I recently mentioned that it was only five short months ago that I was desperate for a Yasiel Puig card. There just weren't any to be found and if you wanted a card, you had to pay a hefty price for something from Bowman or ... bleah ... Panini.
But in this consumer-driven world of ours, scarcity can turn into an embarrassment of riches in the time it takes to make that old-fashioned cash register dollar sign sound.
Topps saw a void and filled it until it is now a 15-story high pile of dirt. There are Puigs cards in virtually every pack, and there will be many more to come I am certain (I am not one of those who thinks he is a one-year wonder).
There is no place where this is more evident than in Topps Update.
It took me a long time to get a handle on the number of Puigs in the base set of Update, but I think I've figured it out. I also think that I've completed my trifecta of base Puigs.
The above card is from Zippy Zappy and he started me on my way to triple the Puig fun.
Whereas the Zippy Zappy Puig card was the "rookie debut" card from Update, this one is something called the "record chase" Puig card. It's actually a checklist card and it arrived from Dave K. You'll see the other sensational cards he sent soon.
This Puig arrived just yesterday from Kerry at Cards On Cards and it's the best of the base Puigs. It's also his "real" card in the set. In other words, back when players had just one card in a set, this would be the card.
There was quite a bit of confusion between Kerry and I as to whether I had this card or not. That's what happens when there are so many Puigs.
Of course, you don't get to be a prominent name in the game and not have your very own insert cards in Update.
I've already shown these, they came from Jeff of One Man's Junk (Wax).
And this one recently arrived from Brian of Base Set Calling.
So that's six Puig cards from Topps Update so far.
As I'm sure all of you know -- and I certainly know -- I'm not finished with all the Puig cards in Update.
But just to illustrate, let's see how close I am:
2013 TOPPS UPDATE YASIEL PUIG CARDS
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - red parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - blue parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - emerald parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - gold parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - black parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - pink parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - camouflage parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - sapphire parallel
#US46 - Yasiel Puig, Record Chase checklist - platinum parallel, 1/1
#US46 - Yasiel Puig Record Chase checklist - printing plate
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - red parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - blue parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - emerald parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - gold parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - black parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - pink parallel
#US250- Yasiel Puig - camouflage parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - sapphire parallel
#US250 - Yasiel Puig - platinum parallel, 1/1
#US250 - Yasiel Puig- printing plate
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut- red parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - blue parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - emerald parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - gold parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - black parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - pink parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - camouflage parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - sapphire parallel
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - platinum parallel, 1/1
#US330 - Yasiel Puig, Rookie Debut - printing plate
#US250 - Yasiel Puig, SP (big glove)
#US250 - Yasiel Puig, SSP (arms up)
#US250 - Yasiel Puig, SSP (sliding)
#SC-233 - Yasiel Puig silk
#MM-38 - Yasiel Puig, Making Their Mark
#MM-YP - Yasiel Puig, Making Their Mark autograph
That's 42 separate Puig cards. With the six Puig cards that I have, I own a mere 14 percent of the total Puig cards in Topps Update. My job -- if I chose to accept it and I do only in theory -- isn't even close to being finished.
It's entirely possible I'm missing some on that list, too. Who can keep track?
As a collecting "old-timer," I can't help but go back in time.
Zippy Zappy sent me another card (along with several other Topps Update Dodgers).
It's Steve Garvey's 1978 Topps card. I have this card already, several of them, in fact. ZZ knew that. But it helps illustrate something here.
In 1978, I pulled this Garvey from a wax pack of Topps.
When I did, I had 100 percent of the Garvey cards in 1978 Topps. I was done.
My mission was accomplished.
Those days are gone.
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