A Discounted 2015 Gypsy Queen Hanger Box

I found some hanger boxes of 2015 Gypsy Queen, a denomination I didn't know existed for that set, in the 40% bin at Walmart. Ozzie Smith's big smiling face and non-flapped helmet grabbed my attention, and I decided to spend $5.98 for the 24-card box. Here's what was inside.

2015 Gypsy Queen
#24 Joey Votto
#74 Julio Teheran
#103 Taijuan Walker
#131 Zack Wheeler
#193 CC Sabathia
#154 Ryan Howard
#162 Jonathan Lucroy
#163 Willie McCovey

2015 Gypsy Queen
#176 Yasiel Puig
#189 Daniel Norris
#238 Carlos Beltran
#248 Jose Quinana
#259 Mike Foltynewicz
#271 Lance Lynn
#281 Wade Davis
#290 Jay Bruce

I purchased a base set back in July, so these will all go in my duplicates list, hence why I only considered the box on clearance. But now, we get to the new stuff to my collection. I was hoping for a Short Print, but had no such luck.

2015 Gypsy Queen
Mini #122 Ken Griffey, Jr.
Mini #251 Ervin Santana
Mini Red #46 Adrian Beltre #19/50

Part of the reason I really like Gypsy Queen is the casual inclusion of hall of fame players. That Ken Griffey Jr. card is just a regular mini, so just as common to pull as a Steve Cishek.

2015 Gypsy Queen
Walk-Off Winners #GWO-9
Pillars of the Community #PC-RC Robinson Cano

If I had known this Ozzie Smith card existed, I'd have been chasing it since it came out. This is probably the most-played moment in Cardinal highlight reels, when he hit a homerun - already a rare and unexpected event for Ozzie - to win game 5 of the 1985 NLCS. The card doesn't mention it, but that was when Jack Buck's famous call of "Go Crazy, Folks" was made. I heard a story that may have been apocryphal, that he was slightly worried right after he said that, that there might be celebratory rioting in the streets and he'd be run out of town.

2015 Gypsy Queen - Framed Paper White
#7 Yordana Ventura
#43 Josh Hamilton
#79 Andre Dawson

As always, nice-looking parallels are my weakness, and now I want all the Framed Paper white cards. Just 97 more to go!

Sixth 2012 Update Hanger Pack

Despite the fact that I show the inserts on my blog, I really buy these for the base cards. I figure with 5 of them, I'll get 360 cards total, but about 50 will be inserts, leaving me with 310. So 6 is a good number, in theory, to try to get enough base cards to complete 1 for 1 trades to complete the base set. In practice it doesn't really work that smoothly, and I bought quite a bit more of 2010 and 2011 Update. I've thought about getting a Hobby box, but at a current price of $57.95 for 36 packs of 10 cards, even perfect collation would leave me short after inserts. So if you're in the same boat as me, check my trade list and want list, and let's complete each other's sets.

2012 Topps Update
#US72 Carlos Beltran
#US242 Joe Kelly
#US251 Kyle McClellan

Beltran in the KC themed All-Star uniform might have been a little painful for Royals fans, who have seen many young prospects leave and become big stars.

2012 Topps Update
#US25 Joe Mather
#US60 Edwin Jackson
#US123 Jamie Moyer/Checklist
#US149 Octavio Dotel
#US227 Mark DeRosa
#US247 Ryan Ludwick

Every single former Cardinal was a duplicate this time. Anyone out there have a Joe Mather PC?

2012 Topps Update - Gold Border
#518 Jake Peavy #0284/2012
#636 Chris Heisey #1815/2012
#US249 Angel Pagan #1092/2012

Here we have 3 more golds toward my impossible but inevitable quest.

2012 Topps Update
Blockbusters #BB-15 Babe Ruth
Gold Sparkle #US317 Marco Estrada

Babe Ruth to the Yankees, that was kind of a big trade.

2012 Topps Update - WalMart Blue Border
#US170 Jerry Hairston
#US294 Sergio Santos

My curse is finally lifted for good, with a blue-bordered Dodger and Blue Jay.

2012 Topps Update
Golden Moments #GM-U11 Yu Darvish
1987 Topps Minis #TM-102 Reggie Jackson

This Reggie Jackson is another good-looking mini, with a great classic Orioles logo.

That's it for the big hanger packs. I did buy a rack pack as well, which I'll post in a few days, then it'll be time to start filling in the gaps in the set.

2012 Update Hanger Pack #5

More 2012 Update!

