Christmas Cards From An Owl

 

Christmas music is playing, snow is falling, coffee is hot, and I am ready for a post this morning.

Today, my parents are coming over to do their Christmas with us and my father is bringing an extra box of random trade bait. Should be fun. I guess we are also watching the Giants game, we like to be depressed apparently.

This time of year, I love getting cards in the mail. Especially since nobody mails real Christmas cards anymore. My wife and I used to look forward to the mailbox and looking for how many Christmas cards we received to add to our card rack. It used to be either match the number of days in the month or ahead. 

This year, we are on day eight and we have two.

TWO.

I know many have gone to sending digital cards or mostly texts, but it's not the same. What happened to the good old days of Christmas???

So, guess it's sport cards now. I have gotten more of those recently.

Not that I am complaining, I just want both. Best of both worlds.

*takes a sip*

My latest card haul came from the legendary Night Owl Cards who sent me a variety of fun.

 

My lack of funds for the 2024 season has left plenty of gaps in my collection in many collections. Coles are new additions.

So, weren't these minis. I was always a fan of O'Neill.

  

Rizzo is gone. I don't expect him back nor do I want him back. I never felt he provided much in the Yankees lineup other than needing to be replaced because he was never healthy.

  

I only have a few Yankee Soto cards. Without knowing if he will be a long term Yankee I wasn't planning on adding to many. I am however sick of hearing about him every day, just wished he would return to pinstripes already and stop dragging other teams into this. Of course, looking at the Dodgers un-ending amounts of money, watch him go there.

If Soto ends up a Yankee for life, then I will definitely seek more of him in pinstripes.

J-Dom has been a side PC the last few years. This kid has the talent, just needs to play. Hopefully 2025 will be his year.

Stroman had an up and down season for the Yankees. They have so many needs in pitching, it's scary. I don't think Stroman is the answer, that's why he has bounced around.

Just when I was down on Stanton and wanted him gone, he put on a postseason for the ages. He was the reason why the Yankees advanced to the World Series in my opinion.

I have been wanting this card since I first saw it, I believe it WAS on my want list. No more.

 

I know many of you are down on Leaf, but this card looks super cool. I couldn't capture it in full light and my light box couldn't do it either, but believe me, it's awesome.

Thanks again for the mail day Greg!

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

Well, I better get to cleaning up soon before my parents arrive. Here's to hoping for some Christmas cards and well, sport cards in the mail this week.

Have a great Sunday full of coffee.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Finishing Up A Trade

*grabs a handful of cards and sits down to post about them. it's time for another new Cards Over Coffee post today*

*takes a sip*

*actually gets back up to make some toast to go along with today's post. takes a bite, sits back down, takes a sip, begins today's post finally*

I try to be as easy as I can be with trading.

Sometimes I will just take some cards to finish a trade whether they completely fit what I am collecting or not.

I regret it at points, but other times it works out well in the end. I will say that was the case for my latest trade with @TommyJC1.

*takes another bite, a sip and gets ready for the post*

I will start with the cards I claimed at the end to finish up the trade. I didn't know how I felt about it at first, but after getting the cards in hand, I was pretty happy with my choices.

 

Like this Ronnie Lott. Cool looking card. As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate the older 90's cards like this.

 

Same goes for this Robinson. This would have been meh for me a couple of years ago, now it's cool and in. Just like Coffee and Cards.

Some odds and ends SI for Kids cards.

Gale Sayers and Walter Payton POG.

What do you guys think about my fill-ins to finish the trade?

Now onto the main claims.

New Jeter

Tim Tebow for my Christian Athlete PC.

Oddball Giants cards. I didn't have these two.

 

Allen Ginter claims. Always taking these.

Cards for my 90's PC for these guys.

And to end it, more non-sport additions. I may have these already, but I also may not. I lost track so I just take them all.

Thanks again to @TommyJC1 for the trade. Hope to do this again.

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

I hope there are others out there who do what I do to finish up a trade. I sometimes will take cards in these kind of trades for other people that I know would appreciate them. These are RAKs I do usually.

