The Big Three

*takes an afternoon sip, gets ready for a new post on #CardsOverCoffee*

The 90's were a great time in the hobby for me. I started collecting towards the end of 1993 and built off from that in 1994. From there, I was all-in in 1995.

So when anyone asks me what I collect, I always list the following as my Big Three (and no I am not talking about any team that LeBron James played on) that are in no particular order.

• NY Giants. I take ANY AND ALL I don't have but have a bigger emphasis on Charles Way, Rodney Hampton, Eli Manning, Rueben Randle, Andre Williams, Darius Slayton and Kadarius Toney when it comes to players.
• Non Sport Cards. Allen Ginter Non Sports, Autograph and Relic cards from TV, Movies, celebrities
• 90's cards and inserts from 1995-1999. The shinier, the holographic, the unique, the acetate, the numbered, the better!!

The top two on this list are pretty standard, but I always note when I collect 90's inserts and cards, I prefer that they are on or after 1995. That's my sweet spot. My nostalgic sweet spot. For the most part, my trading partners nail it. I know my buddy and reader of this blog Oren has.

*takes a sip before continuing on*

If you haven't guessed yet, the following cards from today's post is my latest trade with Oren who went 90's insert heavy this time.

Including quite a few 1995 Topps Stadium Club Clearcut Inserts

More

A couple more

look more....

And one more. The acetate makes these cards really cool and it may drive me to another future set chase.

Ultra in the 90's always brought the coolness for inserts and this was one of their common lines with Double Trouble.

And 1996 Score Dream Team Manny. This is a beaut of a card!!! I already have a couple more of these on the way.

the final card today isn't from the 90's,

 

but it tackles a side player PC from the 90's in a Curtis Martin relic.

Thanks again Oren for the trade! I look forward to our next.

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

Even though I have a Big Three when it comes to my collecting, I also have many other side collections off from that. There is Ken Griffey Jr, a ton of NFL players mainly ones from the 90's, Christmas related cards such as Topps Holiday Sp's and Pro Set Santas and others that are too many to list. I guess you can simply say I love to collect....or as my wife calls it, hoard.

Let me know below your thoughts on 90's inserts or what you consider to be your Big Three of what you collect.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

90's Cards Over Coffee:1995 Summit Baseball Box Break

*takes a sip after a long few weeks. Sits down and gets ready for a new Cards Over Coffee post*

The 90's are back! Well, not really, though I really wished. But, they are back on here as we get ready to see how another box break went from my trade with Shane from Beckett's Cheap Wax Wednesday fame.

Today's break comes from one of my first favorite product lines of the 90's which only lasted for two releases in Score Summit. Some call it Score series 2 but to me, it would be more of an elegant Score than be apart of Score itself. Or in Coffee terms instead of having a Cup #2 at home, it would be like having your second cup at Dunkin' or Starbucks.

*takes a sip from cup number one at home*

I have never opened a box of Summit baseball and only a handful of packs. However, I have opened a ton of the football product and am still chasing both the base and parallel Ground Zero set pretty hard. I am creeping completing both but I know someday I will reach the ultimate goal.

So I am really excited to finally be able to rip a baseball box of this.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

Every box of 1995 Summit Baseball comes with 24 packs of 7 cards. This is a 90's box so no guarantees other than a good time which is how the hobby should be. Boxes when this was snagged ran about $20-$25. I don't quite remember since this was back in November.

When you open the box up, you see a nice display of packs. Rumor had it back then, Summit was laid out so you could find the inserts by counting packs and rows.

*takes a sip, moves onto pack 1*

The Summit baseball design is exactly like the football one which is great.

There are 200 cards in the base set with a few subsets as well in 

Special Delivery

Bat Speed

Checklists

And Rookie which weren't really rookies. Baseball is so complicated when it comes to rookie cards.

*takes another sip, is feeling hungry and may need a snack at least before cup 2*

The parallels in Summit are stunning. In football they were called Ground Zero and in baseball are known as Nth Degree. These fall 1:4 packs.

I was really hoping to find my boy Griffey Jr, but most of these aren't bad names to complain about at all.

I am tempted to chase this one like I am with Ground Zero. At the very least, I want both Griffeys.

*takes another sip before I move onto inserts*

New Age falls 1:18 packs. This is a great looking card.

