Wednesday, May 13, 2020

2004 Topps Retired Hank Aaron Refractor Autograph

Boom!


Extremely happy to check Hank Aaron off my list of needs for the 2004 Topps Retired Signature Edition autograph refractor set that I've considered my #1 highest priority collecting goal for the past several years. 

Going by purchase price, this Hammer is the third best card in my collection now. (And top Retired card.)

Yeah, I overpaid and the signature isn't even that clean-- it's a 2004 signature that looks more like his present-day signature-- and it's an awkward photo (what is going on??).. but I don't care. I welcomed this card into my house like a newborn baby being brought home from the hospital! Huge name I no longer need to worry about anymore (Seriously.. he has no vintage Kellogg's cards for some reason, so he won't be a factor in my latest setbuilding venture.)


A true legend. You gotta love Hank Aaron if you're a baseball fan.

More gratuitous glamor shots to help you fully soak in the majestic essence of the card...





Just 11 more cards to go and this dark shiny beast of a set will finally be finished. My rate of scoring new pickups for this project has slowed way down in recent years-- not that I'm not still searching as obsessively as ever!-- but maybe if I'm lucky I'll complete it within the decade.



I already had the base autograph from a while back. I'm torn on whether to throw it on eBay, put it on the trading block, or just hang onto it. (Once I "upgrade" to the refractor, I typically part with the base auto; I don't feel the need to have both.) I think the signature is better on the base (though neither are an A+), and it's cool having 2 Hammers, but we'll see.

The refractor is #/25 while the base isn't serial-numbered but has an announced print run of 50.

I used to have another base Hank auto like this one, and I "supertraded" it to Tony Burbs a few years back as the main card in a package to score an Axl Rose auto. Maybe I'll hang onto this base Hank as an "ace in the hole" for a possible future supertrade someday. If you happen to have something really cool/$$$ that'd be a great fit for my collection and seems like it'd be a fair swap, feel free to get in touch about feeling out a deal.

9 comments:

  1. Sure.....rub it in. Congrats on the addition.

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  2. That is an odd photo for sure. I keep my open for cards from this set, but they sure do seem rare. Good luck finding the remaining eleven!

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  3. I would agree with Coach Tom. I think you'd regret selling the base, although if it helps you knock out another refractor or two, maybe worth it.

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  4. Congratulations! Yes, interesting photo. It looks to me like he's protesting someone stealing his lunch.

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  5. Congrats! It's a beauty of a card - I actually like the photo!

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  6. Beautiful card! Love the etching Topps used on their Chrome cards back in the day. Congratulations on crossing this one off of your list.

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  7. DAMN! I read this post the day it went live but was on a device where I couldn't comment at the time (long story), so wanted to make sure I circled back. That's a nice cornerstone piece right there, congrats!

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  8. Awesome Card, congrats! I was unaware there was refractor version #/25 nor did I know the base was limited to 50 copies. I also have a nice base copy in my collection.

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