Random Wax: 2025-2026 Topps Basketball Hanger Box

25-26 Topps:   Donovan Mitchell has been so good in his career.  Playing in Utah and Cleveland I think he's gone under the radar of the casual fan.  But he really a good player.  2X All-Pro and 7X All-Star so far in his 9 seasons.  Career averages:  25/4/4 per game career averages on 36% shooting from deep.

I'm not a Kyrie guy but he's been excellent over the course of his career.  NBA Champ, 3X All-Pro, and 9X All-Star.

I like the horizontal cards Topps gives us.

Drake Powell averaged 6 points per game for the Nets.  That's the highlight of my rookie pull.

One of my Checklist cards.  I like how Topps does 'em.

Trey Murphy had the best season of his career averaging 21/5/3 while shooting 37% from long range.

Dylan Harper had a solid rookie campaign for the surging Spurs.

Rainbow Foil Parallel, Diamante Parallel, and 1980-1981 Topps Basketball pulls.  I really like the Diamante cards.

Jazz have some nice youth on their team led by Lauri Markkanen but made a big move trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. this season showing they are looking at the playoffs in the seasons to come.

Brook Lopez, Star Wars fan and NBA Champion, is a favorite of mine.

I love Detlef Schrempf.  One of the four retired greats I pulled.

More retired greats and an 8-Bit Ballers and Power Players insert.  I really like the colors on Power Players.  Groovy...

BREAKDOWN:
59 – Total Cards
8 – RC
6 - Checklist
4 – Retired Greats
2 – 8-Bit Ballers
2 – Power Players
2 – Diamante Parallels
1 – Generation Now
1 – Rainbow Foil Parallel
1 - 1980-1981 Topps Basketball

Random Wax: 1990 Donruss (3 Packs)

1990 Donruss:  Yaz is my favorite Red Sox player of all-time and my #2 favorite player overall.  Yaz had 27 double plays in left field, holds Boston records for games played (3,308), hits (3,419), runs (1,816), doubles (646), and RBI (1,844) and was an 18X All-Star and 7X Gold Glove recipient.

I'm always up for a John Smoltz appearance.  He was coming off a good second season going 12-11 with a 2.94 ERA.  And more players in the beginnings of their career with Curt Schilling and Sammy Sosa.

Always a big fan of this era of Diamond Kings.

I'm a big fan of the 1990 Donruss design and having Yaz as its puzzle was a great bonus.  I actually have the puzzle signed by him.  He was at a St. Louis card show in the early 90s and a buddy took it and had it signed for me.

Loved that All-Star design with the big AL and NL logos.  I do not like the MVP cards.  Very boring to me.  And young players get their Rated Rookie cards.

Lance Parrish won a World Series title with the Detroit Tigers, was an 8X All-Star, 6X Silver Slugger and 3X Gold Glove recipient.  I always enjoy this set and looking back at this era in baseball.

BREAKDOWN:
45 – Total Cards (3 Packs)
3 – Puzzle
3 – Diamond Kings
2 – Rated Rookie
1 – MVP 
1 – All-Star
1 - Checklist
1 – Yaz Puzzle Card

Star Wars The Black Series Jedi Temple Guard Action Figure

Happy Star Wars Day!  Been excited to show off the Star Wars Black Series Jedi Temple Guard.  He's so cool and was really fun to take photos of.

There is lots of detail on these figures from the markings, mask, armor, sleeves, belt, robes, boots and a double-sided lightsaber.  The second robe underneath the outer robe hanging from his waist is made from cloth.

The heads have almost no movement due to the plastic robe piece.  It's a shame.   A cloth piece there would have been nice and allowed some flexibility.

The look from the back is fine.  No issues here.

Jedi Temple Guards were charged with protecting the Jedi Temple.  They were overwhelmed after Order 66 by Anakin Skywalker and the 501st Legion.  During the animated The Clone Wars, while in the Temple, we see Kanan Jarrus have a vision which shows the Grand Inquisitor was actually a Temple Guard.  One of The Clone Wars' writers, Henry Gilroy, has also stated the Grand Inquisitor, as a Temple Guard, led some of them away during Order 66 and killed them himself as he betrayed the Jedi.

Animated clips of the Jedi Temple Guard from The Clones Wars and Rebels can be seen here.  They are also seen in Old Republic video game footage here.  They never make a live action appearance.

Excited to add this guy to my Black Series collection.  The Jedi Temple Guard may not be as well-known as many characters, but I do believe he has a great look.  I'd love to see him in live action at some point.  The youngest grandson, whose 9th birthday is today, really enjoys his look as well.

Random Wax: 2021 Score Football

2021 Score:   Patrick Mahomes is one of the big questions when the new season starts this fall.  He's coming off a major injury, the Chiefs were already struggling, and you just never know how these things play out.  I really hope he comes back close to normal.

I bought this pack in July of 2021 but just posting it now.  Like a little time capsule.  Things are so different now.  Russel Wilson and the Seahawks had won the 2013 championship and were still on top of the world.  It would still be a few years, but things would change drastically for both.

