Archive for June, 2008

In most cases, people dread getting Manufactured Patches in packs. The one-per-pack Premier Stitchings card in Upper Deck Premier is a guaranteed stinker. However, manufactured patches are cheap to make and seem to be a mainstay in the hobby. Manufactured letter patches are featured in products across all the major companies, so they must be at least marginally popular.

I, for one, am usually against manufactured patches. However, one card in Topps Series 2 Baseball really caught my eye. It’s a manufactured patch card of Alex Rodriguez that features a replica of the commemorative Yankee Stadium Patch that all Yankees are wearing on their sleeves for the last season in Yankee Stadium.

I think its a neat looking card, and would be a great idea for a set. Manufactured patches of commemorative patches of different teams would be pretty awesome. I guess the more successful manufactured patch cards are replicas of patches that actually exist on authentic uniforms. Once card companies start making up random stuff to plunk down on cards, the manufactured patches go from cool, to just annoying space fillers.

Here’s an interesting auction for a 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter Cut Signature of Fidel Castro, #’d 1/1:

Click here to see Auction

The owner of the card apparently disagreed with Topps’ inclusion of a Castro cut auto in its product, and covered the front and back of the card with his own social commentary towards the Cuban Dictator.

In most cases, drawing on the surface of a card will completely devalue it, but I’m not sure that holds up in the case of the Castro cut signature. As far as I know, it’s the only certified Fidel Castro cut signature to be released, making it truly one-of-kind.

Some people will probably consider this card “ruined” and worthless. Personally I think the inscriptions on the card make add to its uniqueness, and I’m sure that it will fetch top dollar.

According to the Auction text, all proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Center for a Free Cuba.