Christmas Card 19

Let's Talk About Sets Volume 52:More Adds

 

Sets Talk will take a hiatus after today's post. I don't have any more new set adds in to post about and may find a better way to post them.

Todays' Sets Talk includes set help from @OffBeatAllStars and Burbank Sport Cards Beckett Site (Emmitt Smith at the bottom that I saved 10% off on by using code 15Burbank at checkout).

First I get some Action from Action Packed. Great design, embossing is always a plus as well. But you combine that with the photography and you get an appealing set.

This was only some of the adds thanks to @OffBeatAllStars

Up next, we have some acetate action with 1996 Collectors Edge Presidents Reserve.

This will help some, but a long ways to go with this one. I should have just bought the full 400 card set for $20 instead of this torture chase lol.

And finally....

This Emmitt from Burbank closes me down to just a few left to this set.

I will also finish this post out with an update if you didn't see it on Twitter awhile back, I finally landed the last few cards for my 1995-1996 Flair Hardwood Leaders set. So that one we can finally call complete!

Shaq was the final card I needed and landed with a trade on Twitter. Names forgotten now but gave them a shout out already on Twitter.

A big thanks overall for all of the set help. Hopefully I can update everything soon on here.

Saturday's In The 90's: It's Complete!

 

Emmitt's reaction was the same as mine when I heard that my buddy @CardpocalypseNC had located and found the last missing piece for my 1997 Action Packed Studs set.

It was a year long need after I had located and built the remaining parts of the set. I didn't expect to finally complete this childhood dream set. Heck, after I owned one card from the set it was a childhood dream come true.

Here is the 9 card set all together. I just wished my camera could capture the beauty of them all.

I am also one card into the 1996 set and have contemplated doing that one as well as that set is only 6 cards but it appears the cards may cost a bit more each. But, if I can make this dream come true, it doesn't mean I can't make that one come true as well.

Thanks to Tim again for the help with this set. I am beyond happy to finally have this one crossed off.

Let's Talk About Sets Volume 47: Man 2 Man

Let's have a talk about sets, Man 2 Man.

Back in 1995 Sportflix released an insert set called Man 2 Man that fell roughly 1:8 packs. At the time, I pulled the Dan Marino/Troy Aikman version which had a book value of $25 and was one of the biggest cards in my collection.

Since then, we know the story of how values fell, and I am simply looking just to chase the set down and every year find myself inching ever so closely to doing so.

With these 2 new adds from Burbank Sportscards Beckett Marketplace (also saved 10% by using code 15Burbank), I am only 4 away from having the set.

The lentincular appeal is what catches my eye. It has a 3D look to it as opposed to other Sportflix cards that move when you flip them, these do not. Which makes them stand out.

I hope to complete this set by years end but have a lot of set updating on here before doing so. 

There will be other posts coming up soon in this series as I can't get enough sets.

As I always say, the more sets, the better.

Going Offbeat Again

@offbeatallstars and myself seem to be on a trading spree right now. This will mark the second one in about a month and it's the biggest trade we have done yet.

What started off as a few Steve Youngs, ramped up to a few other odds and ends cards and some serious, SERIOUS, set help.

 

This Sprewell is my first gold from this set for my 90's Spx project.

Eli Manning rookie card I didn't have was one of the first things I needed. Eli remains the second biggest player PC I have for the Giants outside of my main PC of Rodney Hampton.

 

What is the birth child of Sp Authentic, Upper Deck Sp came out in 1996 and had some decent looking base cards full of foil. I will say though that they player head pictures are kinda cheesy and hilarious on some. For example, look at that Troy Aikman.

 

Do I collect Andre Reed? No. Do I collect Bills? No. Do I collect 90's cards like this? Yes! Do I collect Collectors Edge? Umm Yeah!

What isn't there to like about this Marvin Harrison? Its a subtle mind control card that tells me that I need it.

Seeing Emmitt in a Cardinals uniform gives me the weird vibes everytime I do, but this card overall was pure fire. Literally. The eye candy of this card is why I needed to come home to me and not the fact it's Smith who I didn't like seeing in the 90's face my Giants.

 

The final piece of our trade was a ton of football set needs for myself which most will be posted in the popular series, Let's Talk About Sets. Stay tuned for those.

The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict: Monsters Of The Gridiron

Guess what's back...back again...The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict..it's back so tell a friend...guess what's back...guess what's back...

The return of The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict series is less Eminem and more like the return of Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees. Just when you think its dead, a bolt of lightning or idea revives it. This is the first time in almost a year I have posted a new part to this series I claimed dead at the end of 2019 and this latest one will also mark the third one in a group of Halloween posts. Guess you could say I have started a 80's horror saga of it.

1994 marked my final Trick Or Treating adventure at the age of 11 which is roughly the age a lot of kids lose interest in the holiday. My last rendezvous was an interesting one as it was the only time I didn't wear a glow-in-the dark Jason mask out to get candy. Mainly because I lost mine from the previous years and there were no more on the shelves as my parents waited until the day before to look for something. Instead, I wore a hideous light blue paint with childish ghost stickers that stuck to it. It was quite embarrassing as it was intended more for a four year old, but it's all they could afford and find on the day before so in order to get candy, you have to do what you have to do.

