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.

A Christmas Breakdown

Gavin from Baseball Card Breakdown blog surprised me recently with a Christmas gift laden PWE.

As always, he nailed it in finding me cards I didn't have for my Giants PC which isn't very easy.

Of course it wouldn't be Christmas from Gavin without a cool custom to go along with the cards. I don't know how he does it but he can take a basic card and make it worthy.

Victor Cruz refractor. I wished he could had stayed healthy and stayed with the Giants at the end of his career.

Tim Carter didn't make it very long with the Giants, but I still collect him. I always liked the design of Topps Pristine but could never afford it.

I remember this photo like it was yesterday. Odell catching a slant from Eli Manning and taking it to the house, over 60 yards, for a game winning comeback touchdown vs the Ravens.

Majestic Eli Manning. Take that anyway you want.

Giants will need to make a big decision on Engram soon. Injury prone potential based player in his final rookie contract year. Will be interesting to see what they do. I would like him to come back as he has a ton of talent but needs to stay healthy. Would only take him back at a reduced price though.

Engram is also an "eBay 1/1"

Well, that does it.

Almost...

Found a perfect spot on my tree for the card ornament.

Thanks again Gavin for the mail day and hopefully we can make more trades in 2020.

The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict:Merry Christmas!

Christmas taught me a lot when I was growing up.

It taught me you don't need a lot to be happy.

It also taught me to take care of my stuff.

And it taught me to appreciate the small things.

Every year when I was a kid, it was the same ole, same ole story at Christmas, a pair of socks or underwear, a notebook since I liked to write and then maybe a toy I wanted or at least an off brand of it. You know the kind of stuff you would appreciate as an adult.

No big video game machines. No bikes. No Ghostbusters firehouse. No TMNT sewer.

So I learned to appreciate what I did get, use it to it's best ability and treat it well. I didn't run over my toys with my bike. I didn't tie a rocket to them like Sid from Toy Story.  I didn't feed them to my dogs like my neighbors kids. I played with them normally, gave them normal play wear and stored them nicely.

That has actually carried over to today with my card collecting. I don't have the vintage Mantle rookies. The big time prospect autographs. The Hall Of Fame patch card autos that are low numbered. I have what I have and I appreciate every piece of cardboard like it's as valuable as those things. Big or small like I said.

Like this Giants Pro Set Christmas card I got from @card_a_holic. This card isn't worth a whole lot, but to me it is. It was an extra in our trade from awhile back and it was something I hadn't seen and needed for my Giants PC. I waited this long to show it off and held back.

I didn't get much into Pro Set when I was a kid collecting mostly because it was from older sets before I joined the hobby. But, later in my teens I did grab some cards and learned to enjoy everything Pro Set had to offer. Especially it's oddball and rare error cards.

I don't expect anything under the tree this year, it's something I have become accustomed to as an adult, but what I do expect is to have family time and that's something no gift can replace.

I hope everyone out there reading this has a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday. However you celebrate it. Hopefully you all will find something under the tree and treasure it whether it's big or small. Take time today with family or friends and make memories that will last a lifetime. Grab that cup of eggnog and sip it and simply feel good about it. Give time or gifts to those less fortunate. Enjoy the food and all else that the holidays bring.

And finally, Happy Birthday Jesus!

Dennis Claus Is Sending Out Packages

You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout I'm telling you why, Dennis Claus is sending out packages.

He's checking your want lists, checking them twice, he's even gonna find out if you have been naughty or nice, Dennis Claus is sending out packages.

And he did! Dennis hit up multiple bloggers/collectors with Christmas packages and once again I was one of his lucky recipients.

First up some Yanks including Randy Johnson who I never get sick of seeing in pinstripes.

Jorge Posada Topps Chrome refractor

Bernie Williams Curtain Call. If you look at this card and it doesn't make you miss Upper Deck baseball cards you better check your eyes.

Paul O'Neil Finest. And no, I won't peel

Same goes for this Wade Boggs. To me peeling is taking away the mint of the card

New Griffey!!

Rashad Jennings numbered and a Salsa dancing Cruz.

Tiki!

Jacobs and Nicks were apart of the good Giants teams. I miss those days.

DRC refractor

I can't just stop with the Y, I need the rest now. I had been staring at these for a long time hoping to land one then get me motivated for the rest, well, here we are. Let's see how far I can go. They all have to be the same color though. So need to find the greens

Tiki Barber red uncirculated refractor.

Jake Plummer 90's checklist insert

and some set help!

Thanks goes out to Dennis for the mail day. Really appreciate it as always.

