Elephant In The Room

*sits down, takes a sip and gets ready for a new Cards Over Coffee post today*

I think it's time to once again tackle the elephant in the room, and no it wasn't my .7 weight gain this morning on the scale, it's the fact I can't keep focus on one project in the hobby.

One day I will be trying to get my 90's sets filled and the next day I am trading for a gorilla card from Allen Ginter. I am all over the place and can't finish up one project.

It's not really a terrible problem as it gives me plenty of options when I collect, but it can sometimes be a little frustrating when I go back and think that I could have finished another project instead.

Like recently, I was on a roll of collecting Kerry Collins cards again and then I spotted a few cards that @cardboardfan775 posted, and all of a sudden I am back off the trail again. 

But when I see my main core of Knicks players I collect, Quickley, Toppin and Barret, I couldn't pass it up.

Especially when shiny cards are involved.

And some sharp parallels from Select basketball. This final parallel is what I call the Knicks parallel.

*takes a sip, stares at the shiny*

Even this mail day didn't have a complete focus either.

 

I saw this Trey Lance, who is one of the final key pieces I need towards my Donruss 2021 football set and had to add that to our trade as well.

It's like I am the dog from UP.

SQUIRREL!

Thanks again to @cardboardfan775 for yet another fast, easy trade.

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

I am not sure where I will go from here with collecting. Do I get back up on the bike for Kerry Collins or do I get off the bike like Joe Biden and go some other direction.

I guess as long as I am having fun along the way, that's all that really matters....right?

In comments today, let me know if you have a hobby focus problem and if you need to tackle the Elephant In The Room.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Shootin' Some Hoops

*sits down, looks out the kitchen window at the rain and watching the snow start to settle. I have a box in hand and ready for another wax rip and another new #CardsOverCoffee*

In my last post, I mentioned trading for a blaster box of basketball cards, the first NBA cards I have seen since the pandemic, so I was excited to finally get my hands onto some. Though I did gamble away a Topps Matthew Stafford rookie card to get it. Speaking of Stafford, congrats to him and the LA Rams on winning the Super Bowl.

While I wait and dream about typing that about Daniel Jones and my Giants, let's take a look at a break of Hoops.

*takes a sip, gets the box ready to be opened*

Each blaster box of 2021-2022 Hoops basketball comes with 11 packs of 8 cards. Each box is roughly $28 and comes with no guarantees other than this year's rookie class in their pro uniforms. Can't believe blaster boxes are $28 now. 

From my last few blaster breaks, the saying would be, you pay more to get less.

 *takes a sip, begins to rip*

RJ Barrett kicks off a PC card find in here.

Wow! Impressive, both of this years top rookies in back to back packs.

I don't know this player, but it's a rookie parallel so I will take that.

Tatum blue parallel. He has played really well this season.

Pritchard purple.

*takes a sip before moving onto the inserts*

I like the sky view insert, though I prefer more of the photo and less sky.

Pure Luka!

Arriving Now is a rookie insert line that doesn't have too bad of look to it.

Slam magazine insert. A lot of collectors, including yours truly, really like this line.

Nice photo on this one.

And to my surprise in the last pack......

My first Luka relic.

I was impressed with this break finding both top rookies and the Luka relic. I also pulled a couple of Knicks as well.

*takes a sip, gets ready to finish up today's post*

My father chose me a great box, I know he was pretty jealous when I told him what I had pulled.

Was it worth giving up the Stafford rookie for? Probably. It was still fun to open and who knows how long Stafford's value will stay up there.

In today's comments, thoughts on my break are welcomed and if you would have traded a card of that caliber for a box to open.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Coffee Break:2020-2021 Donruss Basketball Value Pack Break

*coffee is ready, creamer is getting poured in and a pack of cards is waiting to be opened. We all know it's time for a cup and some Cards Over Coffee*

Today is going to be a beautiful day with temperatures in the 60's and 70's and will be full of sunshine. So instead of a normal long post, I want to get outside and do a short Coffee Break.

So, let's get on with it!

Each 2020-2021 Donruss basketball value pack break comes with 30 cards. I believe there is one of the holo green&yellow laser parallel per pack. Each value pack is $10-$20 each depending on how/when you bought the pack.

The base card set is built up of 250 cards with 200 base and 50 Rated Rookies.

You can chase the following parallels, Green Flood, Green Laser, Green & Yellow Laser, Light Blue Laser, Orange Laser, Red & Gold Laser, Yellow Flood, Press Proof Silver /349, Press Proof Purple /199, Purple Laser /99, Red Laser /99, Blue Laser /49, Yellow Laser /25, Red & Blue Laser /15, Gold Laser /10, and Black Laser 1/1.

CHOICE PARALLELS: Red /99, Blue /49, Gold /10, Black Gold /8, and Black 1/1.

There are 12 insert sets to chase with the following parallels Green Flood, Red Laser /99, Yellow Laser /25, and Purple Laser /15.

