Never Forget To Say Thanks

I don't know how the rest of you were raised, but I was raised to always say thank you.

I say thank you after any compliment. I say thank you after any gift big, small and sometimes unwanted. I say thank you for anyone holding the door open. I say thank you for someone who just serviced my car I say thank you to nurses, teachers, doctors and people working at a grocery store. I say thank you to anyone offering me coffee. I say thank you to the mail man who delivered a fun pwe to my door and now I am going to say thank you to the person who sent it.

Thanks Jon From A Penny Sleeve For Your Thoughts.

Thank you for the Victor Cruz Topps Tek that is numbered to 50.

Thank you for Eli Manning #1,152.

Thank you for this Russell Wilson that bleeds Giants colors in the background.

Thanks for this really nice Frank Gifford card.

 

 

And thanks for the set help.

Also, thanks for being a good friend Jon.

I sure hope most of you say thank you for as often as you can. Two simple words can mean a lot to someone as it lets them know you appreciate what they just did. Think about how you feel when someone tells you that. Let that sink in.

As always, thank you for coming to read this blog...with coffee hopefully. Thanks for trying to offer me some through the computer screen too.

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*

Zenith

 

Coffee and a blaster box to open....what can make this better? Oh, that's right, my asiago bagel with jalapeño cream cheese. Now I am ballin' out as some would say.

I picked up this Zenith blaster about a month ago and I am just finding time to sit down and open it.

This is the first time since Panini brought back the Zenith brand that it was offered in retail form and from images I had seen, I was pretty happy to find a box.

Each blaster comes with 6 packs of 4 cards each. There is also one autograph or memorabilia card per blaster and blaster boxes are $27.98 each. Which isn't bad with a guaranteed hit.

The base card design sticks with the Zenith feel. They were always known for a football related background. I think visually, these are fun. Still won't ever top the 1996 design, but what ever matches it's 90's counterpart? Not even my coffee!

 

I really wished they stuck with the base card design for the rookies or came up with something more creative than the word rookie in the background.

I did pull this guy though, it made me happy.

I pulled three Red Zone parallels. Red Zone was a parallel that was in the Playoff football brand line. But, Panini decided to axe the brand and must have crossed over some parts of it to Zenith.

Then came the inserts which was a mixed bag for me.

Pacific looks and feels cool, it's a thicker card, but feels out of place in this product.

Same goes with Thunder and Lightning which was brought over froim the Playoff product. The card is beautiful, but it's a meh feeling in this product.

And speaking of beautiful cards, they nailed this Revolution card. But, once again, it doesn't feel right in this product. Revolution was a standalone product in the 90's like Pacific above.

There we go! Finally a real Zenith insert! The card is also very thick an a lot more shiny than it is showing on here.

And last,

 

My hit which I expected all along to be a relic and it was. Russell Wilson who I actually like as a player and person, was my pull. I am fine with it even though he had a really rough 2022 season but I expect a bigger 2023 especially with a Coach Payton in place.

Overall, I liked the product. Even though it felt like a better version of Chronicles. I hope to open another at some point.

Good breakfast, good cup of joe and a fun break. Couldn't ask for a better Thursday.

Your thoughts on this product welcomed in comments and also let me know your favorite Zenith brand design over the years.

I need to finish my cup and grab another cup. 

So....

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Coffee Break:2022 Panini Chronicles Draft Football Hobby Box

INTERNET!!! Well, at least this morning.

So, let's celebrate that with a cup of piping hot coffee and a box of cards to open.

Let's rip open one of the latest products from Panini to kick off the new season of football, 2022 Panini Chronicles Draft.

*takes a sip, gets ready to rip*

Every box of 2022 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks has 6 packs of 8 cards. Every box also has 4 hits to find for $170 per box. There should be three autographs and one relic card per box.

BASE:

There is a Chronicles base set (the Hutchinson), but there is also a total of 12 products included in Chronicles.  I call them all base sets, others may call them inserts. I just wished they were all included into one set and have them tiered.

Most of the sets are 2022 rookie class heavy, but there are some veterans mixed in as well including one Eli Manning I need to get cards of still.

Here are some of the other "base" set offerings. Most of them include 25 in each "base" set except Spectra that is 100 cards deep.

 

PARALLELS:

Each of the 12 sets has their own parallel offerings. Here are the ones I found in my break.

Recon has, 

Bronze, Pink, Red /149, Blue /99, Purple /49, Cracked Ice /11, Gold /10, Green Cracked Ice /6, and Platinum 1/1.

