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 23

IN THE IMMORTAL WORDS OF CHUCK BARRIS, WE'RE BACK WITH MORE STUFF

2022 HERITAGE OZZIE ALBIES

CATEGORY - BRAVES

OZZIE, I LOVE HIM. PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY HERITAGE CARDS I COLLECT ANY MORE ARE BRAVES. I HAVE A BINDER OF HERITAGE BRAVES TEAM SETS BUT I'M NOT TERRIBLY INVESTED IN COMPLETING ANY OF THEM THANKS TO SHORT PRINTS. THESE CARDS LOOK GREAT BUT I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THE SP RATRACE ANYMORE SO I WILL APPRECIATE THE COMMON BASE CARDS INSTEAD

1997 METAL UNIVERSE MATT WILLIAMS

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

NO SHORTPRINTS IN METAL UNIVERSE! HERE'S ANOTHER COOL LOOKING CARD WITH A BACKGROUND THAT'S HARD TO SEE IN A PHOTO THANKS TO THE TEXTURE ON THE CARD. I FIDDLED AROUND WITH LIGHTING AND ANGLES FOR A BIT AND GOT A PHOTO WHERE YOU CAN KINDA SEE THINGS!

ROCKS! ROCKS FALLING ON MATT WILLIAMS! JUST LIKE THE STRIKE FELL ON HIS CHANCE FOR IMMORTALITY! MATT MIGHT'VE DODGED A BULLET SEEING HOW EVERYONE HATES MCGWIRE AND BONDS' GUTS AFTER BREAKING HALLOWED RECORDS

1996 PINNACLE AFICIONADO REY ORDONEZ GLOBAL REACH

CATEGORY - SHINY, WANTLIST

OH HOW I LOVE THIS GOOFY ASS SET. THE BASE CARDS ARE WILD ENOUGH BUT THE SUBSETS CRANK THE HOLOFOIL AND THICK GLOOPY INK UP TO ELEVEN. THIS CARD LOOKS WILD IN PERSON

THE BACKS AIN'T BAD EITHER, SO MUCH COLOR ON THESE CARDS

2002 UPPER DECK PIECE OF HISTORY ERNIE BANKS

CATEGORY - OOPS, WANTLIST

THIS CARD WAS TECHNICALLY A MISTAKE. I WAS TRYING TO BUY A DICK ALLEN CARD IN A LISTING WITH SEVEN OTHER CARDS BUT IT HAD ALREADY SOLD AND I DIDN'T NOTICE. HOWEVER! I DUG UP THIS SET TO PUT TOGETHER A WANTLIST AND I NEEDED THE CARD! HOORAY! THERE ARE NO MISTAKES, ONLY HAPPY ACCIDENTS

2021-22 PRIZM DRAFT PICKS JALEN JOHNSON

CATEGORY - HAWKS

THE HAWKS ARE A MESS BUT JALEN JOHNSON LOOKS TO BE LEGIT. THE WHOLE TEAM COLLAPSED WHEN HE GOT HURT AT LEAST. I'VE BEEN NABBING JALEN CARDS WHEN I CAN IN CASE HE REALLY DOES BREAK OUT. THESE COLLEGE DRAFT PICK CARDS DON'T SEEM TO BE SUPER POPULAR AMONG NBA COLLECTORS BUT I LIKE HAVING SOME COLLEGE CARDS IN THE COLLECTION

2007-08 PRESS PASS LEGENDS BILL WALTON

CATEGORY - LEGEND

SEE A BILL WALTON CARD, BUY A BILL WALTON CARD. BILL IS VERY POPULAR ON THE SITE, YOU GOTTA BE QUICK TO NAB ONE. THIS PRESS PASS LEGENDS SET IS ACTUALLY REALLY NICE LOOKING AND HAS A GREAT CHECKLIST