Thoughts on my mail day welcomed in comments and let me know if you are this kind of trader.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Coffee Break:2021 Score Football Blaster Box

*All five senses are fully alive this morning especially the coffee sense. The coffee sense does like to be treated with a full cup when I wake up and the plan is to give it so. Coffee is poured, cards are ready and laptop is out. Cards over Coffee is here!*

Coffee has me feeling energized, despite the long week with both sister-in-laws up. One is staying another week since it has been 15 months since we last all saw each other. 2021 has already been a better year and now being 2 weeks after the second dose of Pfizer, my full vaccination kicks in. I still plan on wearing my mask into places regardless, fully vaccinated people can be spreaders, but I feel a lot better than I did a year ago.

I also have been feeling better about my luck in retail being able to actually find something here and there. Just like today's product, the new 2021 Score football.

2021 Score Football Blaster Box

132 Cards Per Blaster

$19.99 Per Blaster

1 Lave Parallel Per Blaster

No Guaranteed Hits

Summary:With the rise of the hobby in 2020, it has driven a lot of product prices through the roof including a collector/set collector driven product in Score where normal hobby boxes would cost $100-$150 normally have now reached a ceiling of $300. 

This years base set is 400 cards deep with veterans, rookies (not in NFL uniforms or defined by an NFL team) and legends. The design is something you typically see in Score, but the photographs and high gloss are well received.

Base card parallels are both bland and shiny and include the following, Gold, Green, Purple, Red, Scorecard, Lava /575, Dots Red /460, Dots Gold /225, Spokes /110, Showcase /100, Gold Zone /50, Artist Proof /35, Blue Explosion /20, Red Zone /20, Die-Cut /10, First Down /10, End Zone /6, Gem Masters 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1.

There are also plenty of inserts to find in Score like there usually is. Roughly 15 different insert sets to chase including a huge Tom Brady tribute one. Not sure why they did a Tom Brady tribute and not a Drew Brees one since he is the one to actually retire.

Inserts have the following parallels, Gold, Green, Purple, Red, Showcase /100, Gold Zone /50, Red Zone /20, End Zone /6, and Gem Masters 1/1.

There is more memorabilia sets to chase in Score then autographs, but the autograph checklist is pretty solid with veteran, legend and rookies to chase.

Let's dig into this blaster,

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

 

(lava parallel-the blaster hit)

 

(surprise!)

*the break is over, carefully sets cards to the side and takes another sip. Stomach is starting to rumble so need some breakfast before I brew a second cup*

Score was fun like it usually is and is intended to be. It was also fun to find a surprise relic card as they used to come every box. This year, I have seen them in about 1:4 blasters.

I certainly hope I can find some more but you never know these days. Sadly, people are flipping Score even though I cannot say this enough, Score is not a flipping product. It's as basic as it comes and isn't worth a whole lot. Which also means I am telling all of you readers desperate for a box or pack to open not to overpay for it and not to pay for anything flippers sell in the first place.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

80's On The 8th:1982 Topps Coming Soon Sticker Lawrence Taylor

*sits down and realizes what day of the month it is, it's the 8th and that only means one thing...it's time for 80's on the 8th! Time to get the coffee ready and sit down for some Cards Over Coffee*

Today's item is not a card, but a sticker of the greatest Linebacker, if not greatest defensive player of all time, the great Lawrence Taylor.

Taylor was the NFL MVP in 1986, won two Super Bowls, 8x First Team All Pro, went to 10x Pro Bowls and had 132.5 sacks in his career. If that resume doesn't put you at the top, which one will?

I got to watch Taylor once in person at the old Giants Stadium at the ripe age of 10. At that point in my life, I didn't understand football as sports wasn't really in my blood yet. I wished it had been. At least I can say I watched him once.

When it comes to collecting Taylor, since I didn't really get to watch him a lot, I don't focus a lot on his cards. But, when the opportunity strikes, I will take 'em.

Which is how I landed the sticker featured in today's post that I acquired in a Twitter trade with @MaxxPower68.

*takes a sip before showing it off*

 

In 1982, Topps inserted these Coming Soon stickers in packs randomly. There were 16 total stickers to collect in the preview set. Thanks Fuji for the information.

The Lawrence is from his rookie year and a few other players of note in this set include, Dan Fouts, Ken Anderson, Jack Lambert and Billy Sims.

*takes a sip before finishing up*

This sticker will go well with my actual rookie card of Taylor I traded for years ago.

*trying to figure out how to further this post from the 80's, stay tuned on that. For now, Coffee Card Blogger Out*