2016 COMC purchases: 22 many Verlanders!

You might say I had a Ver-iffic time picking up some cards of this here blog's namesake on COMC over the last few months, enough to allow me that punny title up top.  Here's 22-card salute to Justin Verlander:

Part 1:  the Refractors

2007 Bowman Chrome Refractor

2009 Bowman Chrome Refractor

2010 Bowman Chrome Refractor

I had a lot of luck landing Justin's versions of one of my all-time favorite inserts.  Here's a trio of Bowman Chrome Refractors, one of which is almost 10 years old(!).  Just eyeballing them I had some difficulty sorting the 2009-2011 versions since they're pretty similar in design.  As with most Refractors (as you'll see), though, they really pop, especially the scan of the '07.

2010 Topps Chrome Refractor

2011 Bowman Chrome Refractor

2013 Bowman Chrome Refractor

The Topps Chrome card here gives us a bit of variation, though I now realize I already had it.  Oh well, that's still 21 new JVs!  I'm not a huge fan of borders on many card designs but the black and red of the 2011 card do a nice job of emphasizing the other colors on that insert, even if the scan doesn't really do it justice.

2013 Finest Refractor

2014 Bowman Chrome Refractor (#140/500)

2014 Finest Refractor

The 2013 card was the worst of the bunch in looking Refractor-y even in-hand, so that year was a rare miss for this insert.  Also, it sure looks like the 2013 Finest and 2014 BowChro cards use the same image.  Meanwhile, the 2014 Finest issue definitely shines, and its rainbow-ness calls to mind the crazy '94 set that was realized 20 years earlier.

2014 Topps Chrome Refractor

2015 Finest Refractor

2015 Topps Chrome Refractor

And the last three of 12 new Refractors.  The 2015 Finest is the oddball here with its strange polygonal background, but at least it refracts more than the 2013.  And while I generally wasn't a fan of Topps' 2015 flagship design, it ends up looking pretty reasonable when dressed up in chrome and Refractorized.

Part 2:  the other inserts (and one base):

2007 Topps Chrome Generation Now (#GN283)

As with the flagship versions of this insert I'm not actively chasing Verlander's whole run of 17 cards, but if they're cheap enough I do like to pick them up.  This is my second Chrome version (#16 is the other) while I have four of the "base" versions, and it's definitely the most fun to have as it highlights not just the first win of his Rookie of the Year 2006 campaign, but also his first win period--he went 0-2 the year before.

2011 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Aspirations (#153/200)

2012 Bowman Blue (#157/500)

2012 Topps Archives Cloth Stickers

The die-cut EEE parallel is just one of two non-Topps cards today (monopoly blergh) with both hailing from Panini brands.  That year's Elite Extra base set was just 25 cards, most of which feature veterans.  The Blue parallel from Bowman is one of two as you'll see in just a couple scans; when not picking up Refractors one of my other focuses was numbered inserts like this one.  And besides those I tried to track down inserts I generally found interesting, such as the Archives Cloth Sticker, definitely a fun and unconventional find in a modern product (and a nice throwback).

2012 Topps Opening Day Stars

2013 Pinnacle Aces

2013 Topps Triple Threads Amethyst (#147/650)

Here's a couple more cards that fall on the "interesting" spectrum;  the Opening Day Stars insert has a very enjoyable look and feel, which makes sense in a product ostensibly aimed towards kids.  And the Pinnacle Aces card flashes back to the days of Dufex in the 90s.  2013 Triple Threads takes us back to the numbers game, and though I'm not a huge fan of the color--whatever it's called it sure looks purple to me--I'll take that serial numbered insanity when I can.

2013 Topps Update Gold (#1866/2013)

2014 Bowman Blue (#359/500)

2014 Topps Tribute

If you're surprised to see just one Topps Gold after reading that I was chasing numbered cards, don't be--I already had such Verlanders from seven different products so there aren't many I need.  The Bowman parallel is about the same shade of blue as the 2012 card, I think, though if I were in charge I'd use a darker blue like they've used on the Refractor versions.  And our final card is the only non-insert, but you can't go wrong with a premium looking set like Tribute.  It actually has a bit of a Refractor-like rainbow background to go with its thickness and foil highlights.

My Verlander collection now clocks in at 227 thanks to these excellent additions.  Here's to Mr. Kate Upton, who beat the Red Sox this afternoon for his 13th win of the season.