It's GRIFFening Day!

Opening Day was yesterday, but today, it's Griffening Day.

This is the day I show off my latest additions to my Ken Griffey Jr PC in celebration of MLB's Opening Day.

*takes a sip from a freshly brewed afternoon cup*

Before I show them off, let me backtrack with a quick backstory to my Griffey collecting that you have probably read on here or one of my other blogs a million time so bear with me. Some of you may be reading it for the very first time.

Ken Griffey Jr was my very first hobby PC. I started collecting him in 1996 and chased every card I could. I spent hours at card shows searching, I spent countless dollars trying to pull him from packs and when I did, it was a celebration. I hoarded every card he was on. I collected every figure, beanie baby or statue I could. I even collected food containers that featured him. I was in deep.

So deep that I was featured in Beckett baseball once for my collection and some random Beckett reader mailed me a free Griffey card because of that article.

Then came 1999. I met a girl, took two years off from collecting because she didn't like it, and yada yada yada (I will occasionally use this Seinfeld quote because it fits everywhere) we broke up and I got back into collecting again.

I came back into the hobby deep buying all that I could, but not particularly chasing Griffey like I once did. That fell off, but I would add the occasional card when I could and did.

In about 2010 when Griffey retired, I decided I only wanted to collect cards and traded off all of my Griffey items including Starting Lineups, figures, food items, beanie babies, etc for NY Giants cards at that time. I wished I had gotten Griffeys.

Fast forward to a few years ago, I have found myself going back to a Griffey faze again. I don't have the means I once did to collect him, but I add the ones I can when I can and I never turn down a new Griffey. Base card or not. It's all new to me.

Though I do have some preferences, 90's inserts/parallels are always first wants because they are the most nostalgic to me. Then comes the newer stuff that I like the shiny cards of. After that, I will literally welcome any Griffey I don't have.

Recently, I was able to add a healthy balance of Griffeys to my Griffening Day diet.

*takes a sip*

 

1996 Score Dream Team. Probably my favorite add of the group. This one falls 1:72.

 

 

1995 Score Hall Of Gold falls 1:6. Can't turn down a cheap insert.

This card sounded cooler and looked cooler in the photo I got it from, not as cool in person.

 

Ultra Respect fell 1:18 packs. I fell for this one because of the shiny part on the Respect.

Old man Griff. For some reason I am feeling this. I have been ageing with him.

And finally, the 1998 Zenith Z-Team. These fell 1:35 packs. I now have the 1995 and the 1998. I really want the 1996 version which is my favorite design of them all, maybe some day.

There you have my latest additions. I will need to update my Ken Griffey Jr spreadsheet, you can find that HERE, before I can update my overall numbers. Last I checked I was sitting at 1400 different.

I hope to add more Griffeys as I go along this year as I am chasing 2k!

In comments today, let me know your favorite Griffey of the group or let me know how you are celebrating Opening Day!

*takes a final sip for this post*

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Blog Bat Around Again: The Post Without Words (let the picture(s) speak) Football Edition

 

*Coffee Card Blogger Out* (yes I know, these are words but deal with it haha)

Okay, I Lied

Okay, I lied.

I didn't mean to. Well, was it a lie or did I just forget with so much on my mind.

I will let you decide.

But, first, my latest basketball update.

*takes a sip, well a chug, it's been a long week-only Tuesday*

Well, as I told my players, you can't win them all. We fell 22-16 this past Saturday. It was just a sloppy played game by my players and I would probably put that blame on myself more since I tried to install a few things in the ten minutes we had before the game began. 

Lesson learned. That wasn't the time for that.

We trailed by double digits at one point, but at least we closed the gap some by the time the game ended.

As I told my team, there are lessons to be learned with every win and every loss and you can't win them all. We will just look forward to practice and make ourselves better.

That begins Wednesday night before our next game on Saturday.

*takes a motivated sip*

The game wasn't the part I lied about, it was about having finished up my cards from 2025 Christmas.

Buried in  my drafts was my latest yearly Christmas trade with Becketts Cheap Wax Wednesday's writer Shane. Who was once a blogger under the same blog title.