Blue /99

Phoenix has the following parallels,

Bronze, Pink, Silver, Red /149, Blue /99, Purple /49, Cracked Ice /11, Gold /10, Green Cracked Ice /6, and Gold Vinyl 1/1.

Blue /99. Guess it's a blue box. This card looks pretty cool and was one of my favorite cards from the break. He is also my favorite player from this draft that's not a Giant.

Optic has the following parallels,

Bronze, Holo, Pink, Red /149, Blue /99, Purple /49, Cracked Ice /11, Gold /10, Green Cracked Ice /6, and Gold Vinyl 1/1.

Holo Silver

Spectra has the following parallels,

Neon Blue /99, Neon Pink /75, Neon Green /49, Red /25, Gold /10, Emerald /5, and Nebula 1/1.

Neon Pink /75. Stunning card.

Donruss Retro has the following parallels,

Bronze, Pink, Red /149, Blue /99, Purple /49, Cracked Ice /11, Gold /10, Green Cracked Ice /6, and Platinum 1/1.

Purple /49 (anyone have any favorite cards from the original series designed like this?)

Before moving onto the hits. My stomach is rumbling and I need a coffee refill. These reviews take a long time to write.

*gets up, brews fresh cup of coffee*

*proceeds to toaster and makes two pieces of wheat toast with light butter. sits back down and gets ready to complete this post*

*takes a sip, a bite of toast and gets moving on*

HITS:

Dan Marino Moxie relic card. Let's first say how cool this card looks. Second, what an odd relic swatch. Looks like a practice jersey penny relic. I want to hear your guys thoughts in comments.

Breece Hall of the J...E...T..S

David Ojabo autograph with the Origins design. 

College Ticket rookie auto of Tyler Goodson.

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

My final thoughts on this product is what is always is when it comes to Chronicles, I like the concept, but I think it still needs tweaking. I prefer the base set be built up of the different products. Maybe not have different products with the same player checklist. Make one checklist of 200 cards, 100 veterans and 100 rookies. Use your 12 to 20 different product designs in that 200 card checklist and mix it up some.

Other than that, the parallels are fun and seeing more than just a basic design is as well.

The value in this break though was tough for the cost. Hopefully I saved the good hits for you guys.

Thoughts on this break welcomed in comments.

Have a great Wednesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

So Glad I Didn't Pay This Part 2

*Coffee aroma fills the house on yet another cold morning. But, something about that scent just lifts you up and carries you out the bedroom door into the kitchen. It sets me down next to the computer to do another new post of Cards Over Coffee*

Yesterday, I showed you the results of a "$60" Hanger Box and today I will dig into a much more expensive Blaster Box.

But, first...I want to show you something I did pay a lot extra to get.

Every year my wife knows I look for holiday flavored Oreos and Facebook must have known as well as ads for the Limited Edition Gingerbread Oreos circulated across my face for a week. The only problem was finding them.

Well, my wife did find them finally on Amazon. The asking price shipped for them was $13. You read that right, THIRRRRRR-----TEEEEEENNN----BUCCCCKKSSS.  

Can you put a price on love or Oreos though? No. At least not this time. So she went and pulled the trigger and told me to not waste any regardless if I like them or not. I obliged knowing I didn't think I would have a problem with it.

A week later, they were coming from the West Coast, the cookies arrived and they were marvelous. Every bite was like eating a cookie of gold. It must be how Bill Gates feels when he eats cookies and this is as close as I will be eating like the rich.

*takes a bite of cookie, thinks about making Windows 2020. Decides not to, could contain a virus*

Now it's time to break this blaster box of Prizm and see how we do.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

(once again, take note of the price of this blaster box....$110)

2020 Prizm Football Blaster boxes come with 6 packs of 4 cards each. 

This blaster should come with the following,

• 1 Relic
• 5 Disco Prizms
• 3 Rookies
• 1 Silver Prizm

Blaster boxes normally are $20 but as you saw above this one would have been $110. With only a few more cards in a blaster than a hanger, 4 to be exact, this makes this an even tougher bargain with each card having to be valued around $5.

*opens up packs, pulls out the best of the group to show off*

Mark Brunell was my best base card of the group. He also is a player I collect so I won't complain.

Only found three rookie cards in this box and none of which are top notch.

Kinlaw (defense ugh) and Quez Watkins who I am not even sure has played at all this year.

And Thaddeus Moss was the other. Once again, not a household name so not sure if he has hit the field at all either.

Now onto my insert pull.

I also found one insert in my break,

 

Not great. It's funny not to see an insert in every pack anymore. I kinda like it but then don't. I am hard to please I guess.

*takes another sip of coffee before moving onto the next part of my break*

Let's hope the parallels or the relic card stand out.

