2003 Donruss Expos #29

Card Review: 8.9  This was no easy card to track down.  So elusive was this card, that until it arrived in the mail (after paying way too much $3/plus $3 shipping), I had never even seen it.  I had seen online pictures of a couple other cards from this set, but not the Wallach.  I was a little disappointed the card depicted him in this particular Expos uniform rather than the classic uniform, but I can't complain too much.

This was part of a 59 card set given away at an Expos game in 2003.  Given their attendance numbers back then, I can't imagine there are that many of these floating around today.  Though, I'll keep looking as it's certainly one I'd like to have more of.

Number of this card in my collection: 1

2014 update: n/a

2015 update: n/a

2016 update: n/a

2017 update: n/a

2018 update: n/a

2019 update: n/a

2020 update: n/a

2021 update: n/a

2022 update: 2

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: n/a

2025 update: 3

 

2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites Refractor #12

Card Review: 9.4  I don't like the refractor as much as the base card.  That doesn't mean it's not awesome.  I used to find these refractor's a bit over the top, but as more and more crap has been produced by the card companies, these refractors don't seem as ridiculous, and look a lot better than a lot of the newer nonsense.  I don't know if Topps produced more of these or of the autographed variant, as the autographed variant isn't numbered.  I suspect there are fewer of these.  The autographed 2003 ATFF pops up on ebay with some regularity.  I've seen this card show up exactly four times, and have never passed on it.  I wouldn't be surprised if a good number of people tried to build a refractor set of these back in 2003, and they just aren't leaving personal collections.

Number of this card in my collection: 1 (out of 299 possible)
2013 update: 2
2014 update: 3
2015 update: 4

2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #12

Card Review: 9.9  If at first you don't succeed, then just try again.  1990 Topps was a cool set, one of my favorites, but the Wallach card was one of the weaker ones in the set dut to a poor photo selection. Topps got it right the 2nd time around with this "Fan Favorites" set in 2003. 

Number of this card in my collection: 8
2013 update: 9
2014 update: 11
2015 update: 12
2016 update: 13
2017 update: 14
2018 update: n/a
2019 update: 15

2020 update: 17

2021 update: 19

2022 update: 23

2023 update: n/a

2024 update: 44

2025 update: 45

2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites #FFA-TW

Card Review: 9.8  Only the autograph brings this one down from not being a 10.  Just a great looking card, and nice surprise 15 years after Wallach's original 1990 Topps card featured a lack luster, dark photo.  I have no idea how Topps chose players, or card designs for this set, but they nailed it with Wallach.
Number of this card in my collection: 1