Hoopography

How Dumb Does This eBayer Think We Are?

2012-02-15T22:03:00.002-05:00

Empty Upper Deck Authenticated Box

I'm all for buying the most obscure and meaningless pieces of sports memorabilia, but an empty Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) box is a bit ridiculous. At least, that's what I think. However, this opportunistic eBay seller doesn't agree (click here), or he/she thinks most collectors are really dumb.

I guess I can't really blame the seller here. I have seen auctions featuring obvious counterfeits, fakes and frivolous items sell for big money. The empty UDA box has a starting bid of $19.00 with a $7.95 shipping charge. I guess it cost a lot to ship lightweight small cardboard boxes. Anyways, I'm going to watch this item and see if anyone actually bids on it over the next four days. Oh, and the seller's location is about 25 mins from where I live. So please do not generalize this seller's greed on the good people of WNY.

Thanks and as always… "Enjoy Every Thrill of the Auction".

The Jordan Collection (Part 8): '91 Sports Illustrated Michael Jordan Sportsman Of The Year Hologram Proof

2012-02-15T11:32:00.001-05:00

In this 8th installment of The Jordan Collection post series, I'm featuring this commemorative printer's proof of the Michael Jordan hologram featured on the 1991 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year cover. The proof is exact in every way to the hologram on the cover of the magazines, with the one exception of the proof being double sided. You can read an earlier post I did on the actual Sportsman of the Year Sports Illustrated magazine by clicking here to get a background on the item.

The printers proof hologram featured in this post is rare. How rare you might ask? I've only seen three of these on eBay in the three years I've been searching for one of these. So although I don't have an exact number to provide you, I'm assuming there aren't too many of these out there. That makes this approximately 5' x 3'' Jordan hologram a very unique item. I was lucky to grab this item several months ago.

The slide show above includes 18 images of the hologram in which I tried to capture as many of the images in the hologram as possible. Hopefully you can see the clarity, detail and vivid colors this awesome Jordan hologram possesses.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you probably recognize this post from a few months ago. I am reposting some of my favorite posts from The Jordan Collection series prior to a new video post of a Jordan item that I am pretty excited about. I just got a new item in and I hope to have it posted this weekend.
Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

The Return of Retro: 2012 Panini Hoops And Upper Deck Fleer Retro

2012-02-13T23:01:00.000-05:00

It's no secret I'm a fan of 90's inserts and design, so I'm always excited when I hear a company is going to release retro cards. In the case of Panini and Upper Deck, both are releasing 2012 cards featuring actual designs from previously released products. I know some collectors aren't fans of the recycled design idea, but I'm liking what I'm seeing.

Panini is releasing buyback auto'd cards from the '89-'90 Hoops set in their 2012 Hoops release and Upper Deck is producing some inserts from those awesome late 90's Fleer insert sets for their 2012 Upper Deck Fleer Retro release. It's hard to argue with those great 90's insert designs, but I love buyback auto's too. I think the buybacks will be nice and certain players like David Robinson will be highly sought after, but the use of several designs in the Fleer Retro product is a nice plus. I'm definitely going to have to go after both.

Which one do you do you like best and think will get the hobby into a frenzy?

2012 Upper Deck Fleer Retro

2012 Panini Hoops

2010 Upper Deck The Cup Tyler Ennis Printing Plate (Black) 1/1

2012-02-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

The push for the NHL Playoffs is here and that means I get to showoff this really cool Tyler Ennis printing plate from Upper Deck's 2010 The Cup release. I've been trying to add a printing plate to my collection for some time now as I think they are pretty cool. To own a piece of memorabilia that was made in the manufacturing of a trading card is definitely up my alley.

There are different versions of these plates, but I like the black as the images stand out a bit more. Hopefully Tyler Ennis will stand out a bit more for my Buffalo Sabres. He had a strong year last year, but has struggled this year with injuries. Since he's come back from those injuries, he has played better and has really been a spark for the Sabres. That's a good thing since the Sabres need to make up a lot of ground to even get into the playoff conversations.

This 1/1 printing plate of Tyler Ennis is really one of my nicer hockey cards. I've made an effort over the last few months to add a couple hockey cards to my PC, so there are a few more to come in future posts. Enjoy your day and… "Every Hat in the Hat Trick".

I'm Back Baby!

2012-02-10T11:14:00.001-05:00

For a span of about eighteen months, I posted on Hoopography nearly everyday and sometimes twice. Between the original Hoopography Blog ran through Apple's iWeb and MobleMe services and this Blogger.com page, I've somehow managed to post more than four hundred unique posts. To say I enjoyed the hobby, meeting fellow collectors, sharing my memorabilia collection, reviewing product and posing polling questions is an understatement. As much as I enjoy the previously just mentioned, and just like for many readers, life is multifaceted.

Between work, working on purchasing a home and marathon training, this blog has had to take a back seat. More so than any of those other endeavors, I also experienced the single most amazing moment of my life when I proposed to my now fiance this past November. So a lot has been going on to prohibit me from getting on the computer and posting. However, things are quieting down a bit.

Things are settling down a little bit now, and I have been collecting periodically throughout my time away. So after a nearly seven month layoff from the blogospher, I'm back. I have a number of new items that I recently added to my collection and I'm going to a Sports Card and Memorabilia show tomorrow at Batavia Downs and Casino in Batavia, NY.

I enjoy the hobby and I look forward to posting at least a few times a week again. Thanks for reading and as always... "enjoy every bounce of the ball".

Have You Seen Me???

2011-07-14T06:47:00.000-04:00

'98 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion Football & Basketball

As many of you know, I'm putting together the late 90's Upper Deck SPx ProMotion, Cornerstones and Duo View sets for all four of the major sports. The design of these sets are very similar featuring die cuts and holograms. I have been doing well with the sets from '97, but have not had much luck with the basketball and football cards from '98. So I'm putting an all points bulletin out for these cards. If anyone out there has ANY of the cards from the 1998 basketball or football Upper Deck SPx ProMotion sets and would like to work a trade out, let me know. You can view my trade/want list here. Thanks and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Thomas Vanek In The Hoopography House: '09 Upper Deck Black Lustrous Materials

2011-07-13T08:24:00.000-04:00

'09 Upper Deck Black Lustrous Materials Thomas Vanek

UD Black is one of my favorite product lines in the hobby, and to find a UD Black card of one of my hometown Buffalo Sabres makes this recent purchase a hat-trick. I nabbed this Thomas Vanek Lustrous Materials card a few weeks back for $15.00. That's not the cheapest card for my collecting budget, but it's not too bad. Actually, for an auto'd/multi-color jersey card of a 35 goals/year NHL scorer, I thought it was a nice deal. One things for sure though, I can't wait for the upcoming release of 2011 Upper Deck The Cup. I hope to pick up a few more cards of my Buffalo Sabres.

What Size Case Fits The 2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Rare Materials Cards?

2011-07-08T07:01:00.000-04:00

2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Rare Materials

I recently bought this 2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rare Materials card of former Buffalo Bills QB Jim Kelly. It's a cool card with the four pieces of game used materials. I also really like how Upper Deck utilized the gold foiling, but I have one sort of major issue. I like to keep many of my cards in snap magnet cases. I keep a good number around of different sizes so I have a case for when I get a new card in the mail. However, I have not been able to find a case that this ultra thick card will fit into. Not even a 180pt will do. So I thought I would check before I go out and buy any more cases. Does anyone know what size cases will fit these Rare Materials cards perfectly? Thanks for the help and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

KICKS: The Nike Air Penny I's In The Hoopography House!!!

2011-07-06T08:27:00.000-04:00

As you all know by now, I'm a huge Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway fan. I collect Hardaway cards, posters and now kicks. Actually, these Nike Air Penny I's are the second pair of Hardaway kicks that I've laced up. About 16 years ago I had an original pair with this Orlando Magic colorway. They looked great back then and these retro's look even better today.

The retro's were released this past February or March, but sold out in my area pretty quickly. Every now and then I would go into the many sporting good stores I frequent and see a pair on the shelves. However, a random size 8 or 18 isn't really going to help me. A couple weeks ago I again saw a pair on the shelf and asked the young punk working in the store if they had any pairs in size 10 or 10.5. He proceeded to just laugh at me. I left the store like a wounded puppy with my tail between my legs. Fortunately, I'm persistent and went into a discount/surplus Foot Locker about a mile from my house this weekend and again saw a pair on the shelf. They had one pair of size 10's left. Did I feel like a kid in a candy store? Nope, I felt like a sneakerhead in a sneaker store.

Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Here's a stock photo of the Nike Air Penny I's along with the actual size 10's!!!

Trade Bait: Bobby Richardson, LeBron James, UD The Cup, And More...

2011-07-03T13:03:00.000-04:00

Due to a number of recent player personnel moves in the NBA and NHL, as well as a few recent eBay purchases, I've got a few new cards to trade. You can checkout all the cards I have up for trade and what I'm looking for on my Trade/Want List page. Below are some of the cards I have up for trade. Please feel free to leave a comment, send me a message on Facebook or at Hoopography@yahoo.com. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy the Thrill of the Trade".

Pudge Rodriguez and Mike Piazza In The Hoopography House: '97 Upper Deck SPx Cornerstones

2011-06-29T08:38:00.001-04:00

'97 Upper Deck SPx Cornerstones Rodriguez/Piazza

I know it's been about a week or so since my last post. I've been extremely busy with work and family. I actually became an uncle this past weekend which I'm very excited about. With as busy as I've been though, don't think I'm not collecting or staying up to date with the hobby happenings. I just got in a few new items in recently and I'm posting today about what I think is a pretty sweet addition to my late 90's Upper Deck SPx Pro Motion and SPx Force sets. As many of you probably know, I'm currently putting together all of the SPx Pro Motion, Cornerstone, Duo View and Force sets from '97 and '98 for football, baseball, hockey and basketball. It's a tall order, but I'm a huge fan of the die-cut and hologram designs from these sets.

Jeter/Rodriguez

This Ivan Rodriguez and Mike Piazza card is the second card from the '97 baseball Cornerstones set I've been able to add to the collection. The first one I got was the Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez you see to the right. These cards are beautiful. The set name is Cornerstones, but they are basically the same design as the basketball and football Pro Motion sets. I'm not quiet sure why Upper Deck decided to call the baseball and hockey (Duo View) sets by different names. No matter what the name, one thing is for sure. The gold foiling in the backgrounds, die-cut designs and crystal clear holograms make these inserts standout. I paid $5.00 including shipping for the Rodriguez and Piazza. It's not that the baseball Cornerstones cards sell for exorbitant prices, but that was a Rickey Henderson type steal.

I apologize for the lack of posts last week, but I needed some time to focus on a view other things. No worries though. I have a number of new items that I just added to my collection that I'm excited to post about over the next few days. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Crack Of The Bat".

Which Is More Impressive: Handlebar Mustache or Mullet?

2011-06-13T19:38:00.000-04:00

The mullet maybe a little tough to make out on this 1993 Upper Deck SP cards, but Rod Beck definitely had one back in the day. However, I'm going with the handlebar mustache as more impressive. I just think it's pretty cool. Those Reebok cleats aren't too bad either. Gotta like old school. What do you think?

Product Preview: 2011 Panini National Treasures Basketball

2011-06-12T10:14:00.000-04:00

Other than the feverishly hot Blake Griffin RC Auto, last year's 2010 Panini National Treasures was a bit of a disappointment. It looked less like the hobby's high end basketball product and more like one of Panini's sticker books. I know 2010 NT sold well both in the retail and secondary markets, but that had more to do with the Griffin chase and less with the overall product. That's never a good thing for the perception of a product or a company, but it looks like Panini might have vastly improved upon 2010 NT with the upcoming August 3rd release of 2011 National Treasures Basketball.

Below are a few of the images Panini released on their official blog called The Knight's Lance. These images really look amazing and have got this collector's juices flowing. Each eight card box will include six autographed or memorabilia hits per box. It looks like most of those auto's will be on-card (at least from what the released images reveal). That's a big step in the right direction for the hobby. There is no reason a high end product such as National Treasures shouldn't feature a trading card/memorabilia company's best. And by "best", just checkout some of the cards below. If 2011 NT Basketball is anything like the early preview images, us collectors are in for a treat!!! What do you think?

Who Is The Most Important Young Athlete IN The Sports Memorabilia Hobby Today?

2011-06-09T21:34:00.000-04:00

Who is the most important, interesting, exciting, potentially profitable young athlete in the sports memorabilia hobby?Market Research

Alonzo Mourning In The Hoopography House: '94 Fleer Illustration

2011-06-08T07:40:00.000-04:00

'94 Fleer Illustration Alonzo Mourning

This 1994 Fleer Illustration card of Alonzo Mourning isn't worth really much at all, but it sure is fun!!! I'm a big fan of those old school Charlotte Hornets jerseys, and Mourning is one of the all-time warriors of the NBA. As much as I liked Zo and how he approached the game, I'm up in the air on the Hall of Fame. At 17.1 points/game, 2.8 blocks/game and 8.5 rebounds/game he does have respectable career stats, but I'm not quiet sure those numbers are enough. Certainly time will tell, but what do you think? Is Alonzo Morning an NBA Hall of Famer?

