Random Card On My Desk:1994-1995 Skybox Emotion Xcited Gary Payton

Random Card On My Desk:2015 Upper Deck USA Football Autograph Tommy Mister

Random Card On My Desk:2009-2010 Panini Grant Hill

Totally Excited! Rainbow Complete!

One of the biggest keys to my Hampton collection isn't collecting a bunch of jersey and autograph cards, cause honestly, he doesn't have a lot out there, it's collecting those rare 90's inserts. One of those rare inserts is a Totally Certified Gold parallel /30. Well, that's no longer a need.....

Now that I have the gold, I now have the three-card rainbow. (I will post them all together at some point)

This may be one of the tougher inserts of the 90's to get, but there are others I will need to chase down of Hamptons at some point. 

Thoughts on this leap day mail day are welcomed!

(BLOGGERS NOTE: This post was put together before I decided to do the Hampton Cardboard Craze blog. You will definitely see these cards again on that blog individually front and back and with more detail on each. If you haven't added that blog to your read list, please do so. You can add that blog or check it out with this link, http://hamptoncardboard.blogspot.com/ . Thanks! ) 

Random Card On My Desk:1996-1997 Sp Allen Iverson

Oversized Griffey Mail Day

It had been such a long time since I added anything Griffey to my Griffey PC with my main focus staying on Rodney Hampton since his items are much cheaper.

But that doesn't mean I wasn't scoping out deals waiting for one to fall into my lap.

Well, it did just that.

For .99 I was able to add these two cool Upper Deck cards to my PC. The high gloss and touch of hologram sold me. Besides the price of course.

These are 1993 5x7 promo cards with team checklists on the back. Let me know your thoughts on my new pickups in comments.

Random Card On My Desk:1995 Leaf Great Gloves Ozzie Smith

Random Card On My Desk: 2005 Upper Deck Rookie Debut Saturday Swatches Vernand Morency

Random Card On My Desk:1994-1995 Ultra Rebound King A.C. Green

Random Card On My Desk:1991-1992 Upper Deck John Starks

One EX That I Can Deal With

As many of you know, I am a BIG 90's collector. Other than chasing down unique inserts and base cards, I collect certain sets that I used to have. Yes, used to have making them my Ex. Now you get the post title :)

One of those sets was Ex2000 which to this day may be some of the greatest base cards ever created. The acetate back ground, the full blown color and shininess gives it quite an edge over other base cards. I am sure you will agree.

Up first the main rookie card of the set and the first card in the set, Jake Plummer.

I love how they did the back of the card as its the mirror of the front. So cool.

Another key rookie in the set, Warrick Dunn. This was also the season that Tampa switched to the much cooler uni's and helmets and got rid of the creamscicle ones.

2 Giants PC cards as well. This is a Hilliard rookie.

I had been trying for two years to add this to my PC. The problem was the price people were asking for it. I felt it was too steep. So when I stumbled on the set finding it on sale for $10, it was a no-brainer that I needed to buy or I would lose out.

Now to try and get the baseball and basketball versions!

What are your thoughts on Ex? Do you own any of the cards? Sets?

Breakin Wax:2015 Upper Deck USA Football

Prospecting can be fun when you do it right. Choose the wrong player, well...

Baseball cards are full of prospecting mostly built around products like Bowman and Elite Extra Edition but can you think of one football prospecting product? No, you can't. But, that's why I am here to tell you there is one, it's called Upper Deck USA football. These are the future stars of tomorrow.

I have picked up some of this product every year since 2012 prospecting these football players for later on. Not to mention, it's a solid product too from top to bottom.

Why do I think that, read on!

 In every box of 2015 Upper Deck USA football, you get 12 cards per pack and 18 packs per box. Each box has 12 hits in it. So technically, you are only opening up 6 packs that have nothing. I like those odds. Each box is, well, I can't find a price but I would have to assume in the $60-$80 range.

The base cards are simple. High gloss base cards with a border. There is a mix of USA and Canada players. The base set is made up of U-19, U-18 and U-17 USA Football teams as well as U-19 and U-18 Team Canada. There is 164-card base set, including 46 cards for USA U-19, 51 cards for USA U-18, 26 dual cards for USA U-17 and 41 cards for Team Canada U-18. Pretty evenly split. This year they didn't add as many Canada cards which I guess makes sense for a product marked USA football.

 

I do have one thing negative to say about this years base set, I don't like the white box at the bottom. Very much not something I am used to seeing from an Upper Deck base card. I know they were trying to do that for autographs, but I would prefer stickers here. I know, you can slap me now for saying that.

 

There are no inserts, so let's show off these hits! I think this EZW auto is quite unique. Same goes for PB. Hopefully they will learn to sign better as they go before they possibly hit pro.

There are some fun patch cards to find as well. Game worn too!

