ONLINE MEGA BOX - PART 26

 WE'RE BACK TO THE GOOFY SHIT. WHILE I HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD ABOUT FOCUSING ON WANTLIST STUFF AND THINGS I ACTUALLY COLLECT LATELY SOMETIMES I GO OFF THE RAILS AND THAT'S OK

2021 UPPER DECK SPACE JAM LEBRON JAMES PROFILE

CATEGORY - SUPERSTAR

LEBRON JAMES IS THE BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THIS CENTURY AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO PICK UP A CARD CHEAP YOU DO IT. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THERE ARE RABBITS ON THE CARD YOU GET THE CARD. THIS CARD DESIGN - LIKE THE MOVIE ITSELF - SEEMS A BIT OVERWORKED

2021 UPPER DECK SPACE JAM GOSSAMER

CATEGORY - NON-SPORT

GOSSAMER FITS ON THIS DESIGN MUCH BETTER. I REALLY LIKE THE BUGS BUNNY CARTOONS WITH BUFF, GINGER COUSIN ITT SO THIS WAS AN EASY GET FOR MY MONSTER BINDER. I NEED TO FIND A WITCH HAZEL CARD FROM THE ORIGINAL SPACE JAM SET TO PAIR WITH HIM

2022-23 HOOPS GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO

CATEGORY - SUPERSTAR

I THINK THESE WERE THE FIRST 2022-23 HOOPS I GOT AND GIANNIS IS A PRETTY DANG GOOD FIRST CARD. I LIKE WHEN HOOPS BRINGS BACK THE KEY ELEMENT TO THE DESIGN THAT THEY USED BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS. IT'S UPSIDE DOWN HERE BUT I STILL GET IT 

2022-23 HOOPS JALEN JOHNSON, DEJOUNTE MURRAY

CATEGORY - HAWKS

THIS HAWKS SEASON HAS BEEN A COMPLETE TRAINWRECK BUT AT LEAST THEY MADE THE PLAY-IN TOURNEY AGAIN. AT LKEAST JALEN JOHNSON HAS BROKEN OUT THIS SEASON AND BECOME THE PLAYER JOHN COLLINS ALREADY WAS BEFORE THEY SCREWED UP HIS ROLE WITH CRAPPY ROSTER CONSTRUCTION. DEJOUNTE LOOKS GREAT, AT LEAST WHEN TRAE ISN'T PLAYING, AND I'M SOMEWHAT SURPRISED HE WAS ALREADY TRADED AT THE DEADLINE. PROBABLY A GOOD THING, AS WE'D MOST LIKELY BE IN THE LOTTERY IF HE WAS SHIPPED OFF. HAWKS ARE A DAMN MESS BUT THEY KEEP ENDING UP IN THE (EXPANDED) PLAYOFFS AND THEY HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD YOUNG PLAYERS SO MY ABANDONING THEM FOR THE SPURS WILL BE DELAYED AT LEAST ONE MORE SEASON*

2022 PANINI LEGACY DRAKE LONDON

CATEGORY - ROOKIE

WHY DID I BUY THIS?? I DON'T REALLY COLLECT FALCONS PLAYERS ANYMORE, AT LEAST NOT ONES FROM THIS DECADE, AND I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANY COLLEGE PLAYER EXCEPT GEORGIA BULLDOGS. BUT A WHOLE CRAPLOAD OF LEGACY CARDS GOT POSTED ALL AT ONCE AND I DIG THE WHOLE RETRO VIBE AND I ENDED UP PICKING UP A FEW CARDS. NOW THAT THE HEAD COACH IS LESS OBNOXIOUS (AND MY ALTERNATE TEAM JUST HIRED THE OLD ONE) MAYBE I'LL LISTEN TO A FEW FALCONS GAME THIS FALL AND MAYBE DRAKE WILL DO SOMETHING WITH A COMPETENT QB

2022 PANINI LEGACY MICHAEL VICK LEGENDS

CATEGORY - LEGEND

THIS I KNOW WHY I BOUGHT. I HAVE A BOX SOMEWHERE WITH A BIG PILE OF COOL VICK CARDS I GOT BEFORE *WAVES HANDS AT EVERYTHING* AND I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT ADDING TO THAT COLLECTION NOW THAT HIS CARDS ARE NO LONGER PRICEY. I HAVE NOT DONE SO BUT IF I SEE A NICE ONE IN A FALCONS UNI IN A DIME BOX I PICK IT UP. AS LONG AS THERE'S NOTHING BETTER IN THE BOX

