You Wanted More

Packs are tragic, cards are bold, you will always open what you wanted more
Packs can be hard, cards are strong, you will never say they don't belong

Cause I wanted more
More than I could get
More than I could afford

For about a year, I have watched a five pack lot of 1997 Bowman's Best football packs rot away in my watch list. I just couldn't pull the trigger on them despite the slight price decrease every couple of weeks.

Why wouldn't I want the shiny-goodness that comes from Bowman's Best? Well, I busted a box not too long ago and have most of the base set-I still have some needs for it-and wouldn't want to bust more just to land a bunch of dupes. It's not like its 1997 anymore and I can trade my duplicates with my friends. They no longer collect and haven't for years.

Then the price dropped again....

I wanted more
More than I could bear

And for $3.49 and shipping, I finally pulled the trigger. Those packs went for much more individually back then and the risk over reward seemed worth it. What happened if I pulled a refractor of Brett Favre? Autograph? Tough insert? Maybe even some set help?

A few days later, they arrived and I was in happy anticipating. Remember that this was awhile ago I picked these up before Coronavirus. Mail right now must be carried by horse and buggy at the speed it moves. Most packages for me take a week to ten days to arrive depending on where it's coming from.

I believe packs of this in the 90's carried a $6.99 price point. At least it did where I bought them. Today's gamble lot I grabbed is $1.47 a pack with shipping involved in that price.

Each pack of 1997 Bowman's Best Football comes with 6 cards and with chances at Refractors,
Atomic Refractors, Mirror Images with Refractors and Atomic Refractors, and Autographs with Refractors and Atomic Refractors. With key rookies to find of Jake Plummer, Corey Dillon, Tony Gonzalez, Tiki Barber, Warrick Dunn, and Jon Kitna.

Any of those names hit the spot?

With five packs in hand, I couldn't decide how many I was going to open. With any pack lot I buy, I always find myself not opening the entire lot. I always save one or two for memories sake. So I decided to break three out of five and save two for the memories. At least then sealed, those two packs would be worth the price of admission I paid for the lot.

I broke these down by pack. So let's see how I did and let's hope for something good!

Pack 1: Key highlights, Eddie George, Cris Carter and Andre Reed base. I also dig the old school Ravens logo on the Vinny.

Pack 2 Key Highlights:Derrick Thomas, Marvin Harrison and Natrone Means with the Jags uni.

Still no rookies. Hmph.

Ohhhh, that's because Pack 3 Highlights has two rookie cards in it. We have the two rookies in Ike Hilliard (PC material despite having three copies already), David LaFleur (who appeared in every pack I opened I felt in 1997) and a Drew Bledsoe base.

Not a whole lot of whoopie here, but it was fun. That's what truly matters to me.

Opening these three however left me staring at the other two like they were still in my watch list. Like they were the last box of Dunkaroos on the store shelves. Like they were the last chance date with Kelly Bundy.

Will I be able to withstand the temptation......time can only tell.

Cause I wanted more
More than these packs could give
More than I could handleAnd packs that I can't live without opening

Today's lyrical re-write is from the song You Wanted More by Tonic in 1999. Great song that you should listen to over and over again like I do.

My Experience On TCDB

In the past couple of weeks after seeing many bloggers hype up Trading Card Database, I decided it was time I really pushed to get an account on there and check it out.

I kept seeing post after post about successful trades, RAK's and other bloggers telling me I needed to get on there since there could be Hamptons and Collins I may need.

So I finally set up an acct as SCC which is obviously Sport Card Collectors short.

I then began exploring the forums where I figured I would spend a lot of my time especially in the trading ones. I found a guy who I think had a Rodney Hampton I needed and messaged him. No response. Messaged again nicely, no response. Gave up.

Started a thread about how I collected Rodney Hampton, Kerry Collins and Eli Manning. First response, "Is This Some Kind Of Joke?"

I wasn't feeling the warm welcome as I expected and heard about.

