Pops Day

*takes a sip, sits down on his hard kitchen chair. Has laptop sitting in front of him with a stack of cards, cup of coffee. Windows are open, the sun is shining and the sound of birds chirping makes it feel like a scene from Mary Poppins. Takes another sip, time for some Cards Over Coffee*

Today is Father's Day.

My father wasn't your top-of-the-line dad. He didn't teach you life lessons. He was not a role model. He was not someone you bragged about to your friends. But, he did do the one thing that mattered most to me, he spent time with me.

We went fishing, we played basketball, football and baseball against each other. We played video games, mainly football ones while trash talking at the same time. We went to two NY Giants games, the only two we have ever gone to. We watched sports together during bad and good sports years for our teams. 

And yes, we collected sport cards together which was our biggest bonding moment to this day.

*takes a sip*

We started collecting sport cards in 1994 after discovering packs of cards at a grocery store and later on opening them up in the car (I guess that explains why when I am able to find retail I can never make it home with anything sealed). From there, card addicts were born.

So many memories were made while we collected together. There wzx card shows, card shops, sneaking cards past my mother, talking my grandmother into the hobby, visiting her neighbor who had one amazing basketball card collection, to even opening packs while he drove. Which isn't recommended, but had to be done. 

I will never forget any of those moments spent together They are deep within my brain and exist in my collecting today.

Which is the biggest reason why I collect what I collect and explains my recent mail day from Burbank Sportcards.

*takes another sip and moves onto the mail day*

There are so many 90's set projects I am working on from those deep memories of my childhood.

One of the biggest chases has been collecting all of the Spx sets, including parallels and inserts, with the holograms of the 90's. We opened so many packs of those from all sports and I absolutely fell for the holographic goodness. I have come a long ways with this project but still have a few sets I am missing parts of. One of those is the 1996 Spx baseball.

 

I was able to pick up 6 of the final 7 cards I need to complete with only Kirby Puckett remaining for this to be finished.

My next grab is one of my next set chases.

Top Crop is shiny map goodness.

Next part of my mail day, were the very first parallel cards that caught my attention.

1995 Summit Ground Zero cards were inserted in packs at a rate of 1:7 packs and were and are still stunning. I finally was able to knock one of the bigger ones I needed down in Sanders. Still need McNair and Martin as my other two big ones.

Other than Spx, I am also chasing Ex sets of the 90's as well for all sports. 

  

These Fleet Of Foot fell 1:20 packs.

Taking a look at these cards brings me back to those days of collecting with my father. It's amazing what a little piece of cardboard with someone's picture on it can do.

All of these cardboard memories I grabbed from Burbanks Sportscards Beckett Marketplace and saved 10% off by using Code 15BURBANK at checkout. You can also shop their millions of items in inventory now by clicking THIS LINK HERE:

https://marketplace.beckett.com/burbanksportscards_21/

*takes another sip before closing up today's post*

Even though we don't collect together anymore, we still collect apart. We have done trades through the mail and in-person. He also calls me every weekend to discuss the hobby. 

I hope all of the fathers reading this today have a Happy Father's Day and in comments I would love to hear any collecting stories or memories you have with your father.

*takes another sip and thinks about what breakfast to have. Coffee Card Blogger Out*