2009 Topps Updates Ichiro sketch card

I was digging around some monster boxes at a dealer's card show booth when I found this card - I had to pick it up based on the idea this would be a cool find if it was an actual sketch card, rather than some sort of preprinted copy.

After the fact, I did some research about this 10-year old insert - from what I assume, the cards from the set didn't have a more common version and this particular card was probably the real deal as far as an artist working on depicting the athlete shown.

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights Nolan Ryan #UH232

I picked up this nearly seven-year old base card variation for $3 and change - the image of the Hall of Famer looks like it might have been originally black and white, then colorized on Photoshop to make it stand out on a trading card.

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights - pack three

Pack three yields a numbered Nolan Ryan insert to 99 - Angels-Jo

UH 255 Omir Santos
UH 166 Mike Redmond
UH 158 Wilson Valdez
UH 90 Orlando Cabrera

UH 93 Pedro Martinez
UH 244 Johan Santana

UH 232 Tim Lincecum

UH 136 Raul Ibanez Gold parallel serial #'d 0385/2009
LGU 11 Nolan Ryan Legends of the Game insert serial #'d 46/99
TTT 60 Dan Uggla Topps Town insert
UH 109 Orlando Hudson
UH 17 Classic Combos - Derek Jeter and David Wright

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights - pack two

Pack two hits a home run with the Babe, Albert and ... Cliff Lee?

UH 125 Fernando Martinez
UH 30 J.A. Happ
UH 278 Gaby Sanchez
UH 252 Justin Verlander

UH 48 Albert Pujols

UH 218 Cliff Lee
LGU 6 Babe Ruth Legends of the Game insert
TTT57 Joey Votto Topps Town insert
UH 51 Jesus Guzman
UH 139 Brian Moehler
UH 108 Chris Tillman

UH 122 Classic Walk-Off - Kevin Youkilis, David Wright, Derek Jeter and Shane Victorino

2009 Topps Updates and Highlights - pack one

Pack one of a three I picked up at Target for $1.99 each - basic Topps isn't high brow stuff, but it seems like packs have a good mix between base cards and usually an insert or two, so it is interesting to pick up a few packs here and there.

UH 173 David Robertson
UH 44 Seth Smith
UH 241 DeWayne Wise
UH 114 Chris Coghlan
UH 213 Josh Johnson
UH 230 Freddy Sanchez - this card might represent the only 'true' update card out of this pack, since he was traded from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the San Francisco giants.

UH 26 Ryan Howard

UH 329 Curtis Granderson Gold parallel serial #'d 0532/2009
PP 3 Albert Pujols Propaganda insert
TTT74 Brian McCann Topps Town insert
UH 290 Jason Michaels

UH 248 Chan Ho Park