Random Wax: 1988 Fleer Baseball (3 Packs)

1988 Fleer: Who doesn't like Dale Murphy?  As a Braves fan I do.  He was amazing.  Unfortunately, his skills diminished pretty quickly.  Still, he brings back so many great memories for.  Good guy and great player.

Good pull in this pack.  All three of these guys were stars with Dave Winfield being the lone Hall of Fame inductee from the group.  This design is an all-time favorite look/set for me.

The stickers.  Fleer really did a good job with these.  A big win.

And the sticker backs were fun too.  Sure the photo isn't the greatest, and I'm not sure why they went with a black and white grainy photo, but I still enjoy these backs.

All three of these guys had solid careers.  Belliard played a big part of the Braves in the early 90s while Jay Bell had almost 2000 hits in a 18-year career.  Guzman averaged 10 wins a season over his eight year career.

Always liked Kevn Bass.  Solid switch hitter and he had some speed.  I liked Floyd Bannister but I can't tell you why I was on his bandwagon.  John Franco had over 400 saves in his distinguished career.  Harold Baines is an all-time favorite of mine.  Fun packs.  Fun memories.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 - Stickers

Random Wax: 1994 Ted Williams Roger Staubach's NFL (3 Packs)

1994 Roger Staubach:   Finally get to showcase Roger Staubach in one of these posts.  I grew up in New Mexico and the Cowboys were king and this guy was everything to the franchise.  What a great man and player.  I'm a huge fan.  I was also a fan of the blue jersey though they weren't in vogue back then.  I actually had a Tony Dorsett blue jersey as a kid.

Big fan of this set.  So many great players from the league.  Many you won't see anywhere else.  Hall of Fame player after Hall of Fame Player.  Jim Otto and Bronko Nagurski.  Too cool.

Not a lot of inserts but the Golden Arms give you another look at great quarterbacks while Path to Greatness shows greats in their college unis. YA with the no face mask look How did those guys survive?

Pogs were a thing and they did them well in this set.  On cards they fit well and can be easily stored and dsiplayed like cards.

And we get greatness in the form of coaches as well.

Dawning of a Legacy showcase Brett Favre and Neil O'Donnell.  Yes Neil O'Donnel.  I don't get it either.

Some defensive line greatness and a guy they chased around a time or two, Bert Jones.  Jones was popular and had three really good years with the Colts.  These packs are so much fun.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Cards
3 – Pogs
3 – Chalkboard Legends
3 – Dawning of a Legacy
2 – Golden Arms
1 – Path to Greatness

Random Wax: 2020-2021 Chronicles Basketball

20-21 Chronicles:  Donovan Mitchell is off to another great season with the Cavaliers.  Whether in Utah or in Cleveland this guy always flies under the radar though he really is an amazing player.

Not all the designs in Chronicles are hits but that is the good thing with this brand.  You can move on to the next one if you don't like one.  Great pull in this pack.  Giannis is getting used to new teammate Dame Lillard while Paul George and the Clippers recently added Jame Harden.  LeBron and the Lakers are struggling but if they can stay healthy it feels like they can have a get on a roll.

KD is now in Phoenix which now has its own trifecta in Durant, Booker and Beal.  Luka and the Mavs are off to a hot start.  They really need Kyrie and Doncic to click.  This is the Classic design.

Stewart is a key big man starting for Detroit while Obi Toppin could have his best season as a Knick.

Immanuel Quickly comes off the bench but is a good scorer in New York.  

I do like this base design but they could have snuck in a logo somewhere.  Marquee inserts are a good looking card.  Still sad to have seen Dame leave in the offseason.  Hasn't been all roses yet in Milwaukee but you have to think they'll figure it out.  Great pack of cards.  Some fun designs and a really nice pull.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
17 – RC
5 – Chronicles
4 - Panini
4 – Classic
4 - Luminance
3 – Prestige
3 - Playbook
3 – Green Parallel
2 – XR
2 - Threads
1 – Marquee
1 – Essentials
1 – Hometown Heroes

Random Wax: 1990 Fleer Baseball

1990 Fleer:  One of the great hitters of my generation.  Still feels weird seeing that he retired at 34 even though Don Mattingly didn't hit less that .288 in any of his last five seasons.  He had definitely lost the power he had early in his career but he hadn't lost his ability to put wood on the ball.

