​I was visiting my parents the other day, and my mom was clearing out their apartment of old toys that my son has outgrown.  He no longer plays with the Star Wars Legos, and so those were placed in the Goodwill donation pile.  She said, "Hey Andrew, what about this box?"  She was referencing a Star Wars The Force Awakens storage container used for the toys.  He wasn't interested in it and, knowing that I was a Star Wars fan, asked if I wanted it.  "Nah, I don't have room.  I'm trying to get rid of stuff at my house", I said.

​Later that evening, she asked if I was sure.  She opened it up and said, "Oh look, there some Star Wars cards in it."  I immediately said, "Sure, I'll take it."  Not knowing what specific cards they were, I cringed as she tossed the cards back into the box.  There goes another dented corner!  Ah well, it will add to the vintage look of the cards if they're old.

I opened the box once I got home and pulled out two cards from the 2018 Topps Denny's Solo: A Star Wars Story set.  Not numbered, these character cards feature puzzle pieces on the flipside.  The first is L3-37, Lando Calrissian's service droid with a female personality that protested for equal droid rights.

​Personally, I thought the human personality was too strong and is evidence of Disney's method of pushing it's agenda versus providing sci-fi entertainment.  Whether one agrees or disagrees with Disney's view is irrelevant.  When it's done at that extreme, it becomes a distraction to the main theme of the story.

Therm Scissorpunch was the other card in the set.  A side-character seen gambling with Lando, he's what I'd call a cross between a crab, squid and cockroach.  This dude is ugly!

​This is were the Star Wars franchise does well - producing alien species that are somewhat recognizable.  I'm debating whether I should continue my Disney+ subscription this November, as I find the newer content objectionable.  However, every once in a while they get it right.  The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Visions, ah, not so much.  Nevertheless, I would still love to see more animated series that's goes focuses on these side characters, their backgrounds, and how their appearances in the movies affects their life afterwards.

So the question is, what am I going to do with the storage box?  Well, I've decided to put my empty packs and unfolder blaster boxes in it.  Many people prefer to toss those in the trash, but not me.  They're just an equally important addition to my collection.  Coming soon, you'll see more cards added of the characters I PC:  Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, The Armorer, Peli Motto, Rey and Rose.  May the Force be with you!

I just opened a blaster box of 2021 Topps Update baseball cards and am disappointed with the font on the base set.  Topps chose an uppercase, italic slim font that makes it very difficult to read the names, teams, and positions.  The 90's style graphical lines are distracting.  Nevertheless, in spite of this style, some of the cards can fetch good money.  This short print of Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels, fetches $15.

​Regardless of the graphical design, I'm digging the celebratory photography on the base cards, such as Joe Musgrove pitching his no-hitter for the Padres, the first in franchise history.

Topps added the players' names on the back of the multi-player cards, a great addition that lacked in past cards.  It was such a hassle trying to figure the players, especially if their faces were partially obscured or it was an older card.  I also like the manufactured patch cards.  The design is a little plain, but the encased 70th Anniversary emblem looks great!  This Kirby Puckett card also sells for $15 on the secondary market.

I'm always a fan of die-cuts, even the odd-ball shaped ones like the Platinum Players set.  I couldn't tell what the design was at first.  Looking closely, the cut is based on the silhouette of "70", as in 70th Anniversary.  They've should've added a slim, 1/8 inch slit on the "0" so it's more distinctive.  Here's Ronald Acuna Jr. at bat.

​I'm not a fan of inserting retro-style cards in modern day sets, and there were several based on the 1992 design.  Nevertheless, Manny Machado was in the blaster so he'll get added to the PC.

​I do like the 1986 retro-design, although chipping can be an issue with black-bordered cards.  Only two were in included, and I wished that numbers were reversed with the 1992 design.  Here's Jarred Kelenic of the Seattle Mariners.

​Pulling a Johnny Bench is exciting, and I like the details of his early career on the back of the card.  The insert set name, Topps Cards That Never Were, lacks originality.

​Shohei Ohtani is always doing great things for the Angels, and here are two of his cards that were pulled.

This is a set I wouldn't got out to complete, but I wouldn't mind targeting the Padres and my favorite players.  I can see many of the base cards hitting the local thrift store, and I'll be sure to pick them up!

​The holidays bring about great deals in the digital card world and Labor Day is no exception.  Panini's FIFA World Cup trading card app release several packs that are 20% off.  In addition to Panini Prizm and the match cards from Russia 2018, you can now buy packs from every world cup dating back to Mexico 1970.  ​1970?  Didn't Pele still play back then?