Lots of dual autographs. It feels like you get more than the 10 per box.
 

Overall, with this many hits how can you not call this a success especially for a prospecting product. I hope UD is able to continue to carry on with this product for future releases as I am a fan for sure.

How many of you have ever tried prospecting football?

1990 Pro Set Buick Super Bowl Hampton Rookie Addition

 

At first glance, this just looks like a plain Rodney Hampton rookie card. Believe me, I thought the same. Then I started to investigate as I noticed prices for these were a bit higher and they were harder to find.

Come to find out, this is a 1990 Pro Set Buick Rodney Hampton Super Bowl XXV Commemorative Card. This is from the 1990 Pro Set Buick Super Bowl XXV Silver Anniversary Set that was handed out at Super Bowl XXV. The difference between this and the base rookie is, the Buick card has a Red White and Blue Border at the top and bottom and Buick Logo in the lower right corner.

Finding only two of these on eBay made me grab it before it was too late.

(BLOGGERS NOTE: This post was put together before I decided to do the Hampton Cardboard Craze blog. You will definitely see these cards again on that blog individually front and back and with more detail on each. If you haven't added that blog to your read list, please do so. You can add that blog or check it out with this link, http://hamptoncardboard.blogspot.com/ . Thanks! ) 

Random Card On My Desk: 1997-1998 Fleer Metal Universe Cliff Robinson

Breakin Wax:2011 Score Football Hobby Box

If you are looking to set build, specific rookies and box at a great price, it's best to turn to Score. Sometimes you even may find yourself lucky and pull an autograph! That wasn't me however lol.

In every hobby box of 2011 Score is 36 packs with 7 cards per pack. You will find one rookie, one insert and one gloss per pack as well. Sometimes you may find more than that per pack. Boxes will run about $20-$30.

I wasn't going to break down the base or the designs as I have already done a review of the product you can find on the blog. This was just about the best of this specific break.

My box was great with the rookies. The one I wanted the most was Cam Newton, NFL MVP and Super Bowl run on top of being almost a one-person wrecking crew it was obvious he was tops and was luckily in there. I have had boxes of Score in the past where I wouldn't get the top rookie. On top of Cam,  getting JJ Watt isn't that bad either ;)

I even got the base Andy Dalton rookie and the photo variation. The best pull from the box in my opinion.

There were inserts GALORE!! The inserts all had parallels too.I wished my blog had deleted the rest of the insert pictures I had taken.

Here are the parallels.....gold....glossy...

Glossy inserts...

And a Red Zone that are not easy to find. My only one in this box and only my second overall.

Great price, fun inserts, rookies, short prints and cards for my PC. I can't see why anyone would turn down a fun bust like this.

How many of you bust Score? What's your favorite part of opening it?

Random Card On My Desk:1996-1997 NBA Hoops Chris Gatling

Random Card On My Desk:2012-2013 Classics Keith Primeau

Breakin Wax:2015-2016 Upper Deck Series 1 Hockey Hobby Box

When I think top dog in the hockey card world, I look no further than Upper Deck Series 1 and 2.

I have mentioned my love before about these. The product comes with stunning base card photography, short printed VALUABLE rookie cards and doesn't focus on hits. One of the very few and if not the only product on the market that doesn't focus on hits. That's a good thing by the way.

In every box of 2015-2016 Upper Deck Series one hockey you 24 packs per box with 8 cards per pack. You will find 6 Young Guns and 1 memorabilia card as well. Boxes will run you about $100.

The base cards are action packed and fun. I wished other companies did more of this.

Inserts look great as well. The Shining Stars inserts are broken down into many sections. Here are the odds for each of them

- Shining Stars, Centers - inserted 1:16
- Shining Stars, Left & Right Wingers - inserted 1:24
- Shining Stars, Legends - inserted 1:48
- Shining Stars Centers, Royal Blue parallel - inserted 1:48
- Shining Stars Left & Right Wingers, Royal Blue parallel - inserted 1:72
- Shining Stars Right Wingers, Royal Blue parallel - inserted 1:144

I pulled a 1:48 so not too shabby.

Canvas inserts, man I still love these. They fall 1:6. The Young Gun version, which are very valuable by the way, fall 1:48

 

UD Exclusives parallel. These seem to fall one per box. I got a decent one in Quick.

My hit of the box. Not too shabby. It actually wasn't what I kept busting packs for.....

It was all about the Young Guns and hoping to hit a Connor McDavid. But as my luck usually is with the Young Guns, I didn't hit the big gun but I did pull a few decent ones.

My best pull of the box

As always I really like this format for a box. The value is there just in the Young Guns alone and that's not even mentioning the other fun aspects. These rookie cards are always the most popular on the hockey card market and hold their value.Even if you don't hit a big time player now, it doesn't mean in a few years they won't be. That's why holding onto these rookies are very important.