Set Help:1995 Skybox Impact Countdown To Impact

 

1995 Skybox Impact Countdown To Impact HAVES
1,2,5,6,7,9,10,12

THIS IS A MUST WANT TO COMPLETE!!!!! 

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

Coffee Break:2020 Topps Opening Day Baseball

*looks out the window, sees wind whipping and a cold breeze coming through the house. Thinks back to when Opening Day 2020 was supposed to happen when it was starting to be sunshine and green grass. Misses those times already. Grabs a cup of joe and has a box of 2020 Topps Opening Day in front of him and is ready to go.*

Just like Opening Day in 2020 for the baseball season, I am behind on my Opening Day of the Topps Opening Day product breakdown for you. That's a lot of Opening Day words used that I wouldn't dare ask you to say five times fast or should I? Let me know how that goes if you do.

As for this box break, it's better late than never.

This product released back in March, back when things were starting to take a turn for the worse, and is still somewhat popular now. It's also one of the cheaper hobby offerings out there right now as supply and demand in the hobby has taken over and driving hobby box prices to outer space or in coffee terms, prices at Starbucks.

It has been a few months since I have opened any baseball hobby product, so I couldn't wait to dig in.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

Every hobby box of 2020 Topps Opening Day comes with 36 packs of 7 cards each. Boxes have no guarantee hits and box prices have doubled from what they were from roughly $30 to $60 pushing $70 a hobby box.

*takes a sip of coffee*

The base card set consists of 200 cards. It uses the same design/photography of flagship Topps just a condensed checklist. The only other difference is the Opening Day logo in the bottom corner.

Gleyber for the PC!

Was expecting big things from Acuna this year, hopefully it will still come

 

Where did Vlad go...

 

The same strong rookies led by these guys above make an appearance on the Opening Day checklist as well. Luis Roberts first official rookie card made it's debut in this product and was one of the hottest cards in the hobby for quite some time. However it's a short print that falls 1:360 packs and is card 201. So if you're building the base set, no need to worry about adding it.

*takes another sip, begins to think about breakfast*

Parallel offerings in Opening Day are small, which isn't a bad thing. The following parallels can be found in this product, Red Foil (Target), Purple Foil (Meijer), Blue Foil, OD Black Foil 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1.

 

These Opening Day blue foils fall 1:12 packs. I got excited to see a Bellinger.

*decides to wait a little longer on breakfast as a final decision on it still lingers*

There are multiple insert offerings in Opening Day with many in every box to find.

There are 15 Opening Day inserts, 1:2 odds, to collect. What's Opening Day without some form of Opening Day pictures within?

24 Mascots fall 1:5 packs. This has been a standby insert in this product line since the beginning

2020 Topps Sticker previews are featured in here as well. There are 10 cards/stickers to collect that fall 1:10 packs

 

Spring Has Sprung falls 1:7 packs and has 25 cards to collect. The checklist features players from the past, from today and rookies.

Then I found this card backwards in the pack...

Come to find out, I pulled an extremely rare insert find of one of the hottest players in baseball. At 1:740 odds, The Lighter Side Of Baseball falls with a 25 card checklist featuring those other fun moments in baseball you don't always see on cards.

*was excited to find the Tatis Jr, but was surprised to pull first ever hit from Opening Day*

What's this?? A hit from Opening Day? They do exist!! Does that mean that Big Foot does too? These Opening Day relics fall 1:937 packs which is completely insane. I was hoping for one of those dirt relics (always wanted one) from the Diamond Relic line but a hit is a hit from this product.

*a bagel with veggie cream cheese it is. toasts bagel, refills coffee and gets ready to close out this post*

The Cabrera relic hit and Tatis Jr short print were nice surprises and I was happy to also add some rookie cards I needed and a Judge and Gleyber for the PC. One of my favorite inserts in here are the Opening Day cards with it's photography and the parallels used in Opening Day are sometimes, including this years, better than flagships.

I know for the most part this product is aimed at the kids, but I think it's a fun break with surprises within. I also know plenty of adults who enjoy this one as much as I do. Or maybe we are just adult/kids. Either way, go give this one a try.

Ratings (ratings based on 1-5 🍵)

Design 🍵🍵🍵
Photography 🍵🍵🍵
Inserts 🍵🍵🍵
Hits 🍵🍵🍵 (most of the times, 9/10, this is non applicable)
Price 🍵🍵(based on today's values. If release time value this is a five cupper)
Value 🍵🍵(same as above)

Set Help:1995 Skybox Impact Same Game More Attitude

 

1995 Skybox Impact Same Game More Attitude HAVES
1,5,9,13,15

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

Set Help:1997 Ex Star Date 2000

 

1997 eX2000 Football Star Date HAVES
2,3,14,15

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

Set Help:1995 Fleer Ultra 2nd Year Standouts

 

1995 Fleer Ultra  2nd Year Standouts Haves

7,8,9,10,13,15,

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

It's That Time Of Year

*cup of coffee in hand, ready to blog*

The temperatures are starting to dip and the smell is in the air, fall is creeping upon us.

