Prime Patches

Game used and patch cards have largely lost their luster with collectors.  And for good reason, with recent discoveries that non-used jerseys were inserted onto cards and card companies were most likely aware.

At the National, I was pretty surprised to find beautiful game used patch cards for sale anywhere from $3-5.  And some decent names too, though no Pirates.  Still, the hobby landscape has changed significantly.  Not that that has stopped Topps from putting gu swatches on everything...but I dirgress.

Even though gu cards aren't anything I actively seek out anymore, there are still a few that are among my favorite cards in my collection.  The 2005 Prime Patches set lived up to its name as Donruss looked to liquidate its back stock of game used and autographs before losing their MLB license.  The result?  Lots of amazing multi-player items.

This card immediately became a must have for me when it went live in 2005.  The card featured patches from three of my favorite Buccos (missing Jack Wilson, of course).  I had just joined ebay in late '05, and this card instantly became one of my prime targets.  I love the Giles patch the best, and the inclusion of red brings a little life to what are often boring Pirates patches.

I actually ended up picking up two copies of this card, and I think both were had for around $10-12.  I saw a copy up on ebay a few months back that sold for more than that, so maybe game used isn't totally dead after all.