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*