2008 Allen & Ginter's minor league planet

I purchased a half-box of 2008 Allen & Ginter at this year's National card show and behold how I reaped its rewards. Not only did it yield legendary HoFer King Arthur and amateur chess enthusiast Deep Blue, but there's the minor league rookie card of Pluto! Sweet! The shot even includes long-time--but unnamed--teammate Charon. Topps probably couldn't sign the latter planetoid to a contract in time to update the printing sheets and I smell another Maury Wills situation brewing. When Pluto's little buddy finally makes the big time, Upper Deck will give it a personal 10-card insert set with lunar dust relics.

If your collection doesn't include at least one of the creatively chosen non-sport A&G cards this year, I recommend picking up something foreign and inscrutable to your man-on-the-street. Air guitar and arm wrestling champions earn a certain Redneck Windchimes esteem, but give me King Tut over blue collar Americana--no insult to fans of Provel or (my hometown favorite) squeaky cheese.

Given the success of obvious must-haves like Pluto and Charon, I expect A&G to grow the mini-genre in future releases. They already matched state flags to born-there MLB players. How about pairing non-MLB cities with Vegas odds of the Nationals, Twins, Rangers, or Mud Hens moving there for bigger luxury boxes and a sweet cable TV contract?

Hmm, I actually would go for a set of cards that linked MLB teams to their minor league affiliates. Or perhaps a list of sports agents and their wealthiest clients. Or repackaged feathers taken from an old-school golf ball used by Bobby Jones. Or a different card for each member of Molly Hatchet. Or I could stop with just the Pluto card. Awesome!