Cardboard appreciation: 2008 Topps Stadium Club Johnny Cueto autographed card

(Welcome to "Moon Day," the day reserved to commemorate, among other lunar-related activities, man's first walk on the moon, which happened exactly 40 years ago today. And to show my appreciation for Neil Armstrong and the boys, how about the 40th Cardboard Appreciation post? See how neatly it ties together?):

I have officially removed the redemption card watch from the sidebar. Johnny Cueto's signature arrived in the mailbox on Friday.

I'm going to miss the card watch. It was a daily reminder of the foolishness of the redemption card system. And it illustrated nicely just how inefficient a system it is. Not only could Topps not produce a single autographed card within its mandated 105-day deadline, but it took them 67 more days to send it to their customer's address.

I could go through a list of all the things that were accomplished during the seven months I waited for the Cueto Stadium Club card to appear, the card sets I completed, the autographs I received while NOT going through Topps channels, not to mention all of the personal and professional moments that I enjoyed or endured during that time. But I'll just say this: a lot was getting done while Topps appeared to be doing nothing.

I realize that the company may have to jump through some hoops to obtain autographs. But really, the saying "don't promise what you can't deliver" should be part of any business worth anything.

And while Topps did let me know that they were overdue delivering the card to me, that was the end of their communication.

The card arrived in this envelope:

(Sorry about the grease stains. I was eating potato chips when I got the mail). Inside was the card, encased in a penny sleeve, which was inside a top-loader. No note of apology for its lateness. No order to "enjoy my autographed Johnny Cueto card." Nothing.

This was my first experience with the redemption card scene. And although I'd been warned about the whole scenario, I still expected a little bit more.

Anyway, in case you're interested, the Cueto autographed card varies from the regular base card, which looks like this:

And you'll notice that the autograph on the card up top is more sophisticated than the scrawl of a 5-year-old that graces his 2008 Topps base card (I have either traded or misplaced that '08 card or else I would have shown it here).

I will appreciate this autographed card. It will always remind me of the redemption card process, and the 172 days I waited for this card since I first pulled the redemption card out of a Stadium Club blaster back in January.

I'd like to think I've learned something from the whole rigmarole (one of my mom's favorite words). But I don't think Topps has.