2023 CARD SHOW - PART 7 THE BOARDROOM EXILES

THE CARD SHOW HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS. FIRST THEY STARTED CRAMMING DEALERS INTO THE HALL OUTSIDE THE MAIN ROOM AND NOW THEY'VE EXPANDED TO A WHOLE NEW ROOM. DOWN THE HALL ON THE RIGHT IS THE BOARDROOM AND THERE WERE FOUR MORE DEALERS THERE PEDDLING THEIR WARES. THREE SOLD SLABS AND INDUSTRIAL CONTAINERS FULL OF SLABS. BUT THE FOURTH GUY WAS ANOTHER COLLECTOR!!!

THERE WAS A ROW OF DOLLAR BOXES, A BUNCH OF VINTAGE SETS, A DISPLAY FULL OF VINTAGE CARDS, A BOX OF OLD MAGAZINES, SOME HAND MADE GRAB BAGS, A COUPLE GIANT CARDBOARD BOXES FULL OF VINTAGE COMMONS THAT COST WAY TOO MUCH AND A BUNCH OF OTHER ODDBALL SPORTS RELATED TCHOTCHKES. THIS WAS FUKKIN GREAT! I WAS A LITTLE OVERWHELMED AND STARTED DIGGING IN THE DOLLAR BOXES AFTER BEING TEMPTED BY SOME STICKER ALBUMS IN THE BOX OF MAGAZINES. I PROBABLY  COULD HAVE DROPPED THE REST OF MY CASH HERE BUT I WAS STARTING TO WEAR DOWN AND CHOSE A FEW SELECT GOODIES FOUND IN SOME LIMITED DIGGING

I POKED AROUND THE NEWER CARDS IN THE DOLAR BOX BUT DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING RIGHT AWAY AND WAS NOT IN THE MOOD TO LOOK AT EVERY CARD AT THIS POIONT IN MY CARD SHOW JOURNEY. I'M NOT A SPRING CHICKEN ANYMORE AND CAN'T HANDLE DIGGING THROUGH BOXES UNTIL SECURITY ESCORTS ME FROM THE BUILDING. THERE WAS A SMALL BUT VIBRANT VINTAGE SECTION IN THE BOX SO I LOOKED THROUGH THAT INSTEAD. THIS 1982 KELLOGG'S CARD OF ROD CAREW JUMPED OUT AT ME AND SMACKED ME AROUND UNTIL I AGREED TO TAKE HIM HOME. HOW COULD I ARGUE WITH ROD? 

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS 1966 COOKIE ROJAS CARD. I ENJOY VINTAGE CARDS WHERE THE PORTRAIT TAKES UP THE ENTIRE CARD AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THAT PHENOMENON.  IT MIGHT BE THE PERFECT CARD. COOKIE IS BEAMING WITH A HUGE SMILE ON HIS FACE. HIS HAT IS ENORMOUS. HIS GLASSES ARE THE HEIGHT OF MID SIXTIES FASHION. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH THE CLEAREST BLUE SKY. IN THE BACKGROUND IS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A BATTLE SCARRED WASTELAND. GRAY AND BURNED AND LIFELESS, POSSIBLY SCOURED BY A NUCLEAR BLAST. THE EXTREME HEAT EMINATING FROM THE DEVASTATED GROUND CAUSE THE REMAINING STRUCTURES TO SHIMMER EERILY. IT MIGHT EVEN SIMPLY BE A MIRAGE. THIS CARD, TO ME, IS AN ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE. BOTH AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND SURREAL. EVEN THE TEAM AND PLAYER NAME BAR COLORS MATCH THE SCENE'S PALETTE. THE RED MIRRORS THE PHILLIES HAT, THE GRAY THE SCORCHED EARTH. WHILE INTELLECTUALLY MY BRAIN KNOWS THAT BACKGROUND IS JUST AN EXTREMELY OUT OF FOCUS SPRING TRAINING OUTFIELD WALL, MY EYES CAN ONLY SEE A GHOSTLY HELLSCAPE. PART OF MY SCHTICK IS TO ENGAGE IN HYPERBOLE ABOUT HOW AWESOME A BUNCH OF JUNKY OLD BASE CARDS ARE, BUT I AM NOT KIDDING THIS TIME. I ADORE THIS CARD. I'VE ALSO BEGUN HOARDING IT A BIT, THIS IS THE FOURTH OR FIFTH COPY I'VE BOUGHT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS AND I'M NOT GOING TO STOP. I MAY NOT BECOME THE NEW 1964 FLOOD GUY BUT DAMN I LOVE THIS CARD

