Interesting 2009 Allen & Ginter relic card

[toppsheritage]

A unicorn relic card! Topps has a sense of humor! Hobby is live but does anyone know when the retail release date is?

2009 A&G Unicorn Relic Card (http://ballcardmania.blogspot.com/2009/07/nonexistent-allen-ginter-relic-card.html)

[AutographCollector]

They are kidding... right?

[Rockhound]

I swear, if I pull that card or the Billy the Marlin relic card, I'm gonna scream! :hissyfit:

[Dalkowski110]

Allen & Ginter is sadly getting a little too weird for my tastes...

[xholdourownx]

The back of the cards is even better. Here is what Topps put on the back of the cards:

"The Relic contained in this card is not from anything at all."

[xholdourownx]

I swear, if I pull that card or the Billy the Marlin relic card, I'm gonna scream! :hissyfit:

Billy the Marlin...definitely worse than the unicorn.

[toppsheritage]

There is an Invisible Man relic card up on ebay now as well!

[EdTarbusz]

I'm glad this kind of crap wasn't around during my collecting days.

[xholdourownx]

There is an Invisible Man relic card up on ebay now as well!

There are a few bigfoots as well.

[AutographCollector]

What a complete waste. They should hold a contest where they put normal Joe's faces and made up stats on cards.

[Captain Cold Nose]

I'm glad this kind of crap wasn't around during my collecting days.

Unicorns? :lookitup

[ipitch]

I like the 'Chicago Cubs World Series ring' relic card. :hide:

[Mike D.]

What a complete waste. They should hold a contest where they put normal Joe's faces and made up stats on cards.

They do something similar. Isn't that the "Crack the Ginter Code" thing?

[RuthMayBond]

There are a few bigfoots as well.You STILL looking forward to your box(es?) break?

[AutographCollector]

They do something similar. Isn't that the "Crack the Ginter Code" thing?

Yeah, but that is a tedious "contest" if you will. Have people simply send in a postcard not crack some time demanding code thing.

[EdTarbusz]

Unicorns? :lookitup

Inserts in general, but a unicorn insert seems like the nadir.

[xholdourownx]

You STILL looking forward to your box(es?) break?

I am. :crossfingers:

[Dalkowski110]

"What a complete waste."

I agree! Why not honor real ballplayers like Negro Leaguers who've never had cards or Minor League legends?

[The Commissioner]

"What a complete waste."

I agree! Why not honor real ballplayers like Negro Leaguers who've never had cards or Minor League legends?

I've actually made both those suggestions (and more) to people with the power to make it happen. They have no interest. The brain-trust at Topps believes that they are geniuses for their inspired ideas such as unicorn cards. I kid you not. Topps has really become loathsome in my opinion. The people at the top of the company's food chain are not shy amongst themselves regarding their disdain for their customers. They openly joke about how far they can push people and have them still come back for more. If you keep buying this stuff, they are only going to continue making more and more of it.

[Dalkowski110]

"If you keep buying this stuff, they are only going to continue making more and more of it."

I always suspected as much about Allen & Ginter. By that, I mean that with each successive issue, they'd be pushing the envelope with regards to weird cards more and more. I want to see Silas Simmons, Mahlon Duckett, Verdell Mathis, Jimmie "The Colonel" Crutchfield, Ray Dandridge, and Lyman Bostock Sr. I want to see Buzz Arlett, Bill Thomas, Steve Dalkowski, Orie Arntzen, and Jimmy Zinn, Sr. I want to see the legends of Caribbean and Latin Baseball: Perucho Cepeda, Martin Dihigo, Ernesto Aparicio, Cristobal Torriente, and Jose Mendez. But I suspect that instead, you might see even more of the absurdities that we're seeing this year. I'm only buying singles of '09 Allen & Ginter and maybe the complete baseball set off eBay. I have zero interest in opening packs and having The Invisible Man stare back at me instead of the smiling face of Joe Hauser.

