My Top 5 Topps Bunt 2024 Base Cards

Ah, collecting the classic Topps baseball cards as a kid in the 1980's.  That was me.  Coming home from the drug store with 3-4 packs in my pocket.  I was looking for Chicago  Cubs players: Ryne Sandberg, Ron Cey, Leon Durham, and others.  My friends and I would trade, but we would always end up with doubles of players we didn't know or care about.  So, we would slap a clothespin on the back forks of our bike, slide that baseball card double in the clip and stick it through the spokes.  We would cruise up and down the street with our bike-cycle buzzing.  Base cards of a set are like that; you end up with a whole bunch.  But they are a great way to get a good look at who these players are.  Some card pictures are staged and profile-like.  Some cards are position players up to bat, and the pitchers often get a mid- throw shot.  All of them are pretty cool when flipping through the cards and checking career stats on the back of the card. 

In Topps Bunt digital card trading app, there are 450 series 1 base cards, and while I haven't checked recently, I would bet I have dupes of most of them if not all.  The other day I decided to flip through the base cards, since I don't really take a good look at them after the initial release.  Who are the names?  Who has had a good season?  Are there any rookie sensation base cards?  It is fun; it's why we collect.  

Here are my Top 5 Bunt 2024 Base Cards with a comment about the style of each one:  

5.  Brandon Lowe, 2024 Bunt Base Series - White

Classic shot of the backswing of a hitter while catching most of his face so fans can recognize him.  Also does a nice job of showing the "battle worn" helmet.  Super cool.  

4.  Andrew Abbott, 2024 Bunt Base Series 1 - White

If I were a pitcher, this mid-pitch action shot is definitely what I would want on my base card!  

3.  Ezequiel Tovar, 2024 Bunt Base Series 1 - White

The action shots get my attention, and what better way to capture a short stop than on a throw over to first base.  This is a great mid-motion shot for Tovar.  

2.  Kyle Hendricks, 2024 Bunt Base Series 1 - White

I love this "in the stretch" position for a pitcher's card.  This card also gives a good sense of background.  A good card will also place you in the game like you are there watching.  This card, blurred, has lots of fan space.  That is a good quality for a card.  

1.  Francisco Alvarez, 2024 BUNT Base Series 1 - White

I love this in-game action of Alvarez lifting his mask and his colorful chest pad popping on this card.  It also has the background factor too.  

I want to take a second to discuss the boarder features.  The boarder has a modern look all the way around with the right side multilayered.  Pretty coo.  I like the team logo in the bottom right.  It is clear, but it doesn't dominate the picture/card.  The name of the players is clearly found at the bottom of the card.  The only criticism is the that the player's position does blend in at the bottom.  I don't mind the placement, but maybe a bit larger font.  Still, I really liked this set.  How about a bonus card?  

Bonus: Austin Gomber, 2024 BUNT Base Series 1 - White

What's up the the bonus?  It is my list and I couldn't leave this one off.  As the top 5, this card has good action in mid pitch, but what I really like about this card is it shows rain falling.  The drops are all around him.  Once again, anything that makes me, the collector, feel like I was there to take the picture myself is awesome.    

My Top 5 Marvel Collect Base Cards

I love opening packs of trading cards.  It makes no difference if they are physical cards that I can hold and flip over or digital cards that I flip on the screen of my device.  The hope of getting something special, an epic card or even a legendary card, is always hiding right behind the package. But the heart of a trading card pack is the base card.  These cards are fun to collect at first, but over time they start to pile up and the value seems to be lost.  However, I believe they all deserve another look because they are the the heart of the set.  

Here are my Top 5 Marvel Collect base cards from the 2024 set.  

5.  War Machine, '24 Base, Series 1 - White - Tier 1- Search Term: 24base

I have a couple of these "in your face" action cards in the Top 5.  This one just kinda catches your eyes.  I like the use of light in this card, quite dramatic. 

4. Old Man Hawkeye, '24 Base, Series 1 - White - Tier 1 Search Term: 24base

The grit and action here really capture the character of Old Man Hawkeye.  You can see the movement, and I'm pretty sure I know what is about to happen.  Somebody's day isn't going to go how they thought it might.  

3. X-23, '24 Base, Series 1 - White - Tier 1 Search Term: 24base

As promised, another "in your face" action card.  X-23 is a super cool character, so I was glad that she got a super cool base card.  Don't blink, she'll get you!  