1992 ACTION PACKED BOB HORNER

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

THIS CARD WAS IN THAT BIG PILE OF ACTION PACKED CARDS I GOT AT THE FLEA MARKET A WHILE BACK. AND I ALSO THINK I HAD TWO OTHER COPIES OF THE CARD ANYWAY. BUT BOB HORNER ACTION PACKED CARD! IT DOES KIND OF BUM ME OUT THAT HE WAS A LEGENDS-TYPE PLAYER IN 1992 THOUGH, HE SHOULD'VE BEEN HITTING HIS 300TH HOME RUN THAT YEAR IN THE LAST YEAR OF THE EXTENSION HE SIGNED WITH THE BRAVES IN '87

1992 ACTION PACKED AL KALINE

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

KALINE WASN'T IN THAT PILE OF ACTION PACKED CARDS I GOT AT THE FLEA MARKET SO I'M HAPPY TO KNOCK THIS ONE OFF THE WANTLIST. ONE OF THE FIRST CARD-RELATED THINGS I EVER GOT WAS A LITTLE PILE OF VINTAGE KALINE CARDS MY MOM FOUND ON A BUSINESS TRIP. AL SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE UNDERRATED BY COLLECTORS BUT THAT'LL HAPPEN WHEN YOU SPEND YOUR CAREER IN DETROIT

2020-21 DONRUSS OPTIC JOHN COLLINS

CATEGORY - HAWKS

I STILL LOVE JOHN COLLINS BUT I THINK I'VE HIT A LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF BASE CARDS I NEED OF HIM. ONLY SHINY CARDS OF COLLINS FOR ME NOW. I DO WONDER IF THE SPORTSBOOK AD IN THE BACKGROUND WILL CAUSE A SCANDAL IN THE FUTURE LIKE THE MARLBORO ADS FROM THE 80S DO NOWADAYS

UP NEXT: THINGS GET REALLY SHINY ALL OF A SUDDEN. LIKE SUPER EXTRA SHINY

ONLINE MEGA BOX - PART 20

METAL UNIVERSE IS SO AWESOME IT GETS THE TOP SPOT TWO POSTS IN A ROW! WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THIS ONE AS WELL

1997 METAL UNIVERSE VINNY CASTILLA

 

CATEGORY - WANTLIST

VINNY'S CARD HAS A FLAT BACKGROUND SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING ON HIS CARD IN A PHOTO! AND MAN, IS THIS A GOOD ONE. A BIG SCARY DRAGON IS TRYINGTO ROAST AND EAT VINNY BUT HE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S GOT HIMSELF INTO. VINNY IS TOO POWERFUL, HE'S THE GUY WHO PUSHED CHIPPER JONES INTO LEFT FIELD AFTER ALL. THAT BASEBALL IS GOING TO CLONK THAT DRAGON'S NOGGIN AND VINNY'LL HAVE A NEW SET OF LUGGAGE

THE CLUNKY FUTURISTIC BACKGROUNDS ON THESE THINGS MAKE ME SO HAPPY. IT'S LIKE VAPORWAVE AND STEAMPUNK HAD A WEIRD LITTLE BABY

2020 DONRUSS SAM HILLIARD RATED ROOKIE

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

SAM HILLIARD WAS A BENCH OUTFIELDER FOR THE BRAVES IN 2023 AND HE HAD A STRETCH FOR ABOUT A WEEK WHERE HE PLAYED LIKE WILLIE MAYS. HE HAS ALREADY BEEN WAIVED AND PICKED UP BY THE ORIOLES AS FORREST WALL BEAT HIM OUT FOR THE SCRAPPY 6TH OUTFIELDER SPOT ON THE ROSTER BUT I FELT A NEED TO PICK UP A RATED ROOKIE TO COMMEMORATE THAT TWO HOME RUN GAME IN APRIL

1992-93 STADIUM CLUB DOMINIQUE WILKINS

 CATEGORY - HAWKS

ONE THING I REALLY NEED TO DO IS RAID ALL THE OLDER SETS I WILL NEVER BUILD FOR PLAYER COLLECTION CARDS. I FEEL LIKE I HAVE THIS CARD ALREADY - IT JUST SEEMS TOO RECOGNIZABLE - BUT IT WASN'T IN MY 'NIQUE BINDER SO IT ENDED UP IN MY CART

