Something In The Water

*takes a sip, takes a bite of bagel and gets ready for a new cards over coffee post*

I realize a lot of my recent posts are based on music, but to me, music and cards go together just like cards and coffee. There are even days I will listen to music while I blog. Music is inspirational, music gets you motivated and music drives nostalgia. I am sure each of us can think of a song off the top of our head that attaches to a memory.

So, when I post about music, it usually has to do with a memory.

*takes a sip*

Before I show off today's cards, I have an update from my last music post that featured Sugar Ray lead singer Mark McGrath. I mentioned in that article how great of a person McGrath is and how he is always interacting with fans and how I hoped he would see my post.

Well......

As you can see, he did and even interacted more with the tweet. I will admit the 90's kid in me was very giddy.

Now onto today's singer.

*takes a sip, another bagel bite before moving onto the rest of today's post*

This one doesn't have a lot to do with 90's nostalgia and more to do with newer nostalgia....and maybe a slight crush. She is only 9 days older than me.

Carrie Underwood was Season 4's American Idol winner, a show my wife enjoys while I sort cards. Me personally, I only enjoyed the mishaps and terrible singers they used to show in the auditions. That's basically it for the nostalgic tie in here as well. My wife watched the show while I sorted cards. Kinda lame probably for some of you, but a memory is a memory and if there is a way to tie it in and hold onto it, you do it.

I have had my eyes on a rookie card of Carrie for a while now and thanks to Shane from Cheap Wax Wednesday fame, I was lucky to land it and a couple others.

The 2005 Fleer American Idol card was Carrie's rookie card. The product also featured her in a couple of subsets as well. But, this one featured here is the "true rookie".

 

The set also featured autographs and she was one of the signers. The card is too far of a reach for me to ever acquire.

Thanks to Shane for the help in snagging these for me.

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

I doubt Carrie will see this post or even interact with it like Mark, but I will tag her regardless.

As I have stated many times before I don't like country music but will honestly admit I do enjoy a couple of Carrie's songs. This is the only time I will admit to liking any form of country music. There must be something in the water.

In comments today, let me know if you watch American Idol, who your favorite winner is and what you favorite Carrie Underwood song is.

Have a great Monday!

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Some Cards From Wes

*the coffee is hot, the cards are hotter. takes a sip, gets ready for a new post on #CardsOverCoffee*

I have known Wes, formerly of Jay Barker fan/Area 40 blog, for many years now. We have become good friends, or you can probably call it brothers in that span. He knows many things about me not the average person would know, and I assume the same goes for him.

It's like having a childhood best friend, but from a long distance.

The last couple of years, Wes and I have done a Christmas gift exchange where the other person doesn't know what they are getting. The problem is, having that kind of exchange with the legend of giving, is like Tom Brady in his prime Super Bowl Patriot years vs the Detroit Lions. There is no chance to have the upper hand against Wes. I think many of you guys know this already.

Though this year I did send my biggest mail day to him yet, he still outdid himself and outdid what he sent last year, something I didn't think was possible.

I won't be posting all of the cards from this massive mail day, but I will be posting some of them. So, get your coffee ready, try not to spit it out on whatever screen you are reading this on when you see the cards, and be sitting down. That's how I opened his mail day knowing I could take a tumble.

*takes a sip, begins to show off some cards*

*well, stops, gets up, grabs a bagel, toasts it, puts a thin spread of jalapeño cream cheese on and gets back to sitting. takes a sip, a bite, a sip, a bite and tries not to get any on hands. grabs cards, begins to show them off*

Today, I am showing off just a few of the key cards. Some will be for separate posts, some didn't upload into the blog, and there is just too much overall to cover.

The first card was this stunning PSA10 1st Bowman of top Yankee prospect Jasson Dominguez. I don't collect a lot of Yankees anymore, but I have been collecting Aaron Judge, Derek Jeter and Jasson Dominguez still.

