A Former Topps Designer’s Card Lot Turns a CD Swap Into a Collector’s Haul

A pair of bootleg live CDs turned into a wide-ranging card haul, with highlights from baseball, Star Wars, pro wrestling and more. The trade also brought an unexpected collector’s moment: a James Taylor card numbered 12/25, the serial number I’m always hoping to find.

The swap started in a Facebook group for an old band I like. A member wanted to buy a couple of rare CDs I had from his wantlist, and his profile mentioned a past job as a designer at Topps. I asked if he’d consider trading cards for the music. He was no longer with Topps and described the company as “crazy stingy” during much of his time there, but he still had a small box of hits from pack openings about a decade ago.

The overview photos were blurry, and there wasn’t a major baseball autograph like Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge waiting in the box. Still, I saw enough variety to make the trade appealing. He wasn’t especially attached to the cards, and I wasn’t using the CDs much; I already had them ripped to a hard drive. We worked out a deal for the entire lot.

The first three cards set the tone. There are several baseball autographs in the box, but the standout among them is Cubs mascot Clark, whose 2016 Opening Day autograph carries a nice connection to the year Chicago finally broke its curse. The Abe Vigoda Allen & Ginter relic is another fun pull for anyone who remembers the actor, including his later appearances on Conan. My top pick from this group, though, is the Sting relic and autograph, numbered 26/50. I’m not much of a wrestling collector, but Sting is a name that gives the card extra appeal.

A handful of other relics includes a couple of pinstripe pieces. The former Topps designer is a Mets fan, which may explain why New York shows up more often than other teams. The Yankees and Dodgers are notably absent. There’s more baseball at the end of the haul; first, the box takes a turn toward Star Wars.

Two sketch cards bring original art of classic-trilogy favorites: a rancor and Boba Fett. I’m especially glad to have them in the collection.

The backs are worth a look, though I can’t make out the artists’ names. One detail caught my eye: a sticker autograph on the back of a sketch card. Since it’s a Chrome product, the card has a glossy border; the surface itself wouldn’t be practical for most sketch work. I don’t think I’ve owned an embedded sketch like this before.

The Star Wars section also includes parallel and insert cards. The Luke Skywalker is numbered /50 on the back.

A pair of relic cards includes a numbered Han Solo, alongside two “authentic film cel relic” cards. Hold them up to the light and you can see a still from space.

Three Star Wars autographs round things out. Ralph Brown had a small part in The Phantom Menace, as well as credits in Alien³ and Wayne’s World 2. Phil Eason also worked on Episode I; he played Yaddle, a female member of Yoda’s species, and did puppetry for Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005). Rajia Baroudi voiced characters in a couple of Star Wars: The Clone Wars episodes, among many other roles. Her parallel is numbered /10, and the Lady Yoda card is /25.

Walking Dead cards are less compelling for me because I haven’t watched the show, though they add variety to my non-sport collection. Katelyn Nacon and Corey Brill signed cards, with Brill’s numbered 10/10. A dual relic, numbered 10/50, names the characters rather than the actors. The pictured pair are Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan. Sonequa Martin-Green also appears in the group; I know her from Star Trek: Discovery and New Girl. That creepy zombie sketch is the card I’d most like to trade away.

 

More pro wrestling cards followed, then a run of UFC cards. I don’t know the fighters, but the Frank Mir red parallel is numbered 10/10. I found a copy listed on COMC for $50, though that listing alone doesn’t establish what the card would sell for. I may put these cards on my TCDB tradelist and look for collectors whose interests fit them better.

Michelle Waterson’s autograph is likely to stay with me. The signature has a great look, and that’s enough to make this one a keeper from a group I otherwise expect to trade.

The miscellaneous cards include a Candace Parker commemorative flag patch numbered 19/99, a layered Emmitt Smith card numbered 075/194, and a James Taylor “First Pitch” orange refractor. The serial number made me do a double take.

It’s a Christmas card: 12/25. I’ve seen fire and rain, but I didn’t expect a James Taylor card among my Christmas-numbered finds. The lot included two or three other cards numbered /25, but I’m especially happy to have landed the number I’ve been watching for.

The remaining cards bring a few personal-collection players, two Yadier Molina cards and an Abe Vigoda base card to match the relic. There’s also a Luke Weaver rookie autograph from Topps Gallery, a set I don’t care for, a Brandon Finnegan autograph numbered 17/25 with non-blue ink, and a Raiders autograph of Clive Walford.

For a trade that began with CDs I rarely play, this box delivered an enjoyable mix and several cards that fit my collection. The fun was in the range: one mascot autograph, original Star Wars sketches, film-cel relics and a musician card with my favorite serial number. A package from The Collector’s anniversary celebration arrived the same day, too, so there’s another card haul to sort through when the celebration’s 8/21 post comes around.