Burbank Pickups Of The Month Part 3: Eli!

We have finally reached the final part of my mail day from Burbank Sportcards.

Today, we end with a group of Eli's that helped lead me to my 800 level.

Topps Chrome mini and mini base

UD Game Jersey

Prestige Down and Distance relic

Z-Team. Not quite as sharp as the ones from the 90's, but the dufex still stands out.

Remember, you too can order from Burbank Sportcards Beckett Marketplace and Save 10% off your orders from Burbanks Sportscards on Beckett Marketplace. Use Code: 15BURBANK at checkout to do so! Also spend $50 and you will get free shipping. BOOM!

Shop their millions of items in inventory now by clicking THIS LINK HERE:
https://marketplace.beckett.com/burbanksportscards_21/

Thoughts on my mail day and wondering what year Z-Team you appreciate are welcomed in comments!

Almost As Good

  

Back in 1996, Zenith was released and had what I considered to be one of the best looking inserts of its time in Z-Team. The acetate-rainbow card with black Z and colored player picture really stands out especially up close. Another one of those you need to see in hand and not on here kind of card.

I was fortunate at the time to had pack pulled one of Emmitt Smith at the really tough odds of 1:72 or in other teams, 1:3 boxes. That memory has stayed with me since and last year I sought out to complete the entire 18-card set which I was able to do.

While I was chasing that set, Panini decided to bring back the iconic Zenith brand and also the Z-Team insert.

The design of the product was basically a flashback to its 90's predecessors taking designs from 95,96 and 97 Zenith football.

The Z-Team insert for the product took that 1996 Z-Team design I was such a huge fan of an added a new upgrade to it. I couldn't wait to see one in hand.

I went to see the checklist for the product and saw a NY Giant was actually on it unlike 1996 and knew I had to find a way to land one. The only problem, you combine the cost of Zenith football box, the fact these are the only insert in the product and the base versions are limited to 50, these are not easy to find.

Fortunately for me, one was on bid and I still had some gift card left over from Christmas so I took the chance and went for it.....$12 later....and it was mine.

The version I landed though was not the base /50, it was the Gold /10.

The Giant on the checklist was no other than Saquon Barkley. Design of the card is similar to that one of 1996 but with a new touch. The card isn't acetate, however it has a thick cardstock. The rainbow shine is still there but it's all over the card and there is more touches of gold foil on it. The numbering is hard to see as it blends in with his shoe.

The back of the card is basically the same as the front but with writing.

Panini did a pretty solid job with this card and I would say it's almost as good as the original.

The next card I need in this set is the Saquon base card which seem to be a little steep for me so it will be awhile before that happens.

Let's Talk About Sets Volume 45:Noteworthy Adds

Let's talk about sets baby, let's talk about them with me, let's talk about all the good adds that can be, let's talk about sets.

This segment is back and we are getting down and dirty with some set adds. This time my latest help for my 1996 Zenith Noteworthy insert set.

Falling at 1:12, these Noteworthy cards note key stats from the 1995 season. There are 18 in the set to collect in all.

 

With these 7 new adds from Burbank Sportscards Beckett Marketplace (also saved 10% by using code 15Burbank), I am only 5 away from having the set.

What stands out to me, is the rainbow foil at the top and then a sepia foil set in at the bottom. It makes these cards not only shine, but the offset in colors makes them really stand out. 

1996 Zenith was full of great looking inserts and the base set as well. I completed the Z-Team chase but still have the football base, the 5 Noteworthy, and most of the Rookie Rising still to chase from the product before I am happy with it.

Plenty of Sets to come. You can chase sets at any age.

24 Years Later...

It's a story that has stood the test of time, the story of my first big pull of my youth.

I have shared that story many times across multiple blogs and areas of social media. I know many of you have heard it again and again, but, in order to do today's post, I feel it's needed to be told again.

