Random Wax: 1988 Fleer Baseball (3 Packs)

 1988 Fleer: More of these good-looking cards I bought back in 2021.  Don Mattingly was one of the great hitters of the 80s.  He hit .323 and got on base at a .368 clip in that decade.  He only struck out 238 times in that timeframe.  He was also a six-time all-star, nine-time gold glover and an MVP.

Some very solid players here including Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven.  He of course won a title with the Twins but he also won a championship with the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates.  He pitched 10 innings in that series, starting and winning one game, with a great 1.80 ERA. 

Everyone enjoys the stickers.

The backs of the stickers were just as fun.  Bet that's a really nice photo in color.

All these guys were stars in their own right.  Whether a former slugging MVP in Mitchell and Bell, or great relievers of the era like Righetti and Plesac.  The All-Star design isn't a favorite of mine but I'm always happy to see All-Star cards.

BREAKDOWN:
15 – Total Cards
1 – Sticker
1 – Super Star Special
1 – Players of the Decade

Darth Raven Star Wars The Black Series 6" Figure

 Darth Revan Figure:  Darth Revan has been around for a while in different forms including some non-canon books I read back in the day.  That said he is part of canon as he's made minor appearances in a few different spots.  When I saw the action figure I thought he looked cool and picked him up for the grandsons.

Wielding two lightsabers he does look nice in hand.  Maybe not as cool as I was thinking but no regrets.

That cowl he is wearing is plastic which severely limits the movement of his head. Wish they had gone cloth there as they did with his robe.

He does look cool.  Just wish you could do more with him.  His character would be one of many from both the Sith and Jedi that could be explored in the history of the Star Wars universe.  There's no need to not explore more of the history of both.  I think there are so many cool characters we'd love to see.

His robe is ragged suggesting it's been around a while or been damaged in battle.  Either way is is a good look.  Overall a good figure, just not great. 

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Chronicles Basketball

21-22 Chronicles:  March Madness comes to an end tonight as a new champion will be crowned.  So basketball is the flavor of the day.  We'll kick off this Chronicles pack with a guy who knows something about championships.  Lakers should at least be in the play in playoffs so we'll see some extra games with LeBron and company.  James is 38 years-old but he is playing like a 20 something this season.  Doubt the Lakers make any waves but nothing wrong with more games with this guy.

So much variety here makes it hard to get bored.  We see the base design as well as Essentials and XR offerings.  I like the Essentials cards which is also what LeBron is featured on.  The base Chronicles design is okay too but needs a logo.  That Giannis is the first of two pink parallels of the Milwaukee star I pulled in this pack.

Hyland and Grimes are doing alright but big man Evan Mobley is doing really well for the Cleveland Cavaliers who are contenders in the Eastern Conference.  Of these "shiny" offerings I like the Crusade design the best.

Detroit star Cad Cunningham had his season derailed by injuries while Scottie Barnes didn't take his game to the next level as many expected after a solid rookie season last year.  Kuminga, meanwhile, is a solid big coming off the bench for the Warriors.  I like the Playbook design.

Absolute are nice looking cards while Threads and Rookies & Stars are so-so for me.  

Prestige had way too much white in their design which was an eyesore on the football cards as well.  Injuries doomed LaMelo and the Hornets this year while Zach Lavine and the Bulls are one of the league's most disappointing teams.

Look at the star power here.  Embiid, Jokic and Giannis are the consensus top three in the running for MVP.  I go with Jokic.  No slight to the others but wow he is amazing to watch.  Voting could go either way as you have to wonder if voters will have Jokic fatigue after he won the MVP the last two seasons.

BREAKDOWN:

42 – Total Cards

32 - RC

7 – Chronicles

6 – Pink Parallel

5 - Absolute

4 – Prestige

4 - Playbook

4 – Marquee

4 – Rookie & Stars

3 – XR

3 - Threads

3 - Essentials

3 – Luminance

1 – Crusade

Random Wax: 2021 Slam Attax (3 Packs)

2021 Slam Attax:  WrestleMania is tonight so lets look at some wrestling cards.  These fun game cards were UK exclusives that I bought two years ago.  Finally getting around to these three packs.  Kick it off with WWE legend Roman Reigns. 

I like all the color, photos and design.  I'll never learn to play the game but who cares.  These are cool and to me work well with the wrestling persoonias.

Plenty of inserts or subsets here.  Thank You Taker and Breakout Stars.  There are also Tag Teams in the set. I've seen shows with The Undertaker after he retired and really enjoyed seeing him out of persona and learning more about his career.

I like these belt cards.  Nothing special about them but it is all about the belt, right?

Pay Per View Booster, Legends and Raw Heroes cards.  I like the PPV Boosters.

My understanding is this show is based on one of the wrestlers and his involvement with The Fiend.  We'll end it with another Pay Per View Booster.  Fun cards and a great way to help enjoy one of the funnest days in wrestling.