Then I had a few, "you have no trade bait or want lists", then a couple of great people who backed me for trades in Billy and Jasonongerman9, thanks to Billy's backing got three messages where I thought trades were going to begin but instead two backed out, then some more lecturing on my thread on how I should be using the site.

Okay, my thoughts from my thread.

1. Yes, I agree, the site is pretty cool how it's set up and keeps a database of your cards. For someone who has the time to do it right it would be a useful tool
2. I have my own database of needs already. Having to redo all of that hard work just seems like a waste of my time when it's already done. I don't get much time for the hobby so I would rather utilize my time doing other things such as sorting, blogging, etc.
3. I have soooooooooooooo much trade bait I couldn't ever get it all posted on there in my lifetime. I am much easier to work with when you tell me what you collect and I can tell you what I have
4. I felt a few of the responses were a tad rude,but others were nice. I guess it's another one of those forums like Blowout where it's hard to start out as the "new guy"
5. I was fortunate enough to find a member in sgtpppr84 who was the third one to message me and we struck a trade. 

sgtpppr84 was fine just looking at my want lists and put together a nice solid trade lot of set needs for me.

18 new 1995 Fleer Ultra Gold Medallions

Fleer Ultra inserts

1995 Summit Backfield Stars Marshall Faulk

Cris Carter hologram Pro Bowl

Sp Holoview Rod Woodson

Stadium Club Metalists

1995 Stadium Club Power Surge. Great looking foil card

1995 Topps Air Raid. Now I have two of them out of 10.

Thanks to sgtpppr84 for taking a chance on me and for being a really easy trade partner. I am hoping this is a start of future trades for us. I also hope you enjoy the return I sent you as I may have sent along a few extras :)

In the end, I don't plan on using the site to its full extent or possibly at all. If someone wants to trade with me the way I want to, I will. However, I won't be spending my extra time putting in the same info I already have done. Hopefully sgtpppr84 will do some more trades with me as well. If any of you who actually use the site to its full extent want to do some trading for me, I will trade with you to get the things I need. So if you see Hamptons or Collins or Eli's I need, just make the trade and tell me you did so we can work out a deal. I am sure I have something for you.

My plan is to start initiating more blogger trades again. Those are much more fun and less complicated. If you are a blogger and we haven't traded yet, just drop me an email!

Now I gotta know, how has been your experience with trading on the site gone?

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/

Let's Talk About Sets Volume 18

Let's talk about sets baby
Let's talk about it with me
Let's talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
Let's talk about sets (1995)
Let's talk about sets (Summitt)
Let's talk about sets (Uh huh)
Let's talk about sets....

1991 song by Salt-N-Pepa was about a much different topic than I am turning it into. You see, I am staying on topic with cards. Not,well, what they were talking about. This newest segment about the 90's will focus on my set chases (the ones I have already used for a Origins Post or don't plan on using) and new additions to them along with updates on how far I have gotten.

It's time for us to sit down and have that discussion between your parents and you that you tried to avoid. You know, that conversation you have with them about the Flairs and the Pinnacles. Kids, it's time to Talk About Sets.

Today's sets talk is from my trade with @card_a_holic who I said caught my attention from having set needs for me.

So let's check out the sauciness today.

In 1995, Pro Line Classic had these great looking foil die cuts celebrating the Pro Bowl. I pulled quite a few of them and almost believe they were 1 per pack at the time. But, over the years things started to disappear and I was left with only a few. So time to build that up!

Thanks to Brian I was able to.

Junior Seau

Deion Sanders

Cris Carter

Warren Moon

Reggie White

Thanks to Brian I now have 12 cards towards the 30. Not half way there yet but getting there. As always, if you can help with sets please let me know!

Flashback Product Friday: 1989 Topps Football Wax Box

 

36 packs per box, 15 cards and 1 sticker per pack

Look for rookie cards of Thurman Thomas, Cris Carter, and Michael Irvin !

Boxes will run you about $20 right now.