Random Cardboard:1997 Score Blast Master Alex Rodriguez

Cardboard Review:2021-2022 Chronicles Draft Basketball

One of the first looks we get at the upcoming rookie class in the NBA, always starts with a Draft Picks product. Whether that's Prizm, Contenders or today's product, Chronicles.

Chronicles is a product built up of other products all wrapped into one. I think it's a fun concept, but it's not for everyone.

Since I like to get a start on the upcoming rookie class for my rookie card album, I always try to get my hands on new product. I don't always know who the best ones are quite yet, so they usually all stay in one spot until I do. When someone asks me "who should I be looking for?" I always tell them, just look at the cover of the box.

So that's what I did today. Here is a box break of 2021-2022 Chronicles Draft basketball for your viewing pleasure,

In each hobby box of Chronicles basketball, there are 2 packs of 24 cards each. It's much different of a layout than usual. Each box promises 4 autograph or memorabilia cards and you can find boxes currently for $165.

BASE:

The base set has 16-25 card offerings from Donruss Rated Rookies, Chronicles (has its own base set), Hoops Retro, Luminance, Flux, Gala, XR, Essentials and many others. I believe there are 19 in all.

Here are a few examples of the base using the players featured on the box in Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs.

PARALLELS:

You can find the following parallels in Chronicles all across the 19 or so "base sets",

Black, Bronze, Green, Orange, Pink, Pulsar, Red /149, Blue /99, Purple /49, Gold /10, Cracked Ice /6, and Platinum 1/1.

My only parallel was this Red Hoops Retro of Evan Mobley numbered to 149.

Without inserts, let's move onto the good stuff.

HITS:

First hit, Tools Of The Trade relic of Scottie Barnes.

Panini Threads Rookie Threads of Sharife Cooper

Score Autograph of Nojel Eastern

 

And finally, Origins autograph of Romello White.

I don't know any of these names, so you guys will have to tell me in comments if I scored anything big here.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Well, from looking some of the hits up, it appears to be a tough break value wise currently. But, as with any rookies, you just never know who will rise above the occasion. So maybe check back in a couple of years on this break.

As for the product itself, I still like Chronicles, though I prefer the pro sports version more with NBA teams. I like the mix of product designs and selection. You get some basic ones like Score to some artsy ones like Origins to the shiny stuff like Elements. It's a great mix.

One more tweak I would make, I would build this as one big base set with levels of rarity.

In comments below, tell me your thoughts on my break or on the product as a whole.

Return Of The Matt

Return of the Matt...oh yeah...Return of the Matt...oh my gosh. He is back on here watch his blog flow.

It's been a long time since I wrote a real post on this blog and that's because I needed some time away. I needed time to sit down and think of my blogging future.

I think others may be in the same process.

Some have stepped away, others haven't posted in months and some are here and there. The blogosphere in general seems to be in a downward spiral and it's sad to see knowing how strong we were only a few years ago. I will admit in the past month plus, I was in the same spot as others seem to be in the blogging world.

My original plan was to retire from blogging at the end of this year and hang up my keyboard. It was going to happen for sure. No doubt about it. It was a Joe Namath guarantee.

Then something hit me. 

No not anything physical, more like the apple on the head of Isaac Newton. I had that "aha moment" that happens once in a gray moon.

It was the little voice in my head asking me, "why aren't you blogging on Sport Card Collectors anymore?" The only answer I could come up with is, "I don't feel like it". 

Since that didn't seem to be a good enough answer, I sent myself on a journey to figure out why I had quit. I went back through and read some of my older posts when this blog was at its best. I could obviously see why things were more interesting at those times and maybe, maybe why I stepped away.

That journey also sent me on another journey, I began to Google sport card blogs and found this blog on a few Top 20-Top 30 blog lists which says a lot with as many well written blogs there are out there. I wasn't number one on any of those lists, but I was in the middle of the pack which still means a lot.

Between the lists, the older posts, and not finding a real answer to my question, it led me back here today to write this post and begin a new journey on here.

So here I am. Fully revived and excited to bring this blog back to its "happier days".

In comments, let me know some of the topics and posts you enjoyed on here. I may bring some of those along with the new ideas I have.

Hope everyone has a Happy Monday!

