BBA:We Had It All The 1990's

Back in the 90's, we had it all in the hobby.

We had the most innovative cards. We had lots of legends and Hall Of Fame players to collect, some of which we will never see the likes of again...yes I am talking especially about you Michael Jordan. We had price guides to price our cards. We had checklists inserted in packs to help us set collectors, some of those checklists were even apart of the set. We had coaches, cheerleaders, and even refs in our sets.

We had it all.

Today's cards will have nothing on what I enjoyed then. That's why I am focusing a lot of adding cards from that era. Maybe even finish some long time sets that have been sitting around.

So, I created this Blog Bat Around to see what era of cards you liked, why, and some new additions you may have added from that era.

I have many to show and will let the cards themselves do the talking. Good luck making a case against these. Maybe some of you will even agree and I will get to see even more awesomeness from this era.

Here are my latest additions,

 

 

And I ended this with a Highlight Reel. See what I did there.

These cards I will treasure, despite the players, more than any others. I don't care about the player. It's more about the card, memory and what it means to me.

Now let me see you beat the 90's. Good luck.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Retro Cup:Team MVP

The Diamond King sent me a box loaded with 90's basketball goodness. LOADED. So I came up with an idea to do a mini series with so many great cards to show off called, Retro Cup. Along with the card showings, I will re-live a memory I had as well when it comes to coffee. So I hope you are sitting down with a cup of steaming fresh hot coffee so we can give this series a go.

*Coffee is ready to go and so am I*

Every cup of coffee has an MVP and every person chooses their own MVP for it.

For years my MVP was milk and sugar. LOTS OF SUGAR to go in my coffee. Which is what made it stand out. But, as I have gotten older, my tastes have really changed and I have switched to a new MVP for the past 20 years.

That MVP is Nestle Coffeemate and specifically the Hazelnut flavor. A cup of coffee to me isn't the same without this MVP combo. At least at home. If I am out at a restaurant, I am fine using cream and sugar as restaurant coffee always tastes better. Don't ask me why. And it's not like my coffee doesn't taste good, it just needs it's MVP to carry it home.

These Coffemates come in a variety of flavors and I have pretty much given all of them a go. Some were okay, some are good for holiday time (I will post about those when it's time to) and some sounded good but were downright disgusting. I won't even mention how bad the non Nestle Coffeemate brand creamers taste especially the knockoffs.

So I will stick with my one MVP that works. Just like a lot of teams in leagues do. They all know that one player that helps carry that team and who to keep an eye on. That's what this creamer does.

*takes a long sip, mmmmm. Coffee. Hits the heart and soul. Sets mug down to continue his blogging*

Back in 1992-1993, Upper Deck created their own MVP's in basketball cards.

Upper Deck MVP Holograms was a 36 card set featuring Upper Deck's selection of an MVP on each of the NBA's 27 teams. Cards 1-27 in the set showcase those and the final nine, cards 28-36, are Future MVPs that  focus on player's who could become their team's MVP in the near future.

There were just 138,000 individually numbered sets produced. Can you imagine if these were made today and looking at the back of your card to see 1/138,000. Would be pretty insane for these times but being made back then makes them feel sort of a short print when you think about it.

These sets were available only through hobby dealers and select retail outlets. Or as of now, you can look for these sets on eBay and Amazon.

The front of the card features a checkerboard background with hologram and full colored player in the forefront.

The backs featured team colors and a write up about the player. There is also a watermarked Team MVP and basketball behind the write up.

The Diamond King sent along a few of the cards from the set so I am not sure if he had a full one or just a select few but I appreciate the ones I got. Don't think I have ever seen or owned any until now.

As for a set chase, I don't think it there will be one, but I am a huge hologram dork, so who knows.

Here are the others he passed along,

Alonzo Mourning. Upper Deck wasn't too far off with Future MVP for Zo. Except I don't think he really made his impact until he was with the Heat. I really don't remember him much as a Hornet.

Patrick Ewing, my boy!

Scott Skiles

Glen Rice

 

Chuck Person

This set also includes the one and only MJ. I mean how can it not? That one should be labeled League MVP though.

*takes a sip, wonders why they never made a coffee mug with holograms of coffee mugs on it since holograms were such the rave in 80s and 90s. New marketing idea? Hmm...*

Upper Deck made some great hologram cards back in the 90's, but I don't think they really upped the ante on that technology until 1994 when you could rotate the cards and see a 3D look especially with players faces.

For me personally though, hologram cards will always mean the late Spx releases. Those were the MVP's of holograms.

*takes a few more sips of coffee, before closing out today's post*

I explained above how I use the Coffeemate to go in my coffee, but I should also mention that I don't drown my coffee with the Coffeemate. I put in just enough to give it that superb flavor without taking away from the true coffee taste. If I didn't want coffee, I would just drink the creamer. That's pretty much how my wife makes hers with the Coffeemate, I took a sip of hers once and it was overpowering and left me on a sugar high.

