Gifts

Life has continued to keep me busy with College and family events and away from most hobby activities except being able to visit Twitter a couple of times a day.

I haven't been able to read a lot of blog posts. I definitely haven't been able to post any. And when it comes to just spending time in my collection, it has been weeks. I have two people waiting on me to send trade pictures and I just haven't had the time to dig out the cards. Not to mention the small list of people I owe mail days to and want to mail stuff to.

Sadly the thing that I used to spend the most time with, other than family, has become the last thing that I spend time with.

But, tonight, I am spending a few minutes with it. Well, on here I am.

I have pictures waiting and waiting in drafts have been wanting to be set free finally and I am going to let some out tonight. 

Even though I also have a tab open for my English class discussion board I am doing at the same time as this post.

*too late for a sip, but, we can do a pretend one*

In the time I haven't really been on here, I have received some really cool generous gifts from other collectors including two bloggers.

The first mail day which is the oldest of the three I am showing off today, comes from the always generous Johnny's Trading Spot.

He passed along a few unopened packs of Laffs trading cards and a stack of singles as well. The following isn't all of the singles he sent, just a few.

This is a set I have been trying to finish up for awhile now. I haven't had the chance to see if any of the cards that Johnny sent will help towards the set or simply just fit into my non-sport PC.

Either way, thanks Johnny! I need to take the time and hit you back!

*takes a break and switches over to the next tab to work on the english discussion board, writes another paragraph, comes back here*

Then came an expected but unexpected mail day from the legend of the night, Night Owl Cards

Here is a 2015 Allen Ginter Murray base card to replace the base I had lost. I still need to locate another Sal and another Q base.

And then came a nice 90's insert surprise!

Thanks Greg! Hope to find time to hit both you Johnny back!

*goes back to doing more work on the discussion board, the topic is a little too tense so trying to dull it down*

*comes back to blog*

My final gift to show off in this post was from @IT_guy8706 on Twitter/X.

He saw that I was looking for someone who could do some custom shirts for my upcoming 3rd/4th grade girls basketball season and he jumped on it saying how talented his wife was at making them.

He was right. Both came out excellent and I am so excited to be able to sport these this upcoming season. One of these is for practice, the other is for games.

Cannot say thanks enough to @IT_guy8706 and his wife!!

*clicks back to doing more homework, clicks back here to finish up tonight's post*

Well, I am hoping to maybe put together another post or two before I hang up the keyboard tonight but have to make sure my homework is done first and it's getting late. So we will see.

Hopefully my lack of posting doesn't hurt my chances at Blog Of The Year running. I came so close last year!

Hope everyone has been well and in comments tonight or tomorrow or even a few days from now whenever you read this, let me know of any recent gifts from the hobby you have gotten.

*Coffee-less Card Blogger Out*

The Unicorn Of Bloggers

The Unicorn; Informal definition, "the term unicorn is used to describe someone or something that is very rare and almost impossible to find".

I consider myself that when it comes to being a sports card blogger.

About 99% of the blogosphere is built up of baseball card collectors, a sport I don't dabble much into anymore other than Ken Griffey Jr, 90's inserts and a couple of NY Yankees players. I guess that makes me the other 1%.

So, when it comes to exchanging cards with fellow bloggers in the mail, things can get a bit more complicated since I don't have "that baseball team" like the other bloggers.

Despite the challenge, my latest mail day from Night Owl Cards showed that these types of exchanges can still take place despite me being that unicorn.

Just check out what he sent,

I think I made a comment about this Mondesi in one of his posts. Great 90's insert back when creativity was top shelf. These were found 1:30-1:36 packs depending on hobby or retail.

This is a nice tribute to the 1998 insert, I will take it. Volpe has also shown some bright spots.

I have the Griffey, the Frank Thomas and now own the Piazza. Such a cool looking insert. I am thinking it's set chase time. These fell 1:12 packs in 1997 Fleer.

I got quite a few of these from my father and surprisingly did not have this Piazza version. Each player has nine cards in the set.

Own The Game is a tribute to a past Topps insert line, they look really nice in hand. Nicer than the pictures I posted or ones I have seen online. I also won't ever turn away Aaron Judge cards. Love his story and his game.

Mining For Gold fell 1:12 packs of 1996 Metal Universe. It's shiny, gold nugget goodness.

