Have some fun right NOW! Opening a RIP card

[bonzomoretti]

I got this Granderson RIP card in a box I opened the first day the 2012 A&G's cam out:

My first RIP card and thought I'd share opening it with you.
I debated for the last 11 days or so if I should open it or not but I opened a ****** box this past week and needed a "lift"!
So enjoy this rip with me as I am laying the card on the scanner and opening it and seeing it for the first time right here with you...so stay tuned as I go as I will be breaking the "The Bench" rules of consecutive posts by the same person...
First rip:

Some of you may know what this black thing is but this being my first rip, I have no idea!

 

[bonzomoretti]

Rip 2:
Went all the way down and igured this black thing is some type of "light blocker" that keeps you from seeing the card by holding it up to light...believe me, I know as I tried as I am sure everyone has.

 

[bonzomoretti]

I carefully removed the card from inside the Granderson (Curtis is giving birth!) as not to accidently see the card and succeeded...

 

[bonzomoretti]

I am going to slowly slide the black thing down and see who or what this is along with you. It is "face-down" on my scanner so I can only tell what it is as it gets scanned...

Looks like a NY Giant....Willie Mays possibly! Has a bat in-hand so not a pitcher. Is it autographed...my heart is beating faster!

 

[bonzomoretti]

next slide!

Definetely a Willie Mays...autographed????

 

[bonzomoretti]

Probably not autographed as I prob would have seen it by now.

 

[bonzomoretti]

Nope...no auto!

OK, we know who it is...is it numbered? Let's flip it as it has a black thingy on the back side too...

 

[bonzomoretti]

Here goes!

Looks like it is a regular number 381 Mays. Is it numbered at the bottom?

 

[bonzomoretti]

SUSPENSEFUL?!

 

[bonzomoretti]

No number but not a bad card!
Both the Mays and Granderson are up for trade. Probably end up on Ebay as I don't think anyone has enough of my Mets needs to get the Mays.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Thanks

 

[David K.]

That rip card should be auto or serial! Never pulled one as ....There one per case? Best regards, David

 

[JJLevitsky]

VERY NICE PULL. Congrats!!

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[GotMelky]

You should do pretty good on that Mays - the SSP are hot right now with all the crazy Ginter super collectors out there.

 

[dbarbos1]

Very cool!
That was a lot of fun to read through!

 

[turkeyred]

That was FUN!
You could of sold or traded the card.
I've always thought .....ya gotta go for it.....when you get a rip card.
Nice Rip!
Paul

 

[bonzomoretti]

That was FUN!
You could of sold or traded the card.
I've always thought .....ya gotta go for it.....when you get a rip card.
Nice Rip!
Paul

Believe me Paul. I deliberated for almost 2 weeks about ripping it or not. Especially seeing the Granderson go for $349 on ebay. I figured I may never get another chance so I went for it. Glad I did. Mays goes for around $200 on ebay. Will see how it goes. I enjoyed the step-by-step. Hope you guys did. Thanks

 

[fatrat]

Thanks, for sharing, Mike - it was fun for me, too!!

 

[bonzomoretti]

That rip card should be auto or serial! Never pulled one as ....There one per case? Best regards, David

David, The rip card was 12/25. My understanding was 1 per case.

 

[3greyhounds]

That was a lot of fun, Mike, and a decent pull for you! Congrats!

 

[mrmopar]

Interesting thread. I enjoyed watching the event unfold.

I'd probably sell or rip any rip card I got unless it was a Steve Garvey or another player I really collected seriously, like Frank Thomas back in the day. I still have several Thomas cards or tins that could be opened to reveal something inside, but I can't bring myself to "break the seal".

As a collector, I don't really care for the rip concept. That is what packs are for. It's much easier to rip an unopened back, because you are not destroying anything technically (although vintage unopened wax collectors might disagree). I guess putting in rip cards of commons would help change my mind, as who wouldn't want to rip a Lou Collier card? I use him as an example, because I recently ripped open one of those late 90s Pinnacle 5x7 jumbo cards that contain a regular sized cards inside. I got a bunch at the card shop for 25 cents each and thought it would be fun to rip them after all these years (still have a sealed Thomas from when I bought them new). I believe that was one of the earliest rip concept cards. I didn't even think twice about it, because the value of his card unripped is basically the value of the gamble you take opening it. But when you have stars that need to be ripped open, or any cards for that matter that are numbered so low, it just seems wrong.

This reminds me of the sealed sets I used to buy too. Back around 94 or so, UD did a 3x5 Walter Iooss set and 1:40 were gold foil, where the rest were green foil. I was at the shop when they opened the case and decided to buy one. I usually leave my sets sealed, but the urge to see if I got the gold set was too strong. Interestingly enough, I did get the gold set. Had I left it sealed, I would have always wondered. I didn't ruin anything to see, but now I know.