The Final Brew?

*takes a sip of freshly brewed coffee, mmmmm soothes the throat. Realizes I am far behind on posts on here and it's been awhile since the last. So it's time for Cards Over Coffee*

I have been feeling sick the last four days or so. Apparently I caught a head cold (assumingly) from my father-in-law and it hit me hard since I haven't been sick in forever. As I type this, a box of Kleenex sits nearby for that just-in-case moment. Luckily (if you can call it that), the runny nose stuff has seemed to stop for now but the post nasal drip is causing me to cough. FUN FUN!

Fortunately I survived my dentist cleaning (dentist appointments are comparable to scotch tape in the hobby) and my procedure which also involved a biopsy of my stomach last week before all of this hit me. Hope to feel better so I can get to the results of that procedure this Friday because they won't let me in that appointment sounding like this.

*takes a sip to help "flush" the throat*

It's become more apparent to me recently that juggling three blogs is more challenging than I expected. I should have known since I have attempted this before but I guess I need to learn the hard way. So I have decided I am taking a break from both my Big Blue Cardboard blog and Cards Over Coffee to focus directly onto Sport Card Collectors. Yes, the name is back....back again.

Does this mean these blogs are done for? Have I stuck a fork in them? No. You can never rule any of that out. I actually still have drafts of posts for each so who knows. For now though, this could be the final brew on here.

*takes a sip, gets ready to finally showcase the cards*

For today's post, I decided it was time to catch up on Cards Over Coffee reader Oren's trades we have had. This post will cover all but one which will be featured on Sport Card Collectors in September. Why so long, that's how far behind I am on posting.

First up in this recent round from Oren, these were two leftovers from another post I mentioned I would post in my next Oren mail day.

Kevin Boss xfactor

 

Hakeem Nicks xfactor rookie

Now onto one of my biggest mail days to date.

It included two unopened packs of Star Wars Attack Of The Clone Wars gaming cards,

The results from that rip.

And then I told Oren how much of a Allen Ginter non baseball collector I am and he was more than happy to unload all of the stuff he didn't want onto me.

Including this autograph of the "king of the high wire" Nick Wallenda.

And a stack of base

That included a Bigfoot

Thunderlips or as the rest of us know him as, Hulk Hogan

Val Kilmer

Rocky Balboa! One of the biggies on my want list!

Speaking of biggies on my want list, I am still seeking the other three impractical jokers base cards

 

Shawn Michaels

Albert Einstein rookie?

First name is not Han....we Hope.

Doggies!

There was many others as well, WAY TOO MANY to post.

Especially since I have to squeeze in my favorite Superhero.

BATMAN BABY!!

1989 Batman was a great movie, Jack played the Joker to a T. With that being said, Ledger's Batman is a close second.

Thanks again to Oren for the trade.

*takes another sip as the coughing has dragged this post out*

It's been a lot of fun posting on here the past year and I hope to bring some of this energy over to Sport Card Collectors. Just as a forewarning, I have no intentions of actually bringing Cards Over Coffee to Sport Card Collectors. This is it's own brand, it's own blog and will remain that way.

Remember this isn't a goodbye, this is see you another time.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

More Than One

*sits down and takes a sip. Mmmm coffee. nothing hits home better than coffee on an early morning of not a lot of sleep. But, with some coffee and some cards to do, it's time to wake up and get this thing done*

I have been slacking on posts on here as of recent but as I stated before, my main focus is on Matt's Wonderful Blog Of Hobbies as this one is just a side blog for when I have time.

I sometimes wonder if I am making a mistake trying to keep up on three blogs and I may be, but for now I will see how it goes. 

I will admit that somedays trying to keep up makes me feel like this.

All I know is that this blog has given a few opportunities that none of my others have so I sometimes feel I owe it to this blog to continue on.

One of those great opportunities it has given me is being able to trade with reader Oren. I think Oren discovered Cards Over Coffee back at the beginning of the year and about that time we began our trading and as of recent, that trading has really revved up recently as I am more than one behind on posting. Today's mail day is actually turning out to be two trades ago, so I figured it was time to finally get this posted.

*takes a sip, begins to show off the mail day*

Our trades usually have a theme to them, well to an extent. 

The main focus of today's mail day was 90's baseball inserts.

1997 Upper Deck Rock Solid Foundations, both helped my set chase.

1998 Upper Deck National Pride Rey Ordonez

1998 Topps base League Leaders

1996 Upper Deck Power Package Manny Ramirez 

1997 Donruss Longball Leaders Mo Vaughn

And then there were a few other cards involved in this trade including that Disney Villains base above.