The next card I thought I had a ton of copies of but turns out I had none until now. The 1991 Upper Deck Michael Jordan baseball rookie. I don't mention this often, but I do have a side PC of Jordan cards as well. He was simply the best as Tina Turner would have said. No basketball player will ever be as dominant as he was.

Kevin Sorbo autograph. This one was on my needs list for his roles on Hercules TV series and the God's Not Dead movie.

I don't listen to country music but have been collecting the autographs from Panini's Country Music product. Especially the names I have heard of and Atkins falls into that category.

 

The final card of the day is of NFL reporter Chris Mortensen. This was another card on my want list along with John Clayton who I also got in this mail day but didn't get uploaded. Being a huge football fan, I enjoy watching both guys give their insight. Now if only I can land an Adam Schefter autograph.

Thanks again to Wes for these cards. I also hope you were able to keep the coffee in your mouth and not on the screen. 

Also because of Wes I will need to update my overall want list.

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

I have already begun trying to plan how to outdo what I sent last year to Wes as I am sure he is already working on his end.

Thoughts on my mail day today are welcomed in comments. 

I hope everyone has a great Sunday and God Bless.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Only Time I Want The Edge

*sits down on this frustrating day so far. cold temps to -30, internet being down for 11 days, and other frustrations have led to a calming moment to do a new cards over coffee post with an afternoon cup of delight*

*takes a sip...ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. that hits the spot*

There have been arguments since the beginning of time over the edge piece of any baked goods, especially brownies. For me it's no argument, you go for the gooey center every time. This is not just for brownies and desserts, for me, as it's the same way with pasta dishes and anything else you bake. I just am not a fan of the outer edges. I don't like the crunchiness or over cooked parts. Give me chewy over crunchy any day.

I am anti-edge.

The only time an edge is acceptable to me, is when it's a Collectors Edge which I have plenty to show off of with my recent trade with Shane from Cheap Wax Wednesday.

*takes a sip before showing off today's cards*

Shane had gone to a card show to hunt for not only things for himself, but to hunt for things for our trade. He knows how much I am always on the hunt for 90's inserts and parallels and he found plenty for me. 

Today, I am just showing off the Collectors Edge that he found, and I am not going to even comment on each card. I will let the cards do the talking for themselves. So, sit there, scroll slowly, take a sip of coffee (or another beverage if you choose) and enjoy. If it comes to it, grab a snack.

You will quickly see why this is the only time I want the edge.

 

How was that? I bet those made your day. I know they made mine seeing them again, I needed that pick-me-up.

A lot of those cards fit some set chases I had already begun, so when Shane had shown me what he had picked up, I knew it was a double PC find.

Thanks again to Shane from Cheap Wax Wednesday for not only having good taste in pickups, but for snagging these for me.

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

Whether you are an edge or a middle of the dish person, I think we can all agree that Collectors Edge brought a lot to the plate. See what I did there. It's too bad they didn't keep on rolling until today. For those of us that collected in the 90's, we were pretty lucky to have brands like Collectors Edge.

If any of you have any of these for my set chases, let me know and I will give you my list of needs.

In the meantime, comment below if you are an edge or middle person and your thoughts on Collectors Edge and the cards I featured today.

Have a great Thursday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Every Morning

*sun, coffee, cards and a blog. can you ask for any more than that on Tuesday morning? nope, I doubt it*

Every morning there's a cup of coffee

and a laptop on the corner of my kitchen table

Yes they are mine and I will know I will use it

For this morning's post or a weekend one

Sorry for my terrible lyric rewrite. I tried...that's all that matters right? Maybe today's autograph subject can give me some tips since it was his song I was attempting.

*takes a sip, before moving onto today's post*

In the late 90's, there was a group named Sugar Ray that came out with some catchy tunes such as Fly, Every Morning and Some Day. These were songs you would hear consistently on the radio and had no problem with hearing them as often as you did. At least in my case. I remember sitting in my room with the small radio listening and waiting for the songs to come on so I could time it right and record it on a cassette tape. Those times were rough and made it even more frustrating when the DJ would start talking at the end of the song.