Random Cardboard:1997 Score Goin' Yard Ken Griffey Jr

Random Cardboard:1997 Score Hideki Irabu

Random Cardboard: 1997 Score Jose Canseco

Random Cardboard:1996 Pinnacle Team Spirit Barry Bonds

Rodney's Cardboard:2020 Optic Signature Series

Todays Rodney Hampton comes to me as quite a shock.

It was shocking to find out that Panini first of all included Rodney in Optic for the first time ever, but it was also extremely surprising they didn't do parallels for it. NONE.

So this was it. Just one card, a chromed card that had no parallels.

 

The back of the card was not that exciting.

Thanks goes out to my buddy Shane from Cheap Wax fame who helped me land this one.

Random Cardboard:1996 Pinnacle Chase Checklist

Random Cardboard:1996 Pinnacle Tony Gwynn

Random Cardboard:1996 Pinnacle Hardball Heroes Will Clark

Random Cardboard:2021 Prizm Sluggers Silver Prizm Dominic Smith

Random Cardboard:2020 Donruss Lawrence Taylor

Random Cardboard:2020 Topps Chrome Pink Refractor Bryce Harper

Rodney's Cardboard:2019 Legacy Black Printing Plate

Awhile back, I put up a post from a trade that Gavin from Baseball Card Breakdown and myself did and mentioned there was one more card to go in that post and that it was the centerpiece of the trade.  Today, is the day I finally reveal it.

Introducing the latest printing plate to my Rodney Hampton collection,

This one comes from Panini's Legacy collection.

I always find these newer plates hard to find so adding these when I can is great. Gavin seems to always have luck finding Hampton plates.

Thanks again Gavin for the trade!

Random Cardboard:1993 Topps Prismatic Stimpy Oh Joy

Random Cardboard:1995 Fleer Ultra Power Plus Barry Bonds

Trade With The Diamond King

*takes a sip, finally getting to sit down for today's post after a busy morning which included getting my booster Pfizer vaccine. Time to find some breakfast as well*

Packages and PWE's have been flowing into the mail box like never before the last week or so. Not only has this led to some excitement, but has also put me in a tough spot when it comes to blogging them. I just hate making people wait for a thank you.

So most of those mail days I tweeted out, so hopefully you follow me on Twitter to have seen those. I think a good portion of my mail days will be posted that way. However, ones I get from fellow bloggers, I still plan to post this way.

*takes a sip, then shakes arm to get muscle loose from the shot*

My most recent blogger trade, I haven't done a lot of them this year, is from The Diamond King who had posted his best Griffey's including one he had for trade.

But, before we get to that card, our trade expanded a bit more and he included some awesome 90's inserts I didn't have (this is only a small portion of them)

Sp Matchups

Ultra The Book On

New Horizon Hideki Irabu

Upper Deck National Pride (how great does this look with the light box)

*takes a break for a minute to shake the arm again*

Playoff Illusions Spectralusion of Shannon Sharpe

Ultra Notables

*takes another break and arm shake. puts his left arm out, puts his left arm in, puts his left arm out, and shakes it all about....then goes back to typing*

On top of those great 90s inserts, then there was this beauty.

Wayne Gallman Triple Rookie Relic autograph from Absolute football. Even though he is in Atlant

a now, I still collect him.

And finally, the big piece.

  

2000 Skybox Dominion Eye On October Plus Parallel. The base version of this fell 1:24 packs while the tougher to find Plus parallel fell 1:240 packs. There is also a much rarer level with the Warp Tek parallel that's numbered.

Big thanks to The Diamond King on the trade.

*takes a sip, shakes the arm again, and gets ready to finish up today's post before moving onto more stuff to do today*

I know I have more mail days on the way from trades I just made, I also have some mail I have to send out which will lead to even more mail days. I am definitely not complaining about the situation, I just don't see myself sitting down to post them all like the old days.

What have you gotten in the mail box recently?

Have a great Tuesday.

*Coffee Card Blogger Out*

Random Cardboard: 2021 Allen Ginter Mini Framed Autograph Bobby Moynihan

Cardboard Review:2021 Topps Archives

70 years of Topps was the theme in 2021 Topps Archives this year.

Archives incorporated one design from each previous decade that Topps has been making baseball cards from the 1950s to the 2010s. Which are the following designs,1957, 1962, 1973, 1983, 1991, 2001 and 2011 designs.

