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.

90's Cards Over Coffee: Gilt Edge

*multiple days with posts on here, I am feeling good about this blog and the direction it is heading. It makes this mornings coffee taste even better. It was an early morning but I am ready to put up a fresh post on here. I hope you have your cup in hand, it's time for some Cards Over Coffee*

@OffbeatAllStars knows how much I enjoy collecting sets from the mid to late 90's and knows my list of needs is lengthy, so when he finds some around his house it usually it leads to a trade to help fill some of those needs.

Our last trade helped fill in some gaps and today I will be showing off some of that help in 1996 Topps Gilt Edge.

1996 Topps Gilt Edge set was issued in one series and was only released for one year. The set consisted of a 90 card base which featured 84 members of the 1996 Pro Bowl roster, plus five players who had Pro Bowl-caliber seasons and one checklist card. Each card featured an island tribe background with flames for the AFC Pro Bowlers and Cool Water for the NFC Pro Bowlers. They also featured Topps' new "gilt-edge" technology, placing gold foil edging around every card. There was also a parallel set, Platinum, which changed that gold to silver. Those were found one-per-pack. 

At the time in 1996 I didn't quite appreciate the set and only opened a couple of packs. Without rookie cards, I wasn't interested at that time.

Fast forward to now, I am infatuated with collecting it and hope to build the set.

*takes a sip of coffee, reaches over next to him to check out these cards again up close with the Gilt Edge technology. Pretty darn cool unlike my coffee that's burning my tongue*

I have a very long ways to this set still, but any little help is a working progress.

Let's take a look at the AFC first I added in this trade.

Let's kick it off with how I like my coffee most of the time, warm. Not that I don't mind some iced coffee occasionally in the summer.

*takes a look out the kitchen window to see the 6-8 inches of newly fallen snow, dreams of summer to have iced coffee*

The design is pleasing to the eyes and it's always fun to see a punter get some respect in a set.

Darren was a two-time Pro Bowler, both with the Chargers. I had no idea that later on in his career he went on to play with the Vikings after taking some time away from the NFL.

 

Back of the AFC card

 

Dale Carter could ball playing in 4 Pro Bowls and 5 teams.

Terry McDaniel was a 5x Pro Bowl corner playing most of his career with the Raiders.

Steve Atwater was a 8x Pro Bowler, 2x Super Bowl champ with the Broncos while Carnell Lake made the Pro Bowl 5x.

Now onto the NFC players I added.

Lee Woodall was a 2x Pro Bowler and a Super Bowl champion and Elbert Shelley is the only player of the group featured today that I didn't know. Come to find out he was a 4x Pro Bowler on Special Teams. Once again, another position that doesn't get a lot of respect when it comes to cardboard.

 

Back of the NFC card

Here is my updated set news on these,

1996 Topps Gilt Edge Haves
2,7,11,14,15,16,18,19,20,20,21,22,23,24,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,36,37,38,39,45,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,56,62,63,64,65,66,67,75,76,77,78,79,80,82,83,84,88

Thanks goes out to @OffBeatAllStars for the set help. It won't be the last time you will be in this new segment.

*finishes up cup number 1, moves onto cup number 2 pretty fast. Getting up early makes me crave coffee more than ever. Almost time for some breakfast as well*

Once I get this set completed, it will be moved into a binder. It's a worthy binder set. One of those visual art displays you want to see all together on 9-card page sheets. Hopefully it won't take me as long to complete this set as it took me to appreciate it.

*coffee blogger out*

Coffee With Ted Danson

*takes a sip of coffee, this time a mocha coffee from Dunkin' from the early morning errands, and reminisces back to the 90's*

The 1990's had some of the best sitcoms ever to exist. Not that the 2000's haven't brought us some gems but none of them have really stood out like a few from the 90's. Pretty much everyone has heard of Seinfeld, Friends, Home Improvement and Everybody Loves Raymond just to name a few. It was a great time to watch TV and most of these I currently watch on repeats on multiple channels.

Sometimes though, it's not always the headlining sitcoms that were/are the best. Sometimes you find that gem in the rough you simply laugh your pants off at. One of those sitcoms that comes to mind for me is Becker.