Not a design I'm a fan of.  These don't jump off the card at you.  It feels dull in hand.  Barry Larkin is a hall of famer who also stayed with the same team his entire career.

These guys could bring the heat!

Another outstanding hitter, Mark Grace finished his career with 2445 hits and a .303 batting average as well as a title with the Diamondbacks.

Fun pack of cards.  Lots of memories. Chris Carpenter won a Cy Young award and two championships with St. Louis Cardinals.  Love the stickers.  Fleer nailed it with these.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Stickers
1 – All-Star Team
1 – SuperStar Specials

Random Wax: 2020 Playoff Football

2020 Playoff:  This brand is always fun if for no other reason than the retired greats.  One of my all-time favorites in the form of John Elway kicks off this pack with a Behind the Numbers insert.  I miss watching him play.  Man he had a cannon for an arm.

Not a design I'm a fan of but we get a mix of retired greats and stars from today.  Bought this pack in December, 2020 and just now showing it off.  Christian McCaffrey only played three games in 2020 due to injury while Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons went 4-12 that season.

Rookies received a different design and we get to see their fun college unis.

Did I say I like retired greats?  These are all keepers for me.  Who doesn't love Peyton or the creamsicle unis and Brian Urlacher is one of the great Bears linebackers and came from a small town close to where I grew up.

And we had no idea what drama would befall Deshaun Watson after the 2020 season.  Williams (though injured) and Metcalf are still going strong in the league.  The Rams are struggling while Aaron Donald can still hit double digits in sacks if he stays healthy.  Nice pull in this pack and very fun.

BREAKDOWN:
40 – Total Cards
7 – RC
5 – Retired Greats
2 – Green Parallel
1 – Rookie Wave
1 – Behind the Numbers
1 – Goal Line Parallel (Blue)

 

The Marvels Movie (NO SPOILERS)

The Marvels:  Watched this one Thursday night and I enjoyed it.  I didn't go in with high expectations but it was entertaining.  It starts off quickly with action and it feels like it doesn't start.  The characters are easy to like and the plot is easy on the brain.  Sure not all parts of the movie are hits.  I know it's being beaten up by critics and at the box office.  I get why it won't be looked upon as one of Marvel's best but I'm a little surprised it is taking such a beating.  If Thor: Love and Thunder can do $300M in the US this one should be able to do $200 which I know isn't "a hit" by Marvel standards.  Thor also had a better pedigree but the characters here aren't new between previous movies and series.  And you don't have to watch the Ms. Marvel series or any other movies to get this one.  It's pretty self-contained and they do a good job setting up the story.  I get it won't be a hit and it isn't perfect.  But if you're on the fence I say give it a try.

Random Wax: 2021 Topps Opening Day Blaster

2021 Topps Opening Day: As with Mr. Red, the Cincinnati Reds mascot, we're all waiting on opening day as we endure our first week without baseball in a long time.  Opening Day is a favorite brand of mine but unfortunately I'm in the minority and it's no longer produced. This photo from 2020 transports us back to when fans weren't allowed in the stands.

Can't complain with this pull. Matt Olson is now with Atlanta and put up some crazy numbers in 2023 hitting 54 home runs while driving in 139.  Ohtani won't be able to pitch in 2024 due to injury but the man is still a freak of nature.

Josh Hader and his awesome hair had a great season posting 33 saves with a 1.28 ERA as the Padres' closer.  I really like this photo.

Luis Robert had a breakout season with 38 homeruns while batting .264.  Bart and Aquino still haven't made their mark on the league.

Enjoy these fun Opening Day inserts.

Both of these inserts aren't favorites of mine, but I do like seeing retired greats on new cardboard.

More mascot fun.  They are staples of Opening Day.

I've always been a fan of Zack Greinke.  2023 might have been his last of 20 seasons in the league.  Some say he is a Hall of Famer.  I'm not sure and only time will tell.

Nice photo.

Fun box of cards.  Picked it up in April of 2021.  I miss this set but I can still enjoy looking back at these cards.  This Mookie Betts card is an Opening Day Edition parallel.

BREAKDOWN:

77 – Total Cards

13 – RC

4 - Mascots

4 – Future Stars

3 – Legends of Baseball

2 – Opening Day

2 – Outstanding Opening Day

1 – Rookie Cup

1 – Retired Great

1 – Opening Day Edition