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Greg D.

@paper_and_chrome

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NYC metro area. ⚾️ Collecting Cardinals greats like Pujols, Molina, Ozzie Smith, & other iconic players such as Trout, Bonds, Ichiro, and Ohtani.
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This is a dream card I thought I’d never own. I’m grateful to the amazing @cardinal_red_refractors for letting this legendary card go to a fellow Cardinals & Pujols collector. I picked it up in person this year in June. Not only is this Pujols’ best rookie & most important card, it also holds a special spot in the hobby. Albert Pujols’ 2001 Bowman Chrome Auto (BCA) is part of the 1st release of BCAs & launched a frenzy that began the BCA legacy. The stellar auto is what really differentiates this card from most Pujols autos. The grade is less important. To the naked eye, there is nothing that detracts from its beauty. Thankfully, I got this card entirely with cards I owned. Here’s what I sold along with some smaller cards: PSA 8.5 2013 BBM 2nd Version Ohtani Holofoil facsimile auto /50 PSA 8 2011 Topps Mike Trout Gold /2011 PSA 9 2011 Topps Mike Trout Diamond Anniversary. (I will get Trouts again later). How Rare is the 2001 Pujols BCA? For comparison, let’s look at Ohtani’s 2018 BCA hitting rookie, Ohtani has a base (~500), Refractor /499, Blue /150, Atomic /100, Green /99, Gold /50, Orange /25, Red /5, and superfractor /1. That’s 1,429 total BCA rookie autos. With only refractors, that’s still 929 autos. Ohtani also had 1,079 non-auto Bowman Chrome refractor rookies, making for a total of 2,008 Bowman Chrome refractor hitting rookies. The Pujols 2001 BCA is hand numbered /500 & because it was a redemption, it’s estimated that only 450-475 were redeemed. Let’s assume there’s 475 cards. He has also no non-auto refractors, so if you want a Pujols Bowman Chrome refractor, you have to go after the auto. Ohtani has 201% more BCAs and 323% more refractors. Furthermore, most Pujols autos are streaky or faded, with perhaps only 150-250 with nice, solid autos. I understand that modern parallels add a tier of scarcity but by just considering autos and refractors, the comparison shows how rare the Pujols BCA actually is vs just looking at /500 numbering. Collectors who want a copy have a lot less options than ultra-modern cards like Ohtani. #albertpujolscards #toppsbaseball #cardinalsbaseballcards #bowmanchromeauto #bowmanchromebaseball by @paper_and_chrome
59
a month ago
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Thrilled to finally add my favorite Pujols rookie card to the collection. The 2001 Topps Chrome Rainbow Holofoil Albert Pujols is the rarest parallel of his first Topps rookie card, arriving in Series 2 as a replacement for the planned Ichiro retrofractor card. Series 2 retrofractors featured a gold border with refractor finish but due to Pujols being a “late addition” it received the gold foil finish. The holofoil Pujols has an estimated print of 250-300, making it rarer than the later Topps Traded teal-bordered retrofractor, which had a print run of 500. Pujols collectors thus generally consider this his best rookie card after the Bowman Chrome auto. Albert Pujols was officially born in 1980 in the Dominican Republic and moved to the US at the age of 16, with his father and grandmother, settling in Independence, Missouri. He played a year at Maple Wood Community College, near Kansas City, MO. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 draft as the 402nd overall pick. Pujols spent 2000 in the minors, advancing from Single A to AAA with his stunning performance, and then started for the Cardinals for the 2001 season. Career Achievements: 703 HR (Bonds, Aaron, Ruth) 2nd in total bases (6,211) and RBIs behind Hank Aaron [only two others, Musial (3rd) and Mays (4th), have 6,000+ total bases] Pujols and Aaron are the only two players to amass 3,000 hits, 700 home runs, & 2,000 RBIs Decade Triple Crown (2000s), [only others are Rogers Hornsby, Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx] Future HOF St. Louis