It took a while, but I finally managed to get those three songs recorded. It may had been easier to had bought the CD at that point. Which I did later on.

When I saw that Mark McGrath, the lead singer, had an autograph in the Leaf Pop Century, I wanted to add it to my nostalgic 90's collection which brought back today's memory. So fortunately, I was lucky enough to land a copy.

*takes a sip before showing off today's card*

As you can tell with all of my music adds, they have been done in the Pro Set Super Stars design. I really like the look of the design as its throwback as well.

Back of the card. All of the base autographs are numbered to 60.

I was pretty stoked about adding this one to my collection.

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

My wife and I actually saw Sugar Ray in concert in 2003 who was there alongside Michelle Branch. My wife also a fan of their music and may have been like most girls and had a small crush on Mark. One thing I will say about their concert is that they put on a great one. If you haven't seen them yet, go check them out as they are still touring.

I must also note before finishing up today's post, Mark is also a great person with his fans. On Twitter, he actually responds to you which is where I found out he is also a fellow NY Giants fan. I hope he sees today's post and maybe even gives me a RT for other fans to see.

In comments below today, tell me your favorite Sugar Ray song.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Griffey 5

*the sun is shining so bright that I actually had to shut the curtain to see my laptop for today's post. the sun is warm but not warm enough to distract the -5 temps. coffee is in hand and breakfast is cooking, I am completely ready for a new Cards Over Coffee post*

Last year was my biggest trading year with my friend Shane from Cheap Wax Wednesday fame. None of the trades we pulled off in 2021 were small. These all took flat rate boxes to pull off and many months to build.

In our trades, there is always a variety offered from low to high end cards to multiple sports to even some non-card items as you will see as I post them on here. I have known Shane online since 2012 so we know each other pretty well. The only bad part about the guy is he likes Boston sport teams and doesn't like coffee. So, my cup this morning is for him.

*takes a sip, holds mug up to the computer screen hoping those of you reading and drinking will respond with a mug cheers*

A big portion of our trades can be built up of Ken Griffey Jr cards. Shane has been my biggest help in adding to my Griffey collection. In our latest trade, there was a big stack of Griffeys and I narrowed it down to my Top 5 additions.

Let's check them out,

5.1998 Score Complete Players. I like the shine and these fall 1:23 packs.

4. 2000 Spx Power Brokers. I couldn't find the odds on this one, I assume they are easy to find.

3. Only falling 1:9 odds, these UD Ionix Hyper inserts look amazing! I always liked the product as a whole.

2. Yes, this is number two but it's more like 1A. UD HoloGrFX Future Fames fell 1:32 packs, full of shine and a unique die cut that makes it hard to put into sleeves easily.

 

1. I love the number 2 card on this list, but for some reason the way the sun hits this 2000 Fleer Focus Focus Pocus I just can't keep my eyes off from it. These inserts fell 1:14 packs. The early 2000 inserts were just as cool as the late 90's ones.

Thanks again to Shane for these latest Griffey adds.

*takes a sip, a bite of breakfast before closing up today's post*

Ken Griffey Jr isn't one of my top player chases anymore, but I will take any I don't have still. It keeps the spark burning and brings me back to my childhood when I was Ken Griffey Jr everything.

Thoughts on my list, rankings, your favorite card or how you would have put them in order.

Have a great Monday!

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Hot In Herre

*takes a sip wishing the title of today's post was actually true, that it was actually hot in herre. but for now, the coffee will keep me warm while I do the latest Cards Over Coffee post*

Picture it, Sicily, 1929, me and my soon-to-be wife...no this isn't Golden Girls nor is today's post, it's more like Picture it, it's 2002 and two young lovebirds are heading out for a weekend at the beach. It was the first long trip for us as a couple and my first time ever going to the beach. Yes, we didn't go anywhere when I was a kid.

