DATA: 2002 Topps 206 (429)

ACQUIRED: bayTRON

PING: Sweet little mini cards. I have two versions of the card – a Sweet Caporal (red) back and a Polar Bear back. I’m not exactly sure how many different backs there are and if every player has a card with each of the different backs. Just a quick search yielded this list of backs: Tolstoi, Piedmont (black), Piedmont (red), Sweet Caporal (blue), Sweet Caporal (red) and Polar Bear.

I do love all the heritage stuff and the tobacco cards are especially sweet. Very glad to add these to the collection.

DATA: 2002 Topps T206

ACQUIRED: ‘Bay

PING: I love the retro card designs, but at the full standard card size, this one falls a little flat for me. I have yet to get a hold of one, but I’m sure the mini tobacco card sized version of the T206 will be a little more successful. The photo is the same as the one used on his Bowman rookie, also from 2002.

DATA: 2002 Bowman Draft Picks (BDP44)

ACQUIRED: Moeller Card Show, 2008

PING: Ah, the actual Joey Votto rookie card. Finally have one. Probably overpaid a little bit at $4, but after a poke around eBay, I couldn’t have done too much better after shipping. It feels good to have the Votto card that started it all – even has Joey listed as a catcher on the back. Speaking of the back of the card, this may be the only photo of Joey on a baseball card Joey where he cracks a smile. Check the photo to the right to see what I am talking about. He’s dead serious in all the rest of his cards. I love it. Click here for a look at the full version of the back.

Also, why does this card have to be so damn ugly? For real, this is not a great design at all. Come to think of it though… it’s pretty Tron-like… maybe I will grow to like it. Either way, it’s in the collection now, where it will stay.