2.  Spider-Punk, 24 Base - Series 1 - White - Tier 1 Search Term: 24base

Okay, you all know my love for Peter Parker Spider-man, but Spider-Punk has really caught my attention in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.  Spider-Punk is from Earth-138, and let's just say, he's a pretty cool punk.  He definitely has a great look.  

1.  Green Goblin, '24 Base - Series 1 - White Tier 1  Search Term: 24base

He is the only villain on the list, but take a look and you'll see why.  Check out the use of color on this card!  It really pops.  I especially like this card with the Base Tier 6 purple boarder.  It is just a beautiful card with some pretty beautiful awfulness coming Spidey's way.  

Album Playthrough Project September 2024

What a great month of album listening! I found a groove and a good time to get some listening in.  First thing in the morning has turned out to be a really good time to get in most if not all of an album while I am getting ready for the day.  At least, it seems to have worked well this month.  We will see as we enter the fourth quarter of the year.  I hope you enjoy the music I enjoyed (mostly) last month!  

You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish (1978) REO Speedwagon 9/3/24
Hotel California (1976) Eagles 9/3/24
1984 (1984) Van Halen 9/6/24
Flesh & Blood (1990) Poison 9/6/24
Guts (Spilled) (2024) Olivia Rodrigo 9/7/24
The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess 2023 Chappell Roan 9/9/24
emails i can't send (2022) Sabrina Carpenter 9/10/24
Fine Line (2019) Harry Styles 9/10/24
Under a Blood Red Sky remastered 2023 (2023) U2 9/10/24

Born in the USA (1984) Bruce Springsteen 9/11/24
Whenever We Wanted (1991) John Mellencamp 9/11/24
October Road (2000) James Taylor 9/11/24
Tuesday Night Music Club (1993) Sheryl Crow 9/12/24
Ringo (1973) Ringo Starr 9/12/24
Get Lifted (2005) John Legend 9/14/24
Beneath the Skin (2015) Of Monsters and Men 9/16/24
Fear (1991) Toad the Wet Sprocket 9/16/24
Sister Sweetly (1993) Big Head Todd and the Monsters 9/16/24
New Jersey (1988) Bon Jovi 9/19/24
Hozier (2014) Hozier 9/18/24
Trouble (2008) Ray Montagne 9/18/24
Deeper Well (2024) Kasey Musgraves 9/19/24
Sound and Color (2015) Alabama Shakes 9/20/24
Streetlight Serenade (1974) Billy Joel 9/21/24
Music (2021) Sia 9/23/24
The Black Album (Metallica) (1991) Metallica 9/23/24
Unorthodox Jukebox (2012) Bruno Mars 9/24/24
Because of the Times (2007) Kings of Leon 9/24/24
Nothing to Lose (2024) Hollow Cove 9/24/24
PourIt Out Into the Night (2023) The Revivalists 9/24/24
White Blood Cells (2001) The White Stripes, Jack White 9/25/24
Stereopathetic Soulmanure (1994) Beck 9/25/24
Only God Was Above Us (2024) Vampire Weekend 9/26/24
Gold Rush Kid (2022) George Ezra 9/27/24
Hardwired Mixtape (2018) Hailey Knox 9/28/24
Moonstone EP (2020) Raveena 9/28/24
The Classic Roy Orbison (1966) Roy Orbison 9/29/24
Live Trax Vol. 44: The Gorge amphitheatre (2017) Dave Matthews Band 9/28/24
In My Tribe (1987) 10,000 Maniacs 9/28/24

Best Listen of the Month: Only God Was Above Us, Vampire Weekend

Biggest Surprise: In My Tribe, 10,000 Maniacs

Don't get me wrong, I loved this album back in the day, but whoa, it still hits today.

Biggest Disappointment: Music, Sia

It was okay. She should stick to Christmas music. Her songs are pretty enjoyable in that season.

Still Resonates Today: The Black Album, Metallica

Dude. This album rocks in 2024 like it did in 1991. And it will in 2054.

Favorite Newbie: The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan

Best Concert Memory: Mixtape, Hailey Knox

Caught her show at a local tavern on St. Patrick's Day in 2019. Passionate about her music!

Perfect Moment to Listen: Under a Blood Red Sky, U2

Something about these guys always seems to be the right time.

Most Fun: Stereopathetic Soulmanure, Beck

He knows sound, and boy, does he play with it in his first album. Not an album to relax with.