1998 METAL UNIVERSE DAMION EASLEY

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

IN 1998 SKYBOX DITCHED THE FANTASY BACKGROUNDS WITH INTRICATE FOIL ETCHING AND SWITCHED TO BACKGROUNDS REPRESENTING THE CITY OF THE PLAYER'S TEAM. DETROIT GOT A TRAINYARD. EVEN IF IT WASN'T ON THE WANTLIST ALREADY I MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN IT JUST BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY

1991 LEAF ROGER SALKELD GOLD LEAF ROOKIES

CATEGORY - INSERT

I'M SLOWLY CHIP-CHIP-CHIPPING AWAY AT THESE GOLD LEAF ROOKIES CARDS AND I THINK I ONLY NEED ABOUT TEN FOR THE ENTIRE 1991 TO 1995 RUN. IN 1996 LEAF RELEGATED THE GOLD LEAF ROOKIES TO THE BASE SET AND THEY WERE DITCHED COMPLETELY IN 1997. THERE'S NOT MANY  MULTI-YEAR RUNS OF INSERTS LIKE THIS FROM THE 80S TO 90S SINCE THINGS GOT WACKY AFTER THE STRIKE. GOLD LEAF ROOKIES, DONRUSS DIAMOND KINGS, TOPPS ALL-STARS, FLEER ALL-STARS, UPPER DECK HEROES... AND? NOT MUCH ELSE? I SHOULD DO SOME RESEARCH ON THIS STUFF NOW THAT I'M ON A MAJOR 90S INSERT KICK

1997 TOPPS FINEST JASON GIAMBI EMBOSSED

 

CATEGORY - SHINY

I'VE BEEN PICKING UP RANDOM NEATO FINEST CARDS HERE AND THERE DESPITE STILL PROCRASTINATING ON GETTING A  HANDLE ON EXACTLY WHAT FINEST CARDS I ALREADY HAVE. THIS ONE WAS AN EASY PICKUP SINCE IT'S 1) AN UNCOMMON SILVER BACKGROUND CARD AND 2) AN EMBOSSED CARD. CRAZY FRACTURED BASE SETS WITH DIFFERENT RARITIES FOR RANDOM CARDS IS A BIG REASON WHY I'VE NEVER BOTHERED TO BUILD ANY OF THESE SETS DESPITE THEM BEING REALLY COOL LOOKING. THE EMBOSSED BIT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO STORE TOO. YOU CAN'T SEE IT FROM THE FRONT IN THIS PICTURE SO I TOOK ONE OF THE BACK TO TRY TO SHOW IT OFF  

I'M NOT SURE HOW SUCCESSFUL I WAS BUT YOU CAN KINDA SEE HIS ARM AND MEATY THIGH. THEY'RE REALLY COOL LOOKING AND ALSO NOT TOO EASY TO FIND. GIAMBI AIN'T MY FAVORITE BUT IT'S STILL SHINY COOL

UP NEXT: I REALLY HAVE NO IDEA, THE DRAFT POSTS HAVE RUN OUT AND IT'S TIME TO DECIDE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. MAAAYBE MORE OF THIS, MAAAAYBE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. THE FUTURE IS UNKNOWN

*UNLESS TRAE GETS TRADED, THEN ALL BETS ARE OFF

ONLINE MEGA BOX - PART 19

HERE'S SOME CARDS. YOU LIKE CARDS! HAVE SOME CARDS

1997 METAL UNIVERSE FERNANDO VALENZUELA

 

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

METAL UNIVERSE CARDS ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND AND IMPOSSIBLE TO PHOTOGRAPH. FERNANDO IS PITCHING IN THE MIDDLE OF FLYING ROCKS AND SPEWING LAVA INSIDE AN ACTIVE VOLCANO BUT GOOD LUCK FIGURING THAT OUT FROM THIS PICTURE. METAL CARDS ARE GENERALLY AN AUTO-BUY WHEN I SEE THEM IN DIME BOXES, ESPECIALLY THE UNIVERSE SETS WITH THE COOL BACKGROUNDS