Becker starred the great Ted Danson, who most remember from the NBC hit Cheers, who played the lead in the show as Dr. Becker. 

The show took place in NYC in a small doctors office run by Dr. Becker who was cantankerous and easily annoyed by his patients, friends and the world but yet cared about all of it. Which is why his friends and patients stood by his side despite how he may have treated them. 

Some of the patient and Dr. Becker interactions were absolutely priceless and left me rolling on the floor laughing.

*takes a sip of coffee remembering some of the interactions and trying not to choke on the sip*

Just last week, I acquired a signed piece in a trade with Dions Autograph Collection of Dr. Becker (Ted Danson) for my TV Collection.

Here is the signed piece

a closer look at the signature.

As always, I am a tad concerned on whether this is an authentic signed piece or maybe a pre-print. The autograph photo came from a friend of Dion's who collected autographs as well. This was either from a signing, fan mail or TTM. 

From research I have done, it appears Danson's signature changed a lot from them until now if this is signed by him. This is a clear written out name while newer ones you can read the word Ted with his last name being more of a scribble. If anyone has any input on this would love to hear it.

If this happens to not be real, I will have to acquire a real one with a COA from a respectable company. Either way, this is a cool piece and thanks to Dion for the trade.

*takes a sip before closing out today's post*

Becker ran on CBS from 1998-2004 covering 129 episodes. If you haven't ever heard of it or seen an episode, go find one and I bet you will want to watch the series.

Currently Danson plays on the sitcom Mr. Mayor as the lead after a successful run on The Good Place. Last show I watched him in was CSI where he took over the lead as D.B. Russell. It was odd seeing him play on a drama after many years of doing comedies but he did pretty well in that role.

I would be interested in hearing your favorite Ted Danson show/movie in comments.

*another sip of coffee and on to the rest of my day*

First Basketball Rip In A Year

*temperatures are up in the teens today, or what we locals call a warm day. Coffee is ready and so am I for another Cards Over Coffee*

As we all know, we are in tough times when it comes to trying to find retail products. Those cards sell off from shelves faster then Roadrunner getting away from Coyote. And for those of you who are offended by Looney Tunes, just look away at that previous sentence.

No retail cards sell faster than basketball.

My Walmart before the pandemic couldn't sell a single basketball product, but because of the big surge I haven't seen a single pack since December of 2019 when my wife grabbed me a hanger box of 2019-2020 Prizm. If I had only known, I would have had her grab a lot more.

Basketball isn't one of my top collecting sports, it falls third behind football and baseball, but I still like to make some additions to that part of my collection occasionally so it's nice to be able to find some to open.

*takes another sip, feels his tummy is rumbling for some honey. Well, I don't have the Winnie The Pooh honey addiction but maybe something with honey in it would be in order this morning*

I know my buddy @ChasinTheGraph feels the same way. He was sick of not finding retail so we both were on the same page with that and the direction the hobby was heading. We had quite a few conversations and a few trades as well. One day he had mentioned buying a couple 2020-2021 Prizm Draft Picks basketball hanger packs off from a friend of his so I inquired about trading for one of those. He was more than happy to obliged and we easily pulled off a quick trade.

Just a couple days later, the pack arrived.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

Each hanger pack of 2020-2021 Pirzm Draft Picks comes with 15 cards total with three of those cards being represented by Red, White and Blue parallels.

You bust open the packs and reveal three regular packs and one of the special packs with parallels which I always set aside and save for last.

I will be honest, other than Ball, I don't know any of the players in this years draft as opposed to last years draft with names like Williamson, Herro, Barrett and Morant. I have no idea how I did overall but glad to have at least some rookie cards of these guys.

 

Some base. I don't mind adding any Duke cards. I grew up a Duke fan.

Subsets of Crusade and Global Prospects.

Silver Prizm of Daniel Oturu

Green Prizm of Deni Avdija

And now for the Red, White Blue Prizm Draft pack.

*takes a sip, hopes for a good rip*

No Ball so not sure how I did.

That was a fun rip regardless of the outcome. Hopefully I can add a Ball to my rookie card collection at some point.

Thanks to @ChasinTheGraph for the trade. Hope we can do more of these down the road as I always have plenty of Panthers and am always in need of something to open.

