A question about 2001 Topps

A week or so ago I posted about how I recently decided to try to collect the Topps set from 1981 (the year I was born) - current. Dennis, of the blog Too Many Verlanders, commented that he had an extra 2001 set that he'd send my way if I wanted. Thank you very much Dennis!

A short while later a large box arrived in my mailbox with the 2001 set, some D-Backs cards, and a 1998 Pinnacle Inside Arizona Diamondbacks can. For some reason my phone doesn't want to let me email the photo of the can to myself so I don't have a picture of it, but it's awesome and will be used for pencils, pens, etc. on my desk.

Here are a few of the D-Backs cards that Dennis sent.

Dennis sent two Goldschmidt cards and this 2016 Donruss Paul Goldschmidt was new to my collection!

Here are a couple of Dan Haren cards. Haren was recently hired by the D-Backs as a special pitching assistant.

Love this 2016 Topps Nick Ahmed card. Ahmed is a whiz with the glove.

Here's a 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition autograph of pitcher Robby Rowland. Roland is no longer part of the D-backs organization, but is doing fairly well in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league organization.

The 2001 Topps set is a great looking set. Check out this Jeff Bagwell. My grandparent's last name is Bagwell, so I was always drawn to Jeff Bagwell as a kid even though there isn't any known relation.

Many of the cards are stuck together though and so when I separate them it damages the cards. You can see the white specs on the Brad Fullmer card below. 

Anyone have any suggestions on separating the cards with as little damage as possible?

Secret Santa

Bob Walk the Plank organized a Secret Santa this year and I participated. I actually got my package in while ago, but I thought I'd post it a little closer to Christmas. Thank you to my Secret Santa, David, for the sweet D-Backs cards. There are so many nice D-Backs cards that I'll just let the cards speak for themselves.

I ripped my first rip card!

I've never pulled a rip card from a pack. I have bought one off ebay, but it was already ripped. It was a 2013 Allen & Ginter Tyler Skaggs card numbered to 50.

Last week I got to rip my first rip card, courtesy of Baseball Card Breakdown. Gavin is insanely creative and talented when it comes to custom cards. Take a look at the rip card that he sent.

Here's the front.

Here's the back.

Never having ripped a rip card before I had some difficulty freeing the contents of the rip card. Take a look at the photographic journey.

I first tried peeling off the back starting at the corners, but after trying two corners without much luck...

... I tried the front. 

It took some time, but I eventually got the front and the back off pretty much unscathed.

After that I was able to really rip into what remained.

Here's the contents of the rip card. It's another one of Gavin's customs, but this time it's a sweet psychedelic mini magnet 1/1 (it's numbered on the back) of my favor current D-Back, Paul Goldschmidt!   

Gavin also included this sweet Gwynn custom from his days at San Diego State.

The front is great, but I remember when I first saw this card on Baseball Card Breakdown, what caught my eye was the picture on the back of Gwynn playing basketball. Just not how I picture Gwynn.

Gavin also included some sweet D-Backs cards as well including an A.J. Pollock insert and a Museum Collection card that for some reason makes me think Brewers, before D-Backs.

Here's a nice Brandon Drury gold parallel from Stadium Club.

And last, but not least is this Luis Gonzalez bat card. 

Thank you so much Gavin for the great package and the opportunity to rip a rip card!