BREAKDOWN:
36 – Total Cards
3 – PPV Booster
3 – Championship
1 – Legends
1 – 100 Club
1 – NXT Heroes
1 – Raw Heroes
1 – Breakout Stars
1 – Thank You Taker
1 – Firefly Funhouse Puppets

1883 TV Mini Series

 

1883: 1883 is a Yellowstone origin story starring Tim McGraw, Sam Elliott, Faith Hill, and Isabel May.  I'll do a review of Yellowstone at some point after the series ends but 1883 has been out for some time and my pop and I watched the entire mini-series.  We really enjoyed it.  It has a different tone than Yellowstone but stays true to expectations.  The cast do a great job while Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan does an amazing job telling this prequel story.  At the same time you'll get a new appreciation for anyone who made the trip West in search of a new home.  The stars of the show really do make this a fun watch.  The basic plot is the Dutton family heads West to Oregon with Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott) leading the wagon train that includes the Duttons and European settlers wanting to make a new home out West.  You'll laugh, you'll cringe and you'll cry.  It runs the gamut.  No need to go into too many details but I highly recommend the show.  It can be watched as a standalone. You don't have to know Yellowstone in any way.  This is just a good western.  

Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill) and James Dutton (Tim McGraw)

James Dutton (Tim McGraw) and his daughter Elsa Dutton (Isabel May)

2023 Topps Baseball Hanger Box

2023 Topps:  Happy Opening Day!  I have no love for the Yankees but this dude had a crazy good season last year. Judge not only hit 62 homeruns but also hit .311 on the way to winning his first MVP award.  He also led the league in runs (133), RBIs (131), walks (111), OBP (.425) and a few other key stats.  Amazing year and he was rewarded with betting on himself with a yuge contract.

I really like the design this year.  Reminds me some of '84 Topps but better.  I like that headshot, the logo, and home plate with the player position.  I won't hesitate to pick up more of these.

I'm hoping Ozzie Albies can bounce back from injury and have a good season in 2023.

Youngsters are always fun to see how they'll do.  Casas has made Boston's opening day roster and can't wait to see what he does on the big stage.

This is a checklist card.  They've had fun with these in recent years and I like it.

More youngsters.

One of the team cards.  The backs are just as good as the fronts with stats from the season.

Stars of MLB are a hit with many collectors and I like them.  They have another good design this year and they aren't hard to find.

Standard League Leaders card but always fun.

Greatness.  Even with some below average years of late, Miggy is still a career .308 hitter.

Topps goes back to 1988 for their retro design this year.  Not the worst design but a logo, even a small one in the bottom right, could have helped it quite a bit.  I guess Topps isn't doing an Opening Day release this year which really disappoints me. I know it isn't for everyone but I love the logo and release.

These guys got the band back together in New York this season.

Waino and Yadi are Cardinal legends.  Yadi retired after last season and this is the last year for Wainwright.  I like the photo on the Yadi card.  Fun box of cards and a good design in 2023.  Good start to collecting.

BREAKDOWN:

67 – Total Cards

10 – RC

4 – Stars of the MLB

2 – Team Card

2 – Rookie Cup

1 – Leader

1 – Checklist

1 – Future Stars

1 – RC/Rookie Cup

1 – One-Two Punch

1 – 1988 Topps Baseball

2022 Fleer Ultra Avengers Blaster

22 UD Fleer Ultra Avengers: I was looking forward to this set and grabbed a blaster when I saw them hit the shelves.  War Machine gets to lead us off.  Rhodey is a great partner for Iron Man.  Pretty good look at the armored hero though there is a lot going on.

The design on these really is nice.  It's simple and the art takes center stage.  These are on very thick stock.  Feels like wood they are so thick. I'm okay with it but it doesn't feel needed.  Would have appreciated more cards for my money as opposed to the card stock this thick.  Only 18 cards in a blaster.

The backs are simple but I like the info they provide on the character.  That with the color and comic image make this a win for me.

Here we have an Ultra Stars and a Medallion insert.  I like the Ultra Stars card but the Medallion is an all-foil background that doesn't do much for me.  Think silver and not the black look the scan makes it look like.

My Artist Spotlight insert.  This is a nice pull.  I really like Alex Ross so this hit the spot.

These are both green parallels.  Nice classic look at Thor while the Gamora art is not a look I'm familiar with.

My grandsons are getting into DC and Marvel trading cards but they aren't easy to find at friendly prices.  The older stuff isn't cheap nor are newer offerings.  I have found a few that aren't bad but wish it was easier to find affordable hero cards.  Good look at Hawkeye on this horizontal offering.

A couple of key X-Men cards.

Another green parallel in the form of a Greatest Battles insert.  This was a big story arc for Marvel and I think they had considered using it as the basis of a movie at some point.

This is the back of the Silver Age Avengers cards.  The front is below.  That Speed card is a Orange Foil parallel #/549.

I like both of these.  That Spider-Man really looks nice while I enjoy seeing classic comic covers so the Earth's Mightiest Spinoffs inserts is a nice pull.  The Checkmate Iron Patriot below isn't bad for a diecut.  Fun box of cards.  Not sure if I'll pick up more blasters but I'll definitely look for some singles.  

BREAKDOWN:
18 – Total Cards
3 – Green Parallels
1 – 3X3
1 - Medallion
1 - Checkmate
1 – Ultra  Stars
1 – Orange Foil #/549
1 – Artist Spotlight
1 – Greatest Battles
1 – Silver Age Avengers
1 – Earth’s Mightiest Spinoffs