We had the car packed full, windows rolled down and no trip is complete without music. At that time in my life, I was 19, I was really into rap music. Rappers like Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Ludacris were among those that made my daily play list.

My soon-to-be wife at the time wasn't really too much of a rap fan, but there was one she would listen to with me and one song she liked the most. The rapper was Nelly, the album was Country Grammar and the song was, Ride Wit Me. How fitting for the long trip.

*takes a sip, begins to hunt for some breakfast but couldn't find anything enticing yet. sits back down, takes another sip and begins to think about what may sound good*

We listened to that song for many years when we took that yearly trip to the beach and until rap was no longer appreciated in my life.

But, what was appreciated still were the memories it brought and when I saw that Leaf Pop Century had a Nelly autograph in their product for 2021, no doubt that had to be in my collection.

If you couldn't tell by now, I really like the Pro Set Super Stars autograph set. Nelly's autograph isn't terrible, it just doesn't fit the sticker very well and appears to be cut off some.

 

Back of the card.

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

Country Grammar isn't the only Nelly CD that I still own. Yes, I still own them. There is also Nellyville, Nelly Suit and Nelly Sweat. As for listening to them, I don't anymore. However, if Ride With Me pops up on the radio, I may turn it up some still.

How about a little coffee rap with me before I end this post?

If you wanna go and have a cup wit me

We be drinkin' two cups maybe three
Oh what are we gonna to drink?
(Hey, must be coffee)

Hope you enjoyed that and have a great Sunday.

Let me know your favorite Nelly song in comments!

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Start Of Something New

*laptop, cards and coffee in hand for a new post on Cards Over Coffee. lets do this!*

I can finally say officially this morning that I have reached my first weight loss milestone of a 10-pound loss. Well, technically 10.1 but who is keeping track.....okay, I am. I have been able to do this so far just by starting something new in my life by working out daily and cutting back on how much I eat. Keep that part in mind as I have been able to eat what I want to, but just a lot less of it. I assume this method won't work forever, but for now, it does.

*takes a sip, thinks about what to have for breakfast but not to overdo it*

I also got to start something new in the hobby, my first ever Rodney Hampton relic chase. Up to this point, Rodney hasn't had a series of jersey cards in a product. Technically he has only had one total jersey card until Panini XR released. The only other jersey card he had came from Donruss where it's a Passing The Torch dual with Saquon Barkley.

But in Panini XR, he has seven.

*takes another sip before moving onto the cards*

The first card of the seven is the base relic. This one is numbered to 49. So, to start off, these are not easy to find.

Follow that one up with the blue /25 which I don't have in hand yet but owe a thanks to @CardpocalypseNC for.

That one is followed by the Orange /15 with a nice patch as well.

 

Then as we continue, they get lower numbered as this one is /10. This is a gold parallel.

After this there is a Green /5 (which I will have thanks to my buddy Shane from Cheap Wax Wednesday) and two 1/1's which are the last cards I need in the rainbow. One of those 1/1's is a Jersey Tag. That card I want badly but haven't seen any listed yet.

If you see either of the 1/1's listed anywhere, please contact me!

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

I am hopeful my weight loss journey will continue, and I will post updates as I go along on here. Same goes for my Rodney Hampton chase.

For today's question, has anything new started in your life? Let me know in comments today.

Hope everyone has a great Friday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Let Me See That Thong

*ooooh that coffee is scandalous, and you know I can handle it. drinking that cup like a fish with my eyes look so devilish*

*sits down with cup of coffee, card and laptop. Cards Over Coffee time and I hope you are ready for some with me!*

It was 2000, I was a junior in high school and I loved listening to music in my free time. At that time in my life, I didn't have a lot of CD's or even cassette tapes. Just a couple of each. So, most of my music I listened to came from the radio and the local radio station.

One of the hottest songs on the radio was one of the most annoying ones I had ever heard, Thong Song by Sisqo.