Fall is Pumpkin flavored everything, sweatshirts, foliage and most importantly, football.

Fall is simply football.

On a normal year, we are blessed to be able to watch some Preseason games around this time-yes I said blessed as I actually enjoy preseason-and right about now it would be winding down. However, it's 2020. There is no preseason and at this point we are hoping to make it through a regular season.

*takes a sip of coffee with fingers crossed hoping to see a full season of football*

Somewhere in-between the preseason and the regular season is what I consider Madden Season or Madden Holiday. It's when the yearly Madden NFL game releases. It's something I have celebrated on a yearly basis since 1996 but even dabbed into years before that.

This years edition releases tomorrow, unless you are rich and can order the special editions, which is a little later than past years but once again this is 2020. Just like every year, I have the game on preorder and expect a late Friday night playing the latest edition.

It's the one and only video game I play. So I wouldn't consider myself a big time gamer. I don't even play this game online or against anyone else, I play the game the way I have always played it in Franchise Mode against the "computer".

*takes another sip. The warm coffee soothes his soul*

I am sure many of you have read the post title and clicked the link expecting to see some cards, but not today. I do hope you read this at least, but if you skip over it, don't worry, as card posts will return next time.

For those of you still reading, I am going to break down how I play Madden every year.

1. First I choose my team, which is obvious but part of the step, which that team is always NY Giants of course
2. Then I fix the settings, the key ones I always adjust is playing on All-Madden level, I fill my own roster and I always make sure they're 5 minute quarters like I have always played. The 5 minute quarters are equal to 15 minutes in a real game in Madden time. I also make sure there is no accelerated clock. I want as much authentic game experience as I can get.
3. The next part is fixing the roster. I will trade off all high salaried players, any player that I consider old which is 29 or above and build a roster around younger player and rookies. This may not always translate to a great first season, but as rookies and younger players progress along with building other pieces in the offseason, by year 3 my team is usually making a run for the Super Bowl.
4. My defense is built on speed at linebackers, corners and safeties. Those are the positions I will pay the most and give the best draft picks up for.
5. My offense is built around the QB. You need a good QB in this game to get anywhere. Then I make sure to have WR's, TE's who have speed and can catch. Their overall doesn't matter to me for those positions. Running backs don't really play much of a role in my offense so I can use whatever the roster already has as long as they are fast and young. The oline has to have power and equal run/pass block skills protection.

Once this is all set up, I play. And I "play to win the game."

*another sip of coffee, checks the time to see if it's closer to Madden yet, not close enough so continues to blog. Since the new game isn't here to talk about, decides to talk about the previous game in the meantime*

Winning wasn't easy in the beginning of Madden 20, which will soon be known as the previous years game, or actually for me over the long haul of the game. Which is what I need. I like a good challenge that makes me use my noggin', so after restarting my first season a few times, I finally got my head on straight and started to win more.

By season 3, I was in the Super Bowl and walked away with the trophy. It took me another four seasons to win my second one. I played another three seasons without a Super Bowl before I decided it was time to start all over again and build a new Giants roster.

The newest roster led me to three Super Bowl wins in five seasons. I averaged thirteen wins a season in my final run of the game before I decided after winning my last Super Bowl, it was time to hang up my controller and wait for the newest Madden.

That final Super Bowl though, was one to remember,

NY Giants vs KC Chiefs

The game came down to the final quarter. I took up most of the quarter being down 10-6 and ate up time on my slow drive down the field. I managed to score a touchdown on a screen pass from Kyler Murray (yup I traded for him) to Saquon Barkley to take a 13-10 lead but knew my lead wasn't safe. In the final minute, Patrick Mahomes led his team all the way to my ten yard line. Luckily for me my defense, which was probably the best one I ever had in the game, stopped them at my two yard line on a 4th down play. The game wasn't over yet though. There was still 30 seconds left, they had two time outs and I needed to get out of my end zone so I wouldn't get a safety and give them two points and a chance. There was only one decision this coach had to make, hand the ball to my play maker, but make him run up the left side where the line is stronger. So that's what I did and it paid off with a 8 yard run getting me out of the end zone and where I ran the game clock out.

CHAMPS.

(dance breaks to Flashdance what a feeling)

Now onto the celebratory pictures. Yes, I document every Super Bowl win.

Patrick Mahomes looks on disappointed as the confetti falls

As my team celebrates midfield

I shake hands with their coach, that's no longer Andy Reid at this point in the game

Super Bowl MVP. This linebacker had 40 sacks and was the seasons MVP as well. I drafted him in the second round. Quite the player.