WHEN I FIRST HIT THE DOLLAR BOXES I RANDOMLY LOOKED AT THE VINTAGE FOOTBALL CARDS. NO REAL REASON, I SAW VINTAGE AND WENT FOR IT. THE SELLER HAD A KEEN EYE AND WAS READY TO UPSELL, HE PULLED OUT A BOX OF 70S FOOTBALL COMMONS AND OFFERED THEM THREE FOR A BUCK. WORKING ON FOOTBALL SETS WERE THE LAST POSSIBLE THING ON MY AGENDA BUT I HAD ALREADY REBUFFED A COUPLE OFFERS OF A VINTAGE BINDER AND A LARGE BOX OF 60S AND 70S CARDS FOR A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS EACH. I DIDN'T HAVE THE HEART TO TELL HIM I ONLY HAD ABOUT 15 BUCKS ON ME AND WAS HONESTLY JUST THANKFUL TO SEE SOMETHING IN MY PRICE RANGE. I'M NOT REALLY CLOSE ON COMPLETING ANY 70S SETS BUT I LOVE 1972 FOOTBALL SO I GRABBED ANY I FOUND THAT I DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE. THIS RECEIVING LEADERS CARD IS PRETTY WILD, THE TOP TWO RECEIVERS BY CATCHES ARE TIGHT ENDS AND BOB TUCKER LED THE LEAGUE WITH 59. TO SEE HOW THE NFL HAS CHANGED, THE LEADER IN 2023 WAS CEEDEE LAMB WITH 135 CATCHES AND BOB'S 59 WOULD BE GOOD FOR 57TH PLACE

HERE'S A COUPLE OF DEFENSIVE BACKS TO COVER THOSE RECEIVERS. CHARLIE WEST WENT TO A COUPLE SUPER BOWLS WITH THE VIKINGS BUT LEROY KEYES HAS THAT COOL BEANIE. THE 1972 TOPPS FOOTBALL SET IS RATHER UNIQUE. THE DESIGN SEEMS PRETTY SIMPLE AT FIRST. SOLID COLOR FRAME AROUND A BIG PICTURE WITH A BOLD TEAM NAME ON TOP AND THE PLAYER NAME AND POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PHOTO IN RED. PRETTY STANDARD! NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY HERE. BUT THIS SET HAS A SECRET

HORIZONTAL CARDS. WE'RE ALL USED TO THERE BEING A FEW HORIZONTAL CARDS IN A BASE SET THANKS TO RECENT TOPPS BASE SETS. BUT THAT'S NOT HOW THE 1972 TOPPS FOOTBALL SET WORKS. IF THE TEAM NAME IS SIX OR MORE LETTERS LONG, ALL THE CARDS FOR THAT TEAM ARE VERTICAL. FIVE LETTERS OR LESS, THEY ARE ALL HORIZONTAL. GO CHECK OUT THE SET ON TCDB AND SEE GOT YOURSELF. I FRIGGIN LOVE THESE HORIZONTAL CARDS WITH THE CHONY LETTERS FOR THE TEAM NAME AND IT'S SO WILD TO ME THAT TOPPS CHOSE THIS DESIGN SOLUTION. I WONDER IF TOPPS WANTED TO MAKE A VERTICAL SET AND THE SHORT TEAM NAMES WERE TOO STRETCHED OR A HORIZONTAL SET AND THE LONG TEAM NAMES WERE TOO SQUISHED. 1972 TOPPS IS ALSO BIZZARE AS IT RELEASED A SUPER SCARCE THIRD SERIES THAT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND. NO 1972 TOPPS TOMMY NOBIS FOR ME. I DO NOW HAVE A WILLIE ELLISON AND DAVE WILCOX THOUGH, BOTH FRESH OFF A PRO BOWL APPEARANCE IN 1971

I NEEDED A SIXTH CARD BUT RAN OUT OF 1972S SO I CHOSE THIS 1975 ALL PRO CORNERBACKS CARD FEATURING NATE WRIGHT AND HALL OF FAMER EMMITT THOMAS. EMMITT IS ALSO THE GUY WHO BECAME THE INTERIM HEAD COACH OF THE FALCONS WHEN BOBBY PETRINO FLAKED OUT AND QUIT TO TAKE THE ARKANSAS JOB. SO MANY DUMB THINGS HAVE HAPPENED TO THAT FRANCHISE, I'M SO HAPPY I'M A LIFELONG STEELERS FAN AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE

