Complete Run of Pujols National or Fanfest Promos

I finally completed the complete set of all Pujols National or Fanfest promotional cards. Here they are:
2001 Bowman Heritage National (Limited to 500, distributed in sealed packs)

2005 Donruss Fanfest (Open 5 Packs of DLP Product)

2006 Topps Fanfest (Open 5 Packs of Topps Product on Sunday)

2006 Upper Deck Fanfest (Open 5 UD Packs on Friday, Sunday, or Tuesday)

2006 Upper Deck National (#'d /500)

2007 Upper Deck Fanfest (Open 5 UD Packs on Friday, Sunday, or Tuesday)

2009 Topps Fanfest (3 Packs of Topps Product any day)

2009 Upper Deck Fanfest (3 Packs of UD Product on Friday)

2009 Topps Fanfest Patch (Must purchase factory set)

2009 Topps ASG Factory Set Bonus (Purchase Set for $50)

Fake Topps Reserve Autograph Listed

Here is the auction in question. Someone must have gotten hold of a blank card stock, signed Pujols's name, and then added an authentication sticker from another Topps autograph. It is clear this signature is not authentic. The seller attempts to cover himself by saying he is not an autograph expert. Obviously, he knows it is fake. My best guess would be this is a big time seller using a new account to dump this.

2001 Donruss Studio Masterstrokes Prime

I was thrilled to acquire this card. Pujols only has 100 2001 issued patch cards. There are 25 on this card and 75 on the Studio Diamond Cut Collection card (actually two cards, 25 are autographed 50 are not). Needless to say this is an awesome card. The two other copies I have seen feature much smaller patches. For around 60% of a Bowman Chrome auto, this is a heck of a deal. The trouble is finding one.

2001 Ultimate Collection

The 2001 Ultimate Collection set is beautiful. When it was released, it featured three of the year's top cards in the Mark Prior, Mark Teixeira, and Ichiro autographed rookies. Each card is #'d /250 and signed on card. With Prior's injury, his fell by the wayside. Despite Teixeira's outstanding play, his hovers around the $200 mark. The Ichiro, however, has soared. Many of the copies are locked in personal collections, so when a nice one (many have a faded autograph) shows up on eBay, they usually close for over $1,500.

Albert did not have an autographed card for some reason. His base card is still #'d /250 and features the exact same design. Despite being unsigned, it is the second most valuable card in the set going for $250-300. As with all cards in this set (autographs included), chipping is a problem. Expect to pay a high premium for a good looking copy. The BGS population report lists only 4 9.5 "Gem Mints" out of 27 copies graded (15%).

I'm hoping to get this signed by Albert. I purchased a lot of base Ultimate cards to try to test various kinds of pens on them. What if UD had made this an autographed card rather than an unsigned base card? How much would it go for today? Ichiro's card commands the high price because it is one of his only signed RCs (SPx). I think the BC would still be the best RC, but if this were signed, it would probably be his second best card. I think it would sell for around $1,300.

2001 Fleer Legacy In Depth Report

I have been tracking all versions of Albert's 2001 Fleer Legacy card for about one year. As explained in this post, there is quite a deal of controversy surrounding this card. To summarize: unsigned copies of the card featuring the "authentic autograph" stamping were sold at Fleer's bankruptcy auction. These cards were forged and have been sold on eBay. Luckily, most collectors have gotten wind of this and the fake versions sell for about half as much as the authentic versions. As a refresher, below is a copy of an authentic version (top) and a fake version (bottom).




The authentic versions have a compact signature in the middle, lower portion of the card while the fakes contain a large, looping signature closer to the middle of the card.

Here is the data I have gathered regarding this card. To date I have tracked 129 (actually 126, 3 have popped up with the same serial number as both unsigned and non authentic signed) different copies of this card. Here is the summary:

Non Signed: 16
Signed: 113
Authentic Signed: 17, 15% of signed
Non Authentic Signed: 96, 85% of signed

This only represents 16% of the 799 print run, but it's clear the authentic signed versions of this card are very scare. Currently the unsigned version goes for about $125. Projecting my findings out to the whole print run, it appears that the unsigned version is just as scarce as the authentic signed version. (Here is my tracking sheet)

Another interesting issue surrounding this card is Beckett Media's coverage of the controversy. In the past year, I've browsed through a Beckett Baseball at the bookstore on two occasions. Both times I was shocked to see this:




If Beckett truly wants to be "Leading Source of Hobby Information", this is unacceptable. Either Beckett does not know about the controversy or Beckett is not doing its duty by providing its readership with accurate information. To the best of my knowledge, Beckett has never acknowledged this problem anywhere. For any card, let alone a card that is usually on its hot list, shouldn't it report on this? Even worse, perhaps the reason it has not reported on this card is because it does not know about it. To me, this is just another reason why Beckett is becoming less and less relevant in this hobby.