Back in 1996, I went to a card show with my father. There was a new hot product out that everyone was buying called Pinnacle Zenith. Not only was it a hot product, but dang it was beautiful one from base card to inserts. It wasn't a "cheap" one either per pack so I knew I wouldn't be getting much if not any coming from a low income family. So my father and I scoured the card show looking for deals and grabbed a few cards here and there. Nothing too major. I was in luck that we had some funds still remaining and grabbed a couple of packs of Zenith before we were leaving the show. It's tradition at that show to open your packs there before you exited so I did so. Low and behold, as I ripped one of my packs, I saw something in the middle and slowly went around the card before the big reveal. I slid it out from behind the card in front of it very slowly and it revealed a 1:3 boxes-1:72 pack odd pull of a Zenith Z-Team which was of Emmitt Smith. I couldn't believe it!

The card was acetate with this really unique rainbow etching on it as well. There stood Emmitt in the forefront with a big Z in the back. I related it somewhat to Lord Zedd of the Power Rangers but let's save that discussion for another day.

I had multiple offers on that card on the spot including a few trade ones. But, I wouldn't take them. I wanted to keep that card in remembrance of that day. Regrettably, when I moved out of my parents house after high school, I left the card behind in my father's half of the collection because we split it up when I moved. Having been from a low income family, my parents needed some funds and since I wasn't at home collecting with my father anymore he sold off what cards he had including said Emmitt.

It took me 20 years to find that card again for a reasonable price and when I did, I bought one. No it wasn't the hottest rookie card or a card I will retire off from, but it was memories and nostalgia that only this hobby seems to bring back to me. That's what matters most to me about collecting.

After I got that Emmitt in hand, I began to think maybe I should take it a step further. That one card was so eye-attention grabber that I wanted to chase the set. I knew it wouldn't be easy as some aren't as available as others because they weren't easy to find but I said I would stick to it.

So for the past 4 years, 24 overall if you think about it, I have been chasing this set. I knocked down a card here and there when I found them and narrowed it down to one not too long ago.

 

That one, this Troy Aikman which also happens to be the number one card in the set. There was no other Aikman listings at the time and this one popped up at a cheap auction which I landed for $4 in the end. Heck of a deal looking at the last few that sold.

 

 

I thought I would give you a better look at the card in the light. Don't tell me you don't think this is a chill card.

Here is the overall 18 card set.

 

Lots of big names mixed in. I really wished one of them was a NY Giant, especially a Rodney Hampton one.

It's very invigorating to have accomplished this set. Now I just need to find a way to display them with pride.

Speaking of Zenith, Panini brought back the beloved product this year and the Z-Teams. It appears from the Z-Teams I have seen listed, that Panini tried to mock the design in this post. Not sure if they have the same feel or appeal in-hand, but I hope to find out. If anyone has any for trade, hit me up!

Breakin' Wax:1995 Pinnacle Zenith Football

1996 Zenith along Ex and the Spx's of the 90's were king to me. Nothing topped those. I know I mention often how much I love this set or that set, but deep down, those three can't be touched.

One product in the 90's I never got to open for football was 1995 Zenith. I opened TONS AND TONS of 1996, but never once laid sight on 1995.

In my latest box break from Shane over at Project Pedro Blog, I finally got the opportunity to open some even in box form for the first time.

In every box of 1995 Zenith football, there were 24 packs of 6 cards. There was a shot at three different inserts in every box, most notably, Z-Team.

There are 150 base cards in the base set, designed like the yellow brick road I would say, including veterans and

"rookies". For some reason or another, Zenith didn't do real rookies. They made it like baseball and called rookies, "rookies" from the year before like this Willie. In the three year run of the 90's, it never once put a true rookie card in it's product.

Like I said earlier, there are three chase inserts in the product.

Second Season which I didn't recognize at first. I assumed it was apart of the base set until I saw the numbers on the back. These fall 1:6 packs.

 

Give me some dufex baby! These Rookie Roll Call fell 1:72 packs and are beautiful both front

 

and back. I am chasing this set as well and you can also see that not more than 1200 sets were produced.