Kyler and Saquon celebrating

Me in the background while my players get all of the action with the trophy

Same.

It's not quite as good as your real team winning a Super Bowl, but ranks pretty high up there with how you feel when you take home the trophy.

*takes another sip of coffee before closing*

In roughly 31 hours, the newest edition of Madden should arrive at my doorstep and take some time away from my card hobby. But, you know what, sometimes a break from the card hobby isn't a bad thing. I have been seeing a lot of political/angry/fed up card collectors all across social media so a quick step away, especially right now, isn't a terrible thing.

Set Help:1995 Fleer Ultra Achievement

   

1995 Fleer Ultra Ultra Achievement HAVES
1,2,3, 4,7,8

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

Set Help:1995 Fleer Ultra Award Winner

 

1995 Fleer Ultra Award Winner HAVES
1,2,3,5

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

Set Help:1995 Fleer Ultra Touchdown Kings

This new segment I am tackling all of my set needs. Each post will have a picture of what I need along with the set numbers. It's a quick simple post but hopefully gets me some help on these sets.

 

1995 Fleer Ultra Touchdown King HAVES
2,3,4,5,9

Have any to help me out or willing to pick some up to trade to me? Let me know!

Seeking Advice

I announced awhile back that I would be retiring Sport Card Collectors once this blog hit 5,000 posts which after today would mean only 10 posts left. I would then do all of my future blogging over at Cards Over Coffee.

But, some thoughts have come to mind recently and I have been trying to think them over before making a move. Which is why I am hoping for some solid feedback on today's post.

Here are the thoughts I have been having,
Sport Card Collectors has a lot more followers, views and reach than Cards Over Coffee. Though slowly growing, my best content (I have plenty more planned as well) isn't reaching as many as I have hoped at this point. So my thoughts are, why retire a blog with such a big reach when I could possibly move Cards Over Coffee over here instead and get that reach bigger?

Makes sense doesn't it?

Along with that, I will move ALL older posts off from this blog to a new blog as a way of passing the torch. Secondly, I will re-publish all of the posts from Cards Over Coffee on here ONE DAY AT A TIME before creating new content. I figure a lot of you haven't seen this content yet. This would also give me time to update the entire blog while that happens and give me time to work on some card projects.

I must also mention, not all parts of Sport Card Collectors will disappear either. Some classic segments will find their way in the mix with a Cards Over Coffee touch.

Another thing, there may be a name change to reflect all of this. I am working on this as well.

In the end, I only want one blog and that one blog has to do with Cards Over Coffee. So whether it's moving it on here or keeping it separate, there will be one change either way and it will be coming soon.

So readers, what are your thoughts on all of this? I hope to at least get 10 or so comments with thoughts on this.

Kerry's Comes Back

It's has been a long time since I have been able to add any new Collins cards to my PC. Being on such a low budget will do that and force you to choose what's most important.

I think @bmw3679 hears me on that as well. Both of us collected during the best time of collecting in the mid to late 90's and that's where my surprise mail day came from. I already shared the biggest part of this mail day over on Cards Over Coffee which I hope you haven't missed out on. IF YOU MISSED IT, SEE IT HERE:

Pleasantly Surprised

So let's check out the Collins!

1995 Collectors Choice silver rookie

 

I have always wanted one of these Skybox Premium Closeups

Bowmans Best and Bowmans Best Xfactor. 90's refractors are still better than today's.

1995 Action Packed Instant Impressions, Beautiful Micro Etched card

1995 Fleer Flair preview. Say what you want about the Flair line, but this was the best one of the set designs. The preview was such a tease until the released the actual product. I loved it. Set chasing it as well.

Dr. Evil helped create Topps Lasers, bet you didn't know that.

Upper Deck Predictor

1995 Upper Deck rookie, but it's the Electric Silver parallel.

All of these Collins by the way, it's ALL NEW. I need to update my checklist of Collins to reflect this. Hopefully by the time this posts I will be caught up with that.

Thanks goes out to @bmw3679 for the Collins and hopefully the rest of you checked out the major rainbow chasing card he sent me once again, here:

Pleasantly Surprised

Freshly Perked:Heroes

Freshly Perked is a new series that will be focused on my mail days throughout the week. I will only post this series on the weekend whether it's a Saturday or a Sunday to recap my mail days. Hope you enjoy!

This should be a fun new series on the blog that takes a look at cards I don't always show off on all of my social media reaches or even in a regular blog post on here. Not that they aren't as important, but it's more because they are smaller type mail days that don't require a big long rambling.

*goes over to coffee maker to grab a cup before moving into this post, but realizes the coffee maker didn't brew all the way through. Opens up the cover, sees that the a good chunk of the water is still held up with the grounds. Slams the cover back down, gives it another tap and for some reason or another, coffee maker is going. Being resilient for that need of a fresh cup will help you get what you want*

This weeks mail days come from a trade, a steal of a deal and some generosity.