2012 Topps Update
#US12 Jake Westbrook
#US301 Carlos Beltran

I've got a few of these Beltrans now, but the Westbrook is new.

2012 Topps Update
#US63 Gerald Laird
#US82 Ty Wigginton
#US123 Jamie Moyer/Checklist

Likewise with these former Cardinals, I had Laird and Moyer already, but Wigginton is new. As far as I know he hasn't landed with a new team yet. Maybe a deal will happen after the trading deadline.

2012 Topps Update
#US11 Rick Ankiel
Golden Moments #GM-U21 Ernie Banks
1987 Topps Minis #TM-122 Yonder Alonso

When I was attending SLU, one car in a garage near my dorm had the license plate "Mr. Cub". I always joked that it was Ernie Banks' car, and no one got it. Baseball nicknames don't really pervade pop culture too much I guess, even in a rival town.

2012 Topps Update - Walmart Blue Border
#US84 Eric Thames
#US161 Brian Dozier

I'm going to call my curse lifted, as these blue borders are on Navy teams, although the Twins could probably go either way.

2012 Topps Update
Gold Sparkle #US28 Matt Albers
Blockbusters #BB-30 Jose Bautista

Was the trade for Bautista really considered a blockbuster at the time? It definitely worked out well for him and Toronto, but I can't quite imagine big headlines when he came over.

2012 Topps Update - Gold Border
#527 Aaron Hill #1278/2012
#562 Henderson Alvarez #0583/2012
#US94 Kevin Slowey #1781/2012

And I'll finish this pack off with the Gold Borders. Kevin Slowey never actually played for Cleveland, but spend all of 2012 at AAA, and is now in Miami. And, who's that sliding into second under Aaron Hill? Why, it's Ty Wigginton again.

2012 Update Hanger Pack #3

I'm moving on to my 3rd 72-card hanger pack.

2012 Topps Update
#US242 Joe Kelly
#US251 Kyle McClellan

Here are two Cardinals I didn't have yet, Joe Kelly, and Kyle McClellan. Kyle left us for Texas this year, but Joe's made his way into the rotation. And with those glasses, he reminds me of a cross between Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn and Bill Hader recently of SNL.

2012 Topps Update
#US60 Edwin Jackson
#US227 Mark DeRosa
#US247 Ryan Ludwick

With the Red and/or Navy uniforms, I can almost pretend these guys are still Cardinals. Unfortunately all 3 are duplicates.

2012 Topps Update
#US25 Joe Mather
#US149 Octavio Dotel

Two more former Cardinals. If everyone collected like me, demand for Octavio Dotel cards would skyrocket, since he's played for 13 teams.

2012 Topps Update
Blockbusters #BB-12 Tom Seaver
Golden Greats #GG-89 Lou Brock
Gold Sparkle #US321 David Carpenter

The 70s pinstriped helmets make an appearance on the Lou Brock card. Also, it's Lou Brock! I don't have many of his playing-days cards, so I'm always glad to see him included in insert sets.

2012 Topps Update - WalMart Blue Border
#US99 Chris Johnson
#US321 David Carpenter

If you believe in Fate, Karma, or getting what's coming to you, this is my punishment for complaining about red borders for blue teams. Blue borders for red teams! This box came from Walmart, obviously, hence the blue parallels. Along with the Gold Sparkle above, I can give someone a good start on a David Carpeter rainbow. He's pitched 1/3 of an inning this year and has a 108.00 ERA. But that one out was a strikeout, so there's potential, right?

2012 Topps Update
Golden Moments #GM-U4 Josh Hamilton
1987 Topps Minis #TM-144 Mark Trumbo

Here we have 2 more Angels, one's just in Rangers clothing. I still like those 1987 Minis, and I really didn't think I would when I first saw them.

2012 Topps Update - Gold Border
#131 Ian Desmond #1812/2012
#304 Brandon Morrow #1217/2012
#US199 Nate Schierholtz #1204/2012

Three more gold parallels. I want to not want to attempt this set, but the gold is so...gold. I don't really like the Stars and Stripes program MLB runs with the red/white/blue/camouflage hats/jerseys each Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Canada Day for Toronto, but I do appreciate Topps documenting such events by getting that image of Brandon Morrow. In case you haven't seen it, and can't make it out in the scan, Toronto usually gets the red and white treatment, like the Canadian flag, so there's a red hat with a white front panel, and all-red Blue Jays logo.

As I've said before, my inserts are generally available for trade, though probably not the Lou Brock this time.