTY!

I've recently broken my own rules.   I told myself I wouldn't do it, I rationalized over and over again as to why it should be considered a waste of time and funds in my own mind......but I didn't listen.   Not even to myself.

I wasn't going to chase any more releases from this year.   I would make this the final year for hand-building the flagship set for my son.   From here on out, I would simply pick up a sealed factory set for him every Christmas and perhaps build the Updated Series to complete the circuit.   From there, I would choose my favorite release and maybe allow myself to chase that one.   This year, that set was Gypsy Queen.   I was a huge fan of the inaugural release last year and I couldn't wait for 2012.   The set delivered and I am well on my way to completion of GQ (PLUG - please check out my NEEDS/HAVES lists to the right and see if we can help each other out with a swap!).

Okay - so I picked up a ton of Heritage, too.....only to nip that pursuit in the bud with a very reasonable and enjoyable transaction with BrentandBecca for a complete set.  A great experience and I can't wait to go through the set and enjoy each card.

But then I got the itch.   The guilty itch of ordering the set outright.....I am a set-builder by nature but I can  have a flare up of collector's impatience.   It got the best of me and I'm not sure if I can go that route again.   So, with GQ almost done - you could say that there was a bit of a void.

And then it showed up.

The blog posts and tweets and website articles started popping up ALL over the place about the release of 2012 Topps Archives.   I scoured the pictures myself and couldn't look away!   There they were - so many of my favorite card designs from decades past: 1954, 1971, 1980 and the first set to capture my imagination as a young collector: 1984 Topps.

I picked up a pack or two and was instantly hooked - I would chase the set.   I should have those lists up shortly - let me know if I can help  you with anything!

One of my favorite aspects of the Archives set are the Reprints.   These are (almost) exact replicas of some of the most famous cards from the Topps' timeline.   A little bit brighter, a lot more mint-ier and the curious odor of maple syrup replaces that great old-school cardboard smell......with a tiny gold-foil stamp to remind you that you're OH so close.

But they're still a great way to do a little role-playing and enjoy some of our hobby's true gems.   One of my Archives packs yielded a copy of a card that I am actually fortunate enough to own and thought this coincidence would make for a great lead-in to a post about one of my favorite cards of one of my favorite ballplayers.

Bob "Rapid Robert" Feller's 1952 Topps card, #88 from the set.

  

Bob Feller was one of the first legends that I reached out to as I re-entered the memorabilia portion of our hobby in 2007.   It was that fall that I began sending out ROMLBs to Hall of Fame legends via TTM requests in the hopes of building a collection to honor the heroes of the game I love.   I made sure to read up on each player before I penned there letter and I can say that it was some of the most enjoyable research I have ever conducted in my life!   

Bob Feller is an American Hero.   I talk about it quite often on here, but Mr. Feller was one of those legends from the Game's Golden Age that managed to save the world amongst making his mark on the pages of baseball's history.   He was a Navy man like me!   He was the first major league ballplayer to step away from the game and raise his hand to volunteer for service - combat service, to be exact.   Mr. Feller was a Gun Captain aboard the USS Alabama (Battleship) - which JUST SO HAPPENS to share the same namesake state as the submarine I served aboard during my time in the service.   In some weird, illogical way.....I like to think that this gives us some sort of bond?   I know, I know.....

One more quick fact - I grew up in the Florida panhandle and, as a young Boy Scout, spent several nights aboard the USS Alabama for 'camping trips' in Mobile, Alabama, where the good ship Bama is moored as a floating museum.   Bob Feller was a spark in my young collector's eye at that point in time, so I never noticed the bunk labeled with his name in the crew's quarters (or it could be the Goat Locker, as Mr. Feller left the Navy with the rank of Chief Petty Officer....and is the only Hall of Famer to retain that enlisted rank).   You had better believe that it is on my TO-DO Bucket List to make a return trip to Mobile for some great gulf seafood and an afternoon aboard that 'ol grey lady so that I can see where Chief Feller tried to find peace amongst the chaos of war.   Amazing....

