The Beginning Of A New Chase

If you own a 1/1, do you ever just sit back about being the only person who has that trading card? Like you are the one who holds the power?

Out of all of the overproduced cards of today, you actually own the only one of that card and that's it. It's the only ONE. It's the ONE OF THE ONE.

That's why 1/1's are pretty cool if you ask me.

And when I land a 1/1, I not only keep it, but I try my best to add to it by trying to build the rainbow.

Thanks to another great commenting contest held by Johnny's Trading Spot, I now have the beginning of a new chase.

 

Now Eli Morgan isn't the biggest name in baseball and is a pitcher that usually turns me away, but it's a 1/1 that completely has my attention.

Now I just need to build off from it.

So, I did my research for this card and product and found out there are a few parallels that come along with it as expected. There are a total of sixteen parallels which also includes seven 1/1's in order to finish the rainbow chase.

You read that right, seven 1/1's. It's crazy.

These are the following parallels to chase, Artist Proof Blue, Blue Frame, Gray Frame, Plum Frame, Red Frame, Artist Proof Silver /99, Artist Proof Gold /49, Green Frame /25, Antique Frame /18, Antique Frame Masterpiece 1/1, Black Frame Masterpiece 1/1, Gray Frame Masterpiece 1/1, Green Frame Masterpiece 1/1, Masterpiece 1/1, Plum Frame Masterpiece 1/1, Red Frame Masterpiece 1/1.

I already know that landing all of the 1/1's is an impossible task, so for me, completing a rainbow would be finding the other nine parallels to tie in with my 1/1. If I happen to find one of the other 1/1's, that's a bonus. But I will call this rainbow complete with the nine.

I have the most important piece to the rainbow, now to chase down the others including the base.

Thanks Johnny's Trading Spot !! He is a 1/1 kind of guy!

I will update my chase as I add some and might put a list of updated needs on the side of this blog, so you know where I am at with it. I would also welcome any help towards this rainbow project. If you have any of these including a base, drop me an email! My email is sportcardcollectors@hotmail.com.

New chases are always fun, but having help with the chase makes it even better. It leads to 1/1 moments. Those are ones you keep forever.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

It's The Only One

It's the only one.

You might at first think I am referring to my wife (even though she is my only one) or this morning's cup of coffee (sip taken), I am actually discussing a card I recently got in the mail.

My latest X/Twitter trade landed me one of the very few NY Giants 1/1's I own, well, outside of my Rodney Hampton collection. I have a few in there.

This trade came together and ended fast. It helped that I had traded with the person before and also had plenty of interactions with them. The only surprise was it being two years since I last traded with @kemptribe, not sure why, but it appears the wait was worth it with the whopper I landed for my Giants collection.

It's the first Laundry Tag in my Giants collection and I believe in my entire collection.

It's stunning!

Kyle Lauletta was the possible QB of the future in NY when the Giants drafted him in the 4th round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

But it didn't quite work out and he bounced around a few practice squads instead. With the QB's the Giants have now, I would welcome him aboard with open arms.

 

I have quite a few Lauletta cards after buying into the idea he was going to be their next star QB but this one by far is now the centerpiece to that collection.

I should learn not to do that. It has happened too many times now.

I do however want to chase down this rainbow now and there isn't too much to chase. I need the following to complete it, Base Relic /100, Purple /75, Prime Yellow /25, Prime Green /10, and Super Prime Blue 1/1.

Thanks goes out to @KempTribe for our latest trade, hope the next time we won't have to wait two years but if we do, I wouldn't mind landing another only one :)

Hope everyone has a great Sunday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

These Are LIT

My coffee is bussin' this morning, and I am not one to flex.

However, I may rizz you up with something pretty lit bruh. Believe me, I ain't cap.

When I saw a four-printing plate lot of 2023 Leaf Pro Set Lit unautographed Eli Manning on eBay, I thought I was going delulu. I hadn't seen that kind of listing before, something very extra. All I know is that 1/1's hit differently of your favorite players and if I was to win them, it would be pretty poggers.