So let's check it out!

In each box of 2021 Topps Archives it comes with 24 packs of 8 cards. Boxes run $120 and come with 2 autographs.

There is also one move poster per box as well.

How cool is this??

BASE:

The base set is 300 cards deep with players from the past, present and future.

PARALLELS:

The following parallels can be found in Archives,

Rainbow Foil /150, Green /125, Silver /99, Red /75, Red Hot Foil /50, Blue Foil /25, Orange Hot Foil /15 and FoilFractor 1/1.

Red Hot foil. I am not a Red Sox fan, but man this card is stunning with team colors.

INSERTS:

Falling at 1:24 packs, is the 1994 Draft Pick design featuring rookies from this year.

1963 Topps Peel Offs fall 1:6 packs and have 15 to collect.

Movie Poster cards fall 1:6 packs with 15 cards to collect.

Bazooka is back..except these packs had no gum but had this 15 card insert set that falls 1:6 packs.

HITS:

2 autographs to find...I have never had any luck pulling big names, but what I will say about Archives is that they include fun names. The guys you don't see in every product.

Jason Kendell

Bazooka Silver border falls 1:1105 packs.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

This was a fun break. I enjoy the throwback designs, the on card autographs and the solid checklist of rookies, veterans and legends.

The box topper movie poster really jumped out at me then the rest was great from there and for some reason or another, I have not gotten tired of seeing that overused photo of Cutch.

I am not sure what the other parallels look like either, but that Devers was quite stunning and I like the fact the product isn't over run with them per box. Makes them more valuable and it's all about the chase!

Your thoughts on Archives is welcomed below!

Cardboard Review:2021 Topps Update Hobby Box

Baseball season is over, but not the baseball card releases which is great news for collectors!

Today I am breaking a box of 2021 Topps Series 3..I mean Update.

In every hobby box of 2021 Topps Update baseball has 24 packs of 14 cards. Each box has either an autograph or relic and box prices run around $80.

Each box also comes with a hobby exclusive silver pack that has more of those 86 Topps designs.

Here are the parallel offerings,  Black /199, Blue /150, Green /99, Purple /75, Gold /50, Orange /25, Red /5, and SuperFractor 1/1.

Pulled a nice Black parallel of KeBryan Hayes! Other than that, not much to show.

BASE:

The base set is built up of 330 cards and uses the same design as Series 1 and 2. Players who were traded are also updated in their new uniforms.

 

As always, Update brings the fun with it's subsets.

 

Here's another. There are also All-Star and No Hitter subsets

To go along with Rookie Debut and of course the best part for me in Update, the rookie cards.

PARALELLS:

You can find the following parallels for Topps Update,

Rainbow Foil, Gold Foil, Gold /2021, Green Foil /499, Advanced Stat /300, Orange Foil /299, Red Foil /199, Vintage Stock /99, Independence Day /76, Black /70, Platinum Anniversary /70, Mother’s Day Hot Pink /50, Father’s Day Powder Blue /50, Memorial Day Camo /25, 70th Anniversary 1/1, and Printing Plates 1/1

 

Rainbow Foils fall 1:10 packs

Gold /2021

Orange Foil /299

Green Foil /499

INSERTS

Topps Black Gold. There are 25 cards in the set to collect and they are niiiiiiiiiiiiice.

More 1986 design to celebrate 35 years of it. I feel like this insert has gone on for 35 years. There are 50 cards in this set to collect.

70 cards, 70 years, this set has it all

 

There are 20 cards to collect in Platinum Players die cut.

HITS:

Just like my luck with both flagship series, I hit a relic. Which is what you will find 9 out of 10 times unless you decide to go Jumbo that actually guarantees autographs.

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

Just like my thoughts with flagship, I am not a fan of the hobby box layout with only one hit and that one hit being a relic most of the time. Steep price for it as well. With that being said, I have always preferred retail blasters for both flagship series and update. It lands me the rookie cards I want for my collection which is what these types of products have always been about.

One more thing, NO MORE 86 TOPPS!

On a positive note, I really like the parallels in Update. They are shiny and attractive. There are also plenty of great photography in the base and subsets that helps bring you closer to the game. Or me at least who hasn't been to a game in almost 10 years.

Your thoughts below on Topps Update are welcomed below!