Rodney's Cardboard:1994 Pro Line Live Printing Plate

 

(there isn't a lot to say about these plates as I have many to post. They are 1/1's, they are legit as you can tell the use from the backing which is completely silver, they all came from one seller, and they all came to me via Wes who blogged for Area 40 blog. Thanks Wes!)

Rodney's Cardboard: 1994 Pro Line Live Printing Plate

It's Sunday and the final week of the NFL regular season. A day I used to dread the past six years knowing the Giants season was coming to an end. But, not this year.

The Giants are on the road in Philadelphia in a pointless game for them and I am hoping they give their starters some rest. Though I would love to beat Philly and make them lose the number 1 seed, but we have a playoff game we need to be healthy for.

I DO HATE PHILLY.

Let's move on from that topic as that could turn into a blog post alone and tackle today's latest Rodney Hampton add which came thanks to a gift from my buddy Wes formerly of JBF blog fame.

He not only sent today's Rodney, but seven others that took a trip with it in my Christmas mail day. 

You read that right, SEVEN.

 

Out of those seven, four of those were printing plates or as they called them in the 90's, Press Plates.

This one is from 1994 Pro Line Live, a one-year product.

Thoughts on my latest Rodney Hampton add welcomed in comments and a thanks to Wes again for the add.

Good luck to your NFL Teams and I hope the Giants can pull off the upset with backups.

Have a great Sunday!

Rodney's Cardboard:1994 Starting Lineup

It's been a while since I have posted any new Rodney Hampton updates, normally I do it on Sunday's, but with this Sunday being Easter and with another post prepared for then, I will just dive in and do one today.

One thing I feel to make yourself a true Super Collector of a player is that you must have more than cards. Yes, cards are great and all but to really establish yourself as the main guy, you must mix in some other stuff. For Rodney, I have an autograph football, autograph mini helmets, autograph jersey, uncut sheets of cards, and oddball cards. But, what I was really lacking was some 8x10's and some figures. 

That ended at Christmas time when my buddy Wes hit me up with two of the three Rodney Hampton Starting Lineups I needed.

Today, we take a look at the 1994 Starting Lineup.

 

His 1994 figure comes with a card and the figure.

 

The back features some studs including Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, and Jerome Bettis to name a few.

Thanks goes out to Wes for helping me add this one to the collection.

Going forward, I expect Rodney's Cardboard to return to its normal Sunday spot until I run out of him to post as I haven't added a lot of new ones recently. It has been more challenging now that there are not many Rodney's remaining and not many new ones out there to chase.

I hope everyone has a GOOD FRIDAY.

Christmas Card 18

Christmas Card 5

Summer Of Wes Card #91

Player Highlights:Barry Sanders

You can't mention Barry Sanders without mention Highlights.

I can't think of a single word to use to describe what it was like growing up watching him. All I can say was that I was blessed to had done so. He is the GOAT and we will never, ever see another Barry.

In my mail day from Wes, there was plenty of Barry to show off.

Here is today's Player Highlights and I will let the cards do the talking.

 

How was that for a gallery?

And that wasn't them all. So it was like a sneak peek.

Not sure I will do more from this series or not. The first one was not at all popular in terms of views and comments so I may find another avenue to post these.

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 19: All I Want For Christmas Is You

Sorry readers. I know this title will hit your every nerve as we all know that big Mariah Carey hit is the most played Christmas song on the radio. It's not that its a bad song per say, but a lot are sick of hearing it.

Today's card features Jim Kelly getting ready to launch a Christmas present deep. Just hopefully there will be no Dallas Cowboys in his way. Sorry Bills fans.

The back of the card is like reading a Christmas card from the Kelly and Skybox family to us.

I know when it comes to presents this year, I always hope for card boxes and eBay gift cards but it doesn't always translate to that. A gift is a gift though because it comes from the heart. I know that sounds like a corny line from a Hallmark Movie but it's so true.

