Tag Archives: Ken Griffey Jr.

Super Collector Spotlight George Calfas, Pinnacle Totally Certified

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THE Master Set Builder. That title can be pretty subjective. If you asked ten different people you would probably end up with ten different answers. Make no mistake, there are plenty of great collections that belong to set builders on FCB. You have people working on the 2009 Ultimate Collection Patch set, the Upper Deck 500 HR Club, the Upper Deck 3000 Hit Club, Topps set builders, master set builders, and many, many more. My vote goes to George Calfas.

George has put together several tough sets and is constantly working on many more. Just to give you a run down of some of the amazing sets that he has completed: He has completed 10 (you read that right) 1993 Finest Refractor sets, he has completed the Finest Refractor sets for 1994-1999 as well, and the complete autograph sets from Allen & Ginter from 2006-2009.

Earlier this month, he made a thread showing his completion of the 2009 Allen & Ginter red autograph set numbered to 10. That is a very impressive accomplishment. The red autographs are super SPed, and there are a lot of A&G set builders to compete with.

A very impressive set that George completed is a Master Set of 1996 Select Certified. He put together the entire base set, Artist’s Proof set, Certified Reds, Certified Blues, Mirror Reds, Mirror Blues, and Mirror Golds.

The set that really put him over the top to me is the one he completed today. George has been working on the 1997 Totally Certified Platinum Gold set numbered to 30 since the product released in 1997. For 13 years, he has been tracking these down to try and finish this set off. He went so far as to purchase sets from 2 people who had failed in their attempt which allowed him to fill in some holes in his own set.

We see a lot of cards numbered to 30 or less that aren’t that hard to find nowadays, but after a decade plus these cards have been getting stashed away by other set collectors and player collectors. Plus, some of these cards are still sitting in wax boxes. On the off chance of getting a card he needed for his set, George purchased a box. Low and behold he hit a Platinum Gold of Dmitri Young. Someone on the boards had did some figuring and the odds of him hitting a low numbered parallel and it being one he needed were astronomical! Needless to say, George was very excited about the pull.

Today, George received the last card for the set. As he sat on UStream recording the opening, there it was in all its glory. A 1997 Totally Certified Platinum Gold Ken Griffey Jr. You could tell he was excited to have it hand, but I think an intense feeling of satisfaction would be more accurate. While trying to track down the cards for this set, George has only seen 1 copy surface of some players while others like Griffey had remained totally elusive.

George belongs to PSA and he gets a lot of his cards graded. This newly completed set ranks #1 in the PSA Set Registry.

Congratulations George on completing another difficult and amazing set. I look forward to seeing which one you cross of the list next.

Think you have what it takes to be THE Master Set Builder? Contact me and let me know about it.

No Hobby Love for On Card Legendary Autos?

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In most cases, collectors seem to prefer autographs signed directly on a card, rather than on a sticker that is adhered to a card. The presence of a sticker, particularly one with a silver background, often causes the desirability of a card to be lowered due to the fact that it is visually less appealing and the fact that the player has not directly touched the card. In cases where a player has an on card autograph and a sticker autograph, the on card signature typically outsells the sticker. The popularity of on card autographs has come to the attention of card manufacturers, who now routinely advertise their presence in products, signaling their acknowledgment of the preference stated by collectors. Therefore, it is surprising that many collectors choose cut signatures over on card signatures, particularly when many noted players have an abundance of on card signatures.

Mickey Mantle, who passed away in 1995, is one of the most glaring examples. Several noted Mantle cuts have sold for in excess of $1,000, but the player signed numerous cards in the 1990s. However, the 1992 Score Franchise Mantle, which was signed on card can be had for as little as $325. The 1994 Upper Deck Mantle w/Ken Griffey, Jr. is popular collectors, but can still be purchased in the $500 range. Mantle also had on card autographs in 1991 Score and 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes.
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Now showing on eBay: 2009 Ultimate Collection

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There are some fantastic look cards being pulled from 2009 UD Ultimate packs. This is by no means a product to bust and recoup your money, this is a “Big Hit or bust” sort of release. That scares off many a pack buster but it sure makes for some fun window shopping!  Here’s some of the best so far:

Carlton Fisk Jumbo Patch

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