I had hopes for Zach Wilson.  Maybe rooting for the BYU underdog.  He's still in the league but it has been a rough go of it for him.

I'm okay with the 3D inserts showcasing a trio of defensive players from a team.

Mac Jones has also struggled overall in his career, but he did have success his rookie year in New England and in limited time last year with the 49ers last season.  These are 1991 Throwback Rookies inserts.

More Score Team inserts, which are pretty good, a Next Level Stats insert and Game Face which gives us a retired great.

BREAKDOWN:
40 – Total Cards
9 – RC
3 – 3D
3 – Next Level
3 – Score Team
3 – Red Parallel
2 – 1991 Throwback Rookies
1 – Game Face
1 – Retired Great

Random Wax: 2022-2023 Hoops Basketball

22-23 Hoops:   The 76ers got a surprising win (1 game) over the Celtics, without Joel Embiid, in the first round of the playoffs.

Maverick fans can't enjoy these Luka cards.  This was a reduced priced pack I purchased in 2024 but just now posting.

And there he is again...  Collin Sexton is on a Teal Explosion Parallel while 2X All-NBA Vince Carter shows up on an appropriate Purple Parallel Hoops Tribute.

Rookie cards.  Not the best of my pulls.

CJ McCollum has made a big difference for the Atlanta Hawks since he arrived as part of the trade that sent Trae Young to the Wizards.  Atlanta has had a good first round series with the Knicks.  AD was also traded to the Wizards in a separate deal with the Mavs.  I don't see how it works but I do hope we get to see AD and Trae Young play together.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
5 – RC
3 – Hoops Tribute
1 – Skyview
1 – Arriving Now
1 – Purple Parallel
1 – Teal Explosion Parallel

Random Wax: 1992 Upper Deck Baseball

1992 Upper Deck:   We get Ken Griffey Jr on this good-looking Diamond Skills card.  His skill seems to be "Most Exciting Player" which I doubt most would have argued back in the day.  MVP, 7X Silver Slugger, 10X Gold Glove, 13X All-Star.

I do like this design.  The team specific fonts make up for not having the team logo.  It does feel like they could have added something else in the corner with the team name but no complaints here.  Jack Clark hit .304 with a .407 OBP and 1 homer and 8 runs batted in with the 1985 Cardinals during their run to the World Series.

Greg Vaughn on this Brewers team checklist card.  Love the art.

We love the backs of these Upper Deck cards where we get a different photo.

My Star Rookie pull.  Castillo only played two seasons in the majors.

A nice-looking horizontal Mike Greenwell card.  He hit .303 for his career but retired at age 32 due to nagging injuries.  

 BREAKDOWN:
15 – Total Cards
1 – Star Rookie
1 – Diamond Skills
1 – Team Checklist

Random Wax: 2024 Score Football

2024 Score:   The draft was last week, and all teams have hope again!  Well, most teams do.  Dak Prescott was a 4th round pick in the 2016 draft when Jared Goff was the #1 pick by the Rams their first season back in LA.  Love him or hate him, he's 83-55 in the regular season and 2-5 in the playoffs.

Quinnen Williams was drafted 3rd over all in the 2019 draft and has been 1X All-Pro and 4X Pro-Bowl selection.

Marvin Harrison Jr. was taken 4th overall in the 2024 draft.  This is a solid design for Score.  The helmets are a big plus.

Taken 24th overall in the 2018 draft, DJ Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills in the offseason.  Baker Mayfield and Saquon Barkley were taken 1, 2 in that draft respectively.

Malik Nabers was taken 6th overall in the 2024 draft.  His 2025 season was cut short due to injury.  Caleb Williams, Jayden Williams and Drake Maye were the first three picks of that quarterback heavy draft.

Trey Hendrickson is a 1X All-Pro and 4X Pro Bowl selection but was taken in the 3rd round of the 2017 draft.  Myles Garrett was taken 1st overall that year.  He's alright.

I'm not a big fan of these though I normally like League Leaders.  These seem to have some random stats, and the overall design isn't my thing.  Brandon Aubrey just signed a 4 yr $28M extension with the Cowboys.  He was went undrafted when Bryce Young was the #1 pick in the 2023 draft.

Celebration are fun inserts.  Tyreek Hill is a 5X All-Pro but was only a 5th round pick in the 2016 draft.  Corey Coleman was the 1st receiver taken in that draft but only totaled 61 receptions in his three seasons in the NFL.

Retired great Ray Lewis making an appearance on that Red Parallel.  One of three in the pack.  Hall of Famer Andre Tippett has always been a favorite of mine.  The 2X All-Pro was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1982 draft.  The Patriots had the #1 overall pick of that draft as well picking defensive end Kenneth Sims.  I love these First Ballot inserts.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
7 – RC
3 - Celebration
3 – Red Parallel
3 – Retired Greats
3 – League Leaders
1 – Potential
1 – First Ballot
1 – Sack Attack
1 – 35th Anniversary Rookie