When I grew up, I was always disappointed by my presents though I know it was stuff my parents knew I would like. They just couldn't afford to get the stuff I actually really wanted like that Ghostbusters fire house or the entire line of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers figures. Every year I would get a notebook (I told you I love to write), some form of clothing and maybe one of the toys I asked for. Sometimes they would sign up for a Santa Fund which gives presents out to low income families. I wouldn't always get what I wanted from that either but made due. 

Even though stuff wasn't always what I wanted, I didn't just toss it in the trash. I always put it to full use and always treated and kept my stuff like a gem mint card.

Big or small gifts, its not the gift that counts. It's the thought. I tell myself that all of the time and live by it and hope you do as well.

What was a present you wanted growing up but never got?

25 Days Of Cardmas: Step Into Christmas

Today's song matchup seemed spot on I must say. Santa's boots+Step Into Christmas...yeah, I expect an applause for this one.

Elton John is one of my favorite all-time singers, thanks to my father, and one of my more favorable Christmas songs that I don't really hear that often on the radio is Step Into Christmas by the legend himself. Elton released this song 10 years before I was born in 1973, but it's a Christmas classic to me.

Today's card is another one of those NFL Properties cards featuring Santa. It's actually the first one in the 1993 series. This time it uses the Action Packed design and feel as well. It's one of the better used designs and pictures in the series as it makes me think of an old fashioned Christmas and those are the best ones.

What is your favorite holiday song you don't hear enough of?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 9:Coach Santa

Can you imagine a chunky guy in red suit coaching a football team to a big win...oh, sorry Chiefs fans. 

Coach Claus is looking for a way to lead Da' Deers back to the playoffs and make another run at another Super Candy Cane Bowl with his Snowflake offense and Chimney slide play.

According to the back of this card, it appears he has won the MVIP award again and netted another Wiseman Trophy for giving Playoff card to all of the good boys and girls.

Back in the 90's I had both coaches I liked and disliked. One of the most disliked coaches coached my Giants team. No it's not Ray Handley as I wasn't much into football then, it was Dan Reeves. He was a terrible coach for the Giants and ran the team into the ground before Jim Fassell brought it back to life.

Two of my favorite coaches in the 90's were Tom Coughlin for the Jaguars (who later on coached my Giants team to 2 Super Bowls) and Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos. I liked watching both of those teams play, particulary the Jags, in the 90's. They were my second and third favorite teams back then. Those coaches just knew how to win and connect with their players like Coach Claus does.

Good luck to Coach Claus and 'Da Deers if he is still coaching them this year. Hopefully they remember to wear masks so they won't be fined even in the North Pole.

Who are your favorite and least favorite coaches and managers?

25 Days Of Cardmas Day 8:Pinnacle Of Nate's Career

It appears Nate Newton had a pretty good Christmas in 1994 as a lot of boys I grew up with would have loved to had posed for a picture with any of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

Me on the other hand, I would have been the same kind of happy to had taken a Christmas photo at that time with Amy Jo Johnson or as some of you may know her, Kimberly the Pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.

This card was one of the more unique photos for the 1994 line from NFL Properties Santa Claus line and from previous releases as it went outside the Santa box and used an NFL player instead.

I thought it was pretty creative and even more so with the back of the card where it says "and to all a good Nate!"

Who was one of your crushes growing up?

Set Help:1994 Pinnacle Trophy Collection

 

1994 Pinnacle Trophy Collection Haves
231,214,112,83

Rodney's Cardboard:1994 Stadium Club Super Bowl

And, the right one finally popped up.

What do I mean by that, well, I have bought the wrong card (friends have picked this one up for me as well and it wasn't the right one), of the 1994 Topps Stadium Club Super Bowl Rodney Hampton.

Everyone kept listing it wrong, so I can't blame myself or my friends. I tried to Google the difference and it kept saying embossing. But, when everyone of those listings looked the same, it was hard to tell if any of those were embossed.

That's when a new listing came up. The card had the same description but the card looked different. Finally, it was the right one.