2024 Reading/Viewing Stats 1st - 3rd Quarters

The summer has come to a close and Autumn has arrived.  I got some really good Dungeons and Dragons and DragonLance reading in this last quarter.  I also hit the comic magazines this last quarter bringing tons of entertainment and great storytelling.  I am not super pumped with the movie and streaming offerings, so I consumed lots of sports from MLB, Olympics, WNBA, NASCAR, and the NFL.  Once again, I am disappointed in the amount of podcast listening I did.  There is tons of content out there that I am missing out on.  I still haven't found a short story book that catches my attention.  

I have also been dedicating time to my Album Playthrough Project which I don't record here, but you can follow my progress in monthly posts that begin with this post in January.  

Here is what I've consumed in the first three quarters of 2024:  

Movies Watched: 10
Rewatch: 4
First time: 6
In Theater: 1

TV Series (streamed): 116
Rewatch: 44
First Time: 72

Podcasts episodes: 35
Time listened: 1,435 minutes

Books Read: 17
Fiction: 16
Non-Fiction: 1
Pages read: 3,777

Audiobooks: 1
Fiction: 2
Non-Fiction:
Hours listened: 8:39

Books Abandoned: 2
Fiction: 2
Non-Fiction:
Pages read: 258

Short Stories read:
Pages read:

Comic Books read: 181
Print: 115
Digital: 66

Book Titles:
Dragons of Spring Dawning: Dragonlance Chronicles Volume III
Star Wars: Dark Disciple by Christie Golden
Mandalorian: The Manga adapted by Yusuke Osawa
Numb to This: Memoir of a Mass Shooting by Kindra Neely (Graphic Novel)
#MurderTrending (abandoned)
Salt to the Sea by Rural Sepetys
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Cable: Conquest (Graphic Novel)
Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah
Superman: For All Seasons by Jeff Loeb (Graphic Novel)
Dungeons and Dragons: A Druid's Call by E.K. Johnston
Spells for Lost Things by Jenna Evans Welch (abandoned)
Star Wars: Inquisitor Rise of the Red Blade by Delilah Dawson (audio)
Batman: Hush by Jeof Loeb (Graphic Novel)
Lord of the Fly Fest by. (abandoned)
Transformers Vols 1-6 (Graphic Novel)
Cat + Gamer vol. 1 (Manga)
Dungeons and Dragons SpellJammer: Memories Wake by Django Wexler
Classic DragonLance: Dragons of Eternity, DragonLance Destinies: Vol. 3 by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman
Conan the Barbarian: Vol. 1 Bound in Black Stone by Jim Zub

Movies Watched:
Solo: A Star Wars Story
The Marvels
Elvis
Hamilton
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
Godzilla minus one
Big
Deadpool
Deadpool 2
Deadpool and Wolverine

TV Streamed Series and Documentaries:
Marvel's What If...
X-Men animated season 2
The Crown season 5
Echo season 1
Resistance season 2
Voltron
X-Men animated season 3
Bad Batch season 3
X-Men 97
Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1
Heroes Journey the making of Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Star Wars: Tales of the Empire
Wednesday season 1
Star Wars: Visions season 2
Taylor Swift Eras Tour
Assembled: The Making of X-Men 97
American Pickers
Star Wars: The Acolyte
I Woke Up a Vampire
Batman: Caped Crusader
Rings of Power season 2

Podcasts:
Song Exploder (8)
Teachers in the Dungeon (3)
Rebel Base Card Podcast (5)
Untapped Mana (2)
Coffee with Kenobi (2)
Business Wars (6)
All Songs Considered (2)
60 Songs that Explain the 90's (7)
The Colby Cast (2)

Topps Bunt Community - Paying It Forward

The first week of October when the Major League Baseball playoffs began an unusual thing happened on my Topps Bunt app.  See, my profile picture on the app is the Detroit Tigers "Old English D."  I am supporting my second favorite team, but my favorite in the playoffs.  Suddenly, I started getting unbalanced trades by 4 or 5 different people on the opening day of the Wildcard games.  When I say unbalanced, I mean unbalanced in my favor.  These people started sending me Tigers cards out of the blue with "Go Tigers!"  messages.  They weren't sending base cards; they were sending common and uncommon cards.  How fun!  It really made my day.  

I don't know.  I thought this was an amazing little trend, so I paid it forward and a sent whole bunch of my Tigers doubles to those who have the "Old English D" on their profile.  As the games continue through the playoffs, I plan to do this with fans of other teams.

Let's take this random act and pass it on in the other card apps.  Take a look at someone's profile and ship off unwanted dupes that match team or character of their profile.  This, by the way, isn't a trade you send to get something, just ask for a random base card.  Let that person know that you are celebrating their team or character.