Did Shaquille O'neal Maximize His Talent?

2011-06-04T14:35:00.002-04:00

To say Shaquille O'neal didn't have a Hall of Fame career is ridiculous. However, did he maximize his talent throughout his 19 year career? Did he really get everything he could have out of that 7'1'' 300 plus frame? I've argued for many years that he did not. Sure, I was a big fan of the Shaqdaddy throughout his illustrious career, but there were certainly times that I questioned if he was fully invested in the happenings on the court.

Reebok Shaq Pump

For someone with the size, strength and athleticism of O'neal, there shouldn't have been anything that stopped him. For the most part, there wasn't a player in the league that could stop him except maybe himself. Shaq has never successfully completed an 82 game NBA regular season in 19 tries. In fact, he averaged only 64.5 games per season. I understand that a man that size wasn't exactly treated like a little baby out there. The term "hack-a-chaq" was created for a reason. The real issue here is conditioning.

We all have our different body types, but it didn't look like O'neal spent the necessary time a professional athlete should have on his body as other great centers did like a David Robinson. I wonder how much more dominant Shaq could have been had he worked to keep his body in peak conditioning. How many more injuries could have been prevented at at what level he could have performed at had he worked to keep his body in better physical condition. Let's face it, that "Shaq Versus" show was entertaining, but it really was the cross-training workout he was touting.

No doubt, O'neal is a top 10 all-time great, but could he have been in the top 5 or even 3? Maybe, but I guess we'll never know. One thing is for certain. I like collecting the early O'neal inserts and auto's. A couple of my favorites from my collection are posted above. Enjoy the NBA Finals and… "Every Bounce of the Ball".

What Summer Releases Are You Most Excited For?

2011-06-03T17:27:00.000-04:00

Although I'm most excited for the 2011 Upper Deck The Cup hockey release, I haven't actually seen any pictures yet. So I'll exclude The Cup from this conversation. However, it's safe to say that UD will do a great job with that product. I'm also pretty interested to see how Panini's Dominion Hockey product will fair against The Cup. As for a few other products I'm looking forward to this summer, Topps' Lineage baseball release should be fun along Panini's Gold Standard basketball.

I know there are a number of nice products coming out over the summer and I for one am very excited as usual. The above mentioned products are just a few of the many trading card releases that are sure to get my collecting juices flowing. What upcoming summer releases are you most excited about this year?

Poll: Is Phil Jackson The Greatest Coach In Professional Sports History?

2011-06-01T07:49:00.000-04:00

Is Phil Jackson the greatest coach in professional sports history? Although I was a huge Chicago Bulls fan during the 90's like many young wannabe ballers during that time, I don't believe the Zen Master deserves the title. I think there are essentially two schools of thought on Mr. Jackson. You either believe he's the greatest coach in professional sports because of the 11 Championship rings or you think he was in the right place at the right time with the right players. I believe the later is true.

Sure, there had to be some level of coaching involved to win those 11 rings, but he also had the best players of their respective time periods in their primes with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'neal and Kobe Bryant. I think he should have won as many title as he did. What do you think? Is Phil Jackson the greatest coach in professional sports history?

Is Phil Jackson the greatest coach in professional sports history?survey software

Poll: What Sport Do You Collect The Most Memorabilia/Cards of?

2011-05-28T20:30:00.002-04:00

I think it's pretty safe to assume that most collectors have a variety in their sports memorabilia collections. Sure, there are certain players, teams and sports we all collect, but I know many collectors who have great collections featuring items from all sports. I'm sure there's even a reader or two that has a modest cricket or football (soccer) collection they're building. With that said, many of us still have one sport or player from a particular sport that we focus our collections around and I'm no different.

I recently inventoried my sports memorabilia collection and am now able to break my collection down into the four major sports. I know I collect a lot of hoops memorabilia, but I was surprised to see how diverse my collection actually has become. To beak it down for you, 48% of my collection is basketball related, 20% football, 19% baseball and 13% hockey. I do realize how dorky it was to inventory my collection to get these percentages, and I'm assuming many readers aren't as dorky as me. So I made the poll a little simpler: What sport do you collect the most?

What sport do you collect the most memorabilia/trading cards of?online survey

The Jordan Collection (Part 14): '98 EX-2001 Gravity Denied

2011-05-27T09:13:00.001-04:00

'98 EX-2001 Gravity Denied Michael Jordan

I'm no physicist, but I don't think Mr. Jordan's gravity has ever been denied. Even still, this is a pretty cool 90's insert and affordable too. I don't remember how much I paid for this one, but it's safe to say I got a pretty good deal on it when I picked it up a couple years back. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it.

The card is plastic and actually also has a clear protective cover that slides on and off the image. The image itself is very vibrant. The red of the Bulls jersey just pops off the card. Certainly one of the cooler and more unique Jordan inserts of the 90's. It's especially different since it has a little punch out for your keychain or lanyard. Not that I've used it as a keychain, but it's cool. This 20 card set is very affordable to put together and features some great players. Here's a link to the Bay with a few cards from the set (here).

Happy Collecting and "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Poll Battle of the Kicks: Lebron 8 Vs. Nike Zoom Kobe VI

2011-05-24T08:01:00.000-04:00

Which new pair of hoops kicks do you like better?online survey

Super Joe Montana In The Hoopography House: '97 Upper Deck SPx ProMotion

2011-05-23T20:09:00.001-04:00

'97 Upper Deck SPx Promotion Joe Montana

I know it's been about a week since my last post, but I'm back with what I think is a pretty sweet addition to my late 90's Upper Deck SPx Pro Motion and Force sets. As many of you probably know, I'm currently putting together all of the SPx Pro Motion, Cornerstone, Duo View and Force sets from '97 and '98 for football, baseball, hockey and basketball. It's a tall order, but I'm a huge fan of the die-cut and hologram designs from these sets.

This Montana is my fourth card from the '97 football Pro Motion set and I think really the best. The Barry Sanders is a nice card and so is the Dan Marino, but I hate Marino. So therefore, the Montana is the winner. At least it is for me. I remember him playing for the Chiefs and going to a Bills game here in Buffalo with my dad just to see the legend himself. Also the price on this card wasn't too bad either. I paid $13.00 which really is very reasonable. I once tried to buy this card two years ago at a card show for $25.00, but the seller wouldn't go any lower than $35.00. So for $13.00, I'm a pretty happy collector.

I apologize for the lack of posts last week, but I needed some time to focus on a view other things last week. No worries though. I have a number of posts lined up for this week. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Sparkle on Super Joe's Super Rings".

Who Remembers Those "Cool" Laser Backgrounds For The School Year Book Photo?

2011-05-15T12:43:00.000-04:00

1993 Topps Beam Team Miller/Barkley/Drexler (Front)

1993 Topps Beam Team Miller/Barkley/Miller (Back)

By "Cool"… I really mean cool with no parenthesis. That laser background was awesome back in the day for those oh so important yearbook photos and it's still pretty sweet today. Sure, that's only one blogger's not so humble opinion, but Topps liked the design as well. The Beam Team inserts were popular in both the higher-end Stadium Club and base Topps sets during the mid-90's.

The above card is from the '93 Topps set and features Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller. That's not too shabby of a trio. These Beam Team cards were inserted into Series 2 packs at a modest ratio of 1:18. So they're not the most rare cards in the hobby, but they are fun. All of the usual suspects are included in this set: Jordan, Ewing, O'neal, Robinson, etc, and many of these cards can be added to collections for right around $.99. So not only is this a fun set with a totally rad design, it's also affordable.

Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

VIdeo/Poll: You Rank The Top 10 Moves In NBA History

2011-05-14T15:19:00.002-04:00

Witch All-Time NBA Move Is number 1?survey software

3 Sports... 3 Cards

2011-05-13T17:35:00.001-04:00

Apparently, Blogger has had some issues the past couple of days. I'm not sure how this has affected other blogs, but I haven't been able to post for about 24 hours and my last post was deleted. Maybe somebody over at Blogger wasn't a hockey fan. Anyways, everything seems to be working just fine now. Since I got out of work an hour early, I figured I'd type something up quick.

I've been getting out sniped on eBay pretty regularly over the past few weeks. I've been so close on a number of cards I need for several of the sets I'm putting together, but just haven't been able to close the deal. As frustrating as that's been, there's always another poster, trading card or piece of memorabilia on my Watch List for me to bid on. Here are a few recent eBay wins:

'10 Upper Deck The Cup
Chris Butler Rc

My hockey fever continues with this 2010 Upper Deck The Cup Chris Butler RC. UD's The Cup has been the premier hockey product in the industry for sometime now. I know 2011 will be out soon, and I'm pretty excited about that. Also, Panini has just released a preview on The Knight's Lance for their high-end hockey product called Dominion Hockey. Both will feature on-card auto's and great patches. I'm pretty excited to see these two products go head-to-head.

The Butler card isn't autographed or anything fancy like that. It's just a well designed RC that is limited to only 25. Butler is a young defensemen for my Buffalo Sabres. He started the season as a healthy scratch most nights, but was often paired with Tyler Myers as the Sabres' top defensive duo by season's end.

I'm glad to add this super thick card to my ever growing hockey collection. It really didn't set me back too much either. I think I paid under $10 including the shipping. Well worth it for an up and coming player in the Sabres franchise. Hopefully Butler will be here in Buffalo for a longtime to come.

'97 Topps Finest Anfernee Hardaway
Gold Refractor

I'm sure many of you know by now that I'm a huge "Penny" Hardaway collector. I was a fan back in his playing days and there are just a ton of great inserts and auto's out there of Hardaway to collect. Plus, who didn't like those Lil' Penny Nike commercials from the 90's? He is just a fun player to collect.

This 1997 Topps Finest Gold Refractor is a Hardaway card I've been going after for sometime. For some reason, I've gravitated to these Finest Gold Refractors. I have about 10 different ones right now. I'm not actually trying to put the set together… I swear. I've seen this Hardaway card sell for $30.00 bucks before and one also sold for $18.09 recently. However, I was somehow able to steal this one for $9.99. I can certainly deal with a half-price auction win!

It's been awhile since I've picked up a nice Hardaway card. Hopefully this Gold Refractor will get me back in the Hardaway swing of things. Especially if I'm able to pick one or two up for a few pennys. Gotta love a cheesy play on words.

'97 Upper Deck SPx Pro Motion Troy Aikman

The '97 Upper Deck SPx Pro Motion set is one of those sets I'm attempting to put together. Actually, I'm putting together all the SPx Pro Motion sets across all four major sports for both '97 and '98. This Troy Aikman is a great addition to the '97 Football set. I unfortunately scanned the card in a top loader, so the scan didn't turn out too great. Although I'm certainly no Dallas Cowboys fan, not bitter at all about Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII, I love the card's design. I'm getting close with both the '97 basketball and football sets, but the baseball and hockey are a struggle. Also, my '98 Pro Motion sets are coming along even worse, but I'll keep working on them. The chase is all apart of the fun. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Poll: My Hockey Fever Continues With A Game Seven Tonight: Sharks Vs. Red Wings

2011-05-12T08:06:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been collecting more any more hockey cards/memorabilia lately and today has gotten to a fever pitch. I'll be posting a few recent hockey eBay wins over the weekend, but tonight is all about Game 7. I'm a huge fan of a multitude of different sports and sporting events, but there really isn't too much better in sports than an NHL Game 7. The series between the Sharks and Red Wings has certainly been entertaining and tonight should be no different, but who will win?

The Jordan Collection (Part 13): The Ultimate Jordan DVD Set

2011-05-09T19:37:00.001-04:00

The Ultimate Jordan DVD Set (2001)

The Jordan Collection truly knows no bounds. Just checkout this 2-disc DVD set that highlights the greatest player of all-time. Also known as the GOAT. This DVD set features five of the best Jordan DVD's ever made. It also includes a highlight section, and who doesn't like watching Jordan highlights over and over?

The five DVD's include Come Fly With Me (1989), Michael Jordan's Playground (1991), Air Time (1993), Above and Beyond (1996), His Airness (1999), plus Michael's Great 8 highlight video. These are all classic sports videos and it's pretty incredible to find them all in one spot.

The video set was originally released back in 2001. There are a few variations that have been release since 2001 that include additional footage and features, but they can get pretty expensive. The 1st addition is actually very reasonable at around $20.00 and is certainly a must for any Michael Jordan aficionado. No matter how many times I watch these video's, they never get old.

Happy Collecting and.. "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Thomas Vanek In The Hoopography House: '09 UD Black Lustrous Materials

2011-05-08T19:30:00.003-04:00

'09 Upper Deck Black Thomas Vanek Lustrous Materials Jersey/Auto

I know my Buffalo Sabres are out of the NHL Playoffs, but I've still got the hockey collecting fever. Luckily, this 2009 Upper Deck Black Lustrous Materials jersey/auto card of Thomas Vanek is just the right card for the cure. I'm a big fan of the UD Black line and this Vanek card has it all. It's an acetate card with two multi-colored jersey swatches and a silver auto. It's really hard for me to find any fault with this one, so I'm very excited to add this limited card to my collection.

