You won't find this one in packs of 2010 Topps Update

By Chris Olds | Editor

Every week, there are boxes addressed to me here at Beckett Media and sealed inside are all kinds of treasures — sealed boxes from Panini America and Topps that include our Box Busters boxes and an occasional prize or two for the collectors out there.

And even though ripping open those boxes often feels like Christmas Day (or something), they’re all items I never get to keep.

But as I checked my email today — after a couple less-frazzled days off — I found a message asking for my address so I can have a mailday of my own.

It was from Nathan Sprenkle, one of the artists who took blank You Sketch It! cards from 2010 Topps Series 2 and created what are now rare You Sketched It! insert cards in 2010 Topps Update.

Here’s what he wrote:

My name is Nathan Sprenkle, and I was one of the artist selected by Topps in their You Sketch It! contest.  My drawing was the Ryan Howard sketch.  I have drawn nearly 100 sketches with in the past month, and I would like to send a sketch to you.  I have attached a picture of a sketch I’ve made of you.  The body is modeled after Nick Swisher and I would love to have this part of your collection.  I enjoy reading your articles in Beckett Baseball and your daily updates on Beckett.com.  If you could please give me a mailing address that I could send this to you that would be great.

You can take a look at some of my other sketches at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/15294927@N06/sets/72157625273245971/

—

I, of course, replied with  my office address — and warned him that an item like this would be coming.

Once it arrives, I’ll have a dilemma of where I’ll place the card in my collection. Will it go with my Swisher Stash or does it start a new collection?

Right now, I’m just not sure but it’s a piece of mail I’ll be looking for intently sometime next week.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.