This trade wasn't the typical one for us. We always go big or go home and this was a massively dulled down version of that.

Tiki parallel.

 

Another Tiki parallel.

 

Things heating up some here with two very low numbered Rodney Hamptons that go towards my rainbow chase. The first one is /5 and this one is the /2 card. This is the only one I have seen listed of this.

Still waiting on the Super to be listed.

A new Purple Marvel PMG for my set chase of this as well. The rest are very expensive so I may not be able to add anymore sadly. I really want to do the Doctor Strange one so I can finally finish a set of five off.

Any Napoleon Dynamite fans reading? That's all there really is to say about this card. I now have two of the three characters from the movie with only Uncle Rico missing.

And that was the end of the trade.

Thanks again to Shane for another great one.

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

But, before I close out, *takes another sip*, I wanted to show you the update to my 2024 Topps Chrome Rodney Hampton Chase.

Topps Chrome Sapphire. Still have a few to go! Lost out on the 1/1.

Topps Chrome itself. Just missing the Super 1/1 and the basic red /5.

I hope to finish both of these rainbow chases someday.

Thanks again for checking out my cards and coffee blog. I sure hope you have been sippin' and readin'.

Have a terrific Tuesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Coffee Break:2025 Topps Holiday Baseball Mega Box

Here is Box #3 in this series. Before I begin with this one, I want to mention I kept the other holiday mega box sealed. I have been collecting sealed holiday boxes for a few years now and will show them off as my Christmas post this year.

I don't know why I am, but, wanted to.

 

Today's box is my way of continuing to show off of retail wax that I got in the 9-card lot of autograph Daniel Jones cards I traded away. If you missed that, here is the ARTICLE.

I started with the football boxes and now moved to baseball saving basketball Value Hanger Pack for last.

Without further ado, let's start to rip and take a sip with these highlights,  

Before I show off the highlights, I want to point out that these Mega Boxes no long guarantee an autograph or relic card. For $29.99 a box, you want that. What used to be a good deal is no longer that on these. It's typically what Fanatics has been doing with Topps products so far.

Rant over, now the highlights.

My ornament pull. I like this years design.

Base card design. It feels recycled to me.

Some silver parallels,

Blue? I don't know a lot about this years product.

First short print find,

Jazz Gingerbread cookie. Kinda lame parallel/Sp.

These look good!

But, not as good as having holiday chrome!! What do you bet they will release a Topps Holiday Chrome next year. Mark my words and bookmark this post!

Final Sp,

 

Mike Trout. Remember when he was hobby relevant?

Well not too much there to get excited about. I do like the Trout Sp, the chrome card and ornament, but outside of that, not much in here. I miss finding a hit per box.

Alright, we have one Coffee Break left in this trade coming up tomorrow.

Hopefully it ends on a good note since the first three breaks were not that great.

We will see on that.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

2025 Cards Over Coffee Hall Of Fame Cards Nominees (VOTE NOW!)

The day has come, a little bit earlier this year due to my schedule being all over the place.

It's time for you to send FIVE and ONLY FIVE of the Cards listed below to the The Coffee Card Hall Of Fame!

Make your voice be heard and your vote count!

Here are your nominees and who nominated them,

 

Nominated by Matt

 

Nominated by Ginko-5

 

Nominated by Matt, Jafronius, and Uncle Charlie

 

Nominated by Matt

 

Nominated by Me!!

 

Nominated By Matt 

 

Nominated by Fuji

Nominated by RJ Sahl

Nominated by Cardboredom

Nominated by Matt

In comments, just tell me which five you want to go. The ones with the most votes will make it. The inductees will be announced in the next few weeks depending on  my schedule but I didn't want to miss out on doing this. I feel once again turnout on the nominations was weak again this year, but let's see how the voting goes and that might make a difference if this returns for 2026 or not.

Let your voices be heard below!! 

Sip on that coffee and think it through as only half of these will make it. There is a lot to take in for considerations for these cards. The look, the value, the stories, etc. Make sure you put together all of your thoughts before casting your final vote.

Thanks you!

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*