It seemed like everyone was singing it. My friends, classmates in the hallways, blasting in the football locker room, and some of the teachers even humming it. Okay, I made that last part up, but I was trying to make a point. I can't imagine any of the teachers I had in high school humming that song nor would I have wanted them to.

*takes a sip, hums thong song after sip*

After many years of Thong Song therapy, which was simply avoiding the song, I heard it recently when I was watching music videos on MTV Classic Video channel, and I found myself not turning it off. What has happened??? Instead of turning it off, it drove some nostalgia my way instead. How odd? A song I couldn't stand for years was now a song that brought me some joy?? Not sure how that works but it did and because of that, it led me to one of my most recent pickups.

A Sisqo autograph from 2021 Leaf Pop Century.

 

The card is a purple parallel /20 and features a classic Pro Set design.

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

I will admit I have listened to the song a few times since I saw the music video just to bring back some memories from that. Just to clear the air before a rumor starts, no I didn't wear a thong and dance like Tom Cruise in Risky Business to the song. Instead, I just drank coffee to it.

How about you guys...have you ever despised song and then find yourself listening to it many years later and it not bothering you anymore? Let me know in comments!

Hope everyone has a great Thursday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!

*sits down with laptop and today's card by the side. It's time for some cards over coffee*

"Will you hurry up Matt, I'm freezing my baguettes off" were my thoughts when I stepped outside momentarily this morning referencing Art from Christmas Vacation. The temperature currently sits at zero, but the wind chill factor brings it well below that. Today is more of a hot cup of cocoa with cards day. So today will feature Cards Over Cocoa. Don't worry, no name blog name incoming.

Another thing that comes to mind on a frigid day like today is a nice cup of hot soup. I am not a huge soup person, but the mood does strike occasionally, and I will have a bowl. I prefer Chicken Noodle, Cream Of Mushroom or Tomato when that mood comes.

*takes a sip of hot cocoa, doesn't quite hit like coffee, but warms you up*

Will I have some soup today? Probably not. I just inspected my cupboards, and I don't have any on hand, so I guess NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!

Have you heard that phrase before? I would be surprised if you said no especially if you were around in the 90's and watched Seinfeld. Heck, even today you hear and see that phrase through Memes, GIFs, etc whether you watched Seinfeld or not.

The episode features Larry Thomas as the "Soup Nazi" who runs a soup shop and is very temperamental, especially about the ordering procedure of his soups. Which is where he gets his nickname from.  If you didn't order the soup correctly, there would be NO SOUP FOR YOU! Which many of the Seinfeld characters found themselves apart of for different reasons.

I recently landed this autograph pretty cheap for my Seinfeld PC. This is one of the very few Seinfeld characters with an authentic autograph card. I am still surprised to this day that Jerry Seinfeld hasn't signed for anyone or that any company hasn't created a Seinfeld set. It feels like a loss to the hobby.

*begins to think about making some homemade soup, then realizes no ingredients are here and it's still too bitter to go outside. Still NO SOUP FOR YOU!*

Larry is best known for his role on Seinfeld, but he has also been in other movies and other television shows as well. The list is pretty lengthy, and I didn't realize it until I looked him up.

I hope to add more autographs from the show later on as I have my eye on a couple. At one point, I was close to a Jason Alexander but forgot to bid.

In comments today, let's hear your thoughts on my autograph, if you saw the Soup Nazi episode and what your favorite soup flavor is.

*Coffee....hot cocoa blogger out*

Opening One Of Those Walgreen Things

*sits down with a cup of coffee, reaches over the table to grab a package of cards that had been set there the day before. it's one of those Walgreen things as I call it.*

In 2020 with the height of everyone buying everything up, anytime I found anything interesting to rip, I bought if I had the funds. This includes those Fairfield repacks you find at Walgreens, which even sold out most of the time.

But I was fortunate with my timing and was able to pick up four repacks, two baseball and two football and have been sitting on them for a rainy day.

