Mail day - 2014 Topps Update Jorge Posada Strata auto serial #'d 14/25

I thought I'd have to wait for six months or more for this redemption to be fulfilled - but it must have only taken a couple of weeks after I entered the redemption code on the Topps Redemption Web site, when I realized I had a card coming from Topps since I'd missed a Fed-Ex delivery at home.

I checked eBay to see if any Posada Strata autographs were live [there was at least a couple of them] and checked the Topps Web site - sure enough, my redemption was marked as shipped.

I'd missed the Fed-Ex truck once more though and was waiting around impatiently, intent on making the third time the charm - my father, who came home to grab his wallet he'd forgotten, ended up meeting the Fed-Ex guy at the door to sign for my package.

It's a fairly neat card and Posada was the Core Four guy whose autograph I never had a chance to get - so it's actually a nice addition to my PC.

The card was really thick where the layers of other cards used to build up this one thick card was visible - the autograph was signed with a Staedtler Lumocolor pen [as the case for most certified autographs] and while it's not as bold as a Sharpie autograph, it's clean.

I thought there surface area where the autograph / player images would be would be sort of die-cut, serving as a window to the relic swatch - but the area of the swatch is solid and I can't actually feel the relic material.

2014 Topps Update jumbo pack recap

I figure I'll end up busting at least one loose hobby jumbo pack of the latest Topps / Bowman offerings - whether or not the odds are in my favor picking up only one lone pack, I assume there is still a better chance to pull anything of note in hobby.

As I flipped through the boring base cards and thought who would want another card of some of these guys - I pull a redemption card for a Jorge Posada Strata autograph.

I don't know what relevance a Posada insert of any sorts has in 2014 Topps Update - but it sure made me feel better about my little 'do or die' gamble.

#US-63 David Murphy
#US-37 Leury Garcia
#US-33 Grady Sizemore
#US-59 Brandon McCarthy
#US-58 Raul Ibanez - Angels cut him when he was hitting .150 and even though he's not on the active roster, he is the one at the 2014 World Series.
#US-69 Dellin Betances
#US-319 Ricky Nolasco
#US-127 David Phelps
#US-251 Ike Davis
#US-3 Tom Wilhemsen
#US-134 Tony Cruz
#US-302 Tom Gorzelanny
#US-165 Justin Morneau
#US-248 Brayan Pena
#US-180 Chris Taylor
#US-168 Austin Jackson
#US-145 A.J. Pierzynski
#US-141 Chris Dickerson
#US-130 Tony Watson
#US-286 Brandon Barnes
#US-142 Jon Lester
#US-74 Antonio Bastardo
#US-12 Brian McCann - gold parallel serial #'d 0765/2014
#PPA-AW Adam Wainwright - Power Players insert
#US-57 Jacob DeGrom - Red Hot foil parallel
#FF-MM Mark McGwire - Fond Farewells insert
#TM-RA Roberto Alomar - 1989 Topps Die-Cut minis insert
Jorge Posada Strata Signature Relic redemption card 
#US-324 Alexi Amarista
#US-225 Luis Avilan
#US-274 Chris Withrow
#US-117 John Lackey 
#US-35 Marcus Stroman
#US-113 Oscar Taveras
#US-268 Matt Shoemaker
#US-153 Kurt Suzuki
#US-103 Starlin Castro
#US-283 Tyson Ross
#US-11 Robbie Ross Jr.
#US-252 Adrian Nieto
#US-95 Vidal Nuno
#US-24 Tony Sanchez
#US-150 Jon Singleton
#US-263 Kyle Seager
#US-282 Glen Perkins
#US-155 Devin Mesoraco
#US-238 Giancarlo Stanton
#US-156 Ronald Belisario
#US-179 John Baker
#FN-GP 2 Gregory Polanco - The Future is Now insert