1996 Summitt Premium Stock base

 

2002 Topps The Simpsons Maggie Sticker (I loved watching The Simpsons in the 90's, really need to get back into watching them again)

Another big thanks goes out to my buddy Oren for this trade.

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

I hope to get caught up on some other mail days along with the next Oren one as well soon. It can sometimes be tough to figure out which blog to post what on which is where some of the frustrations of running so many come into play. Which is why it's so much easier to run just one.

The only thing that is great to have more than one of, is cups of coffee.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Griffey-Coaster Ride

*takes a sip, may had snuck a couple bites of chocolate chip cookies during that sip. Looks over at the stack of cards next to me and it's now time for some Cards Over Coffee*

This past Saturday, my childhood best friend Brian came over to my house for the first time since moving back here. Between working 55 hours a week and the unpacking still, he hasn't had time to stop by. But, he finally had the chance to squeeze some time in for me and took a good portion of this past Saturday off to do so.

Not only had it been years since he lived here, but it has also been over 20 years since we last played sports against each other. Let me tell you what, it was just as much fun as it once was.

*takes a sip before continues on*

Back in the day, 80's and 90's, Brian and I would spend 6am until 9pm outside. We would wake up, grab a few Mountain Dews, a bag of beef jerky and his boombox and we were rocking. Some days it was football (a lot in the winter), other days it was basketball and summer days were mainly spent playing baseball. It was 1 on 1, 9 innings of pure fun.

When he arrived Saturday, I made sure we would bring back some of those memories...now in a much older time. Gone was the boombox (didn't want the loud music for my in-laws) and the Mountain Dew (I can't have caffeine), and baseball but I came in with the fun with..... Wiffle Ball.

*takes another sip, starts to think about some form of breakfast today...probably not beef jerky*

Ah yes, Wiffle ball. The game with a plastic ball that has holes in it that makes the ball curve all wacky. It's not baseball, but just as if not more fun...when you are older.

So I set up a field,

(cones serve as foul poles and a homerun line. Also own a backstop for a strikezone)

(my wife's glove and ball on the pitchers mound)

(bat and home plate ready to go)

 

(I am not that tall, though some may see me this way at 6ft 2in)

And we played.

The game that was over 20 years in the making went to extra innings with myself coming out victorious. It was a ton of fun, but after throwing all of those pitches, my arm is still feeling it. Hello heat, Icy Hot and Salonpas and of course not all at the same time.

I realized after giving up a lot of hits that I  may not have the arm I once had (back when I pretended to be Randy Johnson), but my offense was still rolling. It may have helped that I still attempted my best right-handed Ken Griffey Jr swing. Though it is near impossible to mock either right or left handed for anyone. Ken Griffey Jr was da man as they say.

*takes another sip, then another, well finishes the cup. Gets up and quickly gets a second cup brewed and returns to sitting to continue on with today's post*

Ken Griffey Jr's swing was only apart of the reason I followed him and his career. He was also an incredible Centerfielder and an icon for baseball. He was a player I quickly jumped on collecting as well.

However, over the years, even though I haven't really ever quit collecting, I have been on and off with Griffey. It's sort of been a rollercoaster ride with my collecting of him. In the 90's, my friends and others knew me as the Griffey guy as my collection grew to 300 different cards back then. But, as the 2000's hit, I dropped Griffey some especially after he had multiple injuries and put my focus on football. Since then, I will trade/add some, then take a long break only to add some more later on.

I would be safe to say though, about 95% of my Griffey adds now are thanks to my friend Shane of Cheap Wax Wednesday fame.

Which is where today's nice stack of Griffey's came from.

I may note that these are only a few of my adds from Shane as I focused on the best for today, there were a lot more that aren't featured here. I will save those for another time and will have to do a recount on my collection to see how far past 1,000 different cards I am now.

With my rollercoaster collecting of Griffey, I have found a big key to my new adds. I mainly focus on cards that are either numbered, relics and autographs or anything eye appealing. You know, the shiny stuff. With well over 16,000 cards out there for Griffey and with it being a rollercoaster PC, I feel I have the right to be fussy. It's not like I am really Super Collecting him and need every card like I do with Rodney Hampton.

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

Before closing, I just wanted to thank Shane again for the trade that helped me add the above Griffey's and any future trades when I ride that rollercoaster of needing to add more.