2020 PANINI CONTENDERS JOSE ALTUVE

 CATEGORY - SUPERSTAR

EVERY SO OFTEN I BUY A JOSE ALTUVE CARD SO I CAN FEEL ALIVE AGAIN. IT MUST HAVE BEEN A WHILE SINCE I FELT THAT WAY SINCE I DON'T EVEN LIKE CONTENDERS. WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE THERE'S A BASKETBALL SET I REALLY LIKE. THIS ISN'T BASKETBALL THOUGH. JOSE MAKES IT WORTH IT

2020 PANINI CONTENDERS MIKE SOROKA

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

SPEAKING OF CONTENDERS... I DON'T HAVE MANY MICHAEL SOROKA CARDS SINCE MOST OF THEM CAME OUT DURING THE PLAGUE. AND NOW THAT HE'S ON THE WHITE SOX I'M NOT REALLY UP TO GETTING MANY MORE. BUT I HAVE A FEW OF THEM TO REMIND ME OF THE GOOD TIMES WHEN SOROKA WAS A BEAST. THIS CARD CAN REMIND ME OF THOSE OTHER TIMES. WHY IS THE TICKET TWICE THE SIZE OF THE PHOTO???

1989-90 O-PEE-CHEE KEVIN LOWE

 CATEGORY - O-PEE-CHEE

89 O-PEE-CHEE IS AN ODD BUT ATTRACTIVE SET. WHAT EVEN IS THIS BORDER? ICE? MARBLE? VANILLA ICE CREAM? NO MATTER, I'LL TAKE A HALL OF FAMER O-PEE-CHEE ANY DAY

2008 UPPER DECK DAVID WRIGHT INFIELD POWER

 

CATEGORY - INSERT

HOO BOY I GOT A LOT OF THESE CARDS OUT OF UPPER DECK PACKS IN 2008. WE ALL GOT LOTS OF EVERY UPPER DECK CARDS OUT OF PACKS IN 2008 BECAUSE WE ALL BOUGHT A REALLY LUDICROUS AMOUNT OF PACKS THAT YEAR. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I HAVE THIS CARD ALREADY I HAVE SO MANY. WERE THESE REGULAR INSERTS OR ONE OF THOSE THAT WERE TWO IN EVERY RACK PACK? I DON'T REALLY NEED THIS CARD EVEN IF I DON'T HAVE IT BUT IT KEPT LOOKING AT ME WITH SAD PUPPY DOG EYES AND I LET IT FOLLOW ME HOME. UPPER DECK INSERTS ARE LIKE THAT SOMETIMES 

2021-22 HOOPS ANTHONY DAVIS SKYVIEW

 CATEGORY - INSERT

THIS ONE DID NOT HAVE TO CONVINCE ME TO PUT IT IN MY CART. I AM PRETTY MUCH DONE BUILDING NEW BASKETBALL SETS BUT I STILL LIKE 'EM AND GOOD LOOKING INSERTS OF FUTURE HALL OF FAMERS ARE A FINE THING TO HAVE. IS THIS CARD GOOD LOOKING, ACTUALLY? I THINK IT IS BUT I MAY JUST LIKE CLOUDY CARDS. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THIS DESIGN IS SUPPOSED TO BE THOUGH, IT KINDA LOOKS LIKE AN AIRPLANE WINDOW FLOATING IN MID AIR. MAYBE WONDER WOMAN'S INVISIBLE JET GOT A BASKETBALL COURT INSTALLED. 

2022 OPTIC MATT OLSON

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

I DUNNO WHY I AM DRAKE NO MEME WITH TOPPS CHROME BUT DRAKE YES MEME WITH DONRUSS OPTIC. IT REALLY DOES MAKE NO SENSE! I BUY BRAVES CARDS ON ALL SORTS OF OBNOXIOUS CARD BRANDS SO IT'S NOT A SURPRISE I GOT THIS ONE. I HAD NO IDEA WHEN I PICKED THIS UP OLSON WOULD BREAK THE TEAM HOME RUN RECORD THOUGH

