2013 Totally Certified: My 1st Case! (Part 2 – The Good Stuff!)

In the first part of this post, I showed (almost) all of the various non-auto jersey cards I pulled from my first full case bust.  There was some neat stuff, but nothing too spectacular.  I saved the best for last, but first – the worst.  This was sort of the height of the “redemption era,” and this case was full of them. Boo. Hiss. (Update: I’ve actually already received the Geno Smith jersey auto from Panini!)

I go to that low point, though, so we can turn around and head for the heights of hobby glory that came from this case.  First off, the base rookie autos.  Big names were all jersey autos in this set, but there are some pretty solid defensive players here.

Next up, the rookie jersey autos that were live in the box.  These are box hits (in a 12 box case), which shows the number that were redemptions. (#SadFace) Most of these would have been hits to celebrate back in 2013, especially the EJ Manuel.  At least it’s a fun time capsule back to a few years ago.

Now to the cards that apparently only come around once a case.  The base set has blue, red and gold parallels, with the gold numbered out of 25.  While his playing days may also be numbered, I was happy with this gold pull.

I pulled one vet auto, also numbered out of 25.  Again with the look-back to three years ago, Kaepernick was a hot commodity in the hobby.  Now he’s fighting with Blaine Gabbert to sit for whole games instead of just the anthem.  (Yes I know the pic is upside-down.  Pardon my politics, but I’m protesting him.  There is an ironic red, white and blue motif to this card, though.)

Like the Back to the Future movies, these last two cards take us even deeper into the past.  These were the two cards I mentioned in part 1 of this post that came from the same box in this case.  Really picked it up out of a lull in the case in a big way!  First off, the best of the Stitches in Time cards – a quad patch relic of four guys who combined for over 43,000 career rushing yards.  (That’s over 24 miles!)Once again /25, this would be hands-down my favorite card from this case, except that about two packs later…

…this bespectacled beauty burst forth from behind some base cards! (#Alliteration)  Hall of Fame QB, crucial member of the only perfect team in league history, and a guy who played well on Thanksgiving in 1977.  As I turned the card over to see exactly how well he had played in that game, a small, silver stamp caught my eye.WHAT?!?! WHOA! YESSSSS!!!! (I actually said these things in all caps, of course.)  Then I just sat and stared at the card for a minute.  It’s not the first one-of-one I’ve pulled, but definitely the best.  I love the ornate script “One of One,” too.  What I read in those three shiny words is not just “Meh, there’s only one of these,” but rather (in a fancy British accident), “Our congratulations on having acquired the sole and only specimen of this particular piece to have been brought into existence! Good show, good show!”