17 September 2016

Seeking Redemption 19: A Framed Mini with No Frame

Way back in early November of 2013 I won a box of 2013 Topps Archives Baseball cards at my local card shop's anniversary party. In that box I pulled a redemption card for a 2013 Topps Archives Framed 1973 Mini Auto of Frank Robinson. Yesterday it was finally delivered to my house, after nearly three years of waiting.



In the envelope was that letter, letting me know that Topps would not be putting frames on the Frank Robinson Framed Mini Auto, so I shouldn't be expecting that. They also let me know that they were including a bonus card because I had waited so long on this redemption.


Here's what the card looks like. It's pretty cool, I guess, although Robinson kind of ran out of room there at the end of his signature. The card is hand-numbered # 24 / 25. It's a weird size, too. It's smaller than a regular mini card, but bigger than a tobacco-size mini. I think this card would look a lot nicer in a frame. I feel like I should devote more words to this card since I waited so long for it, but I don't really have much else to say. I do like the 1973 Topps card design. At one point I started a 1973 Topps set build, but didn't get much further than buying one card lot before I moved on to other things.


Here is the bonus card that Topps included in the envelope. It's a relic card of Carlos Gonzalez from 2014 Topps Mini Baseball. It's an okay card, and the relic swatch at least has a pinstripe in it to keep it from being another plain white piece of cloth.

So that's the end of that redemption journey. I've currently only got one redemption outstanding now, a Kawhi Leonard autograph from Panini that I've had in the system for nearly three years now. The card was actually made a couple of months ago, but I guess they only sent some of them out. I wasn't one of the lucky few who received their copy of the card.

7 comments:

  1. Not to be contrary, but I think the auto looks like it fits well. Consider this as well: it was his 24th attempt at signing on a mini piece of cardboard. If you think it looks like he ran out of room on that one, then what did his first few attempts look like?

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    1. The shortened version of my name is just one letter longer than his name, and our last names are actually pretty similar in composition. His last name in this autograph does the same thing mine does when I run out of room on a signature block.

      Just for size reference, the top loader the card is in is one of the tobacco-sized top loaders. Topps managed to get it in there by not sleeving the card and bowing it so the edges would clear the sides of the top loader. I had a heck of a time getting it out of there without damaging the card and/or tearing the top loader apart.

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  2. Bizarre that they didn't frame it, but it's still a really cool card.

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    1. It's probably just been so long that they don't have any frames from the 2013 Archives set hanging around the office anymore. This is the kind of variation that would drive a set collector batty.

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  3. Geez does no one proof read at Topps? "Was will not" I guess this should surprise me. Nice card though.

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    1. I guess it could be worse. At least they took the time to let me know instead of just sending the unframed card with no explanation at all.

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