Do Not Bend

Good morning, Coffee Card Enthusiasts!

*takes a sip*

Yes, I am doing back-to-back posts!

Today's is a basically a follow up to yesterday's post, so it makes for an easier post. 

In case you missed yesterday's post, go check it out so you won't be too lost for this one. Basically, I have been doing my downsizing project continuation.

As I have been making my piles, I figured while the cards are sitting up, I will pack up Christmas cards as to. That way when it's time to mail, they can go out and it won't have to worry about finding time to do so during a busy time in my fall semester.

 

I have protected these PWE's the best I can including putting Do Not Bend on both the front and back of these envelopes. I don't seem to have too many issues with these being sent like this.

If you have gotten a mail day from me around Christmas before, you will be getting another. Some of you will have multiples and this goes for both bloggers and non-bloggers.

These should hit the mailbox by the end of October. I still have a few more to pack up before doing so, I plan to have those ready in the next week or so. Roughly twelve of these will head out in October and then of course the large flat rate box.

My personal mailbox has been really slow with getting mail so I don't have a lot to post about. I will see what I can find to post just so I can have some new ones up before I go on another hiatus.

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Fall Card Session Is In

Fall is right around the corner as temperatures have started to drop, leaves have started to fall, NFL football has returned and the release of Pumpkin Spice items have hit the shelves and Dunkin'.

It's my favorite time of year. Sorry summer.

 

I had to obviously jump on the pumpkin spice train as soon as it came into the station. My coffee and especially my mouth are very happy.

As you can tell, I am sipping away while writing my first blog post of August. Yes, it has been that long.

I have been busy with finishing up the rest of my summer semester, family life and everything else in-between so haven't really had the opportunity to just sit down and type.

I did however notice that the blog grew two followers in that span and I am happy to welcome them here for all of the coffee card craziness.

*takes a sip, mmmmm pumpkiny*

With my small break from school, I am hoping to get some serious card work done and continue my downsizing project in my collection before fall semester picks up September 7th.

 

In this round of downsizing, I have been pulling out all newer baseball inserts-anything 2002 and have been making three piles. The first pile is the 90's inserts I have found, those will go into a binder down the road. 90's inserts never go anywhere. The second pile is made up of trade bait/RAK/Christmas gifts for fellow friends. The last pile, which is the biggest bulk of it, will get packed into small boxes then shoved into a large flat rate and sent off as my Christmas gift this year for my friend to re-sell. I am sure it will take more than one large flat rate to mail these out so it will most likely be a two-year project. I also need to do basketball and hockey. Football I am unsure of yet because football is the main focus of my collecting now besides non-sport.

Baseball alone has almost filled the flat rate and it's too expensive to mail out two in the same year now with prices of those over $30 a pop to send. I remember when they were much cheaper.

When this project is done, I would have cleaned out my base cards, inserts and hits. This would be close if not over 75,000 cards unloaded with more to go.

This will leave me still a lot to go through as I haven't even touched,

1. Boxed Sets-I plan to dismantle all unimportant sets to me and some just give away to my father to find good homes for. I can take out the good cards-players-rookies and throw the rest into a base box for the better sets.
2. Rookie Cards-I have been hoarding way too many rookie cards of guys that have done nothing with their careers. It's time to unload them. This will save me sooooooo much space when this is done.
3. Players Boxes/Binders-Over the years I pulled out "star" players at the time. Most of those guys, like Wander Franco and Kris Bryant for example have either gotten in trouble with the law or not really ever made it to superstar status. Those guys will be pulled and found new homes for.
4. Odds And Ends: I still have some odds and ends cards, not my non-sports, but from other sports that just need to go as well.

In the end, the ultimate goal is just to be down to PC stuff and stuff to trade others. I never thought I would do this, but I feel it's time and it's such a relief to start making room as well. The cardboard hoard is over and it's time to focus on the cards that really matter just to me.

*takes a sip before ending today's post*

I hope to put up a few more posts before my fall semester begins, I signed up for some pretty intense classes for the fall and I assume all of my extra time will be eaten up doing that. But, who knows, maybe it won't be.

Hope everyone has been well and let me know what you have been up to recently in the hobby in the comments.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

If It Had Continued....

I have been doing well recently with keeping up with the mail days I have been getting and posting them as soon as I get them.

