Random Wax: 2024 Score Football

2024 Score:  For all the Cowboys' issues, their offense isn't one of them.  CeeDee Lamb has dealt with some injuries this year but is still a favorite of Dak Prescott.

Three more stars of the league including Keenan Allen one of my three Red Parallels.  Allen is happy to be back with the Chargers and having Justin Herbert throwing to him.  Allen has been so good and so steady for so long.

Dak's had a little bit to celebrate about this year.  The Cowboys are struggling but Dak Prescott is doing his job with the offense and racking up points.

That Troy Fautanu is a Dots Gold Parallel #/240.  He's the starting tackle for the Steelers.

Nick Bosa is hurt this season, and it seems most of San Fran is banged up, but he looks good on this Sack Attack insert.

J.J. McCarthy is back and has looked good in spurts for the Vikings who are still in the playoff hunt.  Nice looking Xavier Worthy on that Protential.

I like League Leaders cards.  These are a bit different.  I think I'd prefer something close to baseball league leaders where we get multiple players on the front.

Cowboy hot pack!  I like this photo.

Retired greats are always fun, and the Hall of Fame cards are great.

BREAKDOWN:
30 – Total Cards
10 – RC
4 – Retired Greats
3 – Potential
3 - Celebration
3 – Red Parallel
1 – First Ballot
1 – Sack Attack
1 – League Leader
1 – 35th Anniversary Rookie
1 – Dots Gold Parallel #/240

2025-2026 Topps Basketball

25-26 Topps:   Topps is back in the basketball game, and I pulled a Wemby in my first pack.  He's having another amazing year.  He's not shooting as many 3's this season and his percentage is down but the rest of his game is crazy good and it's equating to wins for the Spurs.

Kawhi is dealing with injuries.  Again.  And the Clippers are struggling.  Sengun is having probably his best season with the Rockets.  He really has a nice game.  This Topps look is reminiscent of the 1982 Topps set.  The design is okay but so far it isn't overly exciting in my opinion.

Youngsters get their time to shine.  Kon Knueppel is having a great start to his rookie season averaging over 15 points per game.

With Topps basketball we get horizontal shots which is great.  I really like this Scottie Barnes photo.

Here we have 1980-81 Topps Basketball, 8-Bit Ballers, and a foil Porzingis.  That McCollum is a foil as well.  There are a thousand foil options it seems so don't ask me which foil they are.  I like the 80-81 Anniversary insert.  I think 8-Bit Ballers is popular but I'm lukewarm on it.

Most backs are in a vertical format as seen below but a few are horizontal, but I don't know why there is a difference.  The backs are a fine design, but I was really hoping to see career stats for players.  Why did Topps not put those on there like they do baseball?  A big letdown.

Overall, not that excited about this year's Topps cards but there are lots of inserts that look really cool.  Who knows if I actually pull those but that's part of the fun, and frustration, of ripping packs.

One of the two checklist cards I pulled.  These are fine and similar to what Topps does with baseball.  I would have maybe liked something a bit different but really no complaints here.

Josh Giddey is having a great year for the surprising Chicago Bulls.

Generation Now inserts are okay but don't excite me.

Love seeing retired greats.  Want to see more variety as always.  Felt like Panini got stale with who they had in their sets.  Good pull.  Fun.  Good start in Topps' return. 

BREAKDOWN:
36 – Total Cards
4 – RC
3 – Retired Greats
2 - Holo
2 - Checklist
1 – 8-Bit Ballers
1 – Generation Now
1 - 1980-81 Topps Basketball

Random Wax: Panini Harry Potter Welcome to Hogwarts Trading Cards (4 Packs)

Welcome to Hogwarts:   I really like this movie poster image.  It's a good-looking card and I always thought they did a good job on the movie posters.

I love this set.  I think it captures the movies in so many good images and different designs.  

For a bad guy, Malfoy really comes out as a fan favorite after all torment he caused Harry throughout the movies.

That is Hermione on a Dumbledore's Army card.  Those Death Eaters masks are cool and I'm happy they got showcased on a card.

Plenty of variety with art, different backgrounds and screen grabs.  Harry Potter is a good watch during the cold months and around the holidays.

One of the negatives of sets like these that are released overseas is there is almost no information on them.  Even getting checklists is like pulling teeth.  I did manage to find a few good ones here and here.

The one drawback is we don't get enough of the many, many supporting characters that make the movies so good.  I know it must be so hard figuring out what to include in a set like this that is all encompassing of an iconic seven movie series.

Some images have a lot going on while others are simple.  I think they all work really well, even for photos of the Hogwarts Express.

BREAKDOWN:

24 – Total Cards

4 – Holographic

3 – Rainbow

1 – XXL

Random Wax: 1991 Pro Set Football Series 1 4 Packs

1991 Pro Set: I've been posting these four packs at a time for over a year, and it never gets boring.  Another great card here with this sweet Herschel Walker card showing him off in that classic Georgia Bulldogs uni.  He was a 3X All-American, Heisman winner and a National Champion (1980) at Georgia.

Lots of greatness with these three and I'm not just talking about those sweet Oilers unis.  Bruce Matthews - Hall of Fame, 7X All-Pro, 14X Pro Bowl, HOF All-1990s Team.

It so hurts looking back at that Super Bowl but props on Pro Set for giving us highlights from the game on these Super Bowl XXV Replay cards.

Dallas Public Service Announcement, NFL Newsreel and Officials cards.  I know Jim Everett is a Ram, but this subset's name is just that.  I really like that Whitney Houston card.  It was a great moment that I remember.

There was so much that led to this moment being so memorable.  

Ray Donaldson was a 6X Pro Bowl selection and won a Super Bowl ring as a Dallas Cowboy.

Man, throwing with that thing on his finger couldn't have been easy.

Heisman Hero, Coach, and World League Football cards are all fun.  Gibbs is not only a Hall of Fame NFL coach but has also won 5 NASCAR Championships as a NASCAR Cup team owner.

6X Pro Bowler Clay Matthews.

I love these NFC All-Pro inserts.  The art is great and there are so many amzing players spotlighted.

Wow there are some great seasons there.  Hall of Fame.  6X Pro Bowl.  5X All-Pro.  HOF 1980s Team. Rookie of the Year.

I always liked Anthony Miller and he and Duper were such great receivers.  These are so much fun and there are so many memories.

BREAKDOWN:
60 – Total Cards
4 – All-Pro
4 – World Football
3 - Coaches
3 – 1990 Replay
3 – Award Winner
2 - Officials
2 – NFL Newsreel
2 – Heisman Hero
2 – Super Bowl XXV Replay
1 – Dallas Public Service Announcement

Random Wax: 2021-2022 Contenders

21-22 Contenders:   DeMar Derozan doesn't wow folks, but he does so many things well.  He has a great mid-range shot, shoots a good percentage, and is really good at getting his own shot.  He doesn't shoot the 3 at high rate or percentage but he's a guy you want on your team.  Now 36, he's averaged 21 points per game over his career and is a 3X All-Pro and 6X All-Star.  He's with the Kings now and also one of my favorites in the game.

We have two International Tickets and a 2021 Draft Class insert.  Johnson was a great find by the Hawks with the 20th pick of that draft.  He's averaging 20 points and 8 rebounds this season.  

I like Contenders but this design wasn't their best leaving very little space for the photo.

The backs are fine with plenty of color.

Great pull in this pack.  Luka and the Lakers are off to a hot start even though he's missed time with injury.  Fun pack and it's been a fun season so far.

BREAKDOWN:
22 – Total Cards
1 – 2021 Draft Class
1 – International Ticket
1 – Bronze Game Ticket