With the Sabres out of the playoffs, I'm not exactly sure who I want to see win The Cup. Normally, I cheer for whichever U.S. team left in the playoffs with the coldest weather. I just don't think it's right for a non-snow city to get Lord Stanley's Cup. However, I find myself cheering more and more for the Tampa Bay Lighting. Which team are you rooting for to take home The Cup?

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Blades of Steal".

Panini National Treasures In The Hoopography House: Marcus Easley RC Auto

2011-05-06T19:55:00.000-04:00

2010 Panini National Treasures Marcus Easley Patch/Auto #'d 15/25

Have you ever bought a trading card just because of a cool design, auto or patch? Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to see what second year receiver Marcus Easley can bring to Ralph Wilson Stadium next year for the Buffalo Bills. However, I really bought this card because I've always wanted one of these rookie jersey/auto'd cards from Panini's National Treasures line. I've been trying for some time now to buy either a hoops or football RC auto as I really like the design. Unfortunately, they tend to sell for a pretty penny.

So instead of a Blake Griffin or C.J. Spiller one, I picked up this Marcus Easley for just under $10.00 including shipping. Under $10.00 seems to be my wheelhouse. Easley was injured during his rookie season last year, but I'm hopeful that he can be a solid contributor for the Bills this year. The card is numbered 15 out of 25 and features a sweet patch/auto. I'm pretty excited for my first National Treasures RC auto.

So the question remains, have you ever bought a trading card solely for a cool design, auto or jersey patch? Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Product Preview: 2011 Upper Deck SP Authentic Basketball

2011-05-04T17:42:00.002-04:00

Ok, so this might not technically be a Preview. Upper Deck's SP Authentic Basketball came out earlier this week, but I wanted to check out some of the early auctions on the secondary markets before I typed up a brief product review. You can view some of these early auctions here. If you're a basketball fan or a trading card fan in general, you will definitely want to checkout that link. Upper Deck certainly hit it out of the park with SP, or should I say threw down a slam dunk? SP has it all and then some.

Sure, Upper Deck is without their NBA license, but that didn't stop them from putting together one of the better basketball products of the year. There's no arguing the significance of the on-card auto's in SP, but it's everything else UD put into this product that makes it standout from the rest. Whether you like die-cut F/X holo cards, cards of cult followed former stars like "Penny" Hardaway and "Grand" Ma Ma Johnson or the more than reasonable insertion rate of some cool Michael Jordan "Wood Floor" cards, 2011 SP has it all.

At approximately $137 for a 24 pack box, SP isn't the cheapest product out. However, you are guaranteed two auto's and an over sized piece of wood floor that Jordan himself played on. After looking over the auto checklist and seeing those Jordan floor cards, the price is justified. Upper Deck SP Authentic Basketball is certainly in the mix for best basketball product of the year. It will be interesting to see what else both Upper Deck and Panini have in store for the rest of the year. So what are your thoughts on Upper Deck's 2011 SP Authentic? Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

NFL Draft Poll: Which QB Will Be The Best QB?

2011-05-02T21:33:00.001-04:00

By the end of their careers, which QB will be the best QB from this year's NFL Draft?Market Research

Another Penny For Your Thoughts: '98 Fleer Ultra Stars Anfernee Hardaway

2011-05-01T14:42:00.000-04:00

'98 Fleer Ultra Stars Anfernee Hardaway

Just a quick post today because I'm a bit tired from my last long training running this morning of 23 miles. Plus, the Yankees and NBA Playoffs are on right now. So without further adieu, here's the latest addition to my Anfernee Hardaway collection. This 1998 Fleer Ultra Stars insert is the 7th of this 20 card set. This is a great set with all the hoops stars from back in the day like Ray Allen, Shaquille O'neal, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and more. I love the refractor effect. Unfortunately, the scan just doesn't do this card justice. I'm not sure why some of my cards look great and others look just so so from my scanner. It's supposed to be a pretty decent scanner, so maybe it's more of operator error than a poor scanner. Anyways, you can see a better view of the card here. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Trade: Lebron For Enroth/Mullin Patches

2011-04-30T09:45:00.000-04:00

I recently got a few cards in from a completed trade I worked out with Greg over at Plaschke, Thy Sweater Is Argyle. First off, let's get one thing straight. Greg might have the coolest blog name ever. Second, it's not just the name of Greg's blog that's cool. He regularly posts interesting commentary on the sports card world, his collection and the L.A. Dodgers. So if you haven't already, click here to checkout his blog.

Greg and I have been trying to put a trade together for sometime. Unfortunately, I think it was more of me and my collecting habits that held the trade up. Although I do have a ton of different collections going right now, I'm picky when it comes to trades. We got it done thought, and I hope Greg enjoys the LeBron patch I sent. I know I'm certainly excited to add the 2010 Upper Deck Ultimate Debut Threads Jhonas Enroth Jersey card and 2011 Panini Limited Legend Chris Mullin Jersey card. You can see the cards below. Thanks for the trade Greg!!!

Here's a link to my trade page. Let me know if you have anything I'm looking for or you see anything you like. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

2011 Panini Limited Legend Chris Mullin Jersey

2010 Upper Deck Ultimate Debut Threads Jhonas Enroth Jersey

What's Your Favorite Teams Best Overall NFL Draft Choice?

2011-04-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

As I'm sure it is for many of you, the NFL Draft is akin to a national holiday for me. I look forward and analyze every major sport's draft, but the NFL's draft has a certain added excitement about it. I've been watching the it year after year for as long as I can remember and this year will be no different. Although I have to work until 9:00 PM EST tonight, I shouldn't miss too much. Besides, there are three days to soak in every pick from the #1 Overall selection to "Mr. Irrelevant", and I plan on going through every single pick.

Aside from all the Mel Kiper Jr. mock drafts (I'm a big fan of Mel by the way) and beer advertisements (I also like beer by the way) that highlight this event, the NFL Draft is a time to really look at the state of your favorite NFL franchise. I certainly look ahead to all of the possibilities, but I also look back at some of the picks made in previous years. My Buffalo Bills have made their fair share of uninformed picks, but they have also made some very good decisions as well. This got me thinking about which draft decision was the best in the Bills draft history. So without further adieu, here's the Buffalo Bills best overall NFL Draft choice/selection/decision:

I know former Bills Defensive End Bruce Smith was the #1 Overall Draft pick in the 1985 draft and that makes my pick for the franchises' best draft selection a bit of a cop out, but their were some analyst who had Defensive Tackle Ray Childress as the #1 prospect. So it wasn't a complete no brainer. However, I do think it worked out well for the Bills and Smith as he helped lead the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances while eclipsing the all-time NFL sack record with 200 career sacks.

The 2-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year also made 11 Pro Bowls and was a 9-time NFL First Team selection. He was also recently enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. Certainly, if there is a Bruce Smith type player available in this year's draft, we in Bills country want him.

As for the '97 Metal Universe Precious Gems card, it's pretty awesome. All of these Metal Universe and Precious Gems cards look amazing, but this Smith one looks especially cool. Sure, I'm just a little bit biased, but I really like how the vibrant red background looks against the blue and white of Smith's jersey. Like the Bills' 1985 1st Round Draft Choice, this card lives up to it's potential.

I certainly could have gone a few different ways with this choice of which Bills' draft decision was their best, but the impact Smith made on the Bills franchise was immense. I'll post a few cards from some of the other Bills' draft choices over the next couple days, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, let everyone know what you think was the best draft choice/decision/selection of your favorite NFL franchise?

The Jordan Collection (Part 11): '92 SkyBox Salutes

2011-04-25T22:29:00.000-04:00

'92 SkyBox Salutes Michael Jordan

All these years and tons of autographed or jersey cards later, and I'm blogging about a 1992 SkyBox Michael Jordan card. Some collectors might write this card off because it hold little monetary value, but this is one of the coolest looking cards I own. Actually, any early SkyBox card looks great. These were so simple and yet such fun. I hope you enjoyed this abbreviated Jordan Collection post and of course… "Every Bounce of the Ball".

Tyler Meyers In The Hoopography House: 2011 Upper Deck SPx Shadow Box

2011-04-24T14:31:00.001-04:00

'11 Upper Deck SPx Shadow Box Tyler Myers

It's official, I can't enough of Upper Deck's SPx Shadow Box cards. This time I've been swallowed up by the excitement of the NHL Playoffs and just couldn't pass up this 2011 Shadow Box card featuring Buffalo Sabres' defender Tyler Myers. Myers is one of the best young players in the NHL and I'm just glad he's wearing a Sabres' sweater right now.

As for these SPx Shadow Box cards, they're really cool. This is the second year Upper Deck has released versions of these inserts. They are case hits inserted into the football and hockey products. I hope they release versions in the basketball product. Each card is very thick and has a raised 3D image of the featured player in the middle of the card.

I have two Thurman Thomas Shadow Box cards. One is from his playing days with the Buffalo Bills (click here) and the other is from his Oklahoma State University days (click here). Aside from the look of the Myers card, I'm really excited about adding this one to my collection as the Sabres are currently leading the Philadelphia Flyers in a best of seven first round playoff matchup. Hopefully the Sabres can close out the series today.

Happy Easter and, "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Box Review: 2011 Panini Classics Basketball

2011-04-22T22:33:00.000-04:00

LeBron James Blast From The Past Insert

2011 Panini Classics Base Card Back & Front

2011 Panini Classics Inserts & Jersey Card

2011 Panini Classics RC Auto's & Dress Code Jersey

One of my favorite basketball releases from last year was Panini's 2010 Classics Basketball. That's why I was so excited to receive a box of 2011 Classics Basketball. I busted it open last night and had some time to get my thoughts together for this review. It certainly was a fun 18 pack box to open, and the four hits didn't hurt either. As usual, I'll go through what I liked and didn't like from the box in this review. Stay tuned to Hoopography for a future contest/giveaway.

Review:
First off, I pulled a Landry Fields RC on-card auto. That might not mean much to some collectors, but I was pumped to see this card come out of one of the first packs I eagerly ripped open. It's certainly a very nice addition to my Knicks collection. So with my excitement for the Fields auto exclaimed, let's get on with the rest of the review.

If you like great vibrant color, Classics has you covered. Panini is often criticized by collectors for not using team colors in certain products. It's a criticism that I share, however, Classics smashes that complaint. There isn't one card that doesn't effectively utilize color in the design. That color is accompanied by some nice foiling that is unfortunately difficult to see in the scans. I think it's apparent that I really like the overall design of the product.

The inserts are nice. Again, color is used nicely in the inserts just as with the base cards. I'm always a fan of cards featuring legends and you can't really go wrong with legends like Scottie Pippen, Oscar Robinson, Larry Bird and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. There's also a nice variety of different inserts from the Classic Moments to the Classic Combos. The inserts are very fun.

Finally, the hits were nice, but not overwhelmingly exciting. Sure, I love the Fields RC auto and the D. Wade jersey card is cool, but the single color jersey patches aren't going to heat up the Bay anytime soon. I understand that this particular box didn't yield a multi-color patch and I've seen some nice ones on the Bay, but it would have been nice to pull a card with a bigger or multi-colored patch. I will also point out that the two auto's I pulled were very nice on-card auto's. This is a big plus for Panini Classics and was certainly a highlight to last year's product as well.

My final thoughts on Panini's 2011 Classics Basketball are positive. I love the overall design and the on-card auto's make Classics a nice buy. I had more fun busting open this box than I've had in a long time and I certainly recommend other collectors to checkout 2011 Classics Basketball. I'm going to keep the Landry Fields RC auto and I'll be giving some of the cards away as team packages to a few bloggers I know collect specific teams, but stay tuned to Hoopography for a contest/giveaway. Let me know what your thoughts are on Panini's 2011 Classics Basketball and of course… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Barry Sanders In The Hoopography House: 1997 Upper Deck SPx Pro Motion

2011-04-21T08:14:00.001-04:00

Here is my most recent eBay conquest and addition to my four sport Upper Deck SPx insert collection. As I'll outline below, I am currently trying to put together four SPx insert sets from the late 90's that feature similar diecut and hologram designs. This Barry Sanders is the second football card to the collection thus far and is pretty sweet if I do say so myself. Here's a little more background on these Upper Deck SPx inserts.

As many of you know, I currently have what seems like a thousand collections going. I can't help it. There're just so many great cards, magazines, kicks and posters out there to collect. One of the first items that got me back into the hobby several years back was the rediscovering of late 90's SPx inserts. Mainly, the '98 SPx Duo View hockey cards, '97 and '98 SPx Pro Motion basketball cards, the '97 SPx Cornerstones baseball cards and the '97 SPx Pro Motion football cards. With the exception of the '98 Pro Motion cards, these sets are all very similar featuring cool die cut designs and crystal clear holograms. Because of those design attributes, I've always liked them.

So far, I have a few cards in four out of the five SPx sets listed above. The first set I started building was the '97 SPx Pro Motion basketball set. In my humble opinion, it's highlighted by one of the best looking Michael Jordan cards in the hobby (click here). Ironically, that's the only card I need to complete the five card set. Even without the Jordan, I'm pretty excited to be 80% done with the set. Unfortunately, I'm not as far with the other four sets. I have the '97 Jeter/A-Rod Cornerstones card pictured above, the '97 Karim Abdul-Jabbar Pro Motion card pictured below and the Barry Sanders card pictured at the beginning of the post.