That's mainly because my mailbox hasn't seen a lot of them and right now, I am almost towards the end of my summer semester, so I have a little more free time.

With the lack of mail days incoming combining that with the lack of participation overall and what appears to be a stressful upcoming fall semester, I have decided to cancel this year's 2026 Coffee Card Hall Of Fame. I probably won't be bringing it back. It was already on the chop block for this year as it was.

Speaking of the chop block, I have added Trending In My Hobby This Week and 5 Things I Did In The Hobby to that list as well. It's just a few of the many changes coming to my blogging world.

If I had continued with this year's Coffee Card Hall of Fame, I would have picked out a few cards from this mail day from Batting Out Of Order because some of them would have deserved their spot.

Starting with this vintage card. I have found myself adding these types of vintage cards when I can.

How about a 90's parallel? That would have been an add I am sure.

Bonds should only be allowed to had made my Hall Of Fame, unless roids were used to create this card.

Belle, another 90's card, you see a theme here, would have possibly made it as well.

From first look, I was like, "what a cool card!" Second glance at the back, it's a checklist. This has to be one of the best looking checklists I have seen.

90's again....you bet!

And again. If I see any of these Metal Universe cards available, you better believe I am snatching them up. Any of these could easily be in my Hall Of Fame.

My boy Ewing!

And would it be insane if Jim Carrey as the Riddler could have made it in as well?

Thanks again Batting Out Of Order for the freebie mail day!

In comments today, let me know which cards you would have chosen for the Coffee Card Hall Of Fame if it continued.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Blogger National 2026

*sits down, takes a sip of coffee. opens keyboard, begins to type today's newest post*

The last four years I have posted a Blogger National for those of us who can't enjoy the experience of actually being at the The National Sport Collectors Convention. That way we can still connect with one another without spending the big bucks to do so. Though I would love to sit down, have a cup of coffee and talk cards with you.
*takes a sip, tips mug towards computer screen hoping you will return the favor*

For the second straight year, I am posting this right on time and hope you will join in on this blogger bat around. The past few years I have had very few actually join in.

Here's hoping for the biggest year yet. First, what's this all about,

What is the Blogger National? Well, it's a blog-bat-around where you just take one post (or multiple if you so choose) in the next few days and dedicate it to showing off your coolest cards or your most favorite cards or a recent mail day you hadn't posted yet using the blog post title, The Blogger National 2026.

I want you to try to find the cards that are show worthy to you. You know, the dazzling cards that would attract all of the people over to your table (blog).

For example, I just got a dazzling mail day yesterday from the legendary Dennis from Too Many Verlanders blog. I was not expecting a mail day from him at all as he kept this one quiet. 

I like sneaky mail days and fun sneaky mail days that include everything I like.

So, now I invite you to come check out my table,

Now if these didn't catch your attention, well, you don't have good taste and move onto the next table. Just kidding, you will now owe me a coffee now.

Thanks Dennis for another amazing mail day!

*takes a sip before finishing up today's post*

I am hopeful many of you will join in on this.

And for those of you who read this and don't have a blog, feel free to post your cards on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Bluesky, YouTube,) and use the hashtag (and tag me if you want), #TheBloggerNational2026. I will be on the lookout for that hashtag on all social media platforms. Well, except TikTok. I haven't joined that at all yet and don't plan to.

Hope everyone has a great time with this, and you can leave your blog link in comments so I can read it as well if I happen to miss it with my busy schedule!

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Don't forget you can start to nominate cards for the 202 6Coffee Card Hall Of Fame!! Cards don't have to be autographs, patch cards, super star cards. It can be whatever you think is Hall Worthy! Find details and current nominations HERE.

A Champions Mail Day

Today's mail day has been a long time coming and I have been really anticipating it.

As I am sure you know by now, the NY Knicks were not only the Eastern Conference Champions....

But they also took home the big trophy and were this year's NBA Champions as well.

I knew I had to own some cards to celebrate a moment I have waited years to happen and a moment I may not be alive for the next.

To finally have all three of my teams take home a trophy in my lifetime is a massive brag. Not too many sports fans get this ride unless they play the bandwagon fan role.

That's not me. I take all of the suffering in hopes a comeback story comes and I can brag about it.

Not only did I add the Topps Now cards, but I also won a contest in the Knicks run for the title.