1992-93 SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD SET TO BUILD, BUT THANKS TO TOPPS BEING OUT OF THE BASKETBALL GAME FOR OVER A DECADE WE GET A BUNCH OF ROOKIE CARDS LIKE THIS ON THE BACK. THE FIFTY POINT CLUB CARD, EH. NOT EVEN HIS 1992-93 BASE CARD, THE 50 POINT CLUUB CARD IS IS ROOKIE CARD. WHATEVER YOU SAY TOPPS

1996 UPPER DECK RYAN KLESKO DIAMOND DESTINY

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

THESE CARD CONFUSED ME FOR A WHILE, AT FIRST I THOUGHT THEY WERE INSERTS, THEN I GOT THE IDEA THAT THEY WERE PART OF A BOX SET, AND EVENTUALLY I FOUND OUT THAT THEY WERE AN INSERT, JUST IN SPECIALLY MARKED PACKS. WHATEVER THEY ARE THEY LOOK REALLY COOL WITH THE PORTRAIT INSIDE AN ACETATE WINDOW AND I LIKE PICKING THEM UP WHEN I FIND THEM. I HAVE NO IDEA WHICH ONES I HAVE BUT I WOULDN'T MIND IF I HAD KLESKO ALREADY

2022 TOPPS BRYCE HARPER STARS OF MLB

 CATEGORY - INSERT

GOOD OL' BRUCE HOOPER. I LOVE FINDING THIS DUDE FOR CHEAPS. THIS METEOR SHOWER DESIGN IS PRETTY SLICK LOOKING AS WELL, IT'S REALLY GROWN ON ME. IT LOOKS LIKE THESE STARS OF MLB CARDS WILL BE COMING BACK IN 2024, I HOPE IT GOES BACK TO THIS KIND OF CELESTIAL DESIGN

2022 CORNERSTONE MARCELL OZUNA

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

YET MORE UNNECESSARY CORNERSTONE CARDS, THIS TIME WE'RE BACK TO THE BASE DESIGN WITH THE STRIPEY HOLOFOIL. BUT WAIT! BLUE FOIL PARALLEL! THIS IS A REALLY GOOFY SET BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT IF THERE WAS A ZENITH LOGO INSTEAD OF THAT STAINED GLASS LOOKING THING THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT A CORNERSTONE I'D BE LOSING MY MIND OVER THIS SET

1990 UPPER DECK REGGIE JACKSON BASEBALL HEROES HEADER CARD

CATEGORY - INSERT

HERE'S ANOTHER HEROES HEADER CARD, I THINK THIS ONE COMPLETED MY REGGIE JACKSON SET. THE ACTUAL CARD SET WAS FINISHED FOR A WHILE BUT I WASN'T CERTAIN I HAD THE HEADER. I BUY DUPLICATES OF REGGIE CARDS ALL THE TIME ANYWAY SO NO BIGGIE EITHER WAY

AND BE SURE TO CHASE AFTER THOSE SIGNED CARDS WITH A SPECIAL HOLOGRAM KIDS! I WONDER HOW MANY BOXES OF 1990 UPPER DECK WERE OPENED SOLELY AS A REGGIE AUTOGRAPH LOTTERY TICKET. I BET IT'S A LOT AND I THINK I GOT MOST OF THE DISCARDED BASE CARDS FROM THOSE BOXES

MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS CARD IS THAT LITTLE ICON NEXT TO THE HOLOGRAM. IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS CARD NUMBER 0. IT ALSO SORT OF LOOKS LIKE A LONDON UNDERGROUND STOP

2022 TOPPS FREDDIE FREEMAN STARS OF MLB

 CATEGORY - INSERT

FREDERICK! IF FREDDIE'S IN A BRAVES UNI THEN IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH ME. I THINK I'VE BOUGHT THIS CARD THREE TIMES THOUGH AND NOT JUST ON THE SITE