If anyone has any SPx insert cards from the five sets I'm collecting, let me know. I'd love to get these collections jump started with a few trades. You can look at my want lists and trade album by clicking here. There are a few jersey and auto'd football, baseball and basketball cards in there now. I'm always open to trades with fellow bloggers as well as anyone who is a member of Collectors Card World and Sports Card Forum. Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

The Oak Man Goes Crazy!!!: '97 Charles Oakley Autographics

2011-04-19T15:52:00.002-04:00

'97 Charles Oakley SkyBox Autographics

I've seen some crazy eBay sales in my time, but this '97 Charles Oakley SkyBox Autographics sale from earlier this week is institutionally insane (click here). I'm a New York Knickerbockers fan and liked The Oak Man, but $90.99 is a bit ridiculous for this card. Don't get me wrong. I would love to add this card to my collection. Oakley has a great signature and the SkyBox Autographics cards are great. I've even bid on a number of these as they've come up on the Bay, but not for close to $100. Actually, I've been outbid at around $30.00 - $35.00.

So I guess there are two questions to ask regarding this recent eBay sale. Why did this particular '97 Charles Oakley SkyBox Autographics card go for nearly 3x's the normal selling price and would you purchase this card for that price? Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Thrill of the Auction".

Poll: What Will You Do With You Tax Refund?

2011-04-17T20:06:00.000-04:00

The Jordan Collections (Part 10): '96 Jam Session Show Stoppers

2011-04-16T21:53:00.003-04:00

'96 Jam Session Michael Jordan Show Stoppers

We all have our "White Whales", and I'm no exception. Sometimes I feel like there are 1,000 sports memorabilia items I'm chasing at the same time, but every now and then I add a piece to my collection that really gets my blood flowing. This week one of those items came in from a conquest on the Bay. This '96 Jam Session Show Stoppers Michael Jordan card is really a centerpiece in my collection. I'm currently trying to put this set together and of course, the Jordan is the toughest card in the set to acquire.

90's insert sets came in all shapes and sizes. Whether it was die cuts or holograms, card designers let their imaginations go wild. One prominent design feature was foiling. I was a big fan of foiled card surfaces back in the day and continue to be a fan to this day. Most cards that have foiling incorporated in the designs today are mainly used as an accent on boarders or around jersey pieces. That's fine by me as the foiling always looks great and really dresses a card up even if it's just used as an accent. However, some companies went all out with foiling during the 90's by creating entire card surfaces made up of the stuff.

The '94 Fleer Ultra Power in the Key set (click here) is a prime example of the use of foiling during the 90's. If that's not enough foiling for you though, checkout this '96 Jam Session Show Stoppers Michael Jordan insert. Not only is the entire surface foil, but it's a taller 2.5 x 4.75 inch as apposed to the traditional 2.5 x 3.5 inch card size. That means a whole lot more foiling. Which I like.

The scan really doesn't do this card justice. These Jam Session cards look a little better in hand. The entire set consists of nine cards and were inserted into hobby boxes at a ratio of 1:48. I only have the David Robinson and Jordan from the set, but I'd love to put this set together. Some of my favorite 90's players are featured in the set including Michael Jordan, Anfernee Hardaway, John Stockton and Grant Hill. Not too shabby of a player checklist.

It's always nice to get the Jordan out of the way when building a set. It's usually the toughest and most expensive card in a set. These Show Stoppers cards don't appear on the Bay that often, but they're also not the most known about cards either. hopefully I can grab a few more of these soon. So if anyone has any cards from this set, let me know. Here's a link to my trade album and want lists. I'm certainly open to trades for this… Yet Another 90's Insert Set.

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Thurman Thomas In The Hoopography House: 2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Premium Patch 26/75

2011-04-15T23:05:00.000-04:00

2010 Upper Deck Exquisite
Thurman Thomas Premium Patch

2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Football was recently released and I'm definitely on board. I'm still not sure if I like it better than the 2009 version, but it's certainly deserving of the Exquisite name plate. With my Exquisite gushing done, it's on to the card.

This Thurman Thomas Premium Patch card looks better in hand. I'm not sure what it is about thicker card stock, but cards just look better with thicker stock. Also, the white patch is actually a piece of painted fabric from the numbering or arm sleeve. It's a nice little addition to my Thomas collection.

Aside from getting a nice new card of one of my favorite Buffalo Bills legends, I got a pretty sweet deal on this item. I paid exactly $6.00 for the card including shipping. The seller even sent the card in a snap magnet holder. I put many of my cards in snap mag holders, so that was a nice surprise. Just as thicker stock cards look better, so do cards in snap mag cases.

This is the first 2010 Exquisite Football card I've gotten in so far. I hope to buy a few more, especially at the price of this card. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy All The Exquisiteness of Your Memorabilia".

Contest (2011 Panini Absolute Basketball): And The Winner Is...

2011-04-14T08:52:00.000-04:00

Kevin Love Star Gazing jersey/auto #'d/10

Congratulations to The Diamond King. There were many close guesses in the Absolute Memorabilia contest, but The Diamond King came within two of the correct total assists, rebounds and points of Jason Kidd, Kevin Love and Blake Griffin respectively. J. Kidd had a total of 655 assists, K. Love had a total of 1,112 rebounds and B. Griffin finished with a total of 1,845 points. I'm no math major, but the summation of those three numbers is 3,612. The Diamond King had the closest guess with 3,610. Congratulations!!!

Please email me your mailing address at Hoopography@yahoo.com so I can get the 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia box out to you. You can checkout the entire contents of the box and the box review here. Thanks to everyone who participated and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Jason Kidd In The Hoopography House: '97 Topps Finest Gold Refractor

2011-04-12T08:27:00.001-04:00

'97 Topps Finest Jason Kidd Gold Refractor

Here's another recent addition to the collection. I'm a fan of old school Jason Kidd inserts, auto's and refractors. I also like the Topps Finest Gold refractors from 1997. I have a good portion of the set already including some of the bigger names in the set. You can see a few of them here. This Kidd gold refractor certainly is a very nice addition to the set.

Jason Kidd has been one of the most consistent point guards in NBA history. He was highly tauted coming into the Association as the 2nd overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. Ironically, Kidd rejoined the Mav's after stints in Pheniox and New Jersey. The 10-time NBA All-Star has also been selected to the All-NBA First Team 5-times and has two Olympic Gold Medals from 2000 and 2008. In my eyes, Kidd is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer. The one piece of hardware still missing from his mantel is a championship ring. Maybe if Kidd plays forever, which I think he just might, he can finally get to the top of the NBA mountain.

This card cost just under $10 shipped which isn't too bad. Many of these gold refractors sell for a pretty penny including "Penny's". I do have a good number of them, but I'm no where near putting the entire set together. I'm going to concentrate on putting a few of the other sets I'm collecting together, but I'll continue picking these cards up as I go. I hope you enjoyed a peak inside the Hoopography House. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Who Would You Collect…?

2011-04-10T19:13:00.000-04:00

We all have our favorite's who we collect and there are plenty of reasons for those favorites. Sometimes it's a hometown player or a legend who brings back fond memories. However, there are certainly players who are at the top of the hobby that everyone would like to collect, but their cards/memorabilia might be out of reach for some collectors including this one. I thoroughly enjoy collecting cards, posters and kicks from my favorite players, but I also wouldn't mind adding an Upper Deck Exquisite or Panini National Treasures RC of Mr. Blake Griffin to my collection. They're about $1,000 out of my price range, but this did give me a good idea for a blog question. More specifically, what young/rookie player at the top of the hobby world right now would you start collecting regardless of finances?

What young/rookie player at the top of the hobby world right now would you start collecting regardless of finances?Market Research

Robert Meachem In The Hoopography House: Auto'd Blog Prize

2011-04-08T22:25:00.000-04:00

This 8 x 10 Robert Meachem Panini Authentic Auto is pretty cool, unfortunately, I could careless about Robert Meachem. For that reason, I recently loaded this item up in my Trade Bait Album on the Hoopography Facebook page. I won the auto'd pic in a Panini contest sometime around Thanksgiving. It took a bit for me to get it scanned and posted, but it's finally up here. Check out my Trade Bait Album and let me know if there is anything you're interested in putting a deal together for.

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Thrill of the Trade".

Glenn Robinson In The Hoopography House: '97 EX-2000 A Cut Above

2011-04-07T08:40:00.000-04:00

1997 EX-2000 A Cut Above Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson

One of the coolest cards in my collection is this Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson 1997 EX-2000 A Cut Above insert. The Cut Above set is one of the more sought after and best designed insert sets of the late 90’s. They’re also fairly rare with a pack insertion ratio of 1:288. The set also features some of the biggest stars and superstars from that era including M. Jordan, K. Garnett, A. Hardaway, A. Iverson, G. Hill, S. O’neal and more. I’ve wanted to add one of these cards to my collection for a longtime and finally was able to pick up this Glenn Robinson for just under $9. Not bad, as the card has a book value of $40. Here is a link to the last eBay sale for this card (click here). I would also like to add the A.I., “Penny” Hardaway and Grant Hill cards to my collection. Ok, who am I kidding? I would like to put the entire set together. Un-fortunately, I don’t think I can swing the same deal on those cards as I did the Robinson. Many other collectors have been searching for these awesome 90's inserts and prices have skyrocketed.

The card looks great and even better in-hand as it has a refractor effect on the front surface. The back of the card is cool too as the “saw” theme/graphic is carried on to the back. The set becoming harder and harder to put together as prices have gone up considerably. There are only ten cards in the set and it's no surprise that the Jordan will hurt your wallet the most at around $250 - $300.

The “Big Dog” is one of those players that seems to get overlooked by many fans and collectors today, but his 11 year NBA career numbers don’t lie: 20.7 points & 6.1 rebounds/game. The former #1 overall draft choice of the Bucks in the ’94 NBA Draft also made two All-Star games and was selected to the ’96 Olympic Dream Team II.

A Much Deserved Nod To HOF'er Chris Mullin

2011-04-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

2010 Panini Classics Significant Signatures Chris Mullin #'d 15/25

Ok, Chris Mullin hasn't been enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame just yet, but he will be on August 13th. I watch the enshrinemnt ceromony every year, but I'll be extra excited for this year's ceremony to see one of my favorite players get his just due. Along with Mullin, Dennis Rodman, Tex Winter, Herb Magee, Artis Gilmore, Arvydas Sabonis, Teresa Edwards, Reece "Goose" Tatum, Tom "Satch" Sanders and Tara VanDerveer will all be inducted. It's a very nice class that I can't wait to listen to while they relive their basketball journeys.

As for Mr. Mullin, the former St. John's star was selected to five NBA All-Star teams, won two Olympic Gold medals, was a numerous All-NBA performer and the '85 John Wooden Award Winner. He averaged 18.1 points, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 4.1 rebounds/game during his sixteen year career. More impressive than all those accolades and stats, was Mullin's sweet left-handed jump-shot. The Brooklyn, NY native is well deserving.

As for the hobby side of things, I suppose more and more Mullin cards will be posted on the Bay as we get closer to the induction ceromony. That's a good thing for a Mullin collector like me, but hopefully the prices of those cards wont go up. Fortunately for me, I've been able to grab a few very nice on-card auto'd cards like this 2011 Panini Classics Significant Signatures 15/25 card of Mullin. This will look great next to my prized Mullin card seen here.

Here's a fun Nike Commercial from '93. I have several Mullin TV commercials bookmarked, so I'll most likely continue to post these videos right here on the blog and on the Hoopography Facebook page right up until the Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony. For now, enjoy the nice work the marketing department at Nike did back in '93.

Contest: 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia Box Giveaway

2011-04-04T21:46:00.001-04:00

Do you think you can guess some season ending stats of some of the NBA's best? If so, you can win an entire box of 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia I recently reviewed. To see every card included in the prize/giveaway, click here. So I suppose you want to know the rules for the contest:

You must be a follower of Hoopography. If you do not have a Blogger account, you can join the fun on the Hoopography Twitter page and/or Facebook page.
One guess per contestant.
Because three of the bigger cards from the box feature Jason Kidd, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love, I am asking you to guess the regular season total number of assists Jason Kidd, points Blake Griffin and rebounds Kevin Love will have combined. So I'm looking for the summation of those three numbers. Please note, it doesn't really matter if you guess the individual numbers correctly, but rather, the summation of those numbers.
Entires will be accepted until this Friday, April 8th (11:59 PM ET) and a winner will be announced on Thursday, April 14th. That is one day after the last day of the NBA regular season.
There are no extra entries for publicizing this contest on your own blog, however, one of my goals with Hoopography is to network and connect with as many collectors from around the world as possible. In other words, it would be appreciated if you publicize the contest to get as many collectors involved as possible even though it's not required to enter the contest.
I will utilize random.org to determine a tie break if needed.
If no one guesses the exact number, the closest guess will be the winner (even if that number is over the actual number).
Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek In The Hoopography House: '07 UD Dual-Plexi Autograph 1-2 Combo Clearcut Autos Miller/Vanek #'d 041/100

2011-04-03T17:12:00.001-04:00

'07 Upper Deck Dual Plexi Autograph 1-2 Combo Clearcut Autos Ryan Miller /Thomas Vanek #'d 041/100

With the NHL playoff races tightening up, it's high time that I show some support for my Buffalo Sabres. What's the best way for a sports memorabilia collector to show his or her support for their team? Obviously, it's to buy trading cards featuring players from their favorite team, so that's what I've done. I love acetate cards, and this '07 UD 1-2 Combo Clearcut dual auto card of Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek is pretty awesome. This card certainly is a nice addition to my collection, but hopefully it'll bring some luck to the Buffalo Sabres down the stretch. Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Slap of the Puck".