I like inserts outside the usual; this is one of them. Once again, inserts in the 90's will always rule over today's stuff. These fell 1:8 packs.

 

I have always been a big Fleer Metal fan, this 1:8 insert falls into my category of a keeper.

Thanks again for the mail day Greg!

I was really happy with everything you sent and sorry for my unicorness (if this is even a word) which made your search a little harder.

I have more many Dodgers to send your way soon, just for a heads up.

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*

Inspired By A Post

*takes a sip, thinks about the past 11 years*

*takes another sip, gets ready for today's post*

Some days I really want to blog more, but on those days, I come into writer's block and can't come up with anything creative enough worthy to post.

On other days though, I dig deep and find a post. Today's post I came into some inspiration after reading Night Owl Cards post on his blog's anniversary. 

In that post, he mentioned how his blog had served him well with examples over the years and I found it very fascinating in correlation to myself and my blogging. So, I sat down and thought how well my blog(s) have served me over the years and in today's post, I wanted to discuss it. 

*takes another sip, well, gulp and may need more coffee before this post is over with.*

First off and most importantly, I have made so many friends through blogging. Fellow bloggers, readers, followers and Twitter which has gained me many friends I don't have in real life. But it all started with blogs.

Secondly, blogging opened up a ton of opportunities for me in the hobby. I got to review products and do giveaways for companies such as Topps, BCW Supplies, Cryptozoic, Parkside, Onyx, and Panini. Which also got me a door to message/email some of the big names in the hobby and have discussions with them. I was also a part of a program called Upper Deck Volunteer Alliance where a small group of us did missions to earn FREE products and merchandise. 

Third, writing on my blogs, especially this one, has given me more opportunities to write for other companies. I have articles published on BCW supplies website, Bags Unlimited and Beckett. These were all things I never thought I would ever do in my lifetime nor have the opportunity to, but it was because of my blogs.

Fourth, I have added cards and been able to complete sets all because of blogging I never thought I would be able to. It's amazing the generosity that is out there and I appreciate it so much.

Fifth, I have been able to give cards away as well. It makes me happy to do so and find homes for cards that belong to others and not on my desk or hidden in a box. Blogging has connected me with those homes.

Lastly, blogging brought me probably the brightest moment and achievement in my life, well besides marrying my wife. I have to put that in here too, nobody wants to sleep on the couch (not sure if she reads any of my cardboard gibberish anyways but better safe than sorry). In 2017, I won the Best Sports Collecting Blog Award from GoGTS and Fatpacks Podcast as voted on by fans. In a world where I always feel like an underdog, I finally pulled off the major upset and won this award on livestream. When they announced who the winner was, you could see the shock on the announcers faces and the disappointment that who they wanted to win, didn't. I honestly celebrated like it was the Super Bowl....with coffee of course. 

These are just some of the great things blogging has done for me.

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

As I wrote this post today, well it's actually been a four day draft I keep adding to, I am still amazed by some of the stuff I listed above. Blown away almost. 

And none of this would have been possible without you guys. Thank you.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday. Pour yourself an extra cup, you have earned it.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Delivery From A Night Owl

*sits down, takes a sip, makes sure Kleenex box is close by and gets ready for a new post on Cards Over Coffee*

April has been a long year, I mean month, so far.

I kicked off the opening weekend with one of the worst stomach bug cases I have ever had. There was no coffee to be had and I was stuck in bed if that tells you anything. Not too mention the five-and-a-half-pound loss. Though that part I won't complain about as much.

Then this past weekend hit. I started to have cold symptoms Friday Night, leading off with a runny nose on Saturday, then a full-on faucet nose and congestion on Sunday. By the time Monday came, I tested positive for Covid. My second round with it since it became a thing. 

I have no idea where I caught either sickness being an introvert, but I guess the one or two times I left the house it found me.

*takes another sip, the coffee soothes the cold symptoms or pretends it does at least*

I may not have had the best April so far when it comes to health, but when it comes to the hobby my April has treated me well. I completed multiple trades in bed, received a couple of RAKs and got a mail day from the blog Legend Night Owl Cards that I am showing off today.

He made note in the envelope that he knew I didn't collect random Yankees anymore, but it was all he had to send, and he still nailed this mail day.