 

I won this really sharp Charlie Ward autograph from @TheGardenPulseApp.

But, because of the delay in shipping out the prize.....

He sent this amazing on-card autograph Allan Houston as a bonus. As many of you know, Houston was my main man of the 90's Knicks!

Thanks so much @TheGardenPulseApp !

Before I close out this post, I had some free time from school work and wrote a new article for Bags Unlimited. Make sure you check that out here,

https://www.bagsunlimited.com/blog/trading-card-protection-guide

Hope everyone has a great weekend! Enjoy a cup!

 *Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Don't forget you can start to nominate cards for the 2026 Coffee Card Hall Of Fame!! Cards don't have to be autographs, patch cards, super star cards. It can be whatever you think is Hall Worthy! Find details and current nominations HERE.

The Change Of The Times

Lately on Twitter I feel I have turned into the old man with a hose trying to hose the kids off my lawn when it comes to talking about the hobby.

The hobby is no longer what it once was as it has transformed from a hobby to business. We all can see it. Fanatics is leading the charge.

There have been some comments on Twitter that seem silly to me recently, so I drag out my hose and spray those comments off my lawn. I have taken to defend my stance that I will never change with the new hobby evolution of being on the business side. 

NEVER.

I plan to keep collecting and enjoying the hobby like I always have since the good ole days. Which speaking of which, someone made a comment about guys like me that I didn't take lightly and I quote "I get the sentiment about seeing a few dealers at The National who are just old guys w/ stacks of junk cards. I've seen them. There's a few there, but not a ton. But it's wise to remember that many of those old guys were in the hobby ages before the hobby blew up to what it is now." Okay, here's the kicker part that got me....."Whether we like it or not, they were the ones who kept the hobby going when there was no excitement, no crazy chases, no 1/1's. We stand on their shoulders. They more than deserve a seat at the hobby table" (@joshjreynolds). 

NO excitement? No crazy chases? No 1/1's? First off, if we weren't having excitement in those days, why did we keep on collecting. It was very exciting and fun. Something that today's hobby, well business lacks. No crazy chases? There were plenty of crazy chases. Remember trying to pull a Ken Griffey Jr rookie out of 1989 Upper Deck? I do and never did. No 1/1s? Well, we didn't need those. Every card we added to our collections were a 1/1 to us and still is.

Why does everything about the hobby now have to do with money, big pulls and flips? Even Fanatics is making it obvious. At Fanatics Fest, they had celebrities going around buying cards you know they were paying to do so. There was even pyramid scheme level. Fanatics pays celebs to buy or pull cards. Celebs make the market go up by influencing it grabbing people to buy in because of it. Fanatics sits at the top even richer. Seems like a triangle/pyramid to me.

I will continue to step on my soap box and stand up for the hobby as a hobby. Can you imagine how fast everyone would leave if the bubble popped? But, guess who would be standing, you got it, us. The collectors. The ones who are a dying breed but still trying to hold on by threads.

Fortunately for us, we may not have the stacks of cash I see pictures of on Twitter being used on cardboard, but we have unity and we like to help each other out with RAK's (random acts of kindness) and trading. Yes, trading does exist still. It's not like it once was as it's getting harder and harder to find people to do it, but it's there.

Trading is a simple act of sending cards you don't need for yourself to someone who would appreciate it more and reciprocate it back to you. There is no pyramid scheme to that.

I recently sent the legend Night Owl Cards some cards I thought he would enjoy and then he did the same for me. Here they are,

Is there a single card here to flip for profit? Not a single one. But do you know what there is here though, cards for me that I really like. Cards I am collecting which came from someone who knows me well and knew I would enjoy them like I am.

What a concept to introduce to those who may not know this.

The change of the times is here and there is no going back to the hobby we once knew. But, for the small number of us still chugging at it like we used to, we still have each other to enjoy our part with.

I don't plan on changing my course. I don't plan to adapt with the times like others commented on Twitter. I am me. This is a hobby for me. This is something fun I do. Whether I own a card worth .10 or a card worth $500, every card is valued equally in my collection. I am not going to sell cards. I am not going to flip them. I am going to collect them. Hoard them. Enjoy them.

Thanks, Greg, for the awesome cards. That was a nice surprise in the mailbox and also a nice reminder of what the hobby is for me.

Hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*