Book Review: Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero

2011-04-02T14:16:00.000-04:00

Ok, let's get something straight right off the bat. I am and always will be a New York Yankees fan. However, I can certainly appreciate greatness… even if that means acknowledging a Red Sox great. Let face it, there weren't too many greater than Ted Williams. Leigh Montville does an excellent job of depicting that greatness and so much more in Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero.

There's no questioning Williams' prowess in the batters box and on the field. Montville expertly describes some of Williams' greatest accomplishments in thrilling fashion. This is because of Montvilles' extensive baseball knowledge and experience as a sports writer. However, it's not the detailed description of Williams' 1941 .406 season that sets this biography apart from previous ones. It's the detail into the man off the field that makes the book a must read for any Red Sox or baseball fan. From Williams' time as a pilot in WWII and the Korean War, his notoriously foul mouth, exploits as an outdoors man to his final resting place in a cryogenics lab, this biography lets the reader understand the ballplayer and the man.

I certainly recommend the book, but I must warn you, it's a bit lengthy. There were sections that certainly could have been taken out to shorten the book. Otherwise, Montville does a great job of intertwining the man's flaws, greatness, personality and exploits on the field.

Box Review: 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia

2011-03-31T22:29:00.000-04:00

I received a box of 2011 Absolute Memorabilia Basketball this week from Panini for review. Absolute Memorabilia is known for providing collectors with foil surfaces and plenty of jersey pieces. So if you are not a fan of the foil Spectrum coatings, then this is not the product for you. I however, enjoy anything shiny. So a big thanks to Panini. This was a fun box to bust open. Also, stay tuned to Hoopography. I will think of a contest to give some of the cards away. The contest might be Final Four inspired!!!

The Pros:
Absolute Memorabilia starts right off the bat with cool packaging. Sure, does the packaging mean much in the end? No, but the four individually boxed packs did serve to get me even more ramped-up to open each pack. Each of those packs contain four cards plus one jersey or memorabilia card. Because every card had either foiling or the reflective Spectrum surface, it almost seemed like every card was an insert. Speaking of inserts, the DeMar DeRozan Frequent Flyer #'d 86/100 was my favorite card I pulled. I love the passport inspired design. I also enjoyed pulling a Larry "Grand Ma Ma" Johnson Absolute Heroes #'d 3/100 insert. The overall design of Absolute is strong. Again, it is certainly a product for those who like foiling and the Spectrum coating.

As you can see, the hits were very nice. I'll never complain about pulling a Kevin Love jersey/auto #'d/10. Nor will I complain if I ever pull another Jason Kidd auto. The overall design of the Rookie Premiere Materials is great. I really like the use of team colors and the multiple jersey and basketball pieces doesn't hurt either. However, I do have one complaint with 2011 Absolute Memorabilia.

The Cons:
With as much fun as Absolute Memorabilia was to open and everything I liked about, I have one glaring disappointment. I understand that at approx. $140 a box this isn't Panini's most expensive product nor is it their base product, however, nobody likes sticker auto's. With that said, I'm very happy to pull a Kevin Love auto/jersey card and Jason Kidd auto, but on-card auto's would have been better.

The Wrap Up:
Absolute Memorabilia is certainly one of those products that you either love or love to hate. I really enjoyed opening the four box packs. Every player was a star, legend or superstar and it was definitely fun to pull a card of one of the hotter players in the hobby with Kevin Love. Again, the sticker auto's take a little away from an otherwise nice product. If you're a fan of rookie auto/jersey cards and the Spectrum surface finish, than 2011 Panini Absolute Memorabilia is the product for you. Stay tuned to Hoopography for a Final Four inspired giveaway and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

DIII Dunker With 50 Inch Vert Gets Voted Into The NCAA Slam Dunk Contest

2011-03-31T08:29:00.000-04:00

What do you think? Does 5'11'' DIII baller Jacob Tucker have the goods to win the NCAA Slam Dunk Contest tonight on ESPN 2 (9:00 PM ET)? I say, "YES". I think Tucker's repertoire of dunks could beat out say a guy jumping over a strategically placed automobile in maybe an even more prestigious dunk contest. That's just my humble opinion, but what say you?

Want To Show Off The Newest Edition To Your Collection?

2011-03-29T21:44:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest aspects of the sports memorabilia and trading card hobby is the sharing of treasured items with fellow collectors. Blogging is certainly a great outlet for collectors to showoff their collections, but there are also other social media outlets like Facebook where collectors can connect and share images.

I have a Hoopography Facebook fanpage setup in support of this blog. I link each blog post to the fanpage as well as interesting sports related articles and videos from around the net. I also upload brag photos from my collection as well as trade bait. One of the most important goals I had when creating Hoopography and the Facebook fanpage was to meet and network with collectors from around the U.S. and world.

As I mentioned before, it's always fun to showoff memorabilia and trading cards from our collections. If you have a sports themed piece of memorabilia, trading card, sweet box pull or a favorite item regardless of sport in your collection you're looking to show off, you can post them right on the Hoopography Facebook fanpage. I usually check the page once or twice a day. As I previously wrote, my goal with Hoopography is to meet and network with collectors and there's no better way than showing off and talking about our collections. Hope to see you on Facebook and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Poll: What's Your Monthly Sports Memorabilia Budget?

2011-03-28T22:50:00.001-04:00

Sports memorabilia can be many things to many people, but there is one thing sports memorabilia is for all collectors. Whether you collect trading cards, posters, autographs, magazines or kicks, sports memorabilia is expensive. However, value and expense can mean different things to different people. I define expensive as anything that cost money. So I try to keep my memorabilia budget as low as possible while still adding quality items to my collection. Since I collect every type of trading card, sneaker, magazine and poster under the sun, creating a budget is difficult and most certainly necessary.

I pride myself on searching patiently for good deals, but a good deal to me might not be a good deal to another collector. It all depends on a collectors sports memorabilia budget. My budget is approximately $85 a month. I might spend well under that in a giving month, but never over that amount. An easy way to calculate what you spend on sports memorabilia per month is to divide the 60 day Buying Total Amount on your eBay page as many collectors us eBay as their primary source when adding to their collections. You can also add hobby shop and retail store purchases to that total.

To get a better idea of what fellow collectors are spending on sports memorabilia on a monthly basis I encourage readers to participate in the poll below. This will help all readers to get a better idea of what their fellow collectors are spending on the hobby. Thanks and… "Enjoy Every Rip of the Pack".

What young/rookie player at the top of the hobby world right now would you start collecting regardless of finances?online surveys

A Penny For Your Thoughts: '97 Z-Force Big Man On Court

2011-03-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

'97 Z-Force Anfernee Hardaway Big Man On Court

You all know my affinity for great 90's inserts and Penny Hardaway cards, so it should be of no surprise that I'm back with another Penny For Your Thoughts post. This installment of one of my favorite post series features a 1997 Z-Force Big Man On Court card (BMOC). The BMOC set is highlighted by some of the best die cut action and the most vibrant color scheme I've seen in any trading card insert set from yesteryear or today. It should be of no surprise that the set was produced by the SkyBox company. During the 90's, SkyBox came up with a multitude of creative designs and the BMOC set is one of my favorites.

The set is fairly rare with an insertion rate of 1:240. Although I'd like to, I have not started building the set. I only have the Hardaway right now. I just have too many other sets I'm currently putting together. However, this ten card set is high on the future build list and the Hardaway is a nice start. On the other hand, if anyone out there has a card from this set they would like to trade, I certainly would listen.

Hope you enjoyed this latest installment of A Penny For Your Thoughts. I know this is a post about a basketball card and set, but I'm really excited about the upcoming MLB season starting this Thursday. So with that said, "Happy Collecting and… Enjoy Every Crack Of The Bat".

Poster Review: "First Minute, First Round" By Pyramid Posters

2011-03-25T22:39:00.001-04:00

"First Minute, First Round" by Pyramid Posters

It doesn't get any more iconic than this "First Minute, First Round" poster of Muhammad Ali standing over a stunned Sonny Liston. I've reviewed some great sports posters here on Hoopography, but this might be the greatest of all time! Not coincidentally, the poster features the Greatest of All Time. We all know Ali's greatness, but it's really this moment in sports history that makes the poster so iconic.

I'm not all that familiar with Pyramid Posters. It's not like other poster publishers Nike and Costacos Brothers, which most collectors recognize. I do know that Pyramid Posters is from across the pond in the UK and they have the licensing rights to publish Muhammad Ali posters. Other than those few nuggets, I'm a bit in the dark regarding Pyramid Posters. So if anyone has any other information on Pyramid, please feel free to comment. However, I think the poster actually speaks for itself.

Because of the popularity of the poster, there are tons of these around for collectors to put up in their man cave, den or dorm room. With a typical price around $8-$10 (click here), it's also affordable. Maybe it's the black and white or the levity of the moment, but this poster can certainly be the centerpiece of any collection.

Click here for more poster reviews and remember… "Enjoy Every Ding of the Bell".

Paul O'neill In The Hoopography House: 1998 Precious Metal Gems #'d/50

2011-03-24T21:34:00.000-04:00

1998 Paul O'neill Precious Metal Gems #'d/50

Since I'm so excited for the start of the MLB season, I had to pick up a gem of one of my favorite players of all-time, Mr. Paul O'neill. The only thing cooler than the surface finish on this Precious Metal Gems card is the intensity O'neill had to win. Without coincidence, that's why Mr. O'neill is my favorite MLB'er ever.

Happy Collecting and Get Ready to… "Enjoy Every Crack of the Bat".

The Jordan Collection (Part 8): '92 Fleer Pro-Vision

2011-03-23T21:54:00.000-04:00

'92 Michael Jordan Fleer Pro-Vision

I've posted some of the rarer items I have in these The Jordan Collection series posts, but this 1992 Fleer Pro-Vision card is as far from rare as they come. Actually, you can add this card to your collection for right around $.99. There are thousand of these Pro-Vision Jordan cards floating around. Yet, it's abundance and lack of book value don't take anything away from it one bit. It's a great example of how junk wax really isn't junk wax.

Alright, I'm sure some readers are saying, "What does this blogger know? He doesn't even have the right year in the caption under the card". Actually, the card is from the '92 Fleer set. I have absolutely no idea why it says Fleer '91 on the front of the card, but it does. The card is part of a six card insert set called "Pro Vision". It's a fun set that features the likes of Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Magic Johnson among others. The set has a modest $4.00 book value that certainly wont break the bank. If you are looking to put together a fun and inexpensive set, Fleer Pro Vision is a great candidate. Here is an eBay link to some current Pro Vision auctions (click here).

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Panini Announces HD Video Trading Cards

2011-03-22T21:23:00.002-04:00

At the 2011 Industry Summit Monday, Panini announced it will release video trading cards called Panini HD. You can view Panini's CEO, Mark Warsop, as he gives industry insiders and retailers a sneak peek at this evolution in trading card technology. The cards will be autographed and feature a video of the player signing the actual card.

This is a very interesting idea, and I guess it was really only a matter of time. Panini HD is certainly 21 century stuff. Unfortunately, I think these cards will be extremely limited. Which of course means, insane secondary market prices. So what do you think? Is Panini HD a cool idea or just another industry gimmick?

Gotta Love Buyback Auto's: '09 Upper Deck Lineage '91 UD Collectors Choice Brad Daugherty Auto

2011-03-20T19:00:00.000-04:00

'09 Upper Deck Lineage Brad Daugherty Buyback Auto & COA

Buyback auto's are really so cool. Just think about it. This card could have been owned by you or me at one time and then re-released by Upper Deck after Brad Daugherty signed the card. That's a really neat idea to me.

I picked up this '09 Upper Deck Lineage buyback of Daugherty a few weeks ago. I like the old '91 Collectors Choice card, but the auto is certainly the cherry on top. Plus, I paid less than $8.00 including shipping. Daugherty isn't the most sought after player by collectors, but I thought that was a pretty good deal. For some reason, I collect old Cavaliers auto's of players like Daugherty, Ron Harper and Mark Price. Maybe I just feel bad for all those times Jordan beat up on the Cav's during the early 90's.

Sure, this '91 Upper Deck Brad Daugherty card was pretty basic and had little to no value when it was originally released. However, next time you look at another non-descript card in your collection, just remember that it could be the next buyback auto. Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Who Are The Mets Leaders Now?

2011-03-19T14:03:00.000-04:00

1989 Topps Mets Leaders

With the Mets ownership in financial trouble, rumors of this being Jose Ryes' last year for the Amazings, and David Wright picking and choosing which seasons he'll hit home runs, who are the leaders of the New York Mets? At one time, it was a couple of drug addicts like Doc Gooden, Keith Hernandez and Darryl Strawberry. Boy… those sure were some great years. If only the Mets could go back in time. I guess this 1989 Topps Mets Leaders card will have to do.