Donruss offers a nice mix of veterans, rookie and legends in their hit selection of jersey, patch and autographed cards.

Let's see what my pack entitled and see if I can finally get my first Lamelo Ball Rookie.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

 

*takes a sip before closing*

There wasn't much to brag about in this pack break but I really liked the parallel. I also added a new card to the RJ Barrett collection and finding Giannis is never a bad thing.

I hope you all have a great day and let me know in comments if you opened any and how your break went.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Turning The Page

*takes a sip of afternoon coffee, nothing pairs better with afternoon coffee then a snack. Wonder if I have any cookies kicking around...*

I have been finding myself in a new mood with the hobby in the past two weeks. 

That craving, that needing, that wanting to open up packs of cards has suddenly started to diminish. It wasn't something I ever expected to occur, but it has.

The rising cost of hobby boxes/packs along with the retail madness has finally started getting to me. I started to look deeper within my-hobbyself , let's just say visited the inner Mr.Hobbyagi (wax sealed, wax opened) and started seeing those hankerings for a rip starting to dissipate.

How do I know this is true? Opportunities. I have had a few opportunities recently to have something to open but decided against it.

A few examples,

• On Twitter, a guy had a blaster and a hanger pack of 2019-2020 Optic basketball up for trade in exchange for Aaron Judge rookie, numbered or autograph cards. Knowing I don't collect baseball as deep as I used to, I considered giving up some decent Judge cards for them but never followed through. I decided to keep my Aaron Judges instead.

• My father found some 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball cards at Walmart and for a Patrick Mahomes card I could have opened some. Once again, I said no.

• And I was recently offered an opportunity to open a 2020 Panini Playbook Mega Box in exchange for a few Luis Robert cards and I once again politely declined.

I am not sure what has changed in me, but I didn't feel like giving up cards for packs and would rather turn those trade bait cards into Eli Manning or other cards I need for my personal collection instead of ripping.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME?!! Did someone pour something in my coffee? Slip a little something in my turnover or sprinkle something on my bagel?

I hope this never happens to me with coffee. What happens if I have an opportunity for a coffee but take an orange juice or even worse....coffee's sister.....tea?

I doubt that will ever happen unless a doctor informs me I can't have coffee and that will be a very cold day in.....well...you know....Vermont.

Does this mean if a pack heads my way from someone I won't open it? Of course I will! That would just be plain silly if I didn't. I mean, the itch won't ever completely go away but it's definitely more subtle recently.

*takes a sip, thinks about the possibility of making a list of available cards for trade to see what I could land for them on here.*

Speaking of pack rips and one that headed my way, I was able to land a pack of 2019-2020 NBA Hoops Premium roughly a month or more ago from Facebook and have kept it sitting in drafts on here. I think with today's post it is time to finally post it.

2019-2020 NBA Hoops Premium was and still is a very popular product. Its another one of those take a base flagship product and throw some chromium technology on it. It was one I really wanted to open, but knew none would be found here (which turned out true) so was able to at least acquire one to open.

So if you haven't seen any yet or you are curious how I did, you know what we must do next.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

There are 15 cards inside a hanger pack of 2019-2020 NBA Hoops Premium.

Those 15 cards are broken down to two packs. One pack of 12 cards and one 3-card pack of Lazer parallels. As always, I will save the best pack, the parallels, for last just like the Boston Cream donut in an assorted pack from Dunkin'.

*takes a sip, begins to rip the 12 card pack*

 

Here are first 7 base cards with not a lot of star power. Leading the way is Draymond and Danny Green.

The next two cards are rookies in Cody Martin and Jaylen Nowell. In my mind I picture Zion and Morant.

Chris Paul Tribute silver prizm was the next card. Always appreciate a shiny card.

Juan Hernangomez, try saying that last name fast five times, Green Prizm

So far...Paul is the biggest name. Let's hope the rest of this break gets better.

Nassir Little We Got Next Blue Prizm is the final card in the 12 card pack. I like the look of these.

Now onto the 3-card parallel pack of Lazer Prizms.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

First card, Eric Bledsoe. At least a name I know.

Langston Galloway. Who?

And to end...a nice PC find in a Tribute RJ Barrett!! Best card of the break.

Even though the pack wasn't very strong, unlike this cup of coffee, I still had a lot of fun and would open another if a pack ever headed my way or I actually found some here. I won't trade for any though. For now, I am satisfied with being able to open one.

*finishes up first cup of coffee and already brewing the second cup*

I sure hope my new mode in the hobby continues. I feel idiotic now for some of the trades I made just to land some packs to open. I could have landed some solid cards for my collection but instead opened some packs that mainly had no impact for my personal collection. A little too late now, but at least some lessons were learned.

All I can say is picture that stick figure meme with Don't Be Like and here is what it would say,

This is Matt.

Matt trades good cards for packs to open. 

Matt could have landed specific cards for his collection but didn't.

Don't be like Matt.