The Mint: Dime box edition

Has it finally happened? Has the self-professed "low-end collector" crossed over into the dark side of high-end collecting?

I wouldn't blame you for thinking so. I mean, I certainly never thought I'd own any sort of packaging from a set like Topps The Mint, a product which retails for prices in the quadruple figures.

No: truth is, this came from Gavin of the famous "Baseball Card Breakdown" blog. Gavin's always been one of the premier creative forces around the blogosphere, and that power even extends to the way he packages his cards. He wrapped a recent batch of cards in the high-end bags and boxes leftover from his (successful) Mint break (because you know your cards are high-end when they're presented in a coin purse).

Sorry, high-end chasers and patch card enthusiasts: there will be no Mike Trout autographs in this post.

There will, however, be plenty of low-end gems and other goodies, as is par for the course with a trade package from Gavin.

This Wil Myers is the first "Firebrand" insert in my collection, and while I'm a fan of the die-cut design, I'm not sure how much my nine-pocket pages are going to like it.

Gavin's a big Padres fan, so it makes sense that there'd be a few Friars in this batch.

The Meadows is a coveted "pitcher at the plate," while the golden Kimbrel is already making me nostalgic for 2015 Topps (if it's possible to have nostalgia for a two-year-old design).

The Kotchman -- from the uber-high-end Topps Pristine brand -- was about as close as Gavin got to Mint-like levels with this package.

The Toddfather seems like such a grizzled veteran these days that it's hard for me to believe he was once a fresh-faced minor leaguer.

A mess of glorious Cubs, all needed for the binder.

Brett Jackson was once the highest-rated prospect in the Cubs' chain during the early days of their "rebuild"...which is why it was obvious that the Cubs needed a massive overhaul in the front office.

Ah, but what would a package from Gavin be without customs?

I don't care what kind of high-end stuff you'd try to throw at me, but I can almost guarantee you that none of it would best the pure awesomeness of this Hostess-style Stanton.

Those low-end cards in high-end clothing helped supplement another mailer Gavin had sent me a while back, spearheaded by this Will Ferrell I believe I'd requested from him at some point.

I'm still a long, long aways from completing this Archives insert set, but at least I now have what is likely the most entertaining card of the bunch.

A couple recent Cubs inserts for old and young fans alike.

More customs!

Gavin did himself one better by including both pristine and "well-loved" versions of this custom Goudey-style Kris Bryant.

The latter seems most fitting for my collection, since it comes closer to resembling the ragged condition of the few actual Goudey cards I own.

We'll close things out with yet another brilliant custom from Gavin: my very first Vin Scully card.

Sometimes I wonder why broadcasters don't get more love in this hobby. You can probably count the number of Scully cards on one hand, which is insane considering the profound impact he's had on the history of the game. It's hard for me to imagine baseball without broadcasters, and sometimes they're just as important as the ballplayers themselves.

Also, for no particular reason, here's a fun fact I read on the 'net the other day: baseball opened for business in 2017 without Connie Mack or Vin Scully working somewhere within its capacity, the first time that's happened since 1885. (!!!)

Just one of the many reasons I will forever be a fan of baseball history, much of which I've learned through the low-end baseball cards I've been able to accumulate over the years.

No Mint for me, thanks.