The next pull was 21 Club, a little bit of a letdown compared to the first insert. These are 1:36 packs.

 

Then came the Big Bang...falling at an incredible 1:72 packs or 1:3 boxes is, Big Bang. Such an incredible card. I was doing Hammer Time after this pull.

*takes a sip before finishing up the post*

That was fun and now has given me even more sets to chase especially when it comes to Big Bang and Nth Degree. I really hope to open another box someday.

Let me know in comments if you have ever opened or own any cards in this set!

*takes a sip, Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Blocked In

*sits down with a freshly brewed cup from the Keurig, was it because his coffee maker was broken? Nope. It's blocked in right now and since life can't go on without coffee, so goes to the second best route*

Why is my coffee maker blocked in? Well, that's because my wife and I have been on a canning spree.

(there's the ole coffee maker in the back)

Between the amount of pickles, dilly beans and salsa we have made so far and haven't had the chance to put away yet, there's no counter space for my beloved best friend Mr. Black+Decker. He's the one friend I can usually rely on throughout my day. Always has my back and my fills my soul.

But, it's creeping in on Fall and this is the kind of stuff we do when it is around the corner. Well except buy a bunch of Pumpkin spice stuff, more on that another time. For now, I will enjoy the smells that all of this brings.

I always miss summer with the sun and warm temperatures around this time of year as it starts to get a tad cooler, but there also comes that time where I am ready for it to cool down. It's been one of the hottest summers on record here so I don't mind moving into the next phase. That's what great about having four seasons unlike a lot of places where it's summer all of the time. I wouldn't survive and need the variety in my life.

*takes another sip of coffee, gets ready for the cards portion of this post*

In the hobby, I have also been blocked in by my want list for years. There is so much I want in the cardosphere that I want to keep expanding my list on but I don't. I have been blocked in by whats already on there and don't feel like I should keep adding to it until I knock more down. Occasionally I am able to knock down a card or two, but there are still so many big ones on there that I may never get to accomplish it or be able to add to it.

Or will I?

In my latest trade with Dions Autograph Collection, I really made some headway on a few of those wants. Especially when it comes to my baseball want list.

First up, we will take a look at some football cards I traded for that were not on my want list but were cards I wanted. Yes, there is a difference in that.

Cards On The Want List:Usually dream cards you hope to own

Cards You Want:Spur of the moment, fits your collection cards.

Here they are,

Three more Daniel Jones rookies for the PC. I really need to do a complete number update on my Jones collection.

Prizm Jones rookie. This was technically on my want list as I wanted a second one for my PC. Just in case he breaks out and I don't get another. So I will partially count this as a want knocked down despite already owning one. We will get to the real knockdowns soon.

I crossed off a much wanted Drew Lock Prizm rookie a few weeks ago, but, when you see another in a trade you grab it. This time though, its a Red White and Blue version. Prizm sure is pretty. Just like our canning jar of goods.

 

*another sip of coffee. Looks at his hand of remaining cards and smiles knowing what's remaining to show off*

 

And now onto the big part of the trade for my want lists. These were actually cards I thought I would never own of Hall Of Famers but finally do now.

I do own a rookie of Gwynn with the O-Pee-Chee version, but to me it's a knock off to the Topps one and really wanted the real brand. Now I have it. Yes, the centering on it isn't beautiful, but that's not what I am about. I just wanted the rookie card.

Second card, George Brett rookie. I know many don't care for this design, but I do. I like the color schemes and to me it's one of the iconic Topps designs.

And lastly, a Rickey Henderson rookie! Holy Topps Rickey Henderson Batman! This one I never thought I would have in hand.

*takes another sip, realizes one more item was stuck behind the Henderson. I guess you can say that Henderson had it blocked in....*

 

This one wasn't on my want list for basketball, but it's such a cool piece I added it,

Also in this trade was a 1988 Fleer Michael Jordan sticker. Great centerpiece for my MJ collection.

*few more sips to finish up this post. Trying to decide what breakfast will be*

Three big milestones in this trade knocked down and now my want list needs an update. I will have to look at my baseball want list again to see if there is room to expand or will I still be blocked in by what remains.

I just hope my coffee maker won't be blocked in much longer by an ever expanding canning operation. Will be doing some spaghetti sauce today for the first time but also will be purchasing a shelf hopefully to store this stuff on. I can't go another day without my coffee maker in sight.