He sees you when you're sleeping (bit creepy huh)
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake

 

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
'Cause Dennis Claus is sending...oh Dennis Claus is sending...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Dennis Claus is sennnnnndddiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnng out Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaackkkkaaaaggeesssss!! 

 

YEAH!

The Origins Of A Cardboard Addict:A Charlie Brown and Ernest Christmas

Just like at Halloween, I try to watch the same list of Christmas movies every year. Mostly based off from what I watched in my childhood.

As everyone knows, at least those who know me well, Christmas is my favorite holiday by a mile. It's the day my Savior was born, it's full of cheer  and generosity and then to top it off, it's full of, Christmas lights. Those I decorate all over my house and then some.

When the second to sometimes third week of November,  I go full blown Christmas with my 8 totes in storage of decorations. It's not as bad though as those TV specials where it looks like the Griswolds house on steroids.Even though I would love to do that.

For my Christmas movies, I watch all kinds but it all starts with some National Lampoons Christmas Vacation then expands to other movies such as Four Christmases, Elf, Garfield Christmas (my second favorite Christmas movie besides Christmas Vacation) and then these two.

 

A Charlie Brown Christmas. Who doesn't remember waiting til this came on TV and sitting there with snack in hand ready to watch it.

Quick breakdown of the movie, Charlie Brown tries to find the true meaning of Christmas and it takes until he finds this one special tree that teaches him, and his friends what Christmas really means.

 

Ernest Saves Christmas ranks in the Top 3 of my favorite Ernest movies. Ernest Rides Again is number one followed by Ernest Goes To Jail and then this one. Ernest Scared Stupid is almost tied with this one but I gave Christmas an edge since it's about my favorite holiday. This one I don't remember coming on TV but my mom would rent the VHS copy and we would watch it that way.

Quick Breakdown of the movie, Santa finds himself heading to Florida to find his next successor who is a host of a popular children's show but gets himself into a bit of trouble and Ernest comes to the rescue! Of course only the way Ernest can.

Both to me are classics I have watched since my childhood. So classic that every year I have my father in law find us a "Charlie Brown tree" and we decorate it on my deck outside. He searches for the ugliest tree in the woods. As for Ernest, well, a goofball who helps Santa save Christmas reminds me of myself some days as a goofball at Christmas time who can sometimes have a little too much fun.

If you haven't seen either of these movies or the ones I mentioned above, you are missing out. So I suggest you do so immediately!

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas Eve!

I apologize for the short flashback today, but I am off to make some cocoa, eat some sugar cookies and choose one of these movies to watch.

Just Before The Holidays

Today, yes I am actually posting a mail day that arrived on the day it did for once, I got two unsuspected packages-well one I partially knew about-just in time for the holidays. Both senders had greeted me with a Merry Christmas in their envelopes so thought I would get this up before Christmas ends.

First up, a surprise of a surprise Christmas mail day from @CrattyPatty25 who I just also pulled off a trade with.

A few Star Wars cards I didn't have. Believe it or not, I haven't seen any of the new movies. I am still stuck on Episode 6. I just fear that I won't like them as my favorite movies are the originals, which turned out to be Episodes 4-6 but anyways that's where I stand with them.

 Jeff Gordon

 A set need

Gary Sheffield Upper Deck card

Black Gold football cards. I may actually need this exchange card for my Hampton collection. I will have to double check

 

Some more from the set including Favre. I like the desing and sparkle

 And my boy Rodney, that I do have.

Jacoby Ellsbury who I just wished the Yanks would just cut. Too much money for a guy just to sit injured. One of their worst signings ever.

 Aaron Judge rookie card

Strahan Gold Team

Star Quest cards. I remember chasing these and collecting them in the 90's. I can't repeat enough how much I miss those days.

And the final card, yes I know it's the Redskins, is Matthew Berry who I like listening to as a Fantasy Football expert.

Thanks to Cratty for the mail day!

Next up, a partial surprise mail day, he mentioned he had sent me a few things yesterday, from @MetallicarlUCT on Twitter who I met through the giveaway Tweet from @ngtcollectibles awhile back. Really nice guy.

He noticed I had started a Kerry Collins PC started up and passed some along.

 While also tossing in a Rodney Hampton card. I will have to double check on this one.

 Same goes for this set help. I am creeping like a newborn towards this set.

1995 Pinnacle rookie that can be used for both set and Collins PC

 Upper Deck rookie! I wanted this one as it's one of the rookies I didn't have. Now I do.

And then comes a Prism parallel /500. Beautiful card!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big thanks goes out to @MetallicarlUCT for the cards! I hope you enjoy the return I sent you as well. It hit the mail box today.

It stills blows me away the amazing collectors I have met through the hobby especially via Twitter. If you aren't following either of these guys, strongly suggest it!