THIS MESS IS THE BEST PHOTO I COULD GET OF THE HANDMADE GRAB BAGS THE GUY WAS SELLING. I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE BEFORE I OPENED THEM ALL AND IT WAS HARD GETTING AN ANGLE THAT SHOWED OFF THE LABEL AND DIDN'T JUST LOOK LIKE A FAT ENVELOPE. THERE WAS A MONSTER BOX OF THESE THINGS FULL OF BASEBALL, FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL PACKS. EACH PACK HAD TWENTY FIVE CARDS AND THERE WERE FOLDERS WITH A FEW PLASTIC SHEETS FILLED WITH THE KIND OF CARDS THAT COULD BE FOUND INSIDE. THE BASEBALL PACKS WERE MOSTLY FILLED WITH LATE 90S AND 00S CARDS WITH SOME INSERTS AND STARS MIXED IN. I HAD TONS OF CARDS FROM THESE SETS SO WASN'T REALLY INTERESTED. THE BASKETBALL PACKS HOWEVER WERE MOSTLY FILLED WITH LATE 90S AND 00S CARDS WITH SOME INSERTS AND STARS MIXED IN. I HAVE HARDY ANY CARDS FROM THESE SETS SO I WAS SUPER INTERESTED. AND PICKED OUT THREE PACKS. I OPENED UP ONE AT THE TABLE AND IT WAS FANTASTIC. I KINDA WANTED TO JUST SPEND THE REST OF MY MONEY ON MORE PACKS RIGHT THEN AND THERE BUT I STILL HAD THE VINTAGE TABLE TO HIT AND WAS ABLE TO RESTRAIN MYSELF. IT'S A GOOD THING I DID BECAUSE THE OTHER TWO PACKS WERE NOT AS FANTASTIC. THEY WERE GOOD, DONT GET ME WRONG, BUT IF I HAD BOUGHT SEVEN MORE PACKS OF THAT INSTEAD OF WHAT I ENDED UP GETTING THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MANY REGRETS. I AM GOING TO SAVE THE FANTASTIC PACK TO MAYBE POST ON A RAINY DAY SO INSTEAD HERE ARE THE TOP FIVE CARDS FROM EACH OF THE OTHER GRAB BAGS

2004-05 TOPPS FINEST ANTONIO MCDYESS

I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS FINEST DESIGN AND WAS REALLY STOKED TO PULL THIS CARD. THIS IS A REALLY NICE DESIGN WITH ETCHING AND A TEXTURED BACKGROUND. I'M A LITTLE OBSESSED WITH FINEST RIGHT NOW TO THE POINT WHERE I'M PICKING UP WRESTLING AND SOCCER FINEST CARDS JUST TO HAS THEM. MCDYESS WAS A REALLY GOOD PLAYER AND WAS ON ALL-ROOKIE AND ALL-PRO TEAMS BEFORE WRECKING HIS KNEE. EVEN AFTER THE INJURY HE STILL MANAGED TO PLAY A THOUSAND GAMES IN THE NBA

1994-95 FLEER ANFERNEE HARDAWAY PRO-VISIONS INSERT

SPEAKING OF KNEE INJURIES, PENNY WAS SO DAMN GOOD BEFORE HE GOT HURT. THESE PRO-VISIONS CARDS ARE ALSO SO DAMN GOOD. ACTUAL MAGIC AND PENNIES IN FRONT OF A CRAZY DOCTOR STRANGE STYLE BACKGROUND. WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW GOOD WE HAD IT IN THE EARLY 90S

1994-95 SKYBOX SERIES TWO GLENN ROBINSON RC PERFORATED CARD FROM PROMO SHEET

BIG DOG WASN'T MILWAUKEES SAVIOR BUT HE STILL HAD A PRETTY GOOD CAREER. THIS IS ONE OF HIS WEIRDER ROOKIE CARDS AS IT WAS ON A SIX-CARD PERFORATED PROMO SHEET THAT SOMEONE DECIDED TO DISMANTLE. I WONDER IF THE REST OF THE CARDS WERE IN THE OTHER PACKS

1998-99 METAL UNIVERSE REGGIE MILLER

FLEER METAL CARDS ARE ALWAYS A DELIGHT AND REGGIE IS A GREAT CARD TO GET. I WOULD HAVE BEEN HAPPY WITH SOME BENCHWARMER, I DIDN'T EXPECT A HALL OF FAMER! REGGIE IS TORMENTING THE KNICKS ON THIS CARD, SOMETHING HE DID OFTEN THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER

1997 PRESS PASS JACQUE VAUGHN NETBURNERS PROMO CARD

PRESS PASS ALWAYS HAD SOME WILD DIE CUT INSERT CARDS IN THE LATE 90S AND THIS NETBURNERS CARD IS NO EXCEPTION. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A PROMO CARD, THERE'S A TON OF EXTREMELY TINY TEXT ON THE BACK SHOWING OFF ALL THE FRAFT PUCKS AND HOT INSERTS YOU CAN FIND IN 1997 PRESS PASS. REAL AUTOGRAPHS! REAL LIMITED PRODUCTION! REAL GAMEACTION! ONLY THE TOP PLAYERS. TIM DUNCAN, CHAUNCEY BILLIPS AND TRACY MCGRADY WERE IN THERE SO THEY WEREN'T LYING. JACQUE VAUGHN MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A TOP TOP PLAYER BUT HE WAS IN THE LEAGUE FOR 12 YEARS AND IS NOW BROOKLYN'S HEAD COACH SO THAT'S TOPS TO ME

2004-05 TOPPS TOTAL TRACY MCGRADY

YEP, TOTAL WAS A BASKETBALL PRODUCT TOO FOR A COUPLE YEARS. THERE'S NO FUN GAME ON THE BACK BUT IT EXISTS. T-MAC IS A NICE CARD TO HAVE IF YOU'RE GONNA GET ONE

2004-05 TOPPS STEPHON MARBURY

00S TOPPS BASKETBALL BASE CARDS ARE STOOPID HARD TO FIND AND EVERY DAY I CURSE PAST ME FOR NOT BUYING AS MANY PACKS AS I COULD FIND. OR MAYBE I DID BUY AS MANY PACKS AS I COULD FIND?? EITHER WAY I DON'T HAVE A LOT AND I WANT ALL THE SETS WHICH IS A PROBLEM. I REJOICE WHEN I FIND EVEN ONE BASE CARD, EXPECIALLY WHEN IT'S A STAR CARD AND INDUBITABLY WHEN IT'S A DING DANG CARD I NEED. THIS STEPHON CARD IS PRETTY COOL REGARDLESS OF ALL THAT . IT'S RARE WHEN THE SHOES ARE FRONT AND SENTER ON A CARD LIKE THIS

1999-00 BOWMAN'S BEST ANTAWN JAMISON BEST PERFORMERS INSERT

THIS DESIGN IS PRETTY ASTOUNDING, I WAS KIND OF DISAPPOINTED WHEN I FIGURED OUT IT WAS AN INSERT CARD. IMAGINE A WHOLE SET WITH THIS DESIGN! MAYBE FANATICS CAN RESURRECT IT WHEN THEY GOBBLE UP THE REST OF THE LICENSES FROM PANINI. ANTAWN JAMISON WAS A DANG GOOD PLAYER WHO JOINED THE ATLANTA HAWKS ONE-DAY LEGEND CLUB IN 2014 WHEN THE CLIPPERS TRADED HIM TO ATLANTA WHO IMEDIATELY WAIVED HIM

1993-94 SKYBOX ALONZO MOURNING AND SHAQUILLE O'NEAL SHOWDOWN SERIES INSERT

YEAH! SHAQ INSERT! WITH ZO! I BOUGHT THIS EXACT CARD LIKE SIX MONTHS AGO LOL. IT'S STILL COOL AS HELL, THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE 1993 THAN THIS CARD

2001-02 TOPPS HERITAGE EDDIE JONES BLAST FROM THE PAST INSERT

YEAAAH MOAR INSERTS! I REALLY LIKED BASKETBALL HERITAGE AND BOUGHT AS MUCH AS I COULD BUT NO ONE ELSE LIKED IT SO IT DIES AS A BRAND PRETTY QUICKLY. NO BIG WONDER WHY WITH INSERTS LIKE THIS. EARLY 00S BASKETBALL COLLECTORS LIKED CURRENT PLAYERS AND JORDAN, AND WEREN'T TERRIBLY INSTERESTED IN HIPPIE 60S BULLSHIT. IT'S A SHAME BUT THEY DID DO SETS IN THE 1971-72 AND 72-73 DESIGNS WHICH WERE PROBABLY THE BEST OF THE 70S ANYWAY. EDDIE JONES WAS A DAMN GOOD PLAYER BUT JUST LIKE PENNY, STEPHON AND ANTAWN NO ONE CARES ANYMORE

JUST LIKE REAL PACKS, THESE WERE FUN TO OPEN AND HAD A BUNCH OF STUFF I DIDN'T REALLY NEED INSIDE. BUT FUN IS FUN AND FUN I HAD. I TOOK MY STUFF AND EXISTED THE BOARDROOM TO WRAP UP THE SHOW AT THE VINTAGE TABLE WHILE THE SLABBERS LOOKED AT ME LIKE I WAS A WEIRDO. THEY WERE RIGHT, OF COURSE

UP NEXT: THE GRAND FINALE AT THE GOOD VINTAGE TABLE