Review: BuildASign.com

2011-03-18T22:07:00.001-04:00

Bumper Magnet

I was recently contacted by BuildASign.com and asked to review their design software, service and products. I'm always willing to review any product related to sports memorabilia, so I accepted the offer. Also, I know some readers work in industries in which marketing is a crucial aspect to profitability. So hopefully this review could help spur on some creative ideas or provide you with a new resource for your marketing purposes.

THE PROS:
The most impressive aspect of my BuildASign experience was the ability to effortlessly design exactly what I wanted. The site has an innovative program that allows customers to upload images, select text fonts and utilize clip art to create any type of sign. When I say, "any type of sign", I mean it. There are too many types to mention, but here are a few: banners, street signs, bumper stickers, metal signs, car wraps, vinyl decals, license plates, neon signs and much, much more. Beside being able to create any sign imaginable, the quality of the items I received was also great.

THE CONS:
In addition to the Hoopography bumper magnet and street sign I created (visible in this post), I also created a Yankees bumper magnet. Unfortunately, I was not able to have signs made from the Yankees design I created. This really wasn't any fault of BuildASign.com. Actually, it would have been a copy right infraction. So I really didn't have any complaints. The service was great. The shipping was quick and the products are top notch.

RECOMMENDATION:

Sorry for the pic. It was a long day and,
I came from the gym, but the Street Sign is cool.

I absolutely recommend BuildASign.com for any marketing or signage needs you might have. I have to thank BuildASign for asking me to review their products, service and site. It was a lot of fun designing the signs. If anyone has any questions regarding my experience with BuildASign, feel free to email me at Hoopography@yahoo.com or leave me a wall post at Facebook.com/Hoopography. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

New Blog On The Blog… I Mean Block

2011-03-16T22:04:00.000-04:00

I've had the pleasure of reading several posts from a new blogger over the past few days, and thought I would share his blog with all of you. Chris over at Sports Cards and Memories has wrote some interesting posts regarding the passion of sports trading cards that we all love. He's currently featuring a PC Top 100 post series that is really making me jealous. I encourage everyone to check his blog and countdown out.

Since one of the main purposes of Hoopography is to help network fellow bloggers and collectors, please feel free to drop me a line on the Hoopography Facebook or Twitter pages to inform me of any new blogs or just to say hi. You can also email me at Hoopography@yahoo.com with any sports memorabilia or blogging questions. I will do my best to get the word out about your blog or answer any questions. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Why The Celtics Success of The 80's Didn't Carry Over To The 90's

2011-03-15T21:59:00.003-04:00

'93 Reggie Lewis Fleer Ultra (checkout those old school Reebok Pumps)

It would be easy to say that the reason for the demise of the Boston Celtics during the 90's was due to the retirements of greats like Larry "Legend", Dennis Johnson, Kevin Mchale and the departures of players like Robert Parrish and Danny Ainge, but that would be careless. Sure, any team would be better off with those players, but the greatness of the Celtics franchise is that they have been able to build for success in multiple eras. As one era was ending (the Bird Celtics), the Reggie Lewis and Len Bias Celtics were being constructed by the mastermind of professional hoops himself, Mr. Red Auerbach.

I'm a fan of many of the late 80's and early 90's teams that enjoyed success during that time like the "Bad Boy" Pistons and Jordan led Chicago Bulls, but I often wonder how many Championships those teams would have actually been able to win with an aging Celtics team infused with youthful talents like Lewis and Bias. The Chicago Bulls 90's might not have been. Instead, Lewis passed away in an off-season practice in 1993 due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and Bias (1986 2nd overall pick) passed away from a drug overdose before he even stepped on the parquet floor.

I'm certainly not arguing that the the Celtics would have absolutely won five more championships if Bias and Lewis would have fulfilled their potential, but they certainly would have had a great chance at extending the run of the Celtics of the 80's. Actually, it's amazing to think how different the NBA could have been and would be today, if only for a few different decisions.

Russell Martin In The Hoopography House: 2007 UD Black Lustrous Auto

2011-03-14T21:49:00.001-04:00

2007 Upper Deck Black Russell Martin Lustrous Auto

With the start of MLB right around the corner, I'm getting the baseball card itch. What's the best remedy? Well… the best remedy is to scratch it, and I did that with this UD Black Russell Martin auto. Martin is the former young and talented L.A. Dodgers catcher. Unfortunately for the Dodgers and their fans, Martin has not performed up to the success he enjoyed earlier in his career. Because of that, he was not tendered an offer by the Dodgers.

My New York Yankees took a chance on Martin and his previously injured hip (torn right Labrum). The Yankees organization is loaded with catchers and catching prospects, so the signing by the Yankees of Martin was a bit of a surprise. However, the 28 year old has shown promise in the past. Hopefully, the change of scenery will prove to be the remedy to get both Martin and the Yankees back on track this upcoming season.

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Crack of the Bat"

The Jordan Collection (Part 8): '91 Sports Illustrated Michael Jordan Sportsman Of The Year Hologram Proof

2011-03-13T18:02:00.000-04:00

In this 8th installment of The Jordan Collection post series, I'm featuring this commemorative printer's proof of the Michael Jordan hologram featured on the 1991 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year cover. The proof is exact in every way to the hologram on the cover of the magazines, with the one exception of the proof being double sided. You can read an earlier post I did on the actual Sportsman of the Year Sports Illustrated magazine by clicking here to get a background on the item.

The printers proof hologram featured in this post is rare. How rare you might ask? I've only seen three of these on eBay in the three years I've been searching for one of these. So although I don't have an exact number to provide you, I'm assuming there aren't too many of these out there. That makes this approximately 5' x 3'' Jordan hologram a very unique item.

The slide show above includes 18 images of the hologram in which I tried to capture as many of the images in the hologram as possible. Hopefully you can see the clarity, detail and vivid colors this awesome Jordan hologram possesses.

Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Will Collectors Buy NCAA Licensed Upper Deck Product?

2011-03-12T17:33:00.001-05:00

We are now in the second year of no NBA license and in the first year of no NFL license for the Upper Deck company. We are also fast approaching the upcoming MLB season in which MLB licensed card are an impossibility. Although other companies have both disappointed and impressed me, I miss the product quality and design of Upper Deck products featuring the pros of the NFL, NBA and MLB.

Upper Deck has been forced to rely on their few remaining licenses from other professional sports leagues and the entertainment industry. One only needs to look at 2010 Upper Deck The Cup for an example of this. However, Upper Deck has tried to stay afloat and compete in the football and basketball trading card market by producing NCAA licensed product with mixed results.

To say that 2010 Upper Deck Greats of the Game and 2011 Upper Deck Ultimate Basketball were disappointing is an understatement. Greats of the Game was a nice idea, however, that idea was poorly executed. Ultimate did have some nice hits, especially the Ultimate Legends on-card auto'd set, but the berage of sticker auto's turned off many collectors including me. I will say that the preview images for the March release date of 2011 SP Authentic do look promising, but then again, all preview images look great. Maybe the transition from cards featuring professional stars to former collegiate greats can account for the lack of success in these products, and we'll start seeing better hoops stuff from Upper Deck.

The first few basketball releases from the new Upper Deck might have missed a bit, but the football products are right on the mark. Recently released 2010 SP Authentic looks good and is selling well on the secondary markets. Even more impressive are the preview images of 2010 Upper Deck Exquisite Football released on Upper Deck's blog recently (click here). Again, every product looks like a winner when you see the preview images, but Upper Deck's Exquisite product line has the reputation to back up any claims and preview images. Upper Deck also did a nice job by including collegiate stars in the Shadow Box inserts (click here) for their 2010 SPx Football product.

Upper Deck has traditionally been a collectors' favorite as they have consistently produced high quality designs and products. The change from professionally licensed product to NCAA licensed product is a drastic one, but a change that Upper Deck needed to make if it wanted to at least keep it's head above water. Even still, it's any ones guess as to whether Upper Deck can remain a viable company as many rumors persist as to UD's demise and/or future success. So the question is…

Will you, the collector, buy new Upper Deck product featuring NCAA licensed cards or does the lack of NFL, NBA and MLB licensed products turn you off from the Upper Deck brand?

Rickey Being Rickey: '93 Upper Deck SP Ricky Henderson

2011-03-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

'93 Upper Deck SP Rickey Henderson

I know I've missed a few posts this week, and I apologize for that. My work schedule changed this week, and I haven't had a chance to post anything since this past Tuesday. I'll get accustomed to my new schedule and get back to at least one post a day. Since I missed a few posts during the week, I'll put several up this weekend. So stay tuned for that.

For now, feast your eyes on this '93 Upper Deck SP Rickey Henderson card. It has little value. Actually, I'm sure it would be considered "junk wax". However, I've never liked that term. Sure, the monetary value isn't there, but this is a card featuring one of the cooler moments in MLB history: Rickey being Rickey while celebrating the all-time MLB steals record in 1991. This card is all about that great moment in baseball history.

I got the card while opening a few packs of '93 Upper Deck SP looking for the highly desired Derek Jeter Foil SP RC. I unfortunately didn't pull the Jeter, but this Henderson card was a pleasant surprise and really fun. And after all, isn't that what card collecting is all about… fun?

Happy collecting and "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Someone Call 911, It's An Emergency!

2011-03-08T20:04:00.000-05:00

What's the emergency? Well, just checkout this sweet ruby red 90's insert? As many of you know, I'm both a 90's insert fan and a "Penny" Hardaway fan. This 1998 Hoops 911 card combines both of those passions. I was able to get a great deal on this gem, but buyer beware. These cards are notorious for chipping. If you're purchasing one of these 911 cards, make sure to look closely. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

'98 Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway Hoops 911

Poster Review: Andre Agassi Nike Poster & A Lil' Red Hot Chili Peppers Action

2011-03-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

Early 90's Nike Andre Agassi Poster

Nike Andre Agassi TV commercial featuring Anthony Kiedis and Flea

What's Cooler Than A Kenny "Sky" Walker High Top Fade…?

2011-03-05T15:04:00.001-05:00

… how about this "Sky" Walker Auto? This Panini Prestige Old School Auto is numbered 76 of 100 and features one of the highest flying Knickerbockers of all-time. The former Kentucky 2-time All-American was selected by the Knicks 5th overall in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft. Walker only played five years with the Knicks, but he did manage to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 1989. Aside from having a very cool and deserved nickname, "Sky" Walker, Kenny also sported one of the best high top fade haircuts ever. I think even Christopher "Kid" Reid from the late 80's hip-hop duo Kid 'N Play would be proud. One things for sure, I'm really pumped to have this cool Old School auto in my collection.

Cool Cooler

Coolest

The 2011 Panini Contenders Giveaway Winner is...

2011-03-04T19:03:00.000-05:00

First off, thanks to everyone who participated. Hopefully the review will help you make decisions on where to invest your collecting dollars. As for the contest, I put all 37 entries (including the multiple entries for those who publicized the contest) into Random.org earlier today. The winner of the 2011 Panini Contenders Basketball Box giveaway is Eric L. Thanks again to everyone who participated. I hope to have more contests in the future. Of course, that all depends on the card companies' willingness to send me more product for review. Eric, make sure to email me your mailing address to Hoopography@yahoo.com.

Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Contest results from Random.org

Poll: Topps Five Star VS. Panini National Treasures VS. Upper Deck SP Authentic

2011-03-03T19:15:00.001-05:00

All three of the major trading card manufacturers (Panini, Topps & Upper Deck) recently released 2010 football products in the last week or so. So which product is best? I understand Upper Deck SP Authentic Football is not even near the same price point as Five Star or National Treasures, but it was just released and makes for a nice three product comparison.

Which recently released football trading card product do you prefer?online survey

All three have their pros and cons. National Treasures has some very nice rookie patches, shields and auto's. Topps Five Star features booklets, inscription auto's and only on-card auto's. Finally, Upper Deck SP Authentic gives collectors 24 five card packs with 3 hits per box for $125, but no NFL team logos (if the college thing bothers you). So what does all this mean for collectors? It's simple, choice.

All the early preview images released by each company for these products look fantastic as usual, but there's more to a product than a few preview images. Here are eBay search links you can checkout to get a better idea of each product (Panini National Treasures, Topps Five Star and Upper Deck SP Authentic). So which overall product do you like better? Please feel free to comment on which product you chose and why?

Michael Jordan Collection (Part 7): LDDS World Com Promo Phone Card

2011-03-02T20:03:00.000-05:00

LDDS World Com Michael Jordan Promo Phone Card

I fancy myself to be a bit of Jordan collector. Although I haven't added an '85 Star Co. XRC or an Upper Deck Authenticated piece to my collection yet, I was able to secure this ultra rare LDDS World Com phone card. LDDS World Com famously filed for bankruptcy in 2002, which was the largest bankruptcy protection filing in U.S. history up to that point, but enough of that boring background info.

As for the phone card. World Com needed a spokesmen for their new marketing program in the mid 90's. During the 90's, there really wasn't a better spokesman than Michael Jordan. He helped Nike get to the top of the sports apparel mountain and I'm sure World Com had hoped Jordan would bring World Com to the top of the telecommunications industry. To celebrate the new partnership with Jordan, World Com released a number of long distance phone cards. Here's a link to some of the phone cards World Com released (click here). These were prepaid cards you could pickup at most local gas stations, grocery stores and big box discount stores like Target and Walmart. The above phone card is a bit more rare.

