DATA: 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights Gold (UH185) (1221/2008)

ACQUIRED: checkoutmycards.com

PING: Nice gold card to add to the collection of 2008 Topps Updates and Highlights set. We still need to track down the black version – a sharp looking card, but kinda hard to find.

This particular card has some printing issues. It looks like the “sparkle plate” was off and created a offset shift on the printing. I’m wondering if they are all like this, or just a certain percentage of the run. I’m surprised this kind error would have made it past the press check. Oh well.

This card is serial numbered out of 2008.

DATA: 2008 Upper Deck Documentary Gold Parallel (80, 380, 680, 980, 1280, 2480)

ACQUIRED: Cincy Reds Cards

PING: Just when I thought that SIX Documentary cards of Mr. Votto were plenty, Joe from Cincy Reds Cards hooks me up phat with SIX more. Now, this isn’t just SIX more Documentary cards, it’s SIX parallels. And what a sweet paralell it is! Upper Deck stamped “2008″ on this bad-boy and also made a box at the bottom of the card gold instead of silver.

Mind. Blown.

DATA: 2008 Topps Opening Day White Parallel (218 0523/2199)

ACQUIRED: checkoutmycards.com

PING: Now defunct Topps brand, Opening Day, commemorated the start of the baseball season by offering a low-cost pack of cards with a short checklist. Not a lot of flair in the set, really. I see it basically being a parallel of the 2008 Topps flagship set, just sold in its own package. But, what baseball card set would be complete without some parallels? Here we have the white parallel card from the 2008 Opening Day set. Numbered out of 2199, it’s not terribly rare… but I did have a mildly tough time tracking one down. It took a while. The foil stamp on the card is gold, just like the base set, but there is the opening day date also stamped on this version – March 31st, 2008. I like the card – it’s a nice one to chase down for a player collector. That said, I didn’t really miss Opening Day not being in market this year.

DATA: 2008 Topps Stadium Club First Day Issue (112)

ACQUIRED: checkoutmycards.com

PING: FINALLY! It’s taken a while to get a hold of one of these at a decent price. Joey’s 2008 Stadium Club 1st Day Issue card. I guess there is a variant on this too? I’m confused about the whole Stadium Club setup, so whatever. This card is number out of 599 and is thicker than a regular stock card. It’s not quite as this as a filler or relic card though. I was surprised by this, not sure why it’s that way. Glad to add it to the collection though. There are still a few more to track down… anyone up for a trade?

DATA: 2008 Topps Holiday Factory Set Rookie Variation (14 of 20)

ACQUIRED: E to da B-A-Y

PING: Tell you what, Joey has a ton of 2008 Topps cards. I can only imagine there will be even more in ‘09, but sheesh, there were a lot in ‘08. The Reds were well represented in the 2008 Holiday Factory set, featuring rookie variation cards of including Joey Votto, Jay Bruce and Johnny Cueto. I didn’t actually purchase the set, but just picked up the Votto card.

h/t to bdj610’s Topps Baseball Card Blog for the information on the factory set bonus cards.

DATA: 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Updates Blue (BDP9)

ACQUIRED: Man, I don’t remember

PING: It’s Bowman. It’s Blue. It’s Votto. Numbered 069/300, this card is holding it’s own.

DATA: 2008 Upper Deck Rookie Debut (6)

ACQUIRED: ebizzle

PING: So, from what I can gather, this is an insert card in the 2008 Upper Deck series 1 set. The card centers around Joey’s debut with the Reds on September 4, 2007. It wasn’t until the next afternoon that Joey really broke down the door, going 3-3 with a dinger and two runs scored. A few friends and I went to the game specifically to see his first start. Oh my, he did not disappoint. That was a fun afternoon.

DATA: 2008 Topps Triple Threads Red (233)

ACQUIRED: bayTRON

PING: Well, at least they have Votto on the right color for this card – red. What can I say about this card? Triple Threads get boring for me pretty quickly, and I only have two of them. Numbered 161/1350, this isn’t the rarest card out there… so it’s doesn’t have much to hang it’s hat on. Other than featuring RBI-machine Joey Votto.

