Completely Impractical

*takes a sip of hot brewed coffee, gets ready for the new post*

In 2015, Topps included four lifelong friends who do stupid things to compete to embarrass each other.

Those four were Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano, James Murray and Joe Gatto.

These four make up the Impractical Jokers. A show that has been on television since 2011.

I personally didn't get into the show originally, despite multiple recommendations, until a couple of years ago and I loved it. I spent many days watching it on TV, watching reels as a distraction when I was on the treadmill, then spending time sharing the best moments/reels with others.  Yes, I am one of those guys.

Everyone needs a good laugh and what better way to do it then with the stupidity. As my wife knows with me.

*takes a sip, almost chokes then laughs to himself about some stupid things that had been done*

Like with anything that connects to my life or past, I try to find cardboard related to it. Topps included Impractical Jokers base, relic and autographed cards in its 2015 Allen and Ginter product,

In 2022, I was fortunate to had completed the four base cards (which since then I have misplaced and am frantically searching for them the past month) and now I have completed the four relic cards.

Brian Quinn

James Murray (I like the relic color)

 

Sal Vulcano

And I guess to fit the stupidity theme for the Impractical Jokers, Topps decided to not use the same layout design for Joe Gatto's relic.

I am glad to have it but will admit my hobby OCD is eating me alive with it not looking like the rest.

These took me a few months to hunt down and accomplish with Joe actually being the last one. He is the most valuable of the group and is actually my favorite one of the jokers.

(let's just ignore for now the recent accusations against a couple of the jokers and focus on the show aspect)

They have autographs in the product as well but those go for a ton, so I am not expected to chase those. I am happy with the relics and the base (if I can ever find them or find someone who has them for trade again) anyways.

I hope everyone has a funny day. Make someone laugh today even if it's something stupid you do or at the cost of laughing at yourself.

*final sip for the post*

Don't forget you can start to nominate cards for the 2025 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.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Leprechaun

A Leprechaun is small and green,
He hid my coffee where it can't be seen,
But, if I can somehow catch him before the end of today,
my coffee will double in size they say!

It's The Christmas Season!

*digs out the peppermint mocha creamer, coffee is ready, pours it in, smells the holiday scent from it, gets ready to start today's post*

To me, Black Friday is the kickoff to the holiday season.

So today is my kickoff to the Christmas Card season on Cards Over Coffee where I will spend today until Christmas sharing some of my Christmas card collection. There will be no other card posts in-between that aren't holiday related.

Hope you're ready, especially those of you who may be Scrooges. Those are Christmas' version of Karen.

Just enjoy the sleigh ride and the cards....and the coffee.

*takes another sip hoping that no scrooge is getting upset right now*

*takes another sip*

Black Friday isn't what it used to be. It used to kick off on Thanksgiving night where you would have to arrive to stores in-person by 7pm to score some deals and then every hour after.

Nowadays, stores put "deals" (deals are no longer deals like they once were) online for weeks and then actual in-store Black Friday is on Friday as stores close Thanksgiving night now. 

So, no more lines or people fighting over the last Tickle Me Elmo at midnight.

I only ever attempted Thanksgiving night Black Friday twice just to say I did so. This picture was the view in front of me at the back of our local Walmart store in 2013 waiting two and a half hours to get checked out with my small cart of deals.

This was also my last time going and I think you can see why.

It was an experience I won't ever forget, take that as both bad and good. The good, Dunkin is inside of my Walmart. The bad, fighting people off to get into line and stay in it without being pushed over and them trying to spill my coffee.

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

Black Friday is a thing of the past for me. I do most of my shopping all year long and grab deals when I can. I find it's the better way to shop and you can find better deals that way.

Believe me, give it a try.

Since I haven't posted a card yet for this post, let's kick off the Christmas card season,

Here is a 2015 Panini Black Friday Santa Claus found in their Black Friday packs. I picked this up last year I believe in a trade.

There will be plenty more cards like this to be seen.

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

If you are out shopping today, please make sure to stay safe! The world has turned into a sad, scary place. Also, there are a lot of bad drivers out there when there is a lot of traffic. I am not one if you ask me, though my wife will tell you differently. I just want to say she is wrong and hopefully not reading that I said that as I don't want to kick off the Christmas season on the couch.

Hope everyone enjoys the magic of this season on Cards Over Coffee. There will be plenty more Christmas, Christmas Cards, and coffee on here to come. Not that anyone is surprised by the coffee (maybe some hot cocoa mixed in as well).

Have a great Friday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

IMPRACTICAL

*coffee is set, cards are in hand, and laptop is open for another new post on cards over coffee. let's dive in!*

I have come to realize the last few years that my favorite Topps product release is Allen Ginter. It's time to move over Topps Chrome.

I enjoy Allen Ginter for the non-sport quirkiness it brings and not so much the baseball element.

The checklist usually includes a few actors or actresses I try to chase down cards of and sometimes includes people I have never heard of.

For example, I pulled this card from a pack of 2015 Allen Ginter of some guy named Murray, I had no idea who he was so I tossed it into my Allen Ginter box for another day.

Fast forward to last year, I began watching a show called Impractical Jokers, that was suggested to me by a friend. I am not usually someone who is into "reality" TV but thought I would give it a watch since they enjoyed it so much. Watching one episode can't hurt right? 

I was hooked from the first episode I watched.

Being someone who enjoys comedy and making others laugh, it was quite enjoyable.

The show features Q, Sal, Joe and Murr who are real-life best friends and love challenging each other to the most outrageous dares and stunts ever caught on hidden camera. Some of the things they do is completely insane and has to be embarrassing at points.

Which makes it even more funnier.

*takes a sip, checks the guide on the television to see when the next episode airs, in a few minutes, guess I better move this post along. takes another sip*

I never made the connection to the Murray card I pulled back in 2015 to the Murr on Impractical Jokers until I saw a tweet from someone else looking for all four cards. That's when the realization hit....WAIT...THEY HAVE CARDS?!!?

I searched my Allen Ginter box and found the Murray card, but had no others from the set. I actually have two Murray cards now thanks to blog reader Oren, but I still lacked the other three.

Fortunately, Oren had Q in his possession as well so I had another one down.

Then came Joe. I don't remember how I got the card but thank you to the person who helped me add it.

And this left me Sal-less.

I tweeted for months looking for a copy of the card and had no responses. I also took to this blog as well looking for it and still nothing. I searched Burbank Sportcards Beckett Marketplace with no luck and then went to eBay where they were overpriced. I wasn't sure that I was going to complete the four. It was disappoing but that disappointment didn't last too long.

While working on another trade with Dennis from Too Many Verlanders Blog, I asked him if he had a copy of the Sal card or if he knew anyone who did. That's when he sent me to @flywheels on Twitter (he runs Cardboard Collections blog) because he had a copy for trade and then magic happened.

 

Colbey checked to see if he still had the card and did. He amazingly sent me the card as a RAK and now my four is complete. So cool!

Thanks again to Dennis for the assist and for Colbey for the card. Appreciate you both!

*takes a sip before finishing up today's post and to hurry it up before the episode comes on*

Since the show has been on since 2011, I still have a lot of episodes to catch up on. The new season also just came out and one of the Jokers is no longer apart of the show for personal reasons. I am not sure how that will go without him. If they want me to step in his place, I will.

Let me know in comments today if you watch the show at all and your thoughts on chasing non baseball characters in Allen Ginter.

Have a great Wednesday!

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*