[RuthMayBond]

I've actually made both those suggestions (and more) to people with the power to make it happen. They have no interest. The brain-trust at Topps believes that they are geniuses for their inspired ideas such as unicorn cards. I kid you not. Topps has really become loathsome in my opinion. The people at the top of the company's food chain are not shy amongst themselves regarding their disdain for their customers. They openly joke about how far they can push people and have them still come back for more. If you keep buying this stuff, they are only going to continue making more and more of it.Thanks for reminding them. If not for Bowman football, I wouldn't have bought Topps since I don't know when. Sense of humor maybe, but I hope that everyone who's paying for it is happy

[howiek]

Maybe the industry is becoming a victim of the Lousy economy.

Do you think Topps has to purchase the jerseys and bats they cut up and insert into there cards? If so, this card didn't cost anything. It was a filler.
How many of these type of cards exist in this years set?
I'm still a fan of Ginter. They are great looking cards and are great for TTM

[EdTarbusz]

"
I agree! Why not honor real ballplayers like Negro Leaguers who've never had cards or Minor League legends?

These seem like much better subjects for a baseball card set.

[Rockhound]

If you keep buying this stuff, they are only going to continue making more and more of it.

I don't see a A&G boycott anytime soon, but I do predict that you'll see more individual sales of relic cards and autographs. This would allow collectors to bypass all the non-baseball nonsense associated with this product. If they wanted to stay true to the Allen & Ginter name, then the only non-baseball stuff that should be in the set should be boxers, billiard players, shooters, birds, indian chiefs, and the like... not a bunch of fairy tale creatures and average joes. But like you said, if we continue to buy it, they'll continue to make. I really like this product a lot and I hope that I don't get tired of it. Topps is truly pushing the envelope year after year...we'll see what happens.

[Bennybosox]

I just don't get A&G, never did really. I think they're great looking cards, but the fact that in each pack half the cards are from other sports or nothing relevant to the sports world at all just frustrates me. I remember buying a box a few years back and getting a Greg Lugainas relic card. Really? Greg Lugainas?

Which brings me to my next point: Whats up with Beckett's infatuation with this set? It seems like every year A&G has like a three month hype machine fueed by Beckett leading up to it's release. They follow the hype machine with rave reviews and over inflated pricing (believe me, that Lugainas I pulled had a BV of $60 and I eneded up selling it on eBay the week it came out for $11.20). Then, It takes all of the awards in the annual "awards issue". I really think Beckett's love affair with this product just make the creators of the set want to take it to a crazy level year after year. I mean; A Unicorn relic (that states this is a "relic of nothing"), Mascot relics, tire tracks...why? Every year I buy into the hype a buy a hobby box and every year I'm disappointed. Well. not this year--I've got better thing to drop a c-note on. Peace

[RuthMayBond]

Every year I buy into the hype a buy a hobby box and every year I'm disappointed. Well. not this year--I've got better thing to drop a c-note on. PeaceGood for you :party::applaud::clapping:nod::highfive::bowdown: :thumbsup:

[Captain Cold Nose]

Inserts in general, but a unicorn insert seems like the nadir.

Sorry, I did understand what you meant. A stupid joke. I agree, though. Especially when they have "relics of nothing." If you're going to try to do the whole P.T. Barnum thing, go all the way, not back down by admitting the hoax is a hoax.

There are more disappointments like benny is talking about than enjoying what you get. You're almost asking to get burned for the most part when you pull stuff you have no desire to get. If I wanted The Invisible Man, I'd buy Donruss Americana or whatever that set is called.

[The Commissioner]

[QUOTE=Dalkowski110;1560148 I want to see Silas Simmons, Mahlon Duckett, Verdell Mathis, Jimmie "The Colonel" Crutchfield, Ray Dandridge, and Lyman Bostock Sr. I want to see Buzz Arlett, Bill Thomas, Steve Dalkowski, Orie Arntzen, and Jimmy Zinn, Sr. I want to see the legends of Caribbean and Latin Baseball: Perucho Cepeda, Martin Dihigo, Ernesto Aparicio, Cristobal Torriente, and Jose Mendez.[/QUOTE]

LOL, good luck waiting for that. What are you going to expect next from Topps? Accurate stats? Less grammatical errors? Keep dreaming. For that, they'd have to hire someone that both actually knows baseball and has a triple digit I.Q. Topps isn't willing to spend that kind of dough.

[The Commissioner]

Which brings me to my next point: Whats up with Beckett's infatuation with this set? It seems like every year A&G has like a three month hype machine fueed by Beckett leading up to it's release. They follow the hype machine with rave reviews and over inflated pricing (believe me, that Lugainas I pulled had a BV of $60 and I eneded up selling it on eBay the week it came out for $11.20). Then, It takes all of the awards in the annual "awards issue". I really think Beckett's love affair with this product just make the creators of the set want to take it to a crazy level year after year. I mean; A Unicorn relic (that states this is a "relic of nothing"), Mascot relics, tire tracks...why? Every year I buy into the hype a buy a hobby box and every year I'm disappointed. Well. not this year--I've got better thing to drop a c-note on. Peace

Beckett and the card companies are in bed with each other. The price guides were originally started to track the pricing, but instead have become corrupted to the point where they now dictate the prices.

[Dalkowski110]

"LOL, good luck waiting for that. What are you going to expect next from Topps? Accurate stats? Less grammatical errors? Keep dreaming. For that, they'd have to hire someone that both actually knows baseball and has a triple digit I.Q. Topps isn't willing to spend that kind of dough."

Well, I did say I wanted to see it, not that I expected to see it. Rather significant difference...

[topherkris]

There are quite a few Negro leaguers in the set, if that turns anyones crank. Personally, I like the quirky stuff, but not as the highlight of the box. The highlights of the box should always be sports related, but I'd much rather pull a Unicorn GU over something like an Erik Aybar Bat.

Personally, I really like the A&G stuff this year.

[Rockhound]

I have an envelope full of air. I'll trade you it for any sports relics you pull. :nod:
There are quite a few Negro leaguers in the set, if that turns anyones crank. Personally, I like the quirky stuff, but not as the highlight of the box. The highlights of the box should always be sports related, but I'd much rather pull a Unicorn GU over something like an Erik Aybar Bat.

Personally, I really like the A&G stuff this year.

[RuthMayBond]

I'd much rather pull a Unicorn GU over something like an Erik Aybar Bat.
I'll be looking to trade with you

[EdTarbusz]

I have an envelope full of air. I'll trade you it for any sports relics you pull. :nod:

You would be getting the worse end of the deal.

[topherkris]

I'll be looking to trade with you

Have you seen the Negro league autos on eBay yet? They're pretty neat, and appear to be fetching at least a reasonable sum.

As for Junk GU's, I don't recall if I mentioned this but

3 Nate McLouth, 3 Matt Holliday.. 3 Boxes. That's it. The End. Topps is getting a nasty letter.

I'd like to know what happened to the sorting machien during that case, but I'm sure someone who works there just stole all the good autos and threw in junk.

[RuthMayBond]

As for Junk GU's, I don't recall if I mentioned this but

3 Nate McLouth, 3 Matt Holliday.. 3 Boxes. That's it. The End. Topps is getting a nasty letter.They'll probably just recycle it to make more of their cards

<I'd like to know what happened to the sorting machien during that case>

It sort of didn't work

[RuthMayBond]

You would be getting the worse end of the deal.Good, another guy to trade with :nod:

[The Commissioner]

Topps is getting a nasty letter

Unfortunately, they'd have to hire outside help to read it. Maybe if you draw them a picture in bright shiny crayon it might grab their attention, though.