Random Wax: 2022-2023 Hoops

22-23 Hoops:  Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves are having a great year securing the #3 seed in the Western Conference.  Minnesota has found a new gear with their defense this year and it's fun to watch.

I'm pretty happy with this design and when I started seeing discounted packs hitting the shelves I didn't hesitate to grab some.

Jalen Williams had an excellent season in OKC averaging 19 points per game while shooting 42% from 3.

Pat Connaughton and the Bucks really struggled this year after adding Damian Lillard.  Maybe they can figure it out next season similar to what happened with Minnesota this year after they traded for Rudy Gobert last year.

Jayson Tatum Hoops Tribute.  Those are very popular with collectors and it is a good design.  Grayson Allen, now a Phoenix Sun, led the league shooting 46% on 3s, shooting almost six a game.

Gordon and the Nuggets are a #2 seed this year but are still favored to come out of the Western Conference.  Nice photo of the aforementioned Damian Lillard.  Fun pack of cards and you'll see more of these.

BREAKDOWN:

30 – Total Cards

6 – RC

2 – Hoops Tribute

1 – Skyview

1 – Arriving Now

1 – Purple Parallel

1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

Random Wax: 2019 Score Football Hanger Box

2019 Score:  I'm a huge fan of both Larry Fitzgerald and 2019 Score Football.  I also like these Captains inserts.

This is another of the hanger boxes I picked up last year as part of a sale on BlowoutCards.  Love this design and there are some really good photos.

None of these three have made an impression on the league, or even seen the field in Hall and Moore's cases.  But I still enjoy seeing them in their college unis and snow photos are always a plus.

These are a bit of a shiny card.  They are okay but not one of my favorites.  No complaints with Mahomes though.

Folks love Epix and I pulled two really good players on these.  Great photos on that All-Hands Team Julio Jones.

Not a huddle, but I'll roll with it.  I like these inserts overall.

Throwbacks are inserts I really like.  Don't get much of a "throwback" feel with that Steelers uni.  Not sure what they were going for.  Fantasy Stars are nice cards in hand.  

Plenty of options to see youngsters on cards and again we see their fun college unis.  Those first two are NFL Draft inserts.

Nice celebration insert.

The backs are just as fun and plenty of color.  I dig 'em.  And we end it with a great photo of Marquise Goodwin.

BREAKDOWN:

60 – Total Cards

12 – RC

4 – Epix

4 – NFL Draft

4 – Purple Parallels

3 - Captains

3 – Signal-Callers

2 – Throwbacks

2 – Fantasy Stars

2 – All-Hands Team 

1 – Huddle Up

1 – Celebration

1994 Ted Williams Baseball (4 Packs)

 1994 Ted Williams: We'll kick off these packs with the man the set is from, Teddy Ballgame.  What can you say about this guy.  Amazing hitter that never disappointed.  His career .344 batting average and .482 on base percentage really stand out to me.  The latter is the best all-time for a career.  I do think Ted Williams owned the company that made these cards.

I paid less than $1 a pack for 20 of these packs which I'll show off over time.  The fronts aren't bad but it is so hard to read the player names.  Team logos from the eras of each player would have been a nice touch as well but overall, they are solid.  Red Schoendienst, Eddie Matthews and Walter Johnson grace these three.  Fun seeing greats of the game on newer cardboard.  Also liked both styles here which shows older players with a muted photo in the background as well as the primary photo.

The Campaign cards showcased youngsters in the game.  Johnson was great defensively, a 2X all-star and won a World Series title while Michael Tucker had a career spanning 12 seasons hitting .256 over that timeframe.

I really like the Women of Baseball inserts which true to the title showcase the women who played professionally.  Etched in Stone displays career highlights of players.  This card talks about Maris' 1961 season and the toll it took on him.  A little different take but a good read.

Swingin' for the Fences are fun speaking to specific hitting performances of baseball greats.  I wasn't familiar with Joe Adcock's accomplishment.  Seeing thing I don't know about the sport is fun.

These Gene Locklear Collection inserts are pretty cool.  The art isn't perfect but it works for me.  Eight players in this portion of the set which is a continuation of a 1993 Ted Willams baseball insert set.

Goin' North looks at players at the beginning of their MLB career.  That Brian Hunter is part of the Dan Gardiner Collection inserts which includes a Michael Jordan insert.  Tim Salmon and Cliff Floyd are both showcased in the Dawning of a Legacy cards.  I'm a Tim Salmon fan so I'm in.  Both were worthy inclusions.

Here we have the backs of two MLB players as well as one of the ladies best.  The backs are good.  I like write-ups and enjoy seeing the best five seasons in stats.

The Negro Leagues are a great inclusion in this set.  So many great players who would otherwise not get time on cardboard.

These are fun.  Good variety, not all the players are ones you'd expect, and it's great seeing all these all-time greats.  I look forward to showing off more of these over time. 