And finally the moment you have been waiting for....Z Team John Elway. Wowza!! These fall 1:24 packs or one per box. Much different than the 1:3 boxes the 1996 ones fall.

Just like with the 1996 version, I plan on chasing down the 1995 one as well. Cards look amazing.

How does this one live up to 1996? Well, it falls flat with the one insert and the base cards. 1996 base cards put these ones to shame. The Z-Teams look better in 1996 as well, but love me some dufex so this one is solid. Hard to beat a perfected product like the 1996 version.

I am working on so much from the Zenith 1996 product still and this one as well including the dufex inserts, Z-Teams, and base ones.

What are your guys thoughts on Zenith? Have a favorite year of it?

Let's Talk About Sets Volume 43:1996 Zenith Z-Team

I pulled my first Z-Team card in 1996 and always remembered doing so.

Fast forward 24 years later, here I am chasing that set.

The 1996 Zenith Z-Team were not easy pulls. They fell at a rate of 1:72 packs which translates to 1:3 boxes. I still have no idea how I had the luck I did to land one and to have that one be Emmitt Smith.

I am slowly creeping towards this set as prices are still not cheap this many years later for this tough insert. Fortunately, I was able to grab three more affordable pieces.

Marshall Faulk

Michael Irvin

 

And a Jerry Rice that normally lists for $20 and I made an offer and landed one for $4

All that remains now is,

1,8,10,12,14,15

Taking them down one by one and hopefully by years end will have this set complete by years end. That's a goal!

If you like the 90's check this out,

Truly Madly Deeply Pinnacle

Joining The Z-Team

One of my biggest pulls back in the 90's was from 1996 Pinnacle Zenith Football. I will always remember it as I opened the pack at a card show in front of many others ooogling over it. Ah, card shows, those sure were the days.

To get back on topic before I go into deep reminiscing, in 1:72 packs, or 1:3 boxes, were Zenith Z-Team cards. And believe it or not, I pulled one. And not just anyone off from the checklist, it was one of the greastest running backs of all-time-that I despise.

  

Mr. Emmitt Smith. This card was HOT. I had my friends uncle immediately offer me cash for it and a trade. Another as well wanted it willing to give up a few autographed Giants cards for it. But, I stood my ground and said no. I wanted this one to keep.

And keep I did.....til I moved out and my father sold it from under me.

It took me nearly 20 years to find another copy as most listed were the sample cards handed out, I didn't want those. I wanted a real one and finally found one. I kinda probably overpaid for it because the search was so long, but it felt worth it. I picked that one up a couple of years ago.

Since then, I have been on and off about collecting the set since I had one of the big pieces down.

Over the summer, I started to find a few deals here and there on some and it rocketed me to wanting to complete the set.

I am more than half way there, but am kinda at a standstill right now. I have 10 out of 18 cards in the set but noticed there hasn't been a listing for the Carl Pickens card for some time and that may delay me from wanting to complete it since I can't completely complete it.

Even though I am at a standstill, I wanted to show off how far I have gotten so far including some other big guys on the checklist.

Brett Favre

Curtis Martin

Cris Carter

Drew Bledsoe

Errict Rhett

Steve Young

Chris Warren

Isaac Bruce

 

John Elway

Not too shabby.

I have also seen that someone else completed my dream on this and listed a complete set of Z-Teams on eBay. Someone has also listed 1995 Score Red Siege and 1995 Summit  Ground Zeros sets as well which are big time ones I have been chasing for a couple years now.

This is a working progress like a lot of my other sets on here. Hopefully someday I will be able to close the gap on a lot of these sets. It's all apart of the hobby fun as I always say.

The 22-Year Search Is Over!

The year was 1996.

The setting was the local card show hosted by the LCS owner.