First up, I saw a buddy of mine post a 2020 Prestige Heroes insert of Patrick Mahomes and instantly fell in love. Kinda of like when you see that big coffee mug you simply need.

So I went and found the checklist to see if any Giants players were on it and discovered that Eli Manning was. This led to a tweet by yours truly looking for that said Eli Manning card.

I ended up getting a pretty quick response after my tweet and the person wanted to do a pwe trade in which they were looking to trade for Braves cards. So I spent a good hour looking for a few of equal value and replied to that person's tweet to never hear back from them. There is nothing worse then not responding to someone. That is my biggest pet peeve in the hobby. Well, besides wasting time looking for stuff in a failed trade. This person hit both but I am not one to shout out there names from a hill top in song.

Remember that the next time you try to trade with me. I am looking at all of you.

*takes a big gulp a little angry, picks up the pile of cards nearby and looks through them again. Be one with the cards. Be one with the cards*

Fortunately, a Jets fan by the Twitter handle @pbasniper said he had a blue parallel version he would happily pwe for free my way before he threw it away. Read that again and catch the key word Jets fan in there to see why he would toss Eli away.

I was very happy to hear that after my first failed attempt to land this card.

The card arrived in a few days and was as spectacular as I expected, maybe even a little more with the Giants blue also involved.

Back of the card showcases more of the fun comic book art creativity.

This would be a fun rainbow chase, but probably a costly one. I will just be happy to own a copy of it.

A well earned thanks to @pbasniper for this mail day.

*takes a sip of coffee feeling better about the missed trade*

Next up, I pulled off a very quick trade with @GarrettAdair who had a couple of Xavier McKinney cards for sale. Yes, I put both trade and for sale in the same sentence. Knowing I couldn't buy, I reached out to Garrett about a trade and he happily obliged knowing they would be going to a good home.

Prestige Blue Extra points parallel /299

 

And autograph. My first Xavier autograph and it accomplishes my biggest want out of this years Giants draft class. His signature though, could use some coaching.

Xavier McKinney was a second round pick by the Giants and fills in a much needed position that has been a gaping whole for some time. With him and Peppers side by side, the Giants secondary got a little bit better. Big expectations are all around for Xavier.

Thanks for the trade Garrett!

*coffee coffee coffee...and cards. Three sips before the finale part of this post*

Finally, my wife could see my disappointment on one of our latest Walmart runs to look for cards and the shelves were so bare I could have set up my blogging station there with laptop and coffee and changed the name to this blog to No Cards Over Coffee.

Which wouldn't be quite as good as this one.

She and I share the same eBay account so she had a notification that one of my cards was ending and landed it for me as a surprise really cheap. I had actually forgotten it was ending.

 

This 1996 Zenith Z-Team Barry Sanders creeps me to only three more cards away from having the set. I am only missing Troy Aikman, Deion Sanders and Dan Marino from completing it. This is a slow moving snail of a 14 year set build. I know someday I will get there but first it would be nice to see a Aikman pop up. None are on eBay from what I can tell.

That does it for the very first Freshly Perked. I will see how this kind of post is received before I do another down the road. As I have said before, mail days for me right now are few and far between so I never know when the next could be!

*takes a sip of coffee, thinks over what breakfast could be today and decides on a bagel.......yes again. *

The Fun Norm

We here all the time the phrase, The New Norm, and that always sounds so negative because it actually is. The New Norm of having to wear masks, bleach yourself when you get home, and avoiding people including your family members at all costs. What part of that sounds like fun?

 I would rather have the The Fun Norm. The fun Norm is a guy on Twitter @NormC61 who has sent me a few packages this year "just because". Every time he sends one it's a new surprise of not knowing what's coming.

Like this one I received last Saturday. I couldn't wait to see what he sent this time.

Inside was a small stack of Knicks and NY Giants cards. I have chosen a few to show off today that caught my eye.

Good ole John Starks right here!

 

Anthony Mason throwing the fire ball.

 

Pippen getting shoved out of the way by a drive by Hubert Davis

Great one here with Oakley slamming it home over MJ while Pippen watches. Bulls and Knicks in the 90's were hated rivals.

 

Rueben!

 

Charles Oakley doing his best boxing out

 

Ewwwwwwing with the slam!

And my favorite base was this MJ flying high but Patrick with the ball. Great photography here.

And finally, a good handful of NYG archives cards including guys like Conerly and Gifford.

A big thanks to Norm for another great mail day. I appreciate it like all of the other mail days you send my way.

Side note, today was the first time I did a post using the new blogger. I am not a fan at all. I am not sure I will stick with blogger much longer if this is what I have to deal with. It took forever to upload posts, the labels took years to select, and the picture re-sizing is not as simple as it used to be. I will be going back to legacy again for future posts until it's gone.