Sunday, March 17, 2024

2023 Chronicles NASCAR Blaster

2023 Chronicles:  Chronicles is always fun with a ton of variety.  We'll kick it off with a cool Jeff Gordon Torque.  I really like that photo.  NASCAR is in Bristol, TN today.
Ryan Blaney is the reigning NASCAR Cup Champion.  I'm good with that Zenith card. The Recon isn't bad but I'm still not sure.  I do think I like Vertex.  This is my first look at this set and the blaster was a find when I was purchasing something from Target.com.
That Jeb Burton is a base card, of which there are 20 in the set.  Very small number but of course this set is all about the variety.  I like the Score card on principle but it really needed something in the bottom right corner.  Driver car number, a driver helmet, a tire, a car.  Something.  It looks so blah as is.
Ben Chastain is all smiles.  A guy most drivers aren't fans of, but you can't deny he's got talent.  The Brandon Jones Status Swatches is my relic from the blaster.  
Again the Torque cards are sharp.  And what a name for truck series driver Lawless Alan.  Classics is good looking as well.  
I like the Pedal Metal cards.  Lots going on but I like that we see the car as well as a couple of looks at the driver.  More youngsters than veteran drivers and retired greats in this set.  Not a negative but something to know going in.
My favorite driver of today, Kyle Busch, making a nice appearance on a nice looking Thunder card.  Fun box.  Probably seek out some singles from the box.  I really like the Hailee Deegan card.  Good photo, design and we see her at the track in front of her car.  Makes it stand out from the other cards.  
BREAKDOWN:
25 – Total Cards
5 – Green Parallels
3 – Vertex
3 – Chronicles
2 – RC
2 - Score
2 – Torque
2 – Luminance
2 – Pedal Metal
2 – Donruss Classic
1 – Recon
1 – Mosaic
1 – Zenith
1 – Thunder
1 – Elements
1 – Titanium
1 – Luminance
1 – Retired Great
1 – Clearly Donruss
1 – Status Swatches



Saturday, March 16, 2024

Random Wax: Kayou Hero Battle Series 1 Legend Booster (2 Packs)

Kayou Hero Battle Series 1:  Been a while since I showed some of these off so let's do two more packs.  This UR Ant-Man is the "rarest" of the cards I pulled. It's a UR and I'll show the order of rarity later.  
A checklist of these cards can be found here.  This set is based around the characters in the Avengers movies. As a fan of that phase of the Marvel universe these are fun.  The grandsons really like them too since they grew up with these movies.  Some of the recent Marvel card releases are more expensive and show the more classic or comic versions of characters which the grandsons aren't as familiar with.
I really like that War Machine card.  To recap these are part of a licensed card game from China.  The card stock is thin, feeling like playing cards and the corners are rounded.  The lack of affordable comic cards set me down this road of cards.   In order they go R, SR, SSR, HR, SGR, LR, UR, MR, and CR in that order from most common to the rarest.  
I really like these cards.  Right in my wheelhouse since I enjoy the movies as much as the next guy.  Details on these sets are hard to find but there I did find this Facebook group helpful.   Nice looking Captain Marvel to end it on.

BREAKDOWN:
12 – Total Cards (2 Packs)
4 - SR
1 – UR
1 – SGR

 

Friday, March 15, 2024

Random Wax: 1990-1991 SkyBox Basketball (3 Packs)

 90-91 SkyBox: I'll kick off these three packs with my #2 all-time favorite player, power forward Buck Williams.  His stats won't wow you but he was a three-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, the 81-82 Rookie of the Year and a four-time All-Defensive player.  He started out with New Jersey and something about his hard-nosed play drew me to him. He was eventually traded for Sam Bowie and a 1st round pick (Mookie Blaylock) to Portland where he would play in two NBA Finals for the Trail Blazers.
Three more favorites of mine from the era.  Jack Sikma has continually moved up the list for me all-time and won a championship as part of the Seattle SuperSonics.  Tripucka and Dantley weren't known for defense but could score.  Sikma and Dantley are Hall of Famers.
Man, Hersey Hawkins could shoot including 39% from deep for his career which really would have played today.  Manute's son Bol Bol is in his fifth season now playing for Phoenix.


Love these backs to include the forward thinking per game averages for stats.  Panini still gives us total three pointers made instead of a percentage.  Really?  
Michael cooper was great defensively while helping win five championships with the Lakers.  Bogues averaged over seven assists per game for his career.
Never ever leave Glen Rice open in NBA2K.  Just saying.  He's fun when he's on your team though.  Great packs of cards.  This design is always fun and the players have so many great memories.  

