I probably don't have to tell you why I love this card.
Ah, heck. I'll do it anyway.
It's one of those "multiple exposure" cards!
In fact, Mr. Biggio here is the first of his kind in my collection. After all, this is the very first "multiple-exposure" card of a catcher in my binders.
I count a total of six different images of Craig Biggio on this one.
Still, I wouldn't stare at this one for an extended period of time. Your head might start to hurt. Trust me, I speak from experience.
I've admired this card from afar for quite a while now. Yet, for whatever reason, I'd never picked up a copy.
Luckily, good ol' Listia was there to take care of that gaping hole in my collection. I snagged this masterpiece for a mere 157 credits last week.
That place is starting to flourish again, at least as far as cardboard is concerned. The Biggio was just the tip of the iceberg.
I'll have more on that in a future post, though.
As far as I know, this one represents Score's lone foray into the "multiple-image" world. I have yet to see another Score-branded card like it.
And, as if his "Gems of Junk Wax" status wasn't good enough, Mr. Biggio gives me an excuse to show off more of the "multiple exposure" cards I've snapped up over the years.
After all, they're always good for a bit of eye candy.
Topps made a brief entry into the "multiple-image" market during the mid '90s.
Although they're all but forgotten these days, the few Topps did produce are actually pretty neat. I recently received a couple from a fellow blogger, in fact.
This one of Royce Clayton has been a cherished part of my binders for as long as I can remember.
Pretty trippy, isn't it?
Pinnacle also made a quick venture into the realm of "multiple exposure" cardboard.
Although they tackled the topic in an entirely different manner.
While different from the "progression" theme that most other cards of the sort use, my definition of a "multiple-image" piece is exactly what it sounds like. As far as I'm concerned, any card with more than one photo on the front of the card fits into the category.
I plucked this one from a dime box a couple years ago. While I'm not one to ever pass up anything of Kenny Lofton, I knew this particular piece was a "dime box hero" from first sight.
For some reason, the little spot shadowmakes me think of Lofton as a superhero-like figure.
Given his unbelievable prowess on the basepaths, though, I guess he kind of was.
Still, the unquestioned pioneers of the "multiple-exposure" innovation are the good folks at Upper Deck.
Score, Topps, and Pinnacle were all trying to duplicate UD's success with the tactic.
But, frankly, all other "multiple-image" specimens pale in comparison to the gems that Upper Deck unleashed onto the market.
This particular masterpiece of Mr. Blyleven could very well warrant its own post in this theme. Still, I chose to give Score their bit of the spotlight for tonight's post.
Besides, I've already featured a trio of UD's other "multiple-exposure" pieces from the overproduction era. (Which are located here, here, and here, if you're interested.)
I just wanted to keep things fair.
It'd be tough for me to pick my absolute favorite "multiple-image" card.
I don't know that I could ever definitively choose a single one.
Forgive me for sounding like an after-school special here, but they are all special pieces in their own right.
Still, if I had to, I'd imagine that this one of Tony Womack would rank right near the top of the list.
Yes, he may be turning a double play against my beloved Cubs. That's never a good thing for this baseball fan.
But at least he's doing it right in Sammy Sosa's fat face.
I can live with that.
Sadly, it looks like the "multiple-exposure" era is all but over.
Upper Deck's cards of the sort became more and more sparse after the mid '90s.
Topps stopped doing it after '97.
Score and Pinnacle were out of the cardboard market by the late 1990's. Neither went much further after their initial "multiple-image" experiments with Biggio and Lofton.
But, given a few more years in the hobby, who knows what those brands may have done?
Perhaps they would've given the "multiple-exposure" field a much-needed revival.
We'll just never know for certain.
This amazing 2010 Upper Deck insert of the "Big Unit" is indeed the last time the hobby has seen anything related to the world of "multiple-image" cardboard.
As we all know, UD left the baseball card realm after their 2010 release.
Topps sure hasn't given any indication of bringing these back in the coming years. While they've done a terrific job with their photography lately, I do wish they'd at least give us a brief taste of these things.
Personally, I think they'd make for a nice change of pace in the hobby.
Until then, all I can do is hope.
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