Cardinals HOF 11x All Star 2x World Series Champion (2006,2011) 3x NL MVP (2005,2008,2009) NL Rookie of the Year (2001) NLCS MVP (2004) 2x GG 6x Silver Slugger 2x Hank Aaron Award Roberto Clemente Award (2008) NL Batting Champion (2003) NL Comeback Player of the Year (2022) 2001 Topps Chrome Retrofractor PSA 8 (this PSA 8 has excellent eye appeal. The holofoil are quite condition sensitive.) #topps #toppschrome #toppsbaseball #toppsbaseballcards #sportscards #whodoyoucollect #baseballcards #albertpujols #albertpujolscards #stlouiscardinals #hofcards #psacard #baseballrookiecards #baseballcardcollector by @paper_and_chrome
16
a year ago
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This card looks incredible in hand. For me, the 2004 Topps Chrome Pujols red xfractor is his best non-rookie card. 2004 is the first year Topps Chrome used a red parallel and thus the rarest card in this set is also the first team color match for Pujols. Coming out in Series 1, it has a print run of 63. The card also contains one of Pujols best images - a stunning shot of him glancing into the distance at a ball he just made disappear into the stratosphere. In addition, the red parallel differentiates itself from other parallels by the addition of the xfractor effect alongside the color change. In 2004, there were only 4 parallels to the base Topps Chrome (red xfractor, black, gold, refractor). While the 2002 Topps chrome black /50 and the 2003 Topps Chrome blue xfractor /50 are both hard chases and amazing cards, they don’t have the same magic. Some collectors might chose the 2005 Topps Chrome Pujols red xfractor /25 (the second and final year of the red xfractor) as his best non-rookie due to it being rarer and the image of him pointing up at the sky. I agree that the 2005 is a striking card that is worth the hunt. However, I prefer the 2004 as it’s an earlier year, has a superior action shot - one of his best, and is his first color match. I normally would not go after a PSA 10, as I prefer a 9, but this card comes up so rarely I made an exception. There are only 9 graded copies, with 6 at PSA (three 10s & three 6s). I am thrilled with this copy as it has solid 50/50 centering and sharp edges and corners. The design of 2004 Topps/Topps Chrome is one of my favorites, combining elements of the designs from 1964 Topps (team banner at top, square box for image) and 1973 Topps (player silhouette in corner). The 2004 silhouette actually mirrors the image for each player, thus making them all different (as opposed to the standard ones used in 1973). 2004 Topps Chrome Albert Pujols red xfractor PSA 10 (pop 3). #baseballcards #toppsbaseballcards #topps #toppschrome #albertpujols #albertpujolscards #psa10 #psacard #whodoyoucollect⚾️ #stlouiscardinals #stlouiscardinalscards #hofcards #sportscards #baseballcardcollector @topps by @paper_and_chrome
29
10 months ago
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Pujols red refractors! #albertpujolscards #toppschromebaseball #stlouiscardinalsbaseballcards #redrefractors #toppsbaseball by @paper_and_chrome
47
9 days ago
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I had just picked up the phenomenal 2022 Topps Chrome Update red /25 of this card over the summer and posted it recently when this red sapphire /5 became available. A thousand thanks to @iowadavesportscards for this epic gem. In hand, this sapphire radiates beauty and is a wonderful capstone card to the Pujols collection. I quickly sold the red /25 to help fund this one. The 2022 Topps Chrome Update helmet waving image was taken from Pujols’ first game back in St. Louis on April 7. The similar 2023 Topps Chrome image is from Pujols’ 700th run game at Dodgers Stadium on September 23. Which card do I prefer? The 2022 was issued in Pujols’ final year and it’s the first of the two similar images and features a superior photo. The 2023 has a nicer design with the players face and team logo at the bottom and includes his complete career stats, including the 703 home runs. In a story poll I ran last month, 73% preferred the 2023 TC red /5 over the 2022 TC update red /25. When only comparing the red sapphires /5, the 2022 won with 64%. Still, the divide may be closer than that. I can’t decide as I love both cards, but I only need one of the two. Topps could have avoided this issue had they made the logical decision to have one of the images be a hitting one. Ironically, this blunder for Pujols’ career-end card mirrors how the bungled his TC rookie by issuing two of them, one in TC (the gold holofoil) and the teal retrofractor in TC traded (update). Another interesting point is that Topps Chrome Sapphire still only has 6 parallels (including 2026). 