"Bullet Bob" missed four potential seasons of his professional career while he defended the nation.   What might have been, right?   Well - turns out, it was anyways.   He finished his career with a record of 266-162 with an ERA of 3.25 and 2,581 strikeouts.   He never wore a different uniform than the Cleveland Indians threads that he donned off and on from 1936 to 1956.   There are many stats and milestones that I could review but I would like to save some of these for when I share my returns from that TTM request in '07.   For now, I would like to speak to the card above!

After re-entering the hobby last year, I quickly found the only - and soon to be extinct - Local Card Shop (LCS) in town, Rudy's Upper Deck.   I'd pop in whenever I could to chat with 'ol Rudy about the game, the players, the hobby and life in general.  It was great!   I was so sad to learn that Rudy would have to close things up last year but I am very grateful that I had the few months that I did to get to know Rudy and make some deals for some of the cardboard in his display cases.

One day I sauntered in to Rudy's and saw Mr. Feller's warm grin shining up from his 'vintage' display case.   Not only was it Bob Feller, but it was Bob Feller's 1952 Topps card.   1952 Topps is one of those legendary sets.   Sure, it's got the Mantle Rookie that we all know so well - but so many other cards from that set are incredible and timeless classics.   The design is simple but beautiful.   The background cartoon colors in some of the cards (like Bob's) are a bit odd.....but for the time period - understandable.   The old team logo's/mascots like Chief Wahoo above are fantastic.   Not necessarily politically correct for our times but they're a part of history and something to be understood.   My favorite part is the player's name and signature 'box'.   This rectangle, like the rest of the card, is very simple....but to me, the tiny yellow stars turn an ordinary box into a brilliant art-decco marquee - as in an old-fashioned movie theatre.   Think Jim Carey's "The Majestic".

I know....I'm a little weird.

So, I fell in love with this card and knew I wanted it for my collection - though I could never afford it and certainly couldn't afford the price that Rudy had marked on the card.   

BUT WAIT....what's that on the left-hand side?   A crease!

Yes, a crease often carries a negative connotation in our hobby.   We don't prefer to have the cards in our collection creased but for us mortals - these creases can become tickets to the possibility of actually owning some very epic, beautiful baseball cards.   Why?   Well, the creases detract from the card's condition and therefore - this 1952 Topps Bob Feller just garnered itself a severe discount from the 'Beckett High' price on the sticker.   I asked Rudy about it and pointed out the crease (along with the corners and slight stain on the back) for his consideration.   Rudy pulled the top-loader close to his thick spectacles and furrowed his brow.   I got the sense that he might not agree with my assessment, so I commented again on how nice the card was and went back to talkin' shop with Rudy so that he could make his decision in peace.   I talked about Bob Feller and the luck I had with him through the mail back in '07.    Rudy shared his favorite Feller story with me - the "Heater from Van Meter's" Opening Day no-hitter in 1940, against the Chicago White Sox.   Opening Day no-no?!?!?!   This day and age gives us pitchers with carefully monitored pitch counts and a middle-reliever system that makes it nearly impossible for starters to see the 7th or 8th inning.   Amazing!   

But what about this card, Rudy?

We all usually disparage the price guide mentality that governs the financial side of our beloved hobby. While it changed the game in so many ways, it DOES still provide a very useful and protective service by letting everyday collectors like ME know about what to pay in retail situations like this.  I knew the general condition descriptions along with the generally accepted percentage discount to be expected for the various degrees of degradation......

So I made an offer.   A low offer.  Not to be cheap or steal this thing away but an offer that could fit within my budget.   I was ready to let this '52 Feller go and walk away because I understood that Rudy had to make a living, too.   In fact, he even confided in me that he hadn't seen the crease when he bought it.   He shook his head on that fact and even let out a low whisper of self-deprecation, "Rudy!....."   It was truly charming.   You can't get THAT from CheckOutMyCards.com!   I felt bad for him, but he wasn't mad.....no, in fact, he said he was very appreciative that I pointed it out to him and thanked me for coming in to talk baseball with him when I could.

He took another $15 off my offer and I was going home with this legendary card!