Guess what...it's a cold snowy one...so let's rip one of the football ones.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

In every one of these packs/boxes, there are 75 cards and one manufactured pack. These boxes are about $5 and 1:4 of them come with a hit. The last time I opened one before the card gold rush, I pulled a no-name autograph.

I didn't want to post all 75 cards from the box, that would be a lot of pictures especially using the light box to do them. So I pulled out the key/my favorite ones.

The pack I found in my box was a 2015 Score retail pack. Too bad 2015 didn't have a better rookie class. I battled with myself on whether to open it or not, but I decided for now to keep it sealed for another rainy or snowy day.

The cards are an assortment from new to old which is all apart of the fun of opening one of these. There isn't usually a lot of junk in these or at least by my standards.

Joe Montana on the iconic Pro Set design and Jim Brown card from Topps Magic.

Fred Barnett towards my 1997 Skybox Premium set chase and a PC card in J.T. Turner of the Giants.

Another PC card in Cedric Jones, though I do have probably ten copies already. The Pro Line Jerry Glanville made me chuckle. I truly appreciate those cards and their photography. There hasn't been anything like it in the hobby since.

Two Hall Of Famers. I have always been a fan of Warner.

Frank Gore (looks so off in any uniform that isn't the 49ers) and Theismann. He still has his perfect leg in this photo but I am sure still has nightmares of LT,

 

Finally, we close it up with my two favorite card finds. Topps Gold Label was a beautiful product and I liked Taylor so this was an excellent find. Then you can't ever complain about finding a Bo no matter the sport.

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

This was a fun break for the price. I thought I did pretty decent with the Hall of Famer names in the box and some cards that I didn't show for my late 90's PC. I think the only other way to improve one of these is to include an insert or two. That would intrigue me even more.

I see myself opening up a baseball one the next time I open one of these.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday. God Bless!

Thoughts on my break are welcomed in comments.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Still A Moron

*cards over coffee is new and fresh today like the cup of coffee that sits next to me. I have a card in mind for today's post so let's get on it!*

Since Allen and Ginters release, I have had my eyes on landing one autograph from the set. No, it wasn't a sports player or an upcoming prospect to bank off of, it was an actor autograph.

On October 28th, I proclaimed that I wanted a Jeff Garlin autograph to go with the relic card I posted that day. Well, it happened two months later.

I finally got the autograph I had hoped for in a trade @DarkCards66 after tweeting multiple times that I was still looking for it. He saw my tweet and was happy to help as he didn't have any success in trading it elsewhere. Destiny finally was going to bring that card to me.

*takes a sip before showing off the card*

The autograph of Garlin I wanted for my Goldbergs collection. 

It was actually the show that Garlin formerly starred on.

 

Wait...formerly starred on???? Wasn't he just on there a couple of months ago when I first put up a post about wanting this autograph? (yes having a conversation with myself, with you and my cup of coffee)

You read it and I typed that right. After playing the role of Murray Goldberg, which to me was one of the most important characters on the show, Garlin came to a mutual agreement to leave the show about a month ago after HR did some investigating about his behavior on set.

The show had already taken a big enough hit the last few seasons with Adam Goldberg (the character who's life is the basis of the show) no longer writing for the show, the passing of George Segal as Pops and now Garlin leaving. I can't imagine it surviving to past this season or how they will fix it so they can. Garlin's character will still live on for the rest of this season but through a lot of old footage, shots from behind, voice overs, etc. Not ideal at all.

I guess you can say it was a moronic move by Garlin for whatever he may had done. Kind of ironic based on how his character would have treated his kids if they had made that mistake.

I still don't feel like a moron for adding this autograph to my collection as I enjoyed his time on the show. Thanks to @DarkCards66 for the trade again.

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

I am happy with my Garlin collection from Allen and Ginter and probably won't chase him any further in it. There are a couple other actors autographs including Paul Rudd I would love to add. But, that will be much more challening.

Thoughts on The Goldbergs, Murray Goldberg, Jeff Garlin or my latest autograph addition welcomed in comments below!

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*