2023 TOPPS AUSTIN RILEY

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

ANOTHER CARD I'VE BOUGHT MULTIPLES OF. NO WORRIES, ONE FOR THE SET, ONE FOR THE TEAM BINDER. MY BRAVES TEAM SET COLLECTION IS GOING THROUGH SOME CHANGES LATELY AS I'VE RAIDED SOME TEAM SETS TO KNOCK CARDS OFF MY MAIN SET WANTLISTS. I THINK I NEED TO DO THE REVERSE FOR MORE RECENT SETS THOUGH. I REALLY JUST NEED TO SUCK IT UP AND BUY A COMPLETE TEAM SET AT MY LCS IN 2024

2020 BOWMAN MIKE SOROKA

 CATEGORY - BRAVES

WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CARD MIKE SOROKA WAS DESPERATELY TRYING TO MAKE IT BACK FROM HIS MYRIAD INJURIES AND GET BACK TO THE BRAVES ROTATION. IT DIDN'T GO TOO WELL AND NOW HE'S ON THE WHITE SOX. I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER 2019

2022 TOPPS JOSE RAMIREZ STARS OF MLB

 CATEGORY - INSERT

IT'S WEIRD HOW I START COLLECTING CARDS OF CERTAIN PLAYERS. I KNEW JOSE RAMIREZ WAS A LEGIT GREAT PLAYER FOR A WHILE BUT DIDN'T THINK ABOUT HIM MUCH. THEN HE KNOCKED TIM ANDERSON'S LIGHTS OUT AND NOW I KEEP PICKING UP HIS CARDS. I SHOULDN'T REWARD VIOLENCE LIKE THIS BUT JOSE'S AWESOME LOL

UP NEXT: I HAVEN'T UPLOADED THE PHOTOS YET SOOO I DON'T REALLY KNOW? IT'S GOOD THOUGH, I DON'T BUY CRAPPY CARDS

STOP TYPING THAT COMMENT

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!

1996 Metal Universe Braves Team Set

I did a post on 2000 Skybox Metal yesterday on A Pack A Day and I looked around the interwebs for some examples of the '96 or '97 sets to show off the fantastic cartoony backgrounds. Unfortunately, I found bupkis. So to fill this void of Metal Universe information on the 'net I'm posting the Braves team from the inaugural 1996 set. In the process I figured out why there's hardly any of these cards on the web. They are a pain in the kiester to scan. You see, the entire set is on foilboard - which is notoriously hard to scan- and the foil is also etched into patterns that enhance the design that only make things even tougher. The scans here don't really do these flashy cards justice (and in some cases the cards themselves don't do the cards justice) but I think I did a good enough job getting the basic colors and designs to come through. Here's the complete set except for Maddux which I have misplaced for the time being. Commentary on each card is forthcoming, but enjoy the scans in the meantime.

The background really looks like a mess on Avery's card, but it's actually supposed to be a huge explosion behind Steve who is chucking a baseball that's on fire. If you click on the card you can see the detail that went into the foil etching to make the explosion look sort of cloud-like and the blast rays coming out from it. I guess they used this background since Avery's career was blowing up at this point.

This one is almost impossible to see, but that's ok, because it's one of the weaker backgrounds in the set. The only thing you can really make out are the tentacles of greed dragging the once Brave hero off to Queens where he would be tortured and ultimately disgraced for five long years. Ok, I'm reading into this one a little bit too much. There are definitely tentacles though, and I'll bet Dr. James Andrews would have to be paged if an octopus grabbed your arm right as you were about to deliver a fastball to the plate. As for the background, I have no clue what's going on. There's a lot of purple and orange swirly things going on. It could be a misty vapor, a humongous tentacle with orange suckers or possibly the inside of a stomach with festering ulcers.

