I Got Hit With A #RandomActOfCoolness

If you are on Twitter, there is this amazing over-the-top generous Santa on there named @StrokerAceKid. I have followed him for many years now and have seen the many, many, many things he has just handed to people just for the fun of it. I have never seen anything like it.

The guy not only served our country, but is still serving it in a different way.

I hadn't ever inquired or even asked like some have for something free ever in the many years I have followed him. This year he left a tweet open asking what we would want for Christmas. One of my biggest wants has been a Saquon Barkley jersey to wear on Sunday's football games but my budget has been even tighter around the holidays so I wasn't expecting one. I have roughly 25 people to buy for and my wife always does work gifts and donations to the local hospital for babies.

I wasn't really expecting a response but I got one and he chose me to get the jersey I have wanted all year. I was in awe and amaze. How awesome!

About a week and a half later this bad boy showed up. Not only was it a jersey, but it was a nice one. Like the authentic kind unlike the Odell and Eli Manning I usually wear on and off. Wow.

I wore it that day, the Giants game against the Colts and Cowboys and plan on wearing it in the offseason.

A big thanks goes out to Jay for his generosity and every time I wear this, I will think of how I got it.

These Kind Of Christmas Cards Are The Best

Dennis from Too Many Verlanders was my main target of PWE attacks in 2018. Every time I see something I think he likes, I mail it out. It's a lot of fun on my end and I expect it to be that way in 2019 as well.

I was fortunate enough this year to be apart of his Christmas Cards mail out packages in which he sent out 20 surprises.

I got mine about a week ago and just getting to posting it now.

Dennis covered all three areas of my PC's.

Yankees galore,

David Justice (who sometimes I forget was a Yankee til a cardful reminder), and one of my favorite Yanks, Bernie Williams.

Mr Mattingly and his awesome stache'

I wasn't Bogg-ed down about these. Lots of 90's love,

Speaking of 90's love, awesome Score insert of Bernie here. Man, do I miss stuff like this.

And it was true love at first sight when I discovered this Bernie within.

 

And the final Yank was this Piece Of Action International Connection Posada. If I remember right, these International versions were not as easy as the basic relics to find in this product.

Then came a handful of Juniors. In 2019, I plan on re-sorting my entire Griffey collection and using a tab on here to post page by page my collection. That way if someone wants to send or trade me Griffeys I will know what I have and don't have. I do have a full checklist I may FINALLY fill out as well which would be easier to post. But, we will see.

Up next, some Gmen!

Numbered Jacobs and Shockey I didn't have.

Another Jeremy numbered. I loved this guy he was so dominant and just pushed over defenders like they were lighter than air.

Must be a team set from 2007 Topps football. This was a great year for the Giants when the rookies in this group stepped up big time to help lead them to a Super Bowl victory.

Eli who is supposedly coming back again next year along with Strahan another NY legend. I hadn't ever seen that Ron Dayne before.

Cruuuuuuuuuz

Bulldozer Jacobs. He reminded me of The Bus in terms of running style

Cruz passes the torch onto...

OBJ. Wished this guy could have stayed healthy this year.

A new Nassib for that side PC.

Getting my Game Face on with LT,

Two brand spankin' new Rueben Randles. He has one of the worst autographs.

Davis Webb. Who I hope pans out somewhere with my expanded collection of his,

One of my favorite All Time Giants in Amani Toomer. Great name as well.

And this wicked cool card in Tyrone Wheatley. Sport Flix should be brought back!

A big thanks to Dennis for this great Christmas gift. I look forward to sending you more PWE's in 2019 and actually have one ready to send out soon to kick off the New Year :) Keep an eye on that mail box...

A PWE Full Of Yanks!

The Chronicles Of Fuji has been one of my favorite blogs to read every time there is a new post out. The trips he takes to the flea market and the finds he has is remarkable. I also enjoy to see what cards of players he has to share. Many times I am left in my seat blown away.

Occasionally, him and I also share mail days. I recently mailed him a Christmas PWE and he returned the favor even though he really didn't have to.

