Collecting Cutch is holding a contest right now challenging people to show off their top 10 cards of their favorite player. Cutch's list is full of (unsurprisingly) McCutchen cards...and pretty much chock full of huge hits of the Pirate's outfielder.
Readers of my blog will not be shocked to learn that my favorite player is Barry Larkin - and so let's see if I can figure out any sort of list that features only 10 Larkin cards that I like.
Before I get to my list, I need to go over the additional rules that I set for myself.
1. The list of Larkins needs to reflect my overall collection (that being mostly base card focused, not hit driven)
2. The list of Larkins cannot include ANY cards that I've already shown off on my ongoing Barry Larkin Collection series of posts. That means there's no Larkin rookies in my list, nor did any of the awesome Topps Tek autographs make the cut.
3. Each card on the list has to evoke some sort of memory or thought related to the card.
4. Rules are meant to be broken. That will make more sense momentarily.
That's it. Simple enough, right?
Wrong - this was still tough! I have another couple hundred (maybe closer to three hundred) Barry Larkin cards waiting to be scanned and written about...so this list took a lot of paring down. With that said, let's get to it.
#10:
The Fleer Ultra line has long been a favorite of mine (at least most years). This is one of the Gold Medallion parallels - and I like the die-cut aspect to it especially since I don't own many die-cut Larkin cards (though two made this list, spoiler alert)!
#9:
You'll have to trust me that this card looks better in person than it does in the scan. The Gold Label brand is a brand that I only discovered in my return to the hobby. It's still fairly pricey to buy a box...but man, those are some neat looking cards!
#8:
The crisp colors of this card always interested me...as do the dilapidated structures in the background. This card also marks the official return of Barry Larkin as a "retired legend" in modern products...something that makes this Larkin collector happy!
#7:
I wrote about this card recently - it was one of the first cards (maybe the very first card) that I ever bought from an online auction.
#6:
As a lover of most things Pacific, this die-cut beauty is an awesome addition to my Larkin collection. There's not much to not love about this card which makes the next few cards even that much more impressive!
#5:
Our first "hit" on the list. I'm a sucker for framed relics and the bright colors on this one make it extra special. Too bad the bit of cloth is a boring gray though - even white would have looked better within the frame I think.
#4:
I pulled this not long ago from an old box of Collector's Choice. It's the first time I've ever pulled a Larkin silver signature parallel (I ended up pulling two of the same card in the box but that doesn't detract from that awesome feeling the first time I found one in a pack)!
#3:
I think it's the odd angle for the photo, the bright colors (notice a theme with my list?), and the borderless design that work so well here. I can't explain it, I just like it.
#2:
So, I am going to "cheat" on my list because this is my favorite card...and it's only ranked #2. You'll see why in a second. As for the card, it's Larkin. It's a framed relic. It has nice colors. And the best part? It's Allen & Ginter.
This card would make my Top 10 Larkins of ALL-TIME if I had to make that list...of that I am quite positive. However, it doesn't even rank #1 on this list because the best card isn't a card at all. It's a magazine.
#1:
That's a magazine celebrating Larkin's induction into the Hall of Fame. It's of particular note to me because I was one of the collector's that was interviewed for the magazine. It's an awesome piece of my collection - and for me at least - completely personal. If you want more information about that, see my post here.
That's it for my Top 10, now where's yours?!
Readers of my blog will not be shocked to learn that my favorite player is Barry Larkin - and so let's see if I can figure out any sort of list that features only 10 Larkin cards that I like.
Before I get to my list, I need to go over the additional rules that I set for myself.
1. The list of Larkins needs to reflect my overall collection (that being mostly base card focused, not hit driven)
2. The list of Larkins cannot include ANY cards that I've already shown off on my ongoing Barry Larkin Collection series of posts. That means there's no Larkin rookies in my list, nor did any of the awesome Topps Tek autographs make the cut.
3. Each card on the list has to evoke some sort of memory or thought related to the card.
4. Rules are meant to be broken. That will make more sense momentarily.
That's it. Simple enough, right?
Wrong - this was still tough! I have another couple hundred (maybe closer to three hundred) Barry Larkin cards waiting to be scanned and written about...so this list took a lot of paring down. With that said, let's get to it.
#10:
The Fleer Ultra line has long been a favorite of mine (at least most years). This is one of the Gold Medallion parallels - and I like the die-cut aspect to it especially since I don't own many die-cut Larkin cards (though two made this list, spoiler alert)!
#9:
You'll have to trust me that this card looks better in person than it does in the scan. The Gold Label brand is a brand that I only discovered in my return to the hobby. It's still fairly pricey to buy a box...but man, those are some neat looking cards!
#8:
The crisp colors of this card always interested me...as do the dilapidated structures in the background. This card also marks the official return of Barry Larkin as a "retired legend" in modern products...something that makes this Larkin collector happy!
#7:
I wrote about this card recently - it was one of the first cards (maybe the very first card) that I ever bought from an online auction.
#6:
As a lover of most things Pacific, this die-cut beauty is an awesome addition to my Larkin collection. There's not much to not love about this card which makes the next few cards even that much more impressive!
#5:
Our first "hit" on the list. I'm a sucker for framed relics and the bright colors on this one make it extra special. Too bad the bit of cloth is a boring gray though - even white would have looked better within the frame I think.
#4:
I pulled this not long ago from an old box of Collector's Choice. It's the first time I've ever pulled a Larkin silver signature parallel (I ended up pulling two of the same card in the box but that doesn't detract from that awesome feeling the first time I found one in a pack)!
#3:
I think it's the odd angle for the photo, the bright colors (notice a theme with my list?), and the borderless design that work so well here. I can't explain it, I just like it.
#2:
So, I am going to "cheat" on my list because this is my favorite card...and it's only ranked #2. You'll see why in a second. As for the card, it's Larkin. It's a framed relic. It has nice colors. And the best part? It's Allen & Ginter.
This card would make my Top 10 Larkins of ALL-TIME if I had to make that list...of that I am quite positive. However, it doesn't even rank #1 on this list because the best card isn't a card at all. It's a magazine.
#1:
That's a magazine celebrating Larkin's induction into the Hall of Fame. It's of particular note to me because I was one of the collector's that was interviewed for the magazine. It's an awesome piece of my collection - and for me at least - completely personal. If you want more information about that, see my post here.
That's it for my Top 10, now where's yours?!
That's awesome that you were interviewed for the magazine. Good selection of photos for the Larkins. I've entered you into the contest. Personally i would have ranked the Pacific a little higher.
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