Marquis Grissom is battling little rockets that are whizzing by him. They kind of look like spears or spikes on the scan, but if you squint you might make out the rocket fins and jet streams. I'm not sure if Marquis is trying to dodge the missiles or take them out with his bat. I think he's doing a Neo bullet time Matrix dodging thing, because if he's playing real life Missile Command there's going to be a lot of dead cities behind him.

Yeah! Chipper! I........ have no idea what's going on here! Chipper might be swimming underwater through clumps of algae or turds or something, but then again, there are licks of fire down by his hands. Or he could be shrunken down fighting off mutant red blood cells that have turned green while the patient's farts spontaneously light causing further peril for Chipper. However, there are also some planetary looking orbs behind him so he just might be in space. With asteroids and a solar flare maybe I guess. I don't know what the hell is going on here. Let's just call it space and move on.

Best card in the whole damn set right here. Dave Justice isn't just fighting a dragon, he's running full speed straight toward it's mouth, pushing open the jaws with his bare hands and TAKING A FIRE BURP POINT BLANK IN THE CHEST. Dave's reaction before he leaps down the dragon's gullet so he can rip out the beast's heart from the inside is "Man, you're getting my uniform dirty you dumb lizard!" Dave Justice is one baaaaaad mother.

If each card can be considered a panel from a comic book, then Klesko's card would be infinitely cooler if it was one panel before or one panel after this one. Ryan standing in front of a brick wall with a couple of chunks of debris falling down isn't very exciting without any context. Did Ryan cause the wall to crumble with one of his crazy swings? Is a monster about to bust through the wall Kool-Aid Man style to battle with the slugger? We don't know. We get a wall.

This one is a little puzzling because Mark Lemke actually does have electric current constantly coursing through his throwing arm. I guess they went with the realism with this one.

There's nothing I like better than the combination of trading cards and atom bombs. This just goes to show how underrated a fielder Javy was. Hundreds of thousands of people were instantly vaporised by the blast, and millions more suffered burns, sickness and mutation from the radioactive fallout, but Lopez still remains focused on pouncing on that bunt and throwing out the lead runner with a strike to the second baseman.

Greg Maddux is supposed to be here but I can't find the damn card anywhere. I thought I pulled it a while back to put with my Maddog collection but it's not there either. It's kinda bumming me out.

In a set full of insanity, sometimes simple is best. The contact between a 99 mile per hour fastball and the Crime Dog's mighty swing creates a shockwave that bends both time and space. If major leaguers used aluminum bats every game would look like this card. The card kind of reminds me of the Akira explosion, but I could only find a video of it in this music video on YouTube. My joke ends after 10 seconds but if you like Anime stuff blowing up to the soothing sounds of J-Pop, by all means watch the whole thing.

Another example of how effective simpler geometric designs are in this set. John Smoltz is being sucked into a time warp vortex of some sort. Kind of a cross between the trippy scene in 2001 where Dave gets sucked into the Monolith and the opening of Dr. Who back when it was good. (warning: best website design ever) Notice how the locus of the vortex is on John's shoulder. I would give almost anything to time warp Smoltzie's shoulder back to 1996.

Last card for the Braves and we've come full circle. Wohlers' card is Avery's background flipped for use with a righty instead of a lefty. The career blowing up motif is once again strong with this card.

And just for completeness' sake (even though I don't have the #%^&#! Maddux) here's the back of one of the cards. You see the metalworks theme that was brought back in '99 and 2000 when Fleer abandoned the sci-fi comicbookieness of the set in the rivets and gears and such. It was a pretty good choice to go with a regular portrait on two thirds of the back when the front was filled with such weirdness. Unfortunately the way the market has evolved a set as creative as this one just couldn't get made nowadays. With only two manufacturers limited to 17 releases in a market driven by big hits and safe products, there's no way anyone would risk a flop by doing something as strange as this set. Because no new products flop nowadays. The rest of the month I'll sprinkle my posts with a few of the more ridiculous cards from this set, so stay tuned.