What I didn't know, was that it was invisible embossing and not the gold Super Bowl logo that was the usual find on these cards.

up close

Back of the card. I have seen this back way too much.

Glad to finally have completed this rainbow. At some point, I will do a full gallery of them. Some days I consider doing a separate blog of Rodney's and showcasing everyone I have all over again because some I showed on here have not been the full card. But, I don't plan on doing that anytime soon. I already have three blogs to keep up with, I can't add another.

Rodney's Cardboard:1994 June Beckett

I know this isn't Rodney' Cardboard, but Rodney's One And Only Beckett back cover feature seemed a tad long.

As far as I know and have seen, this is the only Rodney Hampton Beckett out there. I haven't seen any others that features him on the cover and sadly, the back cover.

On the front they featured Heath Shuler who was supposed to be the next big thing instead of featuring

What was the thing at the time. From 1991-1995, Rodney rushed over 1,000 yards, had a few double digit touchdown seasons and made two Pro Bowls. But made the back cover to Heath Shuler.

I was able to pick this up really cheap as I watched it for two years and the seller finally basically gave it away on an offer I made. It pays to be patient sometimes.

If any of you know of any other covers that Rodney was on for Beckett, let me know!

Rodney's Cardbaord:1994 Collectors Choice Gold Parallel

One of the final cards from 1994 Collectors Choice that kept eluding me was the gold foil parallel. Well, once again, COMC had one popped up and I overpaid to snag it.

When I talk overpaid, normally a card like this should be just a few bucks, well I paid $10 just to ensure I have it.

Gold foil front

 

regular back. Remember when card backs actually had pictures on them. Great action shot on this one. Something you always expected from Upper Deck.

We need Upper Deck football cards again.

Just two more 1994 Collectors Choice left. Need the Spanish and one of the Crash The Games and it's a done deal for it.

Check out NEW POSTS on a NEW BLOG that's not Caption This posts. The future is about to change on here so add this blog to your blogrolls

https://diaryofcollector.blogspot.com/

Rodney's Cardboard:1994 Topps Special Effects Uncut Trio Sheet

The set that got me drawn into collecting, made another return for me. This time in an odd trio uncut sheet.

I hadn't ever seen one of these before and didn't know they even existed.

This is a 1994 Topps uncut trio Special Effects parallel sheet.

 

Topps Special Effects parallel fell 1:2 packs in 1994 and was the parallel set that drew my attention to collecting. You can find multiple stories on here about it but the best one you can locate under Origins Of A Cardboard Addict tab.

The picture I took above doesn't do this card any justice.

I grabbed this one from COMC as my final purchase with the gift card for $3. However, when I got the card in hand I noticed some damage on it and contacted COMC who refunded me my $3 since the seller didn't list anything about it. I guess it could have been the way it was packed as well. But, since it's a rarity to even find this ,  I didn't want to return it and will have to deal with the fact there is some slight damage to the card. But, a huge thank you to COMC for their help in making it right.

Well, I promise that does it for sheet cards of Rodney unless I can find more.

Have you ever seen one of these before? Or any parallel uncut sheets?

Rodney's Cardboard:1994 Topps Uncut Sheet

I kept seeing this 1994 Topps uncut sheet featuring Rodney Hampton pop up on eBay a few times. So with one of my last gift cards I made a $7 offer on the listed $10 item. They turned it down.

Wow.

It's Rodney Hampton with a bunch of other guys, sorry Rod Woodson. And they wouldn't take $7.

I had given up because there was no way I was paying more than that and even still that was being generous. I just wanted it enough to offer that much.

Well, somehow or another while looking up parallels, I found another one of these sheets under $5! Sweeeeeet!

 

Here she is in all it's beauty. And no, I am not cutting them apart :) Full sheet add is a great PC piece. I just gotta figure out a way to store it now. That's the problem with any oversized card. Gotta make sure it doesn't get ruined.

Another uncut sheet next week! That one may make you hungry.

Do you guys collect uncut sheets?