Not me though, I want to experience the coffee though without the MVP, it's not a team.

Just As Good The Second Time Around

*wakes up way too early, but is ready to go with a cup of coffee. Not surprised at all are you?*

Some things are just as good a second time around as they are the first. Some things are not.

For example, if you brew some coffee and pour yourself a cup, it's pretty good. However, if you leave that coffee maker off for a few hours with leftover coffee and decide that a second cup sounded good so you microwave it hot, well, it's not great. Many like it that way, but it's definitely not as good as the first time.

Another example, Spaghetti. It tastes great the first time around but if you let that sit and eat it again later in the day, it still tastes just as good if not better than the first time.

Or maybe you tried something years ago that you forgot about and then discover it again and it's just as good as the first time. I have had that experience a lot but there has been some things that were not (mainly from companies who changed the formula to the way they make the item)

What am I getting at? Well, recently I had the chance to try some things a second time around that I haven't in many years.

First up, these Goetze's caramel creams.

I haven't eaten one of these in many years, but do remember enjoying them a lot when I was a kid.

So when I was down the candy aisle and saw a bag, I said, hey, why not? So I grabbed the bag and ripped them open when I got home.

My big hope was that they were as good as I remember since it had been awhile.

I slowly opened up the wrapper and the candy fell into my hand. I could smell the sweet caramel and icing center from a distance. I picked up that piece of candy and....

*a sip of coffee*

I remember it like it was yesterday, sitting in the backseat of my parent's car. Taking that weekly trip to Ames (local department store), going into the store and heading straight to the card section. The first packs every time I looked for was 1995-1996 Fleer basketball. I thought the base card design was out of this world and my biggest love was the Flair Hardwood Leaders inserts that fell one-per-pack. It was the same love I had for the 1995 Fleer football that had one Flair Preview per pack.

So I would grab a pack or two, carry them throughout the store hoping to land a new set need for my Hardwood Leaders chase and when my parents cashed out, I ran to the car with those packs still in-hand and ripped them open like the chocolate bar that Charlie ripped to find the golden ticket.

The excitement was wild.

So when the Last Dance came on and the excitement of basketball cards returned, I found a four pack lot of of 1995-1996 Fleer basketball on eBay hoping to re-live what I once did. I wanted that ooooey-goooey feeling all over.

*takes another sip of coffee, then another and another in excitement*

When they arrived, I grabbed the package from the mail box and ran back to my house. At least that's what I pictured in my mind. At age 37, being quarantined with a few extra pounds and having not run in many years, I fast paced walked instead. Out of shape I am as Yoda would say.

I got home with said package in hand and opened it.

 

The blue pack immediately stared back at me. I felt like a little kid for half of a second. Until I realized I had adult duties to take care of before I could dig on in.

*few hours later*

Each pack of Fleer basketball came with 11 cards. There were four different insert sets to chase and the base cards had four different designs to build up the base set. None were tougher than any of the others to pull. There were chances at Hot Packs which would be a pack of all inserts. Only ever pulled one once from all of the Fleer I opened. It wasn't easy, but was hoping maybe one of the three I would open would have one. Yup, I plan to save one unopened like I do with every throwback break I do.

The back of the pack had me reminiscing as much as the front.

Would this one be a hot pack? Only one way to tell...

So I slowly ripped it open, the scent of cardboard wafted to my nose. The scent not only jumped out at me, but, the top card was my Hardwood Leader....

(shakes in excitement)

Derrick Coleman. Which actually turned out to be a dupe for me. I have been re-chasing this set for a couple of years now hoping to feel that magic of owning it again.

Rest of pack 1 wasn't too shabby either,

Sir Charles! the front of this card is pretty laid back design for 1995 Fleer

Card back shows a good amount of statistics. I sometimes can't figure out if I want more stats, less stats, a write up or no write up, guess it depends on the card

Mookie was the next card. Little bit more wacky 1995 Fleer

Card in the middle, Total D of Dennis Rodman! Along with the Hardwood Leader, you can also find one insert per pack. For me it's always weird seeing Dennis in anything else but a Bulls uniform.

that's the Fleer I know!

the fourth design

 

if this card doesn't scream 90's,what does?

 

Last card in Pack 1.

Now onto Pack 2. The final two packs I won't show all of the base, just the key highlights from each.

Mitch was a dupe for me again, curses!

Sweet Double Trouble of The Admiral.

Wait what....MJ sighting!!

Pack 3 highlights,

 

Glen Rice, YESSSSS one I could use! I tend to associate Glenn with the Hornets

Shaq All Star weekend insert.

*my closing final sips of coffee, onto cup number two to finish out this post*

My final thoughts on both the rips of Fleer and

caramel I took a bite of

MJ says it best,

They both were drool worthy, terrific, tremendous, mind blowing drive to the basket with your tongue hanging out awesome. 

In easier terms, just as good the second time around.