When it comes to card collecting, I'm more of an old-fashioned set builder than I am a hit chaser. Thus, I can only scratch my head in confusion when I hear stories of someone opening a case or box of cards, compiling all the autographs, relics, inserts, parallels, etc., and then discarding all the base cards.
It's hardly the case, however, that I feel indifference when I pull a hit. This past summer, my son and I were opening a 2013 Topps Heritage baseball box when my son asked me why one of the cards from a pack he'd ripped open had no picture on it, only writing. I took a look and my eyes immediately widened: it was a redemption card for a dual autograph of Al Kaline and Miguel Cabrera. My son knows how good Miggy is. So after I explained to him about Al Kaline's greatness, he quickly knew that we had hit the jackpot ... that is, if it ever gets sent to us.
I had heard the horror stories of redemptions never being sent or receiving a different (and often inferior) item from the one promised on the redemption card. So I tried to leaven my son's enthusiasm (and mine) by explaining that until we actually had the card in hand, we couldn't assume it was ours.
That didn't stop my son from telling everyone he knew about his potential acquisition. But as the weeks added up from the time we entered the redemption code into the Topps website, he (and I) started to get a little antsy.
Well, I'm happy to say we no longer have to contemplate any worst case scenarios. Late this past week, our package arrived, and inside was this magnificent Kaline-Cabrera dual auto. This is easily one of the best hits I've ever pulled. While I still remain a set collector at heart, if I land a few more hits like this, my heart may start to look yonder.
wow, that's rad, didn't know they did this. That's cool
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