Unfortunately, I don't know the exact print run of the promo World Com phone card featured in this post. I do know that I've only seen two of them in the past four years that I've been looking. One was a Buy Now auction on eBay that was too rich for my blood, but the other is above in this post. Aside from the pieces of dust on the scan, this item is perfect. It actually looks like glass because of the coating on the surface of the plastic card. I'd like to find more information on the item, but for now, keeping it on my home desk to admire will have to do.

Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Poster Review: Nike "The Judge" Poster

2011-03-01T15:50:00.000-05:00

1980's Nike "The Judge" Poster

Former Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes is a bit before my time, but the poster is timeless. Hayes was known for that low stance featured in the poster when lining up against opposing wide receivers. The idea behind the poster is that Hayes could cover even the vastest of open expanses. One of the best cover corners of the late 70's and 80's, Hayes was a five-time Pro Bowl selection for a Raiders team that one two Super Bowls ('80 & '83). Although a finalist for the NFL Hall of Fame, he has yet to be enshrined.

The poster is not one of the more iconic or sought after posters of the 80's, but I think it's a bit underrated. At the very least, "The Judge" poster is a great entry into vintage poster collecting. It's not terribly expensive relative to some of the higher profile posters from this era, and it's a Nike poster from one of the Black & Silvers best. Sales are generally right around $20-$25 plus shipping. Anything more than that is not a good deal (Current Best Offer eBay Auction).

Hope you enjoyed this latest Poster Review post. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Mark Jackson In The Hoopography House: '10 UD Ultimate Legends Auto

2011-02-28T19:28:00.000-05:00

2010 Upper Deck Ultimate Legends Mark Jackson Auto

I'm not sure what it is, but there's just something about St. Johns hoops stars. From Chris Mullin and Felipe Lopez and now to Mark Jackson, I try to pick up higher end inserts or auto's of these former St. John's collegiate stars for some reason. This Upper Deck Ultimate Legends Mark Jackson is the latest in my St. John's acquisitions and it really looks good in my collection.

Mark Jackson is probably most well known for his work as an NBA announcer/analyst for ESPN and ABC, but he also had a very accomplished NBA playing career. Jackson currently ranks third all-time in the NBA with 10,323 assists and finished his career with a scoring average of 9.6/game, assist average of 8.0/game and steals average of 1.2/game. The 1988 NBA Rookie of the Year was also a one-time NBA All-Star in 1989 and probably played for every team in the NBA at some point. Alright, he actually played for seven NBA teams including the Knickerbockers and Pacers twice. Jackson certainly didn't put up gargantuan numbers throughout his career, but he was a critical part of many successful teams of the 80's and 90's.

The Ultimate Legends auto's are hugely successful in UD's football products and they were a nice addition to their basketball line this past year. The Jackson auto was very affordable and they are still being posted to the Bay fairly regularly (click here) if you're looking for one. Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Box Preview/Giveaway: 2011 Panini Contenders Basketball

2011-02-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

I recently received a hobby box of 2011 Contenders Basketball from Panini yesterday for review. A big thanks to Panini for valuing my opinion. I will be giving all cards away in this post, so keep reading the review to find out how to receive some fresh new basketball cards.

The Positives:
The positives from Contenders revolves all around design. The Contenders Season Ticket base card style looks great and is a vast improvement from last years base card. Also, the use of vibrant team colors across the product line is fantastic and again, an improvement from last years release. In addition to the overall design, the various die cut parallels are fun (checkout the Chris Bosh die cut above). Finally, the rookie (manufactured) patch/auto's look great and I appreciate four per box, but I'm not sure they're better than the Rookie Auto'd Tickets from last year (It's a matter of each collectors' preference).

The cards I enjoyed pulling the most were the Place In History cards (the Dirk Nowitzki [front] and Hedo Turkoglo [back]). The scans don't do the shiny foil surface justice. The cards actually look like news paper printing plates. Very cool. Overall, this 5 card, 20 pack box was very fun to open.

The Negatives:
The plural use of the word Negative is really a misnomer. I did not care for the design of last years Contenders Basketball, but I really enjoyed this years offering. However, the monetary value was not there in a box that retails for approximately $100. I've seen some pretty pricey 2011 Contenders cards on the Bay (click here), but I just don't see that same value from this box. Since I can only review this particular box and not necessarily what I'm seeing on the secondary markets, I have to say that the value just wasn't there and a bit disappointing. However, as any collector can attest, searching for "mega" hits is like playing the lottery. Not everyone can pull a John Wall, Kobe Bryant or Blake Griffin auto, but a hit from a star would have been nice. At least the design elements are there and the potential for bigger hits is there of course.

The Contest/Giveaway:
I will be giving away all cards from this box to one lucky winner except for the L.A. Lakers and Portland Trailblazers cards. The Lakers cards will be going to Lakers fan/collector Fuji over at The Chronicles of Fuji and Guy over at The Retro-Set Addict. These fellow bloggers are loyal readers and often comment, so it's time for a little Hoopography reader love. As for the rest of the cards, including the three Rookie Ticket Patch/Auto's, Blake Griffin & Kevin Durant cards, numerous die cuts and a great set building start, here is your chance to score some great hoops cards in one shot (please read all contest rules):

I will randomize entries on Random.org.
You must be a follower of the Hoopography blog (If you are a reader, but do not have a google account, become a fan of Hoopography on Facebook or a follower on Twitter. Please include that you have become a fan or follower in the comments section, if you can not become a follower through Blogger.).
One comment in the comments section below equals one entry. If you publicize the contest on your blog, you will receive an extra entry for a total of two. If you do not include a link to that publicity post in the comment section below, you will not receive the extra entry.
Contest ends 12:00PM ET on Friday, March 4th
One winner takes all.

Big Thanks To Mark Over At The Chronicles Of Fuji

2011-02-26T13:21:00.000-05:00

A big thanks is in order for Mark over at The Chronicles of Fuji. He sent me a package with a ton of great items for me to enjoy. If you haven't already, make sure to checkout his blog. He has quite the collection going and provides great commentary on trading cards, vintage Beckett covers, Starting Lineup figures and more. Thanks again Mark. I will be sending something out your way very shortly.

January, 1992 Beckett Football Issue #22

This Beckett issue from 1992 is an item that I've wanted for quite some time now. It features Jim Kelly from the glory years of the Buffalo Bills and the K-Gun Offense Super Bowl years. I'm such a big fan of this issue and cover that I will be framing it to display on the wall. Plus, it's always fun to look up prices from a bygone era in card collecting.

Here are a few of the cards Mark sent. There are lots of great refractors and jersey cards, which was very generous of Mark. I love the Action Packed Earl "The Pearl" Monroe card in the first card scan image on the left. I'm also a big fan of the card design of the mid-90's Flair cards. Those USA Flair cards are a great example of that design style that I'm so fond of and admire. Plus, many of those players like Shaquille O'neal, Mark Price, Shawn Kemp and Kevin Johnson were some of my favorite. And come-on, how can you not like a Team USA card?

Thanks again Mark. This was a very fun package. I will be sending something out to you on Monday that you hopefully will like. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

The Jordan Collection (Part 6): The '91 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year Jordan Issue

2011-02-24T21:15:00.000-05:00

Sports Illustrated: Dec. 23rd, 1991 Sportsman of the Year

One of the coolest looking Sports Illustrated issues and pieces of Michael Jordan memorabilia of all-time is the above December 23rd, 1991 “Sportsman of the year” issue featuring a hologram of Michael Jordan and a bright red background. Oddly enough, for as neat as this item looks, and the fact that "His Airness" himself is featured, it's not too pricey. Not too pricey relative to the original Jordan S.I. cover from 1984 that has sold for upwards of $175 in mint condition. I know because I once, and let me reiterate once, bid on one of those rare mint UNC 1984 S.I magazines (once is enough to realize the damage a click of a mouse could do to the old wallet).

Hologram technology was fairly new at the time this issue came out, and it was especially interesting for a magazine to utilize the holographic technology. This issue can be had for right around $6 to $15 (click here) depending on condition. Here's a current eBay auction with one day remaining (click here). The issue looks to be in nr-mint condition and for a fair price.

The early UNC 1984 Jordan S.I. issue is certainly a nice piece to add to any collection. However, considering the disparity in price and cool look of the hologram, the "Sportsman of the Year" issue is more than a great substitute. This is without question one of the best Michael Jordan pieces of memorabilia a collector can add to their collection.

Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

What Grade Do You Give Topps' New Five Star Football?

2011-02-23T17:11:00.000-05:00

Topps ultra high end Five Star Football product went live earlier this week. It's jam packed with patches, swatches, shields, laundry tags, "gold" foiling and on-card auto's. That's a lot of good stuff, but at $425 a box for 5 cards, there should be a lot of good stuff in Five Star. That's $85 per card for you non-math majors out there. I used a calculator myself. So the question is, what grade do you give Topps Five Star? Here's a link to the cards already listed on eBay (click here).

Poll: Who Will Make The Baseball Hall Of Fame?

2011-02-22T18:22:00.009-05:00

Dave Winfield and Don Mattingly are amongst a few of my favorite Yankees ever and are certainly revered by many other Yankee fans. Although "Donnie Baseball" is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Winfield is, and this card is the only card I have that features a Yankee who is in the Hall. Cards of guys like Ruth, Berra, Mantle, DiMaggio and Gehrig cost a bit more than my price range can handle, so this Mattingly/Winfield jersey card is the best I've got for this post.

Basically, I want to know what current New York Yankees or Yankee prospects you think will eventually be enshrined in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame when their career(s) are over? You can vote for as many players as you want. If there's a player or prospect not included in the poll, feel free to add in the comments section. Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Which Current New York Yankee Or Yankees Prospect Will Be Enshrined In The Cooperstown Baseball Hall Of Fame?online surveys

Some Of My Best Trading Card Acquisitions Of The Last Few Months

2011-02-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Here's a few of my favorite cards from the past few months. I've wrote posts on most of these, but it's always fun to show them off. After all, part of the fun of card collecting is showing your cards off. What are some of your favorite trading card acquisitions of the past few months?

'08 Bowman Chrome '10 UD Ultimate Laettner Auto '97 Topps Finest Gold Ref

Montero Blue Ref RC

'03 Kobe/Williams UD Ultimate Dual Jersey

'91 Kenny Anderson Star Pics Auto '08 Brett Gardner RC Auto '03 Jay Williams UD Ultimate Auto RC

'00 UD Paul O'neill Buy Back Auto

'09 UD Exquisite Cunningham Auto '80 Topps Henderson RC '08 Hawaii Trade Conference Miller/Evans Auto

'02 Topps Bo Jackson Memorable Materials '97 UD Exquisite Legendary Lynch Auto

'00 UD Bruce Smith Legendary Jsy '95 Topps Finest Hardaway Refractor '97 Jeter Flair Hot Gloves

'08 UD Trilogy 1-2 Combo Vanek/Miller Auto

Bernie Williams, Paul O'neill & Andy Pettitte EX Essential Credentials

'97 Metal Universe Precious Gems Bruce Smith

'10 Topps 206 Cervelle Auto '10 UD The Cup Signature Patches Vanek Auto

'92 Classic Four-Sport Quad Auto (I've had this for a bit, but it one of my favorites)

'07 UD Ultimate Legends Jim kelly Auto '96 Anfernee Hardaway UD Tribute Auto

'97 Jordan UD SPx Holoview Heroes '91 Larry Johnson Courtside Auto '93 Classics Exclusive Manon Rheaume Auto

'09 UD Thurman Thomas UD SPx Shadow Box '08 UD Lynch Exquisite Endorsements Auto

'97 UD Jordan Commemorative Collection '99 Thomas SkyBox Rubies '93 TSC Beam Team O'neal RC

'09 UD Exquisite Thurman Thomas Auto '97 Ultra Court Masters (I'm putting the set together)

'10 Thurman Thomas UD SPx Shadow Box '07 Chris Mullin UD Ultimate Virtuoso

'09 UD SP Legendary Cuts Warren Spahn Auto

Buffalo Sabres Vs. Washington Capitals On "Hockey Day In America"

2011-02-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

'09 Nathan Gerbe Upper Deck Ultimate Rookies Signatures Auto

My Buffalo Sabres are four points back of the Carolina Hurricanes for the 8th and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The Sabres do have three games in hand, but they could certainly use a big win against the Capitals today.

The '09 Upper Deck Ultimate Rookies Signature card is of Sabres forward Nathan Gerbe. Gerbe is a young and talented forward. He's not the biggest guy at only 5'5'', but he makes up for that lack of size with exciting speed and hustle. The Ultimate RC auto is a nice addition to my hockey collection.

Enjoy the smorgasbord of sports today with the Sabres game, Heritage Classic outdoor game, Daytona 500 and 60th NBA All-Star Game. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

The Jordan Collection Part 5 (Slam Dunk Edition): 1985 Star Co. Slam Dunk Supers Group Photo/Checklist

2011-02-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

1985 Star Co. Slam Dunk Supers Group Photo/Checklist

Tonight is one of my favorite nights in sports. The NBA's Dunk, 3-Pont and Skills contests are tonight on TNT. I'm really excited as it should be a fun night featuring some the NBA's best. Since this is All-Star Weekend, I thought I would highlight one of my favorite All-Star themed cards from way back.