Edit
1. As Topnotchsy (excellent guide here) points out, it is misleading to suggest the unsigned version is just as rare as the signed version. There are suppose to be 499 unsigned versions and 300 authentic versions. Obviously, the authentic versions are much less, but there is nothing to suggest the unsigned copies are anything less than 499.

2. Further clarification on the authentic signed vs unsigned scarcity- most of the authentic signed versions I've tracked are in personal collections and will most likely not come up for sale, whereas almost all the unsigned versions tracked were on eBay. If you are in the market for an authentic signed version, you should probably jump at the first one you see.

2001 Bowman Chrome 5/500

There are certain members of the hobby that will do anything to make an extra buck on a card. In the old days, dealers could use Sharpies to touch up the borders on their black-bordered cards. Today, trimming is one of the worst problems with the hobby. There are certain cards that no educated consumer should ever buy raw (Pujols SPx, ARod SP, etc). Some sneakier dealers have taken to rubbing off signatures or serial numbers and redoing them to their liking (There are rumors that many Pujols SPx autographs have been subject to this). Serial numbers are another issue. Luckily most are machine stamped, but hand numbered cards present a problem. Unfortunately, Pujols's 2001 BC autograph has hand serial numbering. On the old Beckett boards, Colorado Rockies Fan (first name: John) had an extensive listing of all Pujols BC copies he had seen on eBay. He listed the certification number, grade, and serial number. It was very complete. No one knows where he is today and I unfortunately deleted the file at some point over the years. Someone on the PSA boards saved the portion dealing with the 5/500 copies:

5/500 Topps sticker #3040260 PSA 9 PSA serial #40002731
5/500 Topps sticker #3040227 BGS 8
005/500 Topps sticker #3040244 BGS 9.5
005/500 Topps sticker #3040359 PSA 9 O/C serial #30119083

As you can see there are multiple copies. There is no way to tell which is real. This one is currently listed on eBay.

2001 Donruss Elite Status

Like the 2001 Fleer Legacy cards, a large amount of these were backdoored. The backdoored versions DO NOT have serial numbering. The authentic versions have serial numbering to 68 on the face of the card. These rarely show up for sale, so it is hard to pinpoint a value. Over the summer, a Red Aspirations from the same set was sold. The Aspirations has a print run of 32. The 6/32 copy was sold in BGS 9 form on August 5th, 2009 for $721.43. Based on this, I think anywhere from $400-450 would be market value for an authentic status.


This auction is currently listed on eBay. Not only is this an authentic status card, it is also Albert's jersey number (5/68), and autographed. This is a beautiful and unique card. What is it worth though?

The best indicator would be the Turn of the Century autograph from the same set. The most recent copy of these sold for $750 in October 2009. However, there are 100 of the TOC autographs. I think $1,000 would be reasonable for this card. Most of that premium comes from the 5/ serial numbering. While it's nice that Albert has signed the card, I like the look of the TOC much more.

Albert Wins Third MVP Award

Albert won his third career MVP award today. He took 32/32 first place votes. Bernie Miklasz has a nice write up of what this does for Albert's legacy.

Albert Pujols Clinches HOF Today

I will start posting more regularly. I realize I have posted mostly pickups the past couple months. I will try to post more about general Pujols collectibles.

2001 Bowman Chrome

Arguably the card of the decade and the best modern card ever produced. I used to own # 188/500 which was a PSA 9 but I sold it during Albert's huge surge in 2006. It's crazy that despite the numbers Albert has put up between then and now, I still got this card for less than I originally paid for mine back in 2004. It's already enroute to BGS.

Big Post Coming Soon

Recently made a big acquisition. I'm sending it to BGS ASAP so I may wait to post it when it comes back.

2001 Absolute Home Openers Souvenirs Home Run

This has long been one of the top cards on my wantlist. I missed the last one that was listed in June and closed for about 250, so when I saw this with a 300 BIN, I used the bing.com and an eBay coupon discount to get a nice deal. These cards are beautiful and I would not hesitate to purchase another copy if the opportunity presents itself in the future.

Pujols Figures

Outside of cards, I also enjoy collecting sports figurines. I have numerous SGA items (bobbleheads, statues, etc), but McFarlane Sportspicks are my favorite. They are very detailed and some of them (Griffey Wall Catch) are incredible poses. Here's what I have of Pujols. I have some holes to fill in terms of SGAs and variations on the McFarlanes.



This was Albert's first SGA at Busch Stadium.



Albert's first (Rookie) McFarlane figure. Terrible pose, but they didn't have much to go on in 2001.



I think this was released in 2004. They made a special edition 2 pack with Curt Schiling that featured a WS patch. This is the regular version.



This is my favorite because it shows Albert in his signature fielding pose. There is an Ultra rare version that has 2006 ASG emblems.