2022 OPTIC BRYCE HARPER

 CATEGORY - SUPERSTAR

HARPER HAS BECOME MY FAVORITE BASEBALL HEEL EVEN THOUGH (MAYBE BECAUSE?) HE'S RUINED MY LIFE FOR TWO STRAIGHT YEARS. HE'S BECOME A VERY LOVABLE VILLAIN AS THE YEARS HAVE PASSED AND IS NO LONGER THE PETULANT KID COMPLAINING ABOUT CLOWN QUESTIONS, BRO. IT REALLY REALLY HELPS HE AVOIDED BECOMING A YANKEE. POOR, POOR JUAN SOTO

2001 VICTORY BARRY BONDS VICTORY'S BEST

 CATEGORY - SUPERSTAR

SPEAKING IF FAVORITE VILLAINS, HERE'S ANOTHER BARRY BONDS CARD. I KNOW I'VE EXPRESSED MY DISDAIN FOR UPPER DECK VICTORY CARDS BUT THIS RETRO UNIFORM WAS TOO GOOD, I HAD TO GET IT. OR MAYBE IT'S THE GIANTS' FUTURE UNIFORM? I KNOW MLB DID A FUTURE UNIFORM GIMMICK BACK AROUND THAT TIME WHERE THEY ALL LOOKED KINDA GOOFY. THEY... WEREN'T ALL THAT WRONG? HELLO CITY UNIFORMS

2023 TOPPS ALEX BOHM RAINBOW

 CATEGORY - SHINY

THIS CARD IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY BUT IT'S 2023 TOPPS AND RAINBOW SHINY AND THOSE ARE TWO THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY SO WHY NOT. I DIDN'T BUY AS MUCH 2023 TOPPS AS I WANTED LAST YEAR AND NOW THAT I'VE SEEN 2024 TOPPS I AIN'T BUYING ANY MORE OF IT EITHER

2022 TOPPS VIDAL BRUJAN 1987 35TH ANNIVERSARY

 CATEGORY - INSERT

VIDAL BRUJAN HAS ALREADY MOVED ON TO THE MARLINS SO I'M NOT CERTAIN IF HE'S STILL A PROSPECT OR NOT. HE'S IN A BUNCH OF 2022 SETS THO, I SEE HIS CARDS ALL OVER THE PLACE. I STILL NEED TO GET A HANDLE ON MY TOPPS INSERTS FROM THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS SO I CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH RECENT INSERTS I EVEN NEED

UP NEXT: ALMOST ALL BASEBALL CARDS!

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 55: SHIMMY

THE HARDEST THING I HAD TO DO DURING THIS COMC BINGE WAS DEAL WITH THE FIREHOSE OF CHEAP TRAE YOUNG AND RONALD ACUÑA JR. CARDS. I HAVE A HELL OF A TIME FINDING THEM FOR LESS THAN A COUPLE BUCKS A POP AT MY LOCAL SHOPS AND SHOWS AND THERE WERE LITERAL PAGES OF THEM ALL FOR UNDER A BUCK EACH DURING THE SALE. I EVENTALLY MADE SOME TOUGH CHOICES ON THE RONALD CARDS BUT I WAS COMPLETELY PARALYZED BY THE AMOUNT OF CHOICES FOR TRAE. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I NOTICED SOMETHING AND IT ALL CLICKED. HERE'S THE PERFECT TRAE CARD, AT LEAST FOR MY SQUEEZED BUDGET

2021-22 PANINI HOOPS TRAE YOUNG LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

I LIKE THE HOOPS LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION INSERT IN HOOPS. IT USUALLY HAS SOME REALLY GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY ON THEM AND THE ONE YEAR THEY WENT AWAT FROM THAT IN 2019-20 IT STILL HAD A NICE LOOKING FILM RELATED DESIGN. THE 21-22 VERSION HAD THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS WITH A GIGANTIC PHOTO SURROUNDED BY FILM SPROCKETS. THIS WAS ONE OF DOZENS OF COOL LOOKING TRAE CARDS WITH A FIFTY CENT PRICE TAG AND I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME DECIDING WHICH ONE TO GET.THEN I TOOK A REALLY GOOD LOOK AT THIS ONE AND SOMETHING CLICKED. WIDE OPEN TRAE TAKING A THREE. COLLINS AND GALLINARI ON EITHER SIDE JUST KINDA WATCHING TRAE. IN MILWAUKEE? HOLY SHIT, THIS IS THE SHIMMY SHOT