This 1985 Star Co. Slam Dunk Supers Group Photo/Checklist card is a Star Co. card from Michael Jordan's rookie year. It also includes some of the best high flyers of the 80's including Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins. Oh, and the card is also a giant 5 x 7 inch goliath. Total Awesomeness! Sure, the '85 Star Co. Jordan XRC would be nice, but who has $2,500 lying around to spend on a trading card? I certainly don't, so this Group Photo card from Jordan's rookie year is the next best thing.

The Star Co. cards are some of my personal favorites, just not my wallet's favorites. They feature bold colors and some pretty decent photography. The Slam Dunk Supers set has a total of nine single player cards of the participants from the '85 NBA Slam Dunk Contest plus this group photo for a total of ten cards. The set has a book value of $200. Much of that value is tied up in the Jordan single, but the group photo card has a respectable $40 book value. I've seen these group photo cards all over the price spectrum on the secondary markets like eBay, but here's a crazy Buy Now eBay auction of a complete set in it's original packaging (click here).

Hope you enjoyed this All-Star Weekend themed Jordan Collection post. Have fun watching all the festivities and of course… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Polls: Who Will Win…?

2011-02-18T17:19:00.000-05:00

Who do you think will shine during the NBA All-Star Weekend?

Who will win the Foot Locker 3-Point Contest?Market Research

Who will win the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest?Market Research

Which conference will win the 2011 NBA All-Star Game?online surveys

Video: Which NBA Slam Dunk Contest Performance Ranks #1 (Jordan '88, Webb '86, Carter '00, Richardson '03, Wilkins '88)?

2011-02-17T13:47:00.001-05:00

There have been a number of physically and creatively amazing performances in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest over the years, but which is the best overall performance? I've picked four videos of the best performances that include each dunk form the selected contests. Sure, there have been some memorable single rounds or dunks by contestants, J.R. Rider's East Bay Funk Dunk, but what if we could compare all the dunks and all the rounds of the best overall performances from the most memorable contestants? Well now you can.

I know, I know. Everyone has their favorite Dunk Contest performances, but I really think these are the best five of all-time (not in any order): Jordan '88, Webb '86, Carter '00, Wilkins '88 and Richardson '03. So checkout the videos and get to ranking the best overall NBA Slam Dunk Contest performances. Make sure to take into consideration each dunk from all rounds. I hope everyone enjoys these dunktacular videos and of course "…Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Spud Webb '86 Contest	Vince Carter '00 Contest

Jordan/Wilkins '88 Contest	Richardson '03 Contest

(RSS feed readers and third party site readers, click here to view videos/media)

An All-Star Post For The NBA's All-Star Weekend: '93 Fleer All-Star Insert Set

2011-02-16T18:01:00.000-05:00

1993 Fleer All-Star Michael Jordan

The NBA All-Star Weekend is almost upon us and I'm really excited. because of that excitement, I thought it only fitting to put up as many All-Star themed posts as possible. Some of these will be reposts from the past few months, but I'll mix in a number of new posts, videos and polls. Actually, I wrote a bunch of new posts last weekend that I have scheduled to be published periodically throughout the rest of this week. So stay tuned for all those posts and get ready for a fun weekend of basketball. With Blake Griffin in the Dunk Contest, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen squaring off in the 3-Point Contest and the game itself, it should be great!!!

One of the more popular basketball inserts of the early 90's was the '93 Fleer All-Stars set. This was a 24 card set that featured the Western and Eastern All-Stars from the '92 NBA All-Star Game. Hence, no Shaquille O'neal rookie all-star card unfortunately even though this is a set from his rookie year. However, the set is littered with tons of 90's stars and superstars like Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen and many more. The set featured a horizontal design with images of the players in their All-Star uniforms. There's a blue background that looks great, but is unfortunately susceptible to chipping. This is the biggest problem collectors need to worry about when attempting to put this set together and is very noticeable as you'll see the tail-tail white edges or chunks that indicate edge wear and chipping. Definitely look closely at any images if you are buying these cards on-line through the secondary markets or trading.

The set is not terribly difficult to put together. It only consists of 24 cards and they were inserted into series 1 pack at a modest rate of 1:9. It has a solid book value of $100, but you should be able to put the entire set together for well under that if you can save on shipping costs. Most of the cards sell as singles for around $2.00 to $5.00. The Jordan is the tough one, but can be had for right around $10.00-$40.00. Here's a BGS Graded 9 Jordan currently for sale on eBay as a Buy Now: (click here) and an ungraded Live eBay auction: (click here). Also, here's a complete set in a Buy Now eBay auction with a $60.00 reserve: (click here). I took the easy way out and bought the entire set all at once from a seller on eBay. I haggled the price down to $30.00 plus $5.00 shipping for the entire set. No question, good deals are out there if you are willing to be a patient collector.

Although this '93 Fleer All-Stars set is not my favorite insert set from the 90's, it's high on the list. Many of my favorite hoops stars are in this set and I love the overall design. Hope you enjoyed this All-Star themed post. Stay tuned for more NBA All-Star posts and remember to… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

2007 Upper Deck Ultimate Virtuoso Chris Mullin Auto/Jersey #'d 8/25 In The Hoopography House

2011-02-15T21:00:00.000-05:00

2007 Upper Deck Ultimate Virtuoso Chris Mullin Auto/Jersey #'d 8/25

There are certain cards that collectors get excited about ever since the first time they lay their eyes on them. For me, this '07 UD Ultimate Virtuoso Chris Mullin auto/jersey card is one of those. It recently came in, and I'm really excited to add it to my collection. Mullin is one of my favorite players to collect (along with Anfernee Hardaway, Tyler Ennis, Bo Jackson, Warren Spahn, Danilo Gallinari, Billy Martin and 90's insert sets), and this is easily one of the best looking Mullin cards I've ever seen. It's on my Top 50 Wish List and it certainly feels good to cross it off.

Poll: Would You Sign Albert Pujols for 10 Years At Nearly $30 Million A Year?

2011-02-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

Albert Pujols will report to Cardinals spring training tomorrow regardless of whether he has a contract extnsion or not. However, if he and the Cardinals do not agree on an extension by the time he reports, Pujols says he will enter next offseason as a free agent. There's no questioning Pujols ability on the field. He's worth being paid as the best player in baseball, but for how long? It's being reported that Pujols wants somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million a year for 10 years.

At 31 years of age, that's a long contract. It would be fine if this were 2001, but not 2011. Players just don't last like they did ten years ago. Maybe it's the conditioning, the drinking water at those new ballparks or maybe even nutrition. No wait, it's the lack of steroids. No steroids means no 10 year deal for Pujols. At least from this wannabe GM. What do you think. Put your GM hat on and decide whether you would or would not sign Albert Pujols for nearly $300 million over 10 years.

Would You Sign Albert Pujols for 10 Years At Nearly $30 Million A Year?customer surveys

Gatta Like The Dual Autograph: 2006 UD SP Authentic SOTT's Vanek/Drury Auto

2011-02-14T18:53:00.000-05:00

2006 Upper Deck SP Authentic Sign of the Times Thomas Vanek/Chris Drury

There's nothing like a nice on-card auto for the sports card collector. Except of course, two on-card auto's on one card. Needless to say, three or four on-card auto's on a single card would be even nicer than a dual auto'd card, but I don't have one. So we'll go with the dual auto'd card. This Vanek/Drury Upper Deck Sign of the Times card was a nice little pickup I had from the Bay recently and proves to be a nice example of a dual auto'd card.

Chris Drury is no longer with the Buffalo Sabres, but he was a big part of their success just a few seasons ago. His signature is anything but impressive, but it's nice to have non the less. He's currently with the New York Rangers. Thomas Vanek is leading the Sabres with 48 total points and is second on the team with 22 goals. Those certainly aren't Hall of Fame numbers, but they're very respectable for this point in the season. Plus, he's got a pretty snazzy signature. Click here to see a couple more Thomas Vanek auto'd cards.

So I'm a big fan of dual auto'd cards. Do you prefer single auto'd cards or a multi auto'd cards? I can see how this would be a no brainer for most, but it's also nice to have a card that focuses on one great player and their signature. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Yet Another 90's Insert Set: Upper Deck SPx Pro Motion, Cornerstones and Duo View

2011-02-13T15:24:00.001-05:00

Ray Allen Is The New 3-Point Shot King

2011-02-10T21:22:00.000-05:00

Ray Allen knocked down his record setting 2,561st 3-point shot tonight. Breaking the previous mark held by Reggie Miller. It's quite the accomplishment. Not only has Allen made the most threes in NBA history, but he's also shot a very respectable 39.8% from beyond the arc for his career. From his time at the University of Connecticut and the Big East, to his Milwaukee Bucks, Sonics and current Celtics days, Allen has filled it up. Something that has been overlooked during Allen's career is his defense. He often is charged with taking a team's best offensive player on defense.

This '99 SkyBox Autographics card has been in my collection for a year or so and I'm glad I bought it when I did. I have a feeling his cards are going to go up this week, and if the Celtics make it to the NBA Finals this year, forget about it.

Aside from being an all-time great shooter, Allen was played Jesus Shuttlesworth in the film, He Got Game. That makes Allen one of my favorite hoopsters of the last decade.

Video: NCAA College Basketball Rivalry Week

2011-02-09T17:26:00.000-05:00

This week is Rivalry Week in college basketball. With a full slate of NBA and NHL games tonight, that means some serious remote decisions will need to be made. I'll most likely flip between a number of games, but here are a few of the games I'll be watching: UNC vs. Duke, 'Cuse vs. G'town and Knicks vs. Blake Griffin. With all these basketball choices, I'm lucky there's no Buffalo Sabres game tonight. Otherwise, I'd have to setup a second TV.

Regardless of sport, what's your favorite collegiate athletics rivalry? I love all sports and enjoy many rivalries, but my favorite has to be UNC vs. Duke. There have been so many thrilling battles that have featured some of the best players of the last 5o years. Here's a little UNC/Duke rivalry video to get you pumped up for tonights matchup. Enjoy all the great games tonight and… "Every Bounce of the Ball".

The Jordan Collection Part 4: 1996 NBA Jam Session Die Cut

2011-02-08T17:29:00.000-05:00

What's better than a tall Michael Jordan card? A die cut tall Jordan card of course. This die cut Jordan card is from the '96 NBA Jam Session product put out by the former Fleer/SkyBox trading card company. The die cut cards were inserted into packs at a rate of 1:1. So this isn't the rarest Jordan die cut ever, but purchasing a box of Jam Session doesn't necessarily guarantee the buyer one of these Jordan die cuts.

There are currently no Jam Session Jordan die cuts on eBay, and there was only one sold on eBay over the last two weeks (click here). If you clicked on the link, you'll notice the very modest $2.29 completed auction price. That's pretty inexpensive for a fun Jordan card like this one.

The Jam Session cards were a nice novelty during the mid 90's. They were very popular when they first were released, but fizzled quickly. I'm a huge fan of the Show Stoppers insert set from the '96 Jam Session product. However, this Jordan card is cool as well. I obviously like the jagged die cut pattern, but I also really appreciate the green outline used to highlight the uneven edges. Also, how can you go wrong with Jordan? You can't.

This is only the fourth post in The Jordan Collection series. I'll try to post these more frequently since Bloggers' stat feature indicates that many collectors are reading these posts. So stay tuned for more Jordan items from my collection and make sure to… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Super Card For Super Sunday: 2010 UD SPx Thurman Thomas Shadow Box

2011-02-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

2010 Upper Deck SPx Thurman Thomas Shadow Box

This is the second Thurman Thomas gem this week that I've added to my collection (click here). It may bring up some bad Super Bowl memories for this Bills fan, mainly four bad memories, but it also brings up some great memories of "The Thurmanator" running wild and catching passes out of the backfield. The Bills run of four straight Super Bowl appearances in the early 90's was impressive, and yet heart breaking at the same time. Good thing free agency came to the NFL in 1993. Otherwise, the Bills would still be looking to get their first Super Bowl win in their 21st straight appearance tonight.

As for these SPx Shadow Box cards, they're really cool. This is the second year Upper Deck has released versions of these inserts. They are case hits inserted into the football and hockey products. I hope they release versions in the basketball product. Each card is very thick and has a raised 3D image of the featured player in the middle of the card.

This is the second Thurman Thomas Shadow Box card I've been able to add to my collection. The first features Thomas in his Buffalo Bills uniform (click here). This was obviously when Upper Deck had their NFL license. Both are really fun cards. I hope to add a few of the hockey shadow box cards to my collection too. Upper Deck really did a nice job with these. Enjoy the big game today and… "Every Bounce of the Ball".

Video: 2011 Pro Football Hall Of Fame Finalists

2011-02-05T14:21:00.000-05:00

Here's a video post of all 17 finalists up for enshrinement into the Football Hall of Fame. The official announcement as to who will be enshrined will be made today at 7:00 PM ET on the NