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*

Appreciating The Little Things

*it's time for a cup of coffee and some cards. Which means it's time for a new post of Cards Over Coffee*

One thing I have learned during the pandemic, other than that there is a lot of greed in the hobby and in the world, is that was finally time to appreciate the little things in life and in the hobby.

Things that I used to take for granted such as family and family get togethers, were things you became accustomed to, but didn't realize how deeply important they were until the pandemic.  There are some close parts of my family I haven't seen since Christmas of 2019 and it starts to get to you after awhile. You start to think, "why did I pretend to fall asleep during game night?" or "why didn't I go out to eat with them when they invited me?" Or "why didn't I push myself to stay up later those few extra hours to spend even more time with them instead of going to bed?" The answer is, I always thought it would be there next time.

During the pandemic, it was starting to get worrisome that there may not be a next time. I should have done those things at "those times" and taken advantage of every moment. As vaccines have started rolling out, I have my appointment set up for May 1st to get my first shot of Moderna, I feel like I may have those times again and this time you better believe I will soak in every second of it. Time to be that weird uncle who gives out the long hugs.

I not only find myself questioning little things in life such as above, but little things in the hobby as well. Something such as simple as following @CardsFromTheAttic.

*takes a sip, continues on*

When I first started following @CardsFromTheAttic years ago, some of his tweets felt like an attack on the blogging community and I couldn't have that. We are a close family in the blogosphere and I couldn't simply deal with someone who felt the way they did about us. So I unfollowed him and he followed suit later on as well and I went on with my Twitter life.

Fast forward to last summer, I started seeing some tweets from him being re-tweeted from others I followed. I then began to ask myself if I misread him years ago and gave him another follow. Come to find out, he is actually a good guy and his tweets I felt were attacks were actually apart of his personality and humor. You have to be a funny person, such as I consider myself to be, to fully get his humor.

Since I have re-followed him, I have joined in on some of his banter and enjoyed his content such as the March Madness Tournament in #CardboardChaos. Even though every brand I voted on, the late 90's ones, never made it too far.

 

Another thing you find out fast about him is his love of yellow in 1991 Fleer. He bleeds yellow. He screams yellow. He tweets yellow. Probably even has yellow socks and sandals on while he tweets. (The last part of that you would have to follow him to understand that sort of inside joke)

I questioned myself again about 1991 Fleer and maybe I missed something. Maybe I should give it another look and another chance just like I did in following @CardsFromTheAttic again. Come to find out, I did miss something in 1991 Fleer and it wasn't anything that Coldplay sang about.

*takes another sip, finds a snack to tie over before breakfast*

My favorite part of 1991 Fleer was staring at me the whole time and it was something with a black border, not yellow. Something that really stood out that I would have turned a blind eye to before. It was the Pro-Visions insert.

The 12-card insert set featured paintings by artist Terry Smith and featured "framed" black borders on each card front. The cards were randomly inserted in wax and rack packs to find. All I know is when I did open up some '91 Fleer "back in the day" is that I never once landed one of those inserts. I think they must be a little tough to find.

I am not sure how I didn't pay any attention to these before, but God Bless America that I am now.

And thanks to @CardsFromTheAttic, I have the entire set.

The artwork along with the black border really makes these stand out. I do wished that Griffey had been included, but it still doesn't disappoint.

Along with this full set, he also sent along some extras,

some of which I hadn't seen before including this Pete Rose.

Thanks goes out to @CardsFromTheAttic for the mail day and for the reminder that not everything about 1991 Fleer was bad.

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

Whether it's family or something as simple as 1991 Fleer, I am no longer taking anything for granted. That includes waking up each day or even that cup of coffee in the morning (and of course the ones at noon and night as well). You just never know that day where it may not happen so take advantage of every second you are breathing.

*hope everyone enjoys a fresh cup of coffee today with this post and I hope you all have a great day as well. Coffee card blogger out*

$25 Well Spent?

*coffee is poured, sitting in front of the laptop with said cup of coffee for the newest post is required*

So a couple of weeks ago, I tweeted this out:

Here are a few of the responses I got,

   

And here is the story behind that picture....

*takes a sip*

About a month ago, a family friend contacted me via Facebook messenger and asked if I was interested in some cards. I was already at my boiling point with the hobby and not finding anything new to rip, so I said sure. Not that I wouldn't have said that anyways.

She sent that picture above through messenger and said her friend was the one selling them for their husband who was no longer collecting and just wanted to get rid of them. So I asked how much and she said, $25.

I responded, "that I would think it through". But, did I really think it through like I should have or at least made an offer? Of course not. I jumped on them like a person in the northeast jumps on anything pumpkin flavored when the first leaf changes color.

The mystery of what could be within and the simple fact I couldn't just see them be sold to someone else, I jumped on them and probably jumped on them too fast. FOMO is real people.

I had tweeted that photo out for fun long after I had already made the choice to buy them even though the cards didn't get to me until after that photo. After reading the responses, I was feeling pretty silly for my choice. I was just hoping I would have something to post today that would prove the critics wrong.

Will I though? Did I prove them worthy at least to myself disregarding what I had spent on them? Or do I feel even more stupid for not asking what others would have spent on the lot sooner? Only one way to find out....

*takes another sip and forgets that he should have looked for some pumpkin spice creamer for this mornings cup. Will jump on that later today*

The cards arrived as you would have expected,

  

Yup, in an old VCR box. I am probably one of the very few people who still have a VCR or admittedly three in their house that are still in use. I don't think that will surprise many of you who have known me for awhile.

The box appeared to had been sitting around in a barn/garage for awhile as there was some feathers and what appeared to be wet spots/stains on the bottom as well.

(it had me feeling like)

I opened the box and what appeared to me was the same picture I tweeted out and what I had already expected to see. Cards thrown around everywhere.

(time to stretch out before I start digging in)

The box started out interesting and promising,

I have never seen these Sunoco cards before and I have seen a lot of cards.

 

90's insert, alright! Sandy Alomar Jr wasn't too shabby either.

another 90's insert, this time basketball

another one for football

and another baseball

and racing

And these Skybox Premium base cards that I was trilled to see.

These were the kind of treasures I was hoping to uncover in here. With these years, this box was becoming very promising.

Then wasn't.

I hit a streak of 1991 Fleer.....1990 Topps.....1994 Score (that was bricked) and all baseball in this stretch. The cards that give you nightmares before bed at night.

(This box now had me feeling)

But then came a couple cards I haven't seen before,

An older Dale Jr (was hoping it was a rookie card, but it's not)

And an oddball Bo. I never mind adding a Bo Jackson and I think most of us wished we were as cool as him too.

Next came some hot rookie cards!

Neon Deion

Gary showing off the bling-bling

Victor Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuzzzz

 

Tatis!! What a find!!! Yesssssss!!!

And Bichette!

Two of the hottest players in baseball card collecting.

(you currently reading my joking sarcasm)

(me anyways)

I had to stand up to stretch again. As the said 700 or so cards was more like a couple thousand and the Score baseball was not much fun peeling apart and taking awhile to do so. It was causing both heart and butt ache.

(me standing up to stretch)

When I got back into the box I was greeted by this,

 

Shiny 90's insert of Carlos Beltran

(which had me feeling like this)

A stretch of luck ensued afterwards

A good run of 30 at least Gold Rush parallels from 1994 Score. No big names and I couldn't save them all from corners and being stuck but most were good. I always dig a well done gold foil card.

Some baseball player studs

Emmitt Smith

 

DJ!

Some NY Giants PC power!

(was this box turning into a slam dunk?)

The stretch ended right soon after the Giants find as more 1991 Fleer baseball, 1993 and 1994 Score baseball, 1993 Upper Deck baseball made up the rest of the box. No big stars or rookies either. It was all base cards.

*takes a few more sips, thinks about breakfast and what to pair with this great cup of coffee this morning*

Overall, I probably hauled out a good 100 cards from the box and the rest I gave to my nephew who I am trying to get into sport card collecting. He currently collects Pokemon only, but has shown some interest in sport cards so I filled an empty chip box full of my dupes including all of these. Hopefully with that many cards I gave to him, it will help push him along to the sport side. Not all was junk either I passed along, so hoping he will take care of them as well.

It was a fun dig through that left me with a lot of roller coaster highs and lows. Was it $25 well spent? I will let you guys be the judge.

(This Bryan Clark card best sums up my feelings on this box)

(and this is the end of the post, peace out)