My Topps Heartbreak

This year has been somewhat boring for me thanks to a so-so year in collecting. While I did love Gypsy Queen and Museum Collection, I’m no fan of the flagship design and there have been several releases that did nothing for me. That was all going to change when my all-time favorite brand, Finest, was due to drop. This was to be followed by Topps Archives, so I was expecting a very good June for this old collector. Unfortunately, both releases came and went and no Jose Canseco card to be seen.

I did find myself drooling over this badass 1986 themed Jose Cruz Jr. during what was his  “prime” years in Toronto. People forget perhaps because of the way he flamed out but little Jose was a phenom with power and speed much like the bigger Jose. While I’m no Cruz collector, his ’97 Bowman, Bowman Chrome, and Bowman’s Best releases all hold a very special place in my collecting heart.

This card just may find a home in my collection some day.

How Illegal Is This Card?

With today’s technology, it’s easy for almost anyone to make cards that look as good as what’s out there. In some cases, even better than what’s being put out by the big companies. I often wonder just how far you can push before the team of lawyers at Major League Baseball take notice. I’m sure you could make thousands of cards without a problem if it’s in your collection but what about when you attempt to sell them on the secondary market, mainly, eBay?

When I stopped collecting in 2009, there were a ton of custom card makers out there (some good, some awful) making stuff and sometimes even trading for their work. I never once spotted one for sale before but when I go on eBay now, they are everywhere. There are people making patch cards like the one below and someone even making a custom SuperFractor. I’m no lawyer but isn’t describing the card as a Superfractor worth Topps suing? How about using the New York Yankees logo?

I want to believe collectors are not being fooled by these cards and just want to add as many cards to their collection as possible, even if said card was made in a 14-year old kid’s PC at mom’s house. While doing a search through Completed Listings I discovered that some of these cards sell for as high as $60+ dollars? With an unknown print run and no business practices or rules, someone could print an endless supply of these and sell them all over.

As for the Jose Canseco below, when I spotted it on eBay I immediately jumped in excitement. Not for the design or patch but because I thought it was a 2014 release I somehow missed. Now that I know it’s a custom it’s just another card I’m going to pass on. I’m a Canseco fan but there’s still WAY too many official cards for me to pick up before getting into this whole custom card nonsense.

It’s available for a .99 cent opening bid for anyone braver than me.

Manufactured patch? Check.