2001 Absolute

I love the look of this card. If it weren't a multi colored piece, I doubt I would have picked it up though. There are 700 of these cards and I have only seen 2 (including mine) that have multi-colored pieces. According to the back of this card, the base pieces used are from 2001 Opening Day bases. The Absolute Home Opener HR parallel has similar pieces and there are only 25 of those. I would estimate there are 15-20 multi-colored base set cards. I paid a 50% premium for mine.

Other Pickups

I love cards produced for special events like the Fanfest or National. After picking up this 2006 National promo, I believe I am only missing the 2006 Topps Fanfest card, 2001 Bowman Heritage National Promo and the 2003 Playoff Portraits Fanfest Green variation to have each card of Albert produced for these shows.


I picked up this bat RC for under $20, which is a steal considering they normally go for around $50. It's nothing special and I wasn't looking for it, but for $20 I couldn't pass.





These were dirt cheap and they are really nice. I'm not sure how many variations there are, but these are really attractive cards.

Finished 2009 Fanfest Set

I'll space a couple postings out over the next several days. I was recently able to complete the 2009 All Star Fanfest set. The last cards I needed were the exclusive Cardinal cards found in the Topps Factory Sets available at the Fanfest. I did not think passing up on the $50 I could get from these by flipping them on eBay was worth keeping the cards from mine, so I waited. At first, the cards spiked, especially the Pujols, but I was able to pick these up for around $20-25 total.

Quick Update

I should have a new mailday post coming up in a week or so. I'll be home for the Playoffs, so I'll have an opportunity to scan some of my new acquisitions. In the meantime, check out this feature on Albert from MILB.com.

One more Mailday

Thanks to some fast shipping from eBay, this arrived today:


This was one of Albert's hottest cards back in 2001 and for good reason: These were inserted as redemption into Donruss. They are uncommon, and one of his best true RCs in my opinion. For whatever reason I got this for $85 whereas a PSA 9 went for over $200 just days before.

Today I also took advantage of the BGS weekly special that grades Pujols cards for $7 at the 10 day level. I sent in both retrofractors (min grade 9) and my eTopps autograph (min grade 9.5). Hopefully they all meet or exceed the min grade!

Recent Pickups

Here's some of the cards I've recently acquired.

First are two issues from previous Fanfests held in Pittsburgh and San Francisco. I really like the look of the 2007 card. Both of these were from the Upper Deck booth. I believe I only need the 2009 Topps Factory Set Insert and the 2006 Topps Fanfest card to have a complete run of Fanfest issued cards (Playoff distributed green bordered portrait cards at the 2003 Fanfest, but they featured no Fanfest logo).

Next up is a card I've always wanted to own. I am usually not a fan of plain jersey cards (or most patch cards for that matter), but I've always been attracted to the 2005 Absolute set. The Babe Ruth Jumbo Jersey from this set, is arguably one of the top 10 cards of the decade. I got this for a nice price on a Saturday night.

I think one of my side Pujols goals is going to be to complete the Absolute Home Openers run. I already have the auto down and would love to acquire either of the Home Run parallels. I thought I did well grabbing this single version for a $30 BIN, but it arrived damaged (mark on back, chipping on front by the banner). Luckily, the seller was a class act and issued a $15 refund. I will be looking to get a clean version in the future.


Finally, my favorite non-autographed parallel from 2001. The Topps Chrome Retrofractor. I always thought this card looked amazing and being the proud owner of a Bobby Abreu, I knew they looked even better in person. That being said this is a gorgeous card. I've been trying to formulate a print run estimate but it's very tough to do since Topps Chrome had Hobby and Retail versions and very little serial numbered inserts. I'd like to think it's slightly less than the Topps Chrome Traded Retrofractor run. Beckett has graded 51 of these compared to 97 of the Chrome Traded, so maybe it's halve? Seems plausible. There were only 266 cards in the Chrome Traded set with Retros at 1:12 compared to over 300 for the regular Chrome set which were also 1:12 inserts. I imagine there's a significantly higher run of Chromes printed than Chrome Traded, but who knows. This is a gorgeous card. I'll probably submit both this and the Chrome Traded to Beckett. Hopefully they come back 9s.

Barring some insanely fast shipping, this will likely be my last mailday post for a couple of weeks. As I'll be returning to school. I will still update on various other Pujols related items.

BGS Pujols Mailday

I just received my most recent BGS grading order back. This order was actually not due to until August 24th, but BGS finished the grading on August 19th and I have the cards today.

First up is a regular Topps Traded. I was pretty pleased with this. I would never buy this card graded, much less a gem, so it was nice to add a gold label to my collection.

Next up is the Elite TOTC AU. I was incredibly pleased with this. I thought it may get knocked down a bit for what could have been a surface problem (x-fractor type line on the bottom), but I guess not.


I placed a minimum grade of 8.5 on this and it reached it. The edges and corners show white pretty easily on this.

Was hoping for a 9 on the Reserve, both on the auto and the card. I may resubmit for a sub bump in the future, but I will definitely be looking to upgrade this card in the future.

All in all it was a pretty successful submission. I am already gathering cards for my next one.