2022 Topps Chrome Update Sapphire Pujols red /5 PSA 10 #albertpujolscards #toppsbaseball #stlouiscardinalscards #toppschromebaseball #stlouiscardinals by @paper_and_chrome
8
16 days ago
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Topps Chrome had atomic refractors /10 from 2012-2014. I love atomics and this is a nice shot of Waino. 2013 Topps Chrome Adam Wainwright Atomic /10 #stlouiscardinalscards #adamwainwrightcards #toppsbaseball #toppschromebaseball #atomicrefractor by @paper_and_chrome
4
22 days ago
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This 2006 Topps Heritage black chrome refractor /57 is Jim Edmonds’ 1st, with his only other one being 2007. There are none higher. These early heritage chrome black refractors are real beauties. Edmonds has a real shot at the HOF with the veterans committee. Known for his electric defense, he won 8 gold gloves and was a regular feature on highlight clips. He has a respectable 60.4 bWAR. For HOFs with less bWAR, there are 38 outfielders (including Vladimir Guerrero, 59.5, and Harold Baines, 38.8) and 12 centerfielders (including Kirby Puckett, 51.2). There are 11 HOF centerfielders with higher than 60 bWAR and 43 outfielders, which puts Edmonds right in the middle. Jim Edmonds St. Louis Cardinals HOF 8x GG 4x All-Star 1x Silver Slugger 1x WS Champion (2006 Cardinals) #jimedmondscards #heritageblackchrome #toppsbaseball #stlouiscardinalscards #toppsbaseballcards by @paper_and_chrome
8
a month ago
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Topps gave Pujols this going away image in 2022, the magical year he passed 700 HRs and echoed his former Cardinal greatness. Pujols joined Hank Aaron as the only other player in the 700 HR, 3000 hit club. It’s nice to have this red parallel in his final year with the Cardinals. It’s the only flagship card showing him in his Cards uniform (the Logofractor version shows a different, unique hitting image with the Redbirds). Pujols’ 2022 Topps Chrome Update red parallel is /25 and this hat-waving image also appears on the Chrome Update Sapphire, which is /5. Strangely, Topps used another hat waving image on his 2023 flagship image, his last playing days card. Why Topps would do such a thing and simultaneously fail to issue an epic 703 HR card for him is mind boggling. They really failed at baseball with those blunders. The 2023 Topps chrome for Pujols has a red /5 a red wave /5, and the Sapphire set has a red /5 and has his final year stats, including his career HRs, which the 2022 update does not. I’m looking for a Sapphire for both years. 2022 Topps Update Albert Pujols Red Refractor/25 PSA 9 #albertpujolscards #toppsbaseball #toppschromebaseball #stlouiscardinalscards #baseballcardcollection by @paper_and_chrome
29
2 months ago
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Photos don’t do justice to the shine on this stunning 2006 Topps ‘52 chrome gold Ichiro. The pose perfectly fits the ‘52 design. The card looks flawless so it’s pretty nuts it came out a PSA 9. The 2006 Topps ‘52 set featured players of the day with their rookie year in the 1952 design. Parallels included a chrome /1952, a chrome refractor /552, and a chrome gold refractor /52. The golds of the star players are hard to come by. This heritage-like set is one of the gems to come out of the 2000’s ear of cards. Thanks to @midlosportscards for the deal and to @igtsportscards for the PSA submission. 2006 Topps ‘52 Debut Flashbacks Ichiro Chrome Gold refractor 38/52 PSA 9 #ichirocards #toppsbaseball #baseballcards #whodoyoucollect⚾️ #hofcards by @paper_and_chrome