I HAD NO MORE QUESTIONS. THIS CARD WENT IN THE CART

MAYBE THE GREATEST PLAYOFF MOMENT IN HAWKS HISTORY. WHICH SAYS QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE HAWKS BUT THEY'RE MY TEAM AND I'LL TAKE WHAT I CAN GET. SHORTLY AFTER THIS A REF WOULD STOMP ON TRAE'S ANKLE AND THE FRANCHISE HAS BEEN A .500 TEAM EVER SINCE. BUT THEY'RE ENTERTAINING. SOMETIMES INFURIATING, BUT ALWAYS ENTERTAINING. AND IF YOU LIVED THROUGH THE HORRIFICALLY BORING 00S VERSION OF THE TEAM ENTERTAINING MEANS A LOT. THE GOOD THING IS DESPITE FRONT OFFICE TURMOIL THERE'S A LOT OF TALENT ON THE ROSTER AND THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT. AND TRAE CARDS ARE STILL KINDA CHEAP FOR NOW. ONLINE AT LEAST, IT'S HARD TO FIND ANY OF THEM IN ATLANTA

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 27: NEW HOX

I LOVE THE HAWKS BUT THEY DON'T LOVE ME. THEY MAKE MY BLOOD PRESSURE RISE BY BLOWING LEADS EVERY GAME AND CAUSING NON-STOP DRAMA. I'M WRITING THIS A FEW WEEKS BEFORE THE TRADE DEADLINE SO WHO KNOWS IF THIS GUY WILL STILL BE ON THE TEAM WHEN THIS IS POSTED. OK SURE IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY BUT ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN WITH A TEAM BUILT ON PURE CHAOS

QUICK NOTE FROM AFTER THE TRADE DEADLINE: TRAE'S STILL HERE. ALSO JOHN COLLINS. ALSO WE GOT SADDIQ BEY NOW. NICE.

ANOTHER NOTE FROM AFTER THE ALL-STAR GAME: NATE'S NOT HERE ANYMORE. OOPS 

 2019-20 HOOPS TRAE YOUNG LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

I FRIGGIN LOVE TRAE YOUNG AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE HATES HIS GUTS WHICH MAKES NO SENSE BECAUSE ALL HE DOES IS SCORE HOOPS AND DISH ASSISTS. BUT WHAT ABOUT DEFENSE, TEAM CHEMISTRY AND NOT THROWING COACHES UNDER THE BUS, YOU ASK? I JUST SAID ALL HE DOES DID I NOT. HE'S THE BEST PLAYER IN ATLANTA HAWKS FRANCHISE HISTORY* YET STILL EVERYONE BITCHES ABOUT HIM CONSTANTLY. WHILE THIS IS INCREASINGLY IRRITATING ME WHITH EVERY MEAN TWEET I SEE FROM HAWKS FANS, TRAE HAS TAKEN TO HIS ROLE AS NBA HEEL NICELY AND THE MOVIE THEME OF THIS CARD FITS WELL WITH HIS SUPERVILLAIN PERSONA. UNFORTUNATELY VILLAINS ARE ONLY ALLOWED TO WIN FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TIME AT MOST IN THE MOVIES, WHICH IS MAKING THE HAWKS' PLAYOFF RUN  A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING

I KNOW THE DEFAULT POSITION AMONG CARD BLOGGERS IS GENERALLY 'PANINI? HOCK-PTUI' DUE TO BASEBALL LICENSING ISSUES BUT I DO LIKE A LOT OF THEIR ODDBALL NBA DESIGNS. THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF SHINY WITH COOL DESIGNS OUT THERE. THIS ONE GOT CHOSEN FOR THE NEAT MOVIE THEME, I JUST LIKED HOW IT LOOKED. IRONICALLY THIS WAS THE ONLY TRAE CARD THAT COST LESS THAN A COUPLE BUCKS AT THE LOCAL CARD SHOP THE FIRST TIME I WENT LAST YEAR. I BOUGHT THIS ONE BEFORE I EVEN GOT OUT OF LOCKDOWN, WHAT ARE THE ODDS I CHOOSE THE ONE CHEAP CARD AT MY LCS

*I MEANT WHAT I SAID AND I SAID WHAT I MEANT, A TRAE FANBOY IS FAITHFUL ONE HUNDRED PERCENT

UNTIL HE FUCKIN FORCES A TRADE TO THE LAKERS OR SOME SHIT