My father and I had been walking throughout the show checking cards out and kept hearing great things about a product called 1996 Pinnacle Zenith football. We didn't always have a lot of funds, but we tried to purchase a new product here and there when we could. We mostly spent time at cards shows interacting and trading with other collectors. I miss all of these things today as there is no LCS, card shows or other collectors in-person to trade with in my area.

So we headed for the LCS owner's table, he was the only one to set up with boxes and packs of cards, to find us a few packs to open. Sadly when we had gotten there, the card show king Ted, who seemed to had have endless money, had bought the last few packs of the box. As we started to walk back awaym Bubba, as we all called the owner, asked us if we needed something and we explained how we wanted to open a few packs of Zenith but it was gone.

Luckily for us, it really wasn't as he opened up a brand new box for us to buy packs from. I am not sure which one of us was more giddy, my father or I.

So we each snagged a couple of packs, my strategy was to take one from the front and one front the back and we began to open. It was a tradition for our small local card show that purchasers did their opening there for others to see.

The foil wrapper was fun to peel and was the most unique thing I had opened to that time. I slowly took the cards out and was immediately in love. The base cards looked superb. The black background with a nice gold football touch. This is like nothing I had seen before.

 

   

The rookie cards didn't look as impressive, but still had a nice design and technically they were not rookies since they were from the 1995 class.

 

As I started going through the cards in my second pack, my father went hitless in both of his, I noticed something a bit shiny in the middle. It's always been a thing if I see a hit of any kind in the middle of a pack, I always go around it leaving it for last to have a slow reveal with. As I slowly peeled back the card that was sitting on top of the pull, I saw the words Z-Team...then it had a blue/white uniform and then when I fully revealed the card, holy moly! I had hit an Emmitt Smith Z-Team!! It was not only of the hottest player of that time, but the card was not an easy find. 1:72 packs or 1:3 boxes. I was blown away. It was by far my biggest hit of my young hobby career at the time.

I immediately had offers from Ted, what a surprise, and my best friend Brian's uncle who was a big Cowboys fan really wanted the card as well but I wouldn't budge. It was my big hit. It was a sweet looking card. I vowed never to let it go.

Well, that was all fine and dandy til I moved out of my parents house and mistakenly left it behind. My father suspected I no longer wanted it and sold the card. I didn't think of the card once I moved out, I was in my hobby dark years of not collecting because I thought a girl was more important-bad decision by the way- and pushed the hobby to the side. But, after a couple of years , I came back.

So I went back through my collection and realized that the Emmitt was missing and my father apologized and let me knew it was gone. The biggest problem was after I found that out, there was no more LCS, no more card shows, and no collectors around. The person he had sold it to had moved as well. I didn't have internet access or even knew of eBay. I just had to take the loss and realize the card was gone possibly forever.

Years had passed and I had actually forgotten about the card. I had come on here to start blogging back in 2012 and as I was retelling some of my stories, I started to remember the Emmitt Smith that got away. Which also brought back my love of my favorite collecting era.

So I began a journey of trying to find it.

There were still no LCS or card shows, but at least this time I knew about eBay thanks to my wife. So I began to search. Some were overpriced, most were the promo versions. There were very few of these out there and I wasn't going to overpay for one even though I desperately wanted one. Then I looked to trading, nobody had one available. It started to look like I wasn't going to be lucky finding one at all.

Earlier last week however, one popped up at a fairly reasonable price. I checked, double checked and even triple checked to make sure it wasn't the promo version and was the one I had wanted. It was the correct version and I felt a huge sigh of relief.

So here it is for the very first time in 22 years in my hands to now officially stay there. I present you the 1996 Pinnacle Zenith Emmitt Smith Z-Team!!

 

I know this isn't the hottest card on the market today or even has the value it had years ago, but to me, none of that matters and never has. What does matter to me most in this hobby is the memories and nostalgia attached to those. Those are things much more valuable and this Emmitt Smith card even from a Giants fan will always have those.

Random Card On My Desk:1997 Zenith Z-Team Jerry Rice