Here is my five Disco Parallels. I really like the look of them but a TE and OL for my rookie parallels, ugh. Some decent veterans however.

 

And my silver parallel was of Russell Wilson. I love me some Russ so this will be kept in the collection and may be the card of the break so far.

Now onto my relic pull....

Boom!! Oh wait...........................................there wasn't one.

*takes a sad sip of coffee hoping that the taste will re-awaken the mood after this tough break, it does. To a certain extent*

No relic, no big name rookies, and not much else to brag about. The Wilson is beautiful and by far the highlight of this box break. Once again, I am glad that I didn't have to pay for this.

In closing, overspending on the Oreos was a great decision in comparison to this Prizm. It doesn't take a genius like Bill Gates to see that.

Will I fall for more Prizm, it's likely despite these two breaks. But, what price will I be willing to pay  or not pay for more, well, we will see.

My Biggest Accomplishment

 

*burns tongue on first sip of coffee. Didn't expect that but will move forward with this post feeling a little numb on the tongue. It's not like I am using talk to text for thissssssss ssssorrry*

2020 has been a year full of..........I will let you fill in that blank. So I decided early on this year when life hands you lemons...you don't take them you go chase your own lemons to make lemonade. In other words, despite what is being thrown at you, beat those challenges and chase your dreams.

And that's what I did.

*takes a sip this time not feeling whether it burned my tongue or not and gets ready for the big reveal*

My life story can be put into writing or you could say I have been writing for my entire life story. From graded school stories of horror, to high school comedies to later-in-life blogging about pictures of men on cardboard (that doesn't sound right), I have never put down the pen or keyboard. I love to tell stories, see reactions from those stories and practice the art of writing on a continual basis.

One of my biggest dreams in life is to be published. For many years that dream has been to write a non fiction book, but as life has gone on its shown I just don't have the to sit down just yet for that. However, that doesn't mean that dream is dead, it's just taking a nap. 

Does that mean my dream of being published couldn't become a reality? No. Not at all.

With so much going on this year, I worked really hard to achieve my dream quicker. I came to realize not only am I not getting any younger to keep pushing off my main goal, but with a pandemic going on, who knows what life or how life will move forward. If I didn't try now, I may never or may never have the chance to.

That's what led me to wanting to write an article for Beckett. It would get me published and I get to write about sport cards. Can it get any better?

After making a few contacts with Beckett, I finally found the guy I needed to speak to. I proposed a few ideas that were shot down quickly but I didn't give up. Finally I sent an idea that was approved to move forward with, the idea was based on rules, similar to those of Gibbs from NCIS, of not leaving the last pack behind. 

The next step was to sit down and work on my craft. In order for it to be my best work, I knew I would have to write like I do on here. In the back of my mind also; I knew because the idea was accepted, that it didn't mean it would be printed if the piece didn't come out perfect. I would have to get extra help to accompany me to my dream.

So I had my good long time friend, fellow NY Giants fan, teacher, and Author himself, @StephenJFurlong take a look over my article and send me suggestions and corrections to the piece. Without his suggestions on some parts of the article, I am not sure if it would have made publication or not.

With that now being said, you know it got accepted and was printed.

After a long grueling 6 months of corrections and waiting time to hear when it would be published, here is my article in the December Beckett Sport Card Monthly,

(though blacked out name because it's on a blog, I promise you it's me!)

 

I am in awe. Those are my words printed in a nation wide magazine. I still cannot believe it. So much so I bought extra copies of course.

*takes a gulp of coffee, thinks that the morning has moved on enough now for some breakfast. What would be a great celebratory breakfast with so many options out there?*

The only disappointing part of the article, which was the ending and my favorite part, was edited out without notice, which I will share on here for you guys,

"Just don't make the biggest mistake and break the unwritten rule of the hobby. Don't be the Fernando Tatis Jr of the hobby. You know, taking a trip to target and buying three blasters of the latest-hottest product only to forget that you were supposed to pick up that last supper ingredient for your wife who is waiting for you at the door when you get home. That could lead to some real police work or, at least the very least, a Gibbs slap to the head"

Please let me know what you guys think of this alternate ending when you have a chance to grab your issue of December Beckett Sports Card Monthly to read it or try to read it through this blog.

Thanks to Stephen again for the assist on editing.

*takes another happy sip with toaster strudel toasting*

If there is a dream you are chasing, don't let it elude you any longer.

 

The sun is up on another day, today is the day you will chase it and accomplish that dream. 2020 can't stop you, only you can stop you. Go grab those lemons and make some sweet-sweet lemonade. I know I am sipping on it, well that and coffee of course.