And that's the story of my 1952 Topps Bob Feller.   Here's a look at the back for us to enjoy:

Classic design.   Biographical information, quick write-up (these were really good back in the day) and some playing stats to wrap things up.   Love it!   How about those four names, huh?

Thank you for your service to our country, Mr. Feller, and to your contributions to the game we love.   You are dearly missed but I can easily imagine that grin from the diamond in the sky.

As a side note - here are some images of the original '52 next to the reprint included in this year's Archives release.   A reprint will never be the same - but I feel like Archives and other reprint type releases provide a great way for collectors in the modern era to own a little replicated piece of history and get a sense of these hobby treasures for pennies on the vintage dollar.

The '52s were still the larger-sized cards so you can notice the difference there.  Then there's the golden archives stamp, too, of course.   Other than that, if you were to just fade some of that crisp white into soft grown......oh, and don't forget that smell and a crease or two!


Thanks for reading!

Heritage Hysteria: It's HERE and we're LIVE!

Yessir - for me, the 2nd most anticipated release of the year is here!   A blaster, some racks and some loosies have me on my way.   I do have a question for the audience at the end, as I feel like I have betrayed my set-builder's code of honor with this release....but no worries.   We'll call it an experiment and adjust accordingly.   I'll explain more later.   Let's see some cardboard!   Here's a quick sample of Topps Heritage 2012:

Awkwardly AWESOME!

This card is awesome and may be one of the most hilarious cards I have ever seen.   THIS is my Mystery Science Theater 3000 take on card #173:

Jeter:     "Psssst!  Alex!  Hey, bud....we really need you to pick it up at the plate this year - alright?"

A-Rod:  "(sniff)....I know, man....I'm sorry, Captain.   I've got a new knee now, but I could never be
               you!   This is like Mantle and Maris ALL over again!"  hangs head in shame

Robbie: "Listen to these clowns!  I'll keep doing what I do.....where's my Dad sitting, anyways?"

 I love it.   And you know what else I love about Heritage?   The backs.   Topps seems to spend a lot of time on the backs of this release and I, for one, appreciate that.   I'll show more shots of the backs for these cards than I normally do and here is the first:

Love 'em or hate 'em - they are pretty solid.



Let's break away from New York and cover some Braves action, shall we?   I wasn't able to pull a Fab Fivin' Freddie this time but you can never go wrong with a Jonny "Play Me Every Day" Venters SP and the best catcher in baseball - Brian McCann.   I'm hoping the Cobra Kai Dojo Sensei Gonzalez gives Jonny more of a break this year and fingers are crossed that McCann can stay healthy.

 

See what I mean about the backs?   Venters retired the two batters he faced in the All-Star game AND he led the Majors in appearances.   BOOM - now you know!   Thanks, Topps.   Let's check out some inserts:

 

It doesn't get any more '63-ish than a Baseball Flashback Koufax!   Other than having to come to terms with how well he MOWED down the Yankees in the Series, this card is a great tribute to his Pitching Triple Crown achievement.   Time for the News:

 

As a student of history, I think these inserts are pretty cool.   As a baseball fan, I could do without them - but I would have to think that I would dig them, and learn something, if I were a young buck again.    As a Dad of a couple kids who might be 'sponging' this type of knowledge up in the years to come.....it's a great addition to this 'HERITAGE' set, yes?   As for present-day me, this card made me smile and think about trying for a TTM request to this guy:

Welcome to the ROCK!

On with the countdown!   Here are some more highlights:

It's still cool to leave the stickers on your hat?!

My first fantasy draft pitcher selection?

Look up 'baseball' in the dictionary and you'll see THIS guy!

Got thrown out of a bar by Kate Upton; +2,000 COOL points!

And some more Yanks (bare with me, you guys).......



Solid.



Gold.





3,088 and counting!

A real quick comment - full stats on the back here.   Another thing I really LOVE about Heritage.   Even the TEAM cards (which, by virtue of their team pictures are COOL anyways!) have a full line of stats for each entry on the roster on the back.   How great is THAT?  

Let's do some more inserts:

I'd smile too, if I were on this mini peel-off!

Welcome to the American League, Hombre!