5
3 months ago
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The shine on these 2020 Heritage Chrome gold refractors /5 is unreal. The newer golds /50 pale in comparison. Heritage chrome golds for Molina are ghost cards so I was lucky to snag this one. I love the 2020 design and this is my favorite heritage chrome image for Molina. Fangraphs, which includes pitch framing, lists Yadier Molina as the game’s greatest defensive catcher by a clear margin (joining fellow Cardinal great Ozzie Smith, MLB’s greatest defensive shortstop). Over 19 seasons with the Cardinals, Molina maintained a career 40% Caught Stealing rate, where the average is 27%. In 2005, his first full season, he ranked 1st in MLB for Caught Stealing with 64%, and in 2022, his final year and at the age of 39, he ranked 2nd. Few catchers remain elite in their 30s. Molina erased runners approximately 50% more often than the average catcher. During Molina’s tenure, the Cardinals finished with the least stolen base attempts and stolen bases allowed of all MLB teams, with 887 SBs on 1,310 attempts. The next closest team was Arizona, with 1,310 SBs on 1,370 attempts. MLB avg was 2,146 attempts. This deterrent effect is not fully captured by standard defensive metrics. Molina was not just a master behind the plate, he also was elite at managing pitching: prepping pitchers based on opponents, calling the pitches, managing pitcher’s emotions, and even positioning the infield. Cardinal manager Tony La Russa stated Molina ran the game from behind the plate. For all these reasons, Molina is a first-round lock for the HOF. Some will argue his offensive production wasn’t strong enough but this discounts the value his impact on preventing runs. And his bat was not silent: he won a Silver Slugger and had two top 5 MVP finishes. 2022 Heritage Chrome Yadier Molina gold /5 PSA 8 St. Louis Cardinals HOF 19 MLB seasons: Entire career with the StL Cardinals 2× WS Champion (2006, 2011) 4x National League Pennant 10× All-Star 9x GG 4× Platinum Glove (most by any catcher) 1x SS 2,168 hits 3rd most games & innings caught in MLB history Roberto Clemente Award 2x WBC Silver #yadiermolinacards #toppsbaseball #baseballcards #heritagechromegold #whodoyoucollect⚾️ by @paper_and_chrome
8
3 months ago
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David Freese grew up in the St. Louis metro area and idolized Ozzie Smith, while later being a fan of Jim Edmonds and Albert Pujols. Imagine then joining them in 2009 and getting to play alongside them! In 2011 he entered into Cardinals history by hitting .545 with 3 home runs and 9 RBIs in the NLDS. In the World Series, he hit the epic game-saving triple in the bottom of the ninth with two strikes and then then the game-winning home run in the 11th. Talk about living out your boyhood dreams. For me, the Hope Diamond is one of the hometown hero’s best cards. Thanks to the @thedavidfreeseguy for alerting me about this one! 2011 Topps Hope Diamond Dave Freese 50/60 NLDS MVP WS MVP All Star #2011toppshopediamond #toppsbaseball #baseballcards #stlouiscardinals by @paper_and_chrome
4
4 months ago
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Adam Wainwright was a staple of the Cardinals for 19 seasons and will certainly be elected to the team HOF when he is eligible in 2027. His most memorable moment is perhaps when he struck out Tigers 3B-man Brandon Inge to clinch the 2006 World Series championship for the Cardinals. There were two men on with two outs (Placido Polanco on 2nd and Pudge Rodriguez on 1st) with a count of 2-2 and a 4-2 Cardinals lead. I love that Wainwright is rocking the 1940s Cardinals throwback uniform in this flagship image. Topps chose an excellent photo for this amazing parallel. 2011 Topps Adam Wainwright Hope Diamond 27/60 Future St Louis Cardinals HOF 3x All-Star 2x GG Silver Slugger 2006 WS Champion Roberto Clemente Award #adamwainwrightcards #stlouiscardinals #toppshopediamond #toppsbaseball #stlouiscardinalscards by @paper_and_chrome
3
4 months ago
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