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards


Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Random Wax: 2019 Score Football Hanger Box

 2019 Score: I love this set so let's do a hanger box with NFL free agency starting today.  Hopes and dreams start today for teams and players hoping to improve their teams and positions.  Stefon Diggs is a Buffalo Bill now but I know Buffalo is hoping to upgrade the receiver position through free agency and the draft next month.
Some really good photos here to pair with the design I enjoy so much.  I think this is my 13th post on this set.
Ups and downs for Daniel Jones and Marquise Brown but DK Metcalf has been very good his entire career in Seattle.
Both of these inserts are good.  Colors match the teams and they look good.
Signal-Callers are shiny inserts.  Andrew Luck had just completed the final season of his career and retired to shock the NFL world.
Showing off the backs of these Throwbacks inserts which might be better than the fronts.  That color and design really make these say "throwback".
I found these hanger boxes at Blowout Cards last fall for $12 a piece so I couldn't resist.  None of these three on the NFL Draft inserts has done anything of note in the league.
Fun.
Epix are favorites of collectors and Mahomes and Donald make them even better.
Fitz is a favorite player of mine and I like the Captains inserts.
I like Huddle Up but this isn't an actual huddle.
As always these are fun.  Jessie Bates is a Falcon now.  I wasn't happy with his signing, but he really was good this season.  Another nice photo on that Orakpo card to end this box.

BREAKDOWN:
60 – Total Cards
13 – RC
4 – Purple Parallel
3 – Epix
3 – NFL Draft
3 – Throwbacks
3 – Signal-Callers
2 – Fantasy Stars
2 – All-Hands Team
1 – Huddle Up
1 – Celebration



Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Random Wax: 1988 Fleer Baseball (3 Packs)

1988 Fleer:  Back to a favorite of mine.  Both of these guys are legends in their own ways.  Similarly they both won championships in their careers, were great defensively and someone it seems were well liked.  I don't think I've ever heard anything bad about Schmidt.  Probably some things about Gary Carter but I feel it's because he was with the Mets.
These three packs had plenty of greats from the era.  Joe Carter would go on to win two World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays and have one of the more iconic World Series moments as he walked it off in the ninth inning of game six of the 1993 World Series.

We all know Mark Grace had the better career of these two but Darrin Jackson did manage to play parts of 12 seasons in the league.  
Tom Glavine is a top five all-time favorite baseball player for me so these are always fun.  1987 was his rookie season and didn't show a ton of promise for the Hall of Fame player who had just made his debut.
Bret Saberhagen and Jack Morris need no introduction but Mike Witt was a good pitcher in the 80s earning two all-star nods.
Love these stickers!  Why we don't get these today in sets I'll never know.
Kirt Manwaring had a solid 13 season career while John Burkett was a two-time all-star including one as an Atlanta Brave.
I really like that Reggie photo.  A huge part of his career was as an Oakland A where he won three championships.  Still the all-time leader in strikeouts as well.  These three packs really delivered when it comes to memories and with the star power.
BREAKOUT:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 - Stickers
2 – SuperStar Specials
2 – Major League Prospects



Sunday, March 10, 2024

1996 Upper Deck Silver Collection Football (Affordable Breaks)

1996 UD Silver Collection: I chose multiple teams from an Affordable Breaks break of this set.  I wasn't familiar with the set but liked enough of what I saw online to jump in on some teams.  We'll kick it off with Eric Metcalf who was converted to a pass catcher in that high throwing Atlanta offense.
I know those backgrounds look really shiny but they aren't that way in hand.  A bit shiny but the backgrounds are clear and colorful.  Just what the scan did to them.  The Jeff George era in Atlanta was not a good one but in his first two season he did throw for a lot of yards.  Terance Mathis was a really good receiver in his eight years in Atlanta including helping them get to the Super Bowl in 1998.
Andre Reed and the Bills had recently ended their four-year run to consecutive Super Bowls and while winning 10 gems 1995 and 1996 they were on the downturn of that great era.  Would have liked to see a team logo on the card fronts.
I love the Buc's creamsicle unis and many players from that era.  Here we get a couple of linebacker greats from Tampa Bay.  Nice Hardy Nickerson photo.
I'm a fan of Jim Everett and Michael Haynes, who was a speedster for the Falcons prior to playing for New Orleans.
One of my favorite all-time players in John Elway...in a very awkward looking photo.  Upper Deck could have done better and did on that Terrell Davis photo.  Speaking of the Super Bowl Atlanta played in, these three led the Broncos to the lopsided victory in that game that was never in question from almost the get go.
Even though we don't get career stats for players on the backs we do get a nice colorful second photo.  More creamsicle greatness.  I like these.  Where is the team logo on that Everett card though?
A couple of inserts.  I like the die-cut All-NFL team cards.  We also see a League Leaders Bryce Paup card.  Every set should have Leage Leaders cards.  I also like that we get Offensive Line cards.  Those dudes deserve love too.
I like all three of these photos.
Andre Rison was in Cleveland for one not so memorable season but was great for the Falcons in his five years with the team.
I always liked Terry Allen who once led the league with 21 rushing touchdowns as a Redskin.  Upper Deck made up for the poor photo on the front with this John Elway back.  Fun cards.  Check out Affordable Breaks if you aren't already.  Fun cards.