Love the bleachers and palm tree behind Spahn!

This is what a "Then & Now" card should look like!

Another great thing about Heritage?    Manager cards!   Yep - my chance to grab a card of my favorite all-time baseball player (and now manager), Don Mattingly.   Did I snag one?   You betcha!

It's great to see him smile - I'm rooting for ya, Donnie!

Results

I think Mattingly's place with the Dodgers has given me a reason to cheer for the boys in blue.    SHHHHHH!  Don't tell anyone......a lot of inner turmoil going on with just writing that statement.   But loyalty to heroes runs deep, my friends.   I'm sure there's an Owl out there to help me deal with my feelings....

OKAY - if you're still with me, here's a few more to chew on with a NY theme to act as my Dr. Drew after that last confession:

Speaks for itself.   Really epic card for us Yankee fans.

C-Grand & Floating Heads!

I'm hoping that Granderson has another great, powerful year.   Did you know that he is 30:1 to lead the Majors in home runs?   The Rookie Stars 'floating heads' cards are as trippy as ever.   This one caught my attention - not only because it displays some great Yankees talent but because it gives me the feeling that Topps is still coping with Montero's departure from New York.   Three Yankees and one Mariner?   A Mariner who just happened to be traded late in the off season from the Yankees?

My guess is that they could airbrush 'ol Jesus but didn't have time to swap his head out for another Yankee rookie.   Whatever the case, it is a little peculiar and a great card that tells a story of what might have been.   I wish Jesus the best in Seattle, though.   I think he is going to be a great slugger for the M's as they try to return to greatness.   I think this card shows a lot of confidence:

Boy, do I remember THOSE 2 home runs!

Fare thee well, Jesus.

AND FINALLY - let's end this post with #1, shall we?   THE first card in the set and some more floating heads:

Thanks for sticking with me.   Hope you enjoyed this quick 'first-take' on '12 Heritage.   The set still gets it right, in my opinion.  That thick stock and less-slippery finish just feels right to me.   The cards even smell like baseball cards to me......I know, that's a little weird.   The design of the front and back of these cards are delightfully easyon the eyes.   I don't even wear glasses, but they just seem brighter to me, like a soft-white light bulb.

(record scratch)  Errrr.....what was that?!

Um, anyways - the design is very pleasing to my eye.   The layout, fonts and color all mesh well together.   I even think the card numbers themselves build on the already successful card-number placement/design of the flagship set.   I know, I know - the design is pretty much half a century old.   Well, it still works!   The inserts aren't the greatest and I have carried my streak of ZERO hits in Heritage packs forward from last year, but I believe this set is ALL about the base cards.   It's a great set to collect and enjoy.

Which brings me to my question.

I am still struggling with the completion of 2011 Heritage and I'm not even worrying about the 75 SP's.   I faced some severe duplication in the packs I picked up last year and, as I mentioned - complete NADA on relics or auto's.   SO....I wanted to try something new this year in an effort to save some money.   I pre-ordered a base set from @brentandbecca.

That's right - a self-proclaimed set-builder just up and ordered the set!

It should be here in a week or so and I can't wait to rifle through every card for some edu-ma-cation from the card backs.   @brentandbecca has a great reputation, great prices and was a pleasure to deal with.   This set will be a fine addition to my son's growing collection.

Did I do the right thing, though?   How do you like to collect this release?   Have you ever gone back and forth between set-buying and set-building?

Have I forsaken the challenging fun of piecing this release together, card by card?   Did I take the easy way out?   Only time will tell.   I will soon have these cards sorted and listed for trade, so check back often if you're chasing this one!   Perhaps this will be a good way to claim some Yankees and Braves inserts, via trades with you all in exchange for helping you to complete your Heritage needs since I don't have to build a set anymore. 

I know.  There's no right or wrong.  As my friend Brian over at 30YOC always says, "Collect What You Like".   I think he would also say without hesitation, "Collect How You Like".   I know I like to collect Heritage.   This will be a great litmus test as to how I like to collect it.   Stay tuned!

Grab a Gatorade, my friends.   You made it.   Thanks for reading!