My friend Brian before he left said he would be back in a couple weeks for another round of Wiffle Ball, maybe some football and a game of Madden.

 

Until then, I will enjoy my cup of coffee, overlook the field and hopefully rest my arm up for next time. Maybe even get out there and practice my Griffey swings again.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Remembering The Times

*takes a sip, feeling nostalgic today. Sounds like a good day for some #CardsOverCoffee*

With everyone at The National and myself at home, it made me think back to the good ole hobby days around me. The days where I had an LCS to visit and monthly card shows to snag new cards, trade or try to win the door prize at.

Those were also the days you could find cards at grocery stores, craft stores,

and even this gas station that stood as my LCS for many years after my real LCS closed.

They had cards at the register and a huge spinning rack where all of the unopened boxes were. It was heaven to walk in there as the smell of coffee hit you as the door opened to the inside because a Dunkin' was in there as well. Combine that with cards and you know what, you have #CardsOverCoffee. It's not where I came up with the name of this blog however.

When I was out of the hobby for two years from late 1999-2001, stupid ex-girlfriend, I didn't buy a thing from there. Then came 2002 when I met the girl who would become my wife. She would drive me there just so I could buy boxes and we even were late for her Bridal Shower later that year because we stopped there. If that isn't love, I don't know what love is.

I will never forget two collecting times we had together at that gas station. They are firmly tucked into my memory and a story I haven't told on any of my blogs until today.

*takes a sip, smiles remembering those days*

The first story is about the second box we ever bought and opened together. It was probably the best box I have ever opened in my entire life and it came from one of my favorite collecting products in 2002 Sp Authentic baseball box.

Having just come back into the hobby in 2002, I missed the big boom of Relic cards and autographed cards that happened a year or two prior. I came from a time where inserts and parallels mattered the most so that's where I remained. I knew about jersey and autograph cards and how rare they were in the 90's, but didn't know of the boom at the time and that they were in every box now.

So when I opened up this box, I was mainly searching for the inserts still since that was where my head was at. But, when I found a couple surprises, I wasn't sure what to think.

 

First was a redemption card for an autograph Sp Chiography card of Alex Rodriguez. I knew who A-Rod was, but didn't know what a redemption card was. So I just followed the instructions on the card and not long after that this beautiful card arrived to my door.

Then came the biggest shocker of my life.....

A Mark McGwire autograph /50. I can't tell you how many times I flipped this card front and back to see how real it was. I had no clue what I was holding, I just knew in case it was real I needed a toploader and fast. So after opening that box, I went straight to my parents house where my father had a toploader for it and I protected it. I may have also snuggled it on the way home that day as well.

The second story was a year later when I was working in a meat room and she had the day off. She always came to visit me on my lunch breaks on her days off and this time she brought a box of 2003 Donruss Diamond Kings along after stopping at the gas station.

I basically skipped eating to sit with her and open packs in my car. Who needs to eat when there is something to open!

I can't remember what else we pulled that day, but it was a pack she opened that had this inside of it that was the showstopper,

 

My first ever 1/1 and autograph of the legendary Nolan Ryan. It's a Recollection Collection autograph. I love it, but wished it wasn't signed on a sportflix card as you can't tell if the ink ran or if the signature is great because of the sportflix design makes it look that way.

And before anyone asks, yes, I still have these and no, they are not for sale or trade ever. These are memorable cards I will never get rid of no matter what you offer me. Even a Million Dollars (Dr. Evil laugh inserted)

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

My card busting days at the gas station with the Mrs went on for a few more years before an elderly woman (who was the next door neighbor to my grandmother and also had one heck of a MJ collection) was caught stealing packs from the gas station. It wasn't much longer after that, maybe a year later or less as she did it a few more times, where they stopped selling cards completely. It was frustrating to hear that since nobody else sold cards around me anymore since the hobby was a dying trend here.

So today, the only way I can open up stuff with my wife anymore is getting lucky finding retail, from a trade I do or from a Black Friday sale. The gas station still stands with new ownership and a new name and of course I still stop there. I noticed recently they brought back TY Beanie Babies in there for sale but what was once the card area is now the car area with motor oil, air fresheners and other trinkets. I really wished they would bring cards back, but I doubt that will ever happen. 

For now, I just like going in there and smelling the coffee scent that still lingers on your clothes after you leave to remember the times................................and to also grab some Dunkin'.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*