DATA: 2008 Upper Deck Timelines: ‘95 SP Premier Prospects Bronze (364)

ACQUIRED: From www.checkoutmycards.com

PING: With this card, I wrap up the entire set of Joey Votto cards in Upper Deck’s Timelines release from last year. Compared to the ‘95 in Silver, this is a bit of an upgrade. The photo is working well with whatever shiny technology Upper Deck is using on this. The blurred background (aka bokeh) really helps Joey pop off the card, letting the design settle into a secondary position. So, for Joey, a successful card. I’m not a fan of the bronze, but that’s okay, for the sake of nostalgia, it works.

DATA: 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and Updates Gold (BDP9)

ACQUIRED: Don’t remember

PING: Joey’s Gold parallel from the 2008 Bowman Draft Picks and updates release. He’s the cover boy for the set, so you know he’s rockin’ all fly the parallels. I like that Bowman went with the thin stock on these gold insert cards. The thick ones – used as dummy cards in packs – were just kinda lame. Plus, they stretch out my 9-pocket plastic sheets. I just can’t get on board with that mess.

DATA: 2008 Topps Redsfest with Autograph

ACQUIRED: Redsfest 2008

PING: I’ve featured this card before, but not with the autograph. I’ve been really lucky with Joey Votto signing my cards. Joey signed this particular card at a Spring Training game in Sarasota, Florida. Joey came out of the dugout right before the game and signed for a ton of fans. He just happened to be signing at the isle I was sitting in. Of course, I had a card ready to go. The luck continued a few days later when I saw the Reds again, this time in Clearwater playing the Phillies. Joey signed before the game once again, and this time he signed my World Baseball Classic ball from my trip to Toronto for the 2009 WBC.

This card is not staying in my collection though, it’s going to my 3-year-old nephew and his fledgling autograph collection. He’ll really dig it in a few years.

DATA: 2008 Bowman Sterling Gold Chrome Refractor (BS-JV)

ACQUIRED: From Cincy Reds Cards

PING: This is a mac-daddy of a card right here. Ol’ Joe, proprietor of the venerable card blog, Cincy Reds Cards hooked me up with this bad boy. This was a major solid, from one Reds fan to another. I can say enough about my man Joe, but I owe him some mad hook-up now.

Let’s talk about the card, shall we?

AWESOME.

That about sums it up. This card, number 45/50, really kicks my Votto Bowman Sterling collection up a notch.

DATA: 2008 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Chrome Refractor (BDP9)

ACQUIRED: bayTRON

PING: Votto comin’ strong with the 2008 Bowman refractor. Great stuff in person, not so much in a scan. Maybe we should change up our techniques? Maybe. Again, Joey’s about to stroke one against the Yankees.

DATA: 2008 Bowman Sterling Box Topper (BS-JV) 

ACQUIRED: bayTRON

PING: Again, another card that scanning just doesn’t do justice. From what I can gather, this Joey Votto card was a box-topper in the Bowman Sterling product. It features a different photo of Joey than his base and parallel 2008 Sterling cards. This card is not serial numbered, nor is it a refractor. Good lookin’ card if you ask me.

DATA: 2008 Upper Deck Documentary (80, 380, 680, 980, 1280, 2480)

ACQUIRED: bayTRON

PING: This set from Upper Deck is kinda dumb, I think. I bet someone out there is collecting all 4,980 cards from the set. What kills it for me is the fact that photos are repeated. I have six cards from this set featuring Joey Votto, and they are all the same photo. I totally understand the cost associated with licensing a photo for each and every card… but if you’re not going to do that, what’s the point? Anyways, this photo has Joey hustling after a bunted ball, sporting a nice goofy look while doing it too. Joey can’t look like a movie star in every photo, right? I have no clue how many Votto cards are in the Documentary set. I think six is enough for me.