That night we went around to the usual spots but some weren't giving out candy and others had very little. It all led to the final sign that my Trick Or Treating was coming to an end.

If only I had the same options for costumes as the NFL Players did in the 1994 Coca Cola Monsters Of The Gridiron.

 

A spooky sheriff Emmitt

 

Cornelius about to tear apart the offensive line....and you

Zorro will slice and dice!

Move over Mr.Freeze, Pat Swilling is over here Chillin'

Who didn't grow up and worry that those Scarecrows in the dark corn fields at night weren't thinking of  a way to enter your house while you were sleeping...

Snakes are one of my greatest fears. If Freddy had visited my dreams, this is what he would have looked like

Tom is a Psycho....let's hope he doesn't have mommy issues as well

When I think Hyenas, I don't picture something as scary as Hardy Nickerson, I picture the goofy cross-eyed one from The Lion King.

This is only a few of the cards in the 31 card set. These cards came as a set and were distributed at the 1995 Super Bowl Card Show VI in Miami in exchange for 10 wrappers from any 1994 NFL card set.

The ones above may have finally finished up my set chase thanks to @tmchbmatt, but I will have to double check.

With only a couple of days left before Halloween, I sure hope you have picked out your children's costumes already. Don't let them have a Halloween or final Halloween like I did.

Set Help:1996 Zenith Noteworthy

 

1996 Zenith Noteworthy HAVES
2,4,5,7,10,18

Hangin' With Donruss

*takes a sip of coffee on this brisk 38 degree morning. Yesterday's highs got into the 50's and today will be about that as well. Another sip to keep warm and realizing that the season is changing fast is needed*

It's game day Sunday for the Giants. This used to be a time of excitement for me but as this season has progressed the Giants have looked worse by the week and today face the LA Rams who have played well thus far. If the Giants can keep it within 10 points I would call that a win especially after losing last week by 20 to a practice squad 49er team.

Enough with the sadness, we get enough of that this year already, I am just glad I actually get to watch football.

Yesterday marked my year end BBQ where I use the grill for the last time before the weather gets any colder. It will be put away today for next year as it would be hard to grill on my deck full of snow.

With it being game day, I thought it would be fun to show off my break of 2020 Donruss football.

My father was able to grab two hangers for me and two for himself before it sold out. My first blaster, which I opened was embarrassingly bad so I won't show that. However, the one I gave my wife to open was pretty solid so we will do that one. Not that I mind showing off bad breaks, but I think today I want to focus on the positive.

*takes a sip, begins to rip*

Every Hanger Box of 2020 Donruss football comes with 50 cards. Each box also promises 4 Press Proof parallels and shots at autographs and relics.

The Donruss base card design has kinda stayed par for Donruss for some time now. Nothing new about it.

Other than players in new places. It is weird seeing Rivers in a Colts uni.

The base set has 350 cards with 50 rookie base and 50 Rated Rookies as well. I didn't find any Rated Rookies in my pack and the best rookie I found was the Giants first round pick offensive lineman.

Up next we find the 4 promised Press Proof parallels which are red.

 

Can't complain about any of these guys with Watson and Kelly leading the way.

 

Other parallels include, Aqueous Test, Season Stat Line /500, and Jersey Number /99

 

Press Proof Parallels Of Red, Silver /100, Silver Die-Cut /75, Gold /50, Gold Die-Cut /25, Black /10, and Black Die-Cut 1/1.

 

*takes a sip*

 

For me though, it's not about the base or the parallels or even the hits, I come to Donruss for the inserts/nostalgia and their shiny appeal.

 

Nostalgia Factor kicks it off here with the Donruss 90 design. I think this would have made a better base card design. Panini should had chosen a different Donruss design from the 90's to use for their base designs instead of using them for inserts.

 

40 cards with this design is what you would be chasing. I won't be as they left off the Giants from the checklist for it. How could you not at least make a Saquon one?!

Gridiron Kings with one of the NFL's best young players. There are 15 of these to collect.

I found it interesting that Panini added a Optic preview set to this. It feels un-needed but I always do enjoy a chromed card find. This one is a blue /99 parallel. Not the greatest player to pull but hey, it's still a rookie QB. Other parallels of these to find are Holo, Pink, Red & Green, Red #/99, Gold #/10.

 

There are 100 of these to chase with Rated Rookies and rookies included.

 

How can you have Donruss without Elite Series? YOU CAN'T!! There are 60 of them to collect split by rookies and veterans.

 

 Best card of the pack found here!

And second best card.

Not that Nick Chubb is that shabby either.

24 Highlights to collect

17 cards in the Retro Series to collect. This has a 90s appeal.

42 of The Rookies to Chase

Dominators another Donruss fan favorite is still in here with 40 cards to chase

And to finish my break off, what appears to be a 80s looking insert ends it with Action All Pros. There are 18 cards to collect.

 

*takes a sip before closing up this post. Honestly, that's a lie. I just finished up this cup and am brewing a second one. I have to use the Keurig today because this guy forgot again to grab a can of coffee from the grocery store the other day thinking that he already had one at home. You should never ever do that*

Donruss once again was an entertaining break. It gave me all the feels with the nostalgia and the shiny goodness. I do wished I could have pulled some better rookies-at least I got that Burrow insert-or some more PC cards, but I will take what I get and can always search for the other stuff another time. It's all apart of the hobby fun.