Gerrit Cole is off to a hot start this season and definitely looks like the top when it comes to the Yankees rotation.

I always like shiny no matter what team or player it is. I just wished this guy could stay healthy. I know how that is....

This card is nice. There will never be a team in baseball ever again that will be like the 90's Yankees teams. There just won't be and one will never be as dominant as they were. 

This is a great looking card with the black border and it's numbered to 299.

I absolutely lack in vintage cards and when they look like this, I will take those all day of random Yankee players or any players. I have had a man crush on these Kellogg's cards since I got my first one last year.

Then was the card I commented on I saw in a Night Owl post. I really wanted this one for my Aaron Judge collection. I didn't open a single pack of Stadium Club, or the Chrome version for that matter, and as soon as I saw it was the Field Of Dreams background it was a must have. Such a great old but new school photo.

And finally, this mail day finishes up with a new card for my 2015 Panini Americana chase. I really like these rainbow foil parallels.

Thanks again to Greg for the mail day and sorry about the delay in posting it.

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

I have a lot of mail days to catch up on when I am feeling better. Today, I am heading in the right direction and had to put together 17 PWE's to mail including one back to Night Owl for his great cards.

Thoughts on my mail day welcomed in comments.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

*Feeling better Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Striving To Be Better

*the wind is blowing slightly, the snow is starting to fall, and the chill is in the air. Good thing I have my hand-dandy hot freshly brewed coffee by my side. Now it's time for some Cards Over Coffee*

Striving for greatness. This was my aim when I started this blog. I wanted to show off a bit more of my fun, at least I think it is, personality and show cards in a way that no other blog has before. I think up to this point, no other blog approaches posts like I do with this one. I was hoping this blog would stand out and take off though up to this point it really hasn't done that.

I do believe that maybe more this site is visited or the more some of you spread the word about this blog, it will grow. Maybe even be an award winning one sometime. Seems like someone hosted a year end awards ceremony recently......

*takes a sip. warm coffee hits immediately. Gets ready to discuss the awards ceremony*

In December, Nachos Grande Blog hosted the End-of-year end awards where you could vote on the best of things both in the hobby and in the blogging world.

There were eight categories overall and those were split four and four including Best Blog Of 2021.

In the back of my mind, my hope was that Cards Over Coffee would make an appearance in at least one of the three categories. I had wishful thinking that the category would be Best Blog Of 2021 but pretty much knew that Greg over at the legendary Night Owl Cards would most likely take that award home.

And I was right. He took home over 50% of the vote as well completely flattening the competition. 

Greg is the Tom Brady of the blogosphere with multiple wins in this category across many years. He is a very talented writer and it's hard to "compete" against greatness. And when I say compete, that is a soft term. We don't really compete as bloggers; we are all here for each other and enjoy each other's blogs and hobby discussions. We are a family. So, I don't hold grudges against losing these things, I say congrats and strive for myself to do better and look up to Greg.

Night Owl Cards was actually one of the popular blogs I spent "studying" before coming up with the concept and writing for this blog. So, I guess you can say that I am a rookie quarterback doing his studying from a veteran.

*takes a sip, continues on with today's post*

The next category was for Favorite Blog Series. I had a feeling I wouldn't fall in this one as I don't do a lot of segments on here, though that may change this year.

 

Collecting Cutch took this one home. His month long Save Second Base is annually exciting with some pretty ladies and a great way to raise awareness.

The next category to vote for was Favorite "Under The Radar Blog" which I consider this blog to be.

However, it says if someone voted a blog for Favorite Blogs To Read that it wouldn't be listed in the "Under The Radar" category. I wonder.....

Which brings us to that final category.

And look, Cards Over Coffee made it! It's also in there among many other greats. I am not sure how many of you voted for Cards Over Coffee as a favorite blog to read, but I truly appreciate it. Also, thanks if you voted for it in any of the other categories.

I really hope that Nachos Grande runs this again next year. I think it would be fun again to vote and vote for something that we don't have to mail in ballots for. Wouldn't want those Cards Over Coffee votes getting lost or miscounted :)

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

My biggest goal for this blog this year is to continue to make it better. I want to improve in every area of it especially my writing and content.

I will say that today's post took me an hour from start to finish and I hope it's as great as I think it turned out with the time, I spent on it.

Have a happy Thursday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*