Not being a Noob on eBay, I knew exactly how to approach winning them.

Which I did. Completely slayed them.

Now the hope was when they arrived that they wouldn't be mid. 

The seller was fast at shipping them as they arrived a few days later, I got a little emo over the sight of them.

 

Boy did these smack. They were exactly what I had hoped.

Well, that's it for today's post. I need to get my drip on and go chill with the fam.

Leave me some Lit comments to read today. I will keep the receipt of them all, but please don't be sus.

Also, don't judge someone older learning teenage slang in 2024, I figure if Leaf can do it, so can I.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

The Rodney Brew:2020 Select Black Die-Cut 1/1

Hello there fellow coffee fans! And card collectors too! I hope you have a cup of coffee ready to go along with today's post.

It's been close to a year since I posted a new card in this segment. One of the biggest reasons for that is the lack of new Rodney Hamptons on the market. It appears his run of cards is over with Panini as I don't see any coming up and all of 2022 was Rodney-Less.

Pretty much what remains to my Rodney chase are rares and obviously rare cards are hard to come by.

Fortunately, though, a few did pop up since last year and thanks to a very generous Christmas package from my buddy Wes, I hauled in some amazing ones.

*takes a sip*

I had two cards left for my 2020 Select autograph chase, both 1/1's. One was a base 1/1 and then there was a die-cut version 1/1. I wasn't ever sure they would pop up especially since the products are getting older and probably sitting in warehouses somewhere with my Rodney's inside of them.

Luckily one of them finally popped up, the die-cut version.

It's a really sharp card. I really like the appeal. It's like a dark roast coffee.

 

Back of card gives the autograph guarantee along with the 1/1 info.

Thanks again to my buddy Wes for sending this my way.

There are still more Rodney's to show off from my Christmas package from Wes.

Thoughts on this card is welcomed in comments.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday Night.

Coffee Card Blogger Out.

Who Is Right?

Going to need a strong cup for today's post and luckily, I have one next to me.

If you were to see my eBay saved search list, you would see exactly what you would expect from me. 90's inserts, Rodney Hampton, Charles Way, non-sports, some oddballs and Eli Manning.

I check these searches multiple times a day and have caught some good deals in that process.

  

But, none better than this one I thought I had landed back in September of 2022. 

At first glance, it appeared as a base Any Given Sunday insert of Eli Manning from 2022 Prestige. It was a card I needed and at the time the price was right.

As I clicked on the picture of the listing, I like to blow it up to see if there is any damage before I purchase, I started to notice something off to the side.

 

It was a 1/1 version of the card! Wowzers! My first Eli Manning 1/1 card and I landed it for under $10! To say the least, I felt like a kid being set free down the toy aisle at Walmart.

I couldn't even sleep that night. It was like I had caffeine in my coffee again. Boy, do I miss those days.

 

When I woke up still in disbelief of my purchase the next morning, I went to look at it again and that's when I saw this.

REFUNDED??!?!?! What?! Why?!! I didn't request this.

So, I messaged the seller.

Here was his response,

 

Keep in mind I use my wife's account for eBay which is why it is addressed to her.

Either way, I don't agree with his response, and I never replied because I may not have been friendly. So instead, I will post about them on here. I worked in retail for seven years and we were always told the customer was always right even when we marked something wrong. So, if they made an honest mistake, they should have stuck with it, learned from it, shipped it, and not refunded.

This is just my opinion on this. You guys may have different feelings about this, especially those of you who actually sell. I know if I made this mistake and sold cards on eBay, I would have shipped it. I have lost out on trades before when I made a mistake. But, I have learned from it.

Let me know in comments who is right. Is the buyer right in this situation? Is the seller right? What would you have done on either side of this situation?

Now I am all worked up again. I may need a second cup after this post and maybe a third when I read your replies.

Hope you are enjoying your day...I was until this post brought back this memory.

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*