BREAKDOWN:
48 – Total Cards
6 – The Campaign
3 - Checklist
3 – Negro Leagues
2 – Going’ North
2 – Women of Baseball
2 – Dawning of a Legacy
1 – Etched in Stone
1 – Dan Gardiner Collection (#59886)
1 – Gene Locklear Collection (#05679)

2023 Rookie and Stars Football

2023 Rookies & Stars:  Day two of the NFL draft is today so some Rookies & Stars feels appropriate.  Maxx Crosby is one of the best linemen in the league.  Raiders need a QB so I'm curious if they can get one this week.

Overall I kind of like these.  Wish there was a bit more color where we see that gray.  Just feels like they could have done something different.  Still, it feels like a Rookie & Stars design.

Great rookie pull!  Nuff said.

Some nice color on that Rookie Rush insert.  I really like the Crusade inserts as well.  No complaints with Draft Class.  Seeing players on draft night is fun.

I really like the Man in Motion inserts.  Great photo and the background works.  Jamaal Williams didn't have a great season but he looks good here.

One of my two Green Parallels.  The backs are not great but there is some color. Need some stats though.  Nice A-ARon appearance.

These were fun but at $13 a pack I don't know if I'll grab more.  I'll never say never but I'm not sure why they are so much.  I'll finish it off with some defensive studs and three-time world champion Patrick Mahomes.  Everyone's hoping to draft the next Mahomes in this draft, right?

BREAKDOWN:
40 – Total Cards
16 – RC
2 - Crusade
2 – Green Parallel
2 – Man in Motion
1 – Draft Class
1 – Rookie Rush

2023 Illusions Football Blaster

2023 Illusions: It's draft day!  Hopes and dreams start tonight for players, teams and fans alike.  We'll kick it off with Mr. Irrelevant, Brock Purdy.  Purdy has only started 27 games total including playoffs and he's already been to two NFC Championship games and one Super Bowl.

Some receiving greatness from the league here.  Traditionally I like Illusions.  This year's design is pretty good.  I wish the background photo was different than the photo in the forefront.  That Travis Kelce is a Dots Trophy Parallel.  Not sure what the "Trophy" part of those parallels refers to but Trophy is theme throughout some of the parallels in this set.

Rookies including an Emerald Trophy Parallel of Zay Flowers.  These cards look a lot different in hand.  I don't see many Illusions cards posted or written about.  Doesn't seem that popular so I'm a bit surprised I still see new sets each year.

The backs are somewhat boring, but the write-ups are fair.  One hundred base cards in this set so base team sets are only 3-4 cards.

Inserts including acetate designs in Mystique and Funkadelic.  I like the Funkadelic even without much color.  I'm good with the Amazing inserts as well.

One relic in the box and mine was a Great Expectations insert.  Dell had a solid rookie season teaming up with CJ Stroud.

Not sure I'll pick up more of these.  They are fine but not as excited about these as I once was.  Great C.J. Stroud acetate insert.  Pulled three of the top QBs from last year's draft in this blaster.  Hope everyone is happy with their team's draft!

BREAKDOWN:
36 – Total Cards
18 – RC
3 – Emerald Trophy Parallel
1 – Amazing
1 - Mystique
1 - Funkadelic
1 – Illusionists
1 – Dots Trophy Parallel
1 – Great Expectations Relic

Random Wax: 2021 Contenders Football

2021 Contenders:  The draft is this week and hopes and dreams will start for many players and teams.  Patrick Mahomes is a great example of how teams can change the trajectory of their franchise with the right pick.  I was a fan of his from the get-go as he's a Texas Tech alum, but I had zero thoughts that Mahomes be the dominant QB we see today.

There were 22 cards in this pack I picked up in June of 2022 and wow did it deliver.  The first four cards I'm showing off probably gave us the best four quarterbacks in the league at the time.

I'm a Contenders guy so I know I've shown off plenty of these.  Myles Garrett is so dominant it's crazy.  Probably the best defensive lineman in the league with the retirement of Aaron Donald.

Not a big fan of Chain Movers but no complaints about a Mike Evans pull.  Jalen Hurts on the MVP Contenders insert.  I like the looks of those.  Winning Ticket is a bit gaudy but I'm okay with it.

Great receivers in the league.  Adams is now with the Raiders while Stefon Diggs is now in Houston via a trade.  I really thought Buffalo got fleeced.  The best pick they received, a second-round pick, is a 2025 pick.  They couldn't get a current year draft pick?  They need receivers and at this point they need picks to get them.  So frustrating.

April 3, 2024: Traded by Bills with a 2025 5th round pick and a 2025 6th round pick to Texans for a 2025 2nd round pick

These Playoff Ticket inserts are fun cards.  I wish we had more of these each year allowing us to relive the playoffs.

Mr. Swifty himself also makes an appearance for the Super Bowl Champions.  Kittle s one of the other great tight ends in the league and played in the Super Bowl as well last year.  Fun pack of cards and it's hard to argue about how good this pull is.

BREAKDOWN:

22 – Total Cards

1 – Chain Movers

1 – Playoff Ticket

1 – MVP Contenders

1 – Emerald Parallel Winning Ticket