It was interesting how he packed his PWE in comparison to mine. He fit soooo much more into his than I did mine. Maybe a somewhat new approach for me in 2019. We will see.

I didn't get the pleasure of opening any Stadium Club in 2018 so I will take what I need from the set. I had someone else mail me a few Yanks from the set but I am pretty sure two out of  three are new.

Winteryness which I can see right outside my window as I type this.

My first ever relic of Chien-Ming Wang. Not only a fun name to say, but I really liked to watch the guy pitch. This is a solid add to my Yankees PC.

Shiny, check. Bowman Chrome rookie card, check. NY Yankee, check. Three checks means it's a winner. Bradley Suttle didn't pan out as a 4th round pick but this card is pretty stunning.

Thanks Fuji for the mail day and hope to do more exchanges with you in the New Year!

Nuttin' But The Hits:1996 Classick NFL Experience

Unlike my first break from BBCE with a Summit retail box, this time I grabbed a full size box of 1996 Classic. This was a product line that reeled me in 1995 and I caught on to the love of it since.

Boxes come with 24 packs of 10 cards and only are $12. So a steal for someone like me. I would take this kind of a break any day over a blaster of today's junk.

Let's check out my break shall we?

The base cards are beautiful. Clean, full bleed photography like this Rodney Hampton I found in my first box. I already had one, maybe five copies of this already. This one will stay in the base set I am going to build.

Excellent photographs.

One of my favorite 90's QB's here,

The GOAT. Will Saquon ever be Barry? No. I love Saquon and everything, but Barry was something special to watch that will never be seen again. Saquon will be good, but nobody runs ten yards backwards and beats you for 80 yards like Barry.

Dan the Man. Wished he could have gotten himself a ring. Playing for the Dolphins is tough.

TD scored lots of TD's. Could have been an all-time great if it wasn't for the injury bug.

Curtis Martin to me played better for the Jets than he did for the Patriots.

This guy was fun to watch as well, except against my Giants.

My first two inserts are these Super Bowl XXX cards. Cool looking full foil cards. NFC had the darker background  (by the way was a huge fan of both of these players especially Kerry)

AFC version is more lighter,

Sculpted die cut insert. I pulled the Jeff Blake in my first pack. I remember how many collectors wanted Deion Sanders cards after he went to Dallas. Especially his first Cowboys stuff.

Printers Proof parallel. Only one per box. Remember when parallels were actually tough to find? Not in every other pack or every pack? I much rather have it this way. This one is of legend Warren Moon.

Well that does it. Two box break from BBCE. I did much better with the Classic as you can see. Next time I will get Summit hobby which was honestly only a few more dollars. I did bust a box of that already last year and had a blast.

Thoughts on this break?

Becketts, Big And Rich And Cards!

@APetrelak and myself have been making trades for awhile now. Most of the time, well, all of the time it's always football/baseball/basketball/other stuff for hockey. Which is a trade that always works out for me as I have been trying to dwindle down my hockey collection.

This time our trade mainly was football related but I did have a few other items included as well.

Alec had five new Becketts available so I said ,hey, why not and put those in our deal. I haven't had a new issue of any of the individual sports for years. Like years. My father is always calling me for book values so having these on hand will be great for that.

A few odds and ends from Upper Deck products and a Ohtani SCC card.

A few baseball and football cards.

AJ Green Phoenix Adrenaline Rush insert parallel.

Jaleel Scott rookie card. I always will add rookie cards.

Especially of studs like this. Now I need to find myself a Jackson autograph and have been trying already.

Sidney Jones auto.

Big And Rich signed autograph. Like I have said many times before, not a country music fan at all but anytime I can add a new signed piece to the non sport PC I will do so.

and the last card, which is what started this trade up, is this James Washington/Mason Rudolph auto numbered to 50. I am hoping Mason will take over for Ben when he steps away.

Another solid mail day from Alec and it was all wrapped in Christmas paper so it was like the present I never got. Thanks goes out to Alec for another great trade and I look forward to our next! I will be setting aside some hockey for you so hope to see the same with any football.