*time to get another cup of coffee going and to find something for breakfast*

Coffee Break:2021 Topps Series 1 Hobby Box

*sitting in the kitchen next to the heater thinking about warm thoughts while it currently sits at -15*

I can feel, smell it and even taste it. Yes it has a taste. Baseball is on it's way and nothing kicks off the baseball season like Topps Series 1. Once that product has released, you know we are heading in the right direction.

For me it's not just about baseball starting, some warm weather would be nice as well.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

Every hobby box of 2021 Topps Series 1 comes with 24 packs of 14 cards. I like this format more than the 36 packs. Each box comes with either an autograph, relic card or an autograph relic. Most likely, at least in my past breaks, you will find a relic. Boxes go anywhere between $125-$150 per.

Also inside of each hobby box are the Hobby Exclusive silver parallels,

Each of the silver parallel cards use the 1986 Topps design and comes with 4 cards

*takes another sip to do another rip*

There are 100 cards overall to collect and you can also find the following parallels (along with autographs as well)

The parallels are,
Blue /150, Green /99, Purple /75, Gold /50, Orange /25, Red /5, SuperFractor 1/1.

BASE:

The base set consists of 330 cards.

The front of those cards have a Topps 70th silver logo instead of the typical Topps logo. The design is bordered this year and brings a new design to the table. I think more Bowman than Topps with it.

I was a little disappointed with this years lack of action photography compared to the past few years.

Card back.

The base set consists of veterans, rookies and the subsets as Rookie Cup, Future Stars, League Leaders, and World Series Highlights.

Rookie Cup

  

League Leaders

Future Stars

World Series Highlights

Team cards

Rookies

There was even some "mask" cards involved as part of the Covid-19 Pandemic. I think it's an important part of MLB history to include cards with pictures like these.

The images say it all.

PARALLELS

There are many parallels to chase in Series 1 including, Royal Blue, Rainbow Foil, Gold Foil, Gold /2021, Green /499, Advanced Stat /300, Orange /299, Red /199, Vintage Stock /99, Independence Day /76, Black /70, Platinum Anniversary /70, Mother’s Day /50, Father’s Day /50, Memorial Day /25, 70th Anniversary 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1.

I pulled 3 rainbow foils in my break. These fall 1:10 packs. I always liked this parallel.

Gold /2021. These are pretty much impossible to find compared to past years. Only one in my box and the odds of finding them now are 1:27 packs. Good luck in any rainbow chases this year.

INSERTS:

There are 100 cards to seek out in the 1986 Topps 35th anniversary set. These seem to be one of the easier inserts to find falling at 1:4 packs.

They also have the following parallels, Blue, Black /299 (1:589 odds in Bregman), Platinum Anniversary /70, Red /10, and Gold 1/1.

70 years of Topps has well....70 cards in it to chase. These fall 1:11 packs.

 

Stars In Service falls 1:30 packs. There are 25 cards to collect in these as well.

Platinum Players falls 1:30 packs. There are 25 players to collect in this die cut set. I hope they bring this insert to chrome, bet it looks amazing.

Topps Through The Years insert 1:25. Many are complaining about this insert because many are posting and claiming these as autographs. I do get this kind of insert as they were celebrating the many cards in their 70 years but I understand the frustration.

There are 30 in this set to collect.

Home Run Challenge falls 1:24 packs

HITS:

For the first time in...well...ever...I didn't pull a relic card

Major League Material relic auto /50 of Josh Bell

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I enjoyed breaking this while sipping on my cup of coffee. Prices are a little steep right now for a hobby box so honestly I would stick to retail and hope for the best from that. What I always look for in Series 1 is the newest rookies and pc players for my collection so I can easily acquire those in retail as long as you are able to find some.

I do like the overall look and the theme for this years product though.

*takes a final sip, definitely making another to keep myself warm. Time to think warm thoughts and baseball.....and more 2021 baseball card releases*

Ratings Based On This Break (ratings based on 1-5 🍵)

Design 🍵🍵🍵

Photography 🍵🍵

Inserts 🍵🍵

Hits 🍵🍵🍵

Price 🍵

Value 🍵🍵🍵