From the Pedro Binder

1999 Topps Stars

Yup. It was the nineties.

A simple picture of the best pitcher in at least a generation would't do. It had to have pizzaz! It had to have flair. There would need to be foil stamping. Lots of it! There would need to be some sort of alteration to the picture. Maybe ever an gold glow around Pedro himself. (OK. That part is pretty cool.) Because, why would anyone buy a baseball card that was just a baseball card?

Once again, I get it. Topps had the base set. That's where people get a clean picture on a simple border. They also had Stadium Club. In that set, the picture is everything. The rest of the card is almost designed to just get out of the way. So, I understand that those sets cover the basics. Sets like Topps Stars are their chance to have a little fun. To go after a different audience.

I hope that audience liked this card. Because, as you might expect, it doesn't do much for me.

It's a card like this that makes me wonder what a card collector is. People who just amass any piece of cardboard with a player pictured on it? Because this card doesn't even list Pedro's team on the front. It's a completely computer created picture that does very little to capture the essence of Pedro.

Is that all we're after? If it is, this card probably has a niche. But, it makes me feel a bit dirty about my collection.

I really will buy anything, eh?