Rodney's Cardboard:Variety Of Recent PIckups

When I took pictures of these, I forgot to take pictures of the backs so this will just be an ongoing gallery today for my Rodney pickups.

These were picked up on eBay and from a trade.

 

1995 Pro Line gold Super Bowl XXX that is numbered to 799.

1997 Pacific Invicible blue parallel

The final piece I needed for my 1996 Score was Artist Proof subset of 2nd Effort

I am not sure which parallel this is, but I grabbed it. I didn't own one with blue foil.

Collectors Edge die cut

 

1994 Action Packed All Madden 24K which you wouldn't notice the difference unless its side by side with the base card.  The only real big difference is on the bandage where the All Madden is all in gold. That's it. The base just has the writing in gold.

This does it for another Rodney's Cardboard. STAY TUNED FOR NEXT WEEKS where Rodney just isn't about the cards anymore. It's about the before cards. Stay tuned!

Rodney's Cardboard:1994 Upper Deck Sprint Phone Card

For the most part, all of the Rodney's in existance was on my huge checklist that I got from my buddy Jammin JD Sport Cards. But, occasionally some I find are not.

Today's is just that and it was added thanks to my buddy Wes.

 

It appears in 1994 Upper Deck released some phone cards with Sprint. Each of these are serial numbered (forgot to take a picture of the back for this post) and match the base card photo and design for the 1994 Upper Deck base set.

I didn't even know the phone card sports cards existed til 1995 with Pro Line. I guess they do.

Have you ever come across a card that you didn't know existed?

Things That Go Bump In The Night

On Halloween, I like to take a moment to reflect on what the holiday once was for me.

Watching horror movies with my mother all day leading up to Trick Or Treating. Every year wearing a silly funky smelling Friday The 13th hockey mask and having my parents drive me around door to door to get candy in my McDonalds bucket, while my sister sat in the car frightened from the one time experience she had going to a friend of the family's door and them jumping up from behind her. Playing pretend with some of my favorite horror characters with friends, yeah I was a young horror buff,  like Michael Myers, Jason, Chucky and Freddy Kruger. Then there was also the one time I went to a Halloween party just to play football outside and act like some of my favorite players from the 90's.

I know that last one doesn't sound Halloween-ish, but if you grew up then, you knew there were some scary players on the field. It was a different time in the game. A time where the game was played and not throwing out yellow flags for tapping a Quarterback on the shoulder. A time when big hits and unexpected plays weren't controlled by reviews and referees.

You had chilling names like Ronnie Lott, John Randle, Randall Cunningham, Steve Atwater and Derrick Thomas that got under your teams skin. I bet players and teams are still having nightmares about facing these guys.

In 1994, Coke celebrated some of these Monsters on the field with a special Monsters Of The Gridiron set. 31 of the NFL's scariest were monster-ized on cardboard and given names for their monster. I have just recently started adding some of these frightening pieces to my collection as I don't have a full set yet.

The set was distributed at a special Super Bowl card show in Miami but also in 12-packs of Coke.

 In this photo you see players like Jesse Tuggle as a Tarantula and Sean Jones as a Ghost.

Or Tom Rathman as Psycho or Maro Coleman as a Cobra and Ray Childress as a freaky scarecrow

Steve Atwater is The Bandit coming for your footballs....or just your candy.

 Derrick Thomas is right behind you as an Attack Cat!

It's a fun off-the-beaten trail set of cards you just don't see everyday anymore. It stood out to me as soon as I saw it. I just need to finish putting together the rest of the set. I am also curious how many of you collected these, still have them or now want to collect them.

I hope all of you have a Happy Halloween. Please be safe if you are taking your kids out and make sure to keep an eye on them and check their candy afterwards. You simply just can't trust everyone today. If you are going out yourself, please make good decisions especially if you are going to a party and have to drive home afterwards. And if you are just sitting at home handing out candy and cards, please be considerate and kind to the kids who come to your door. Set a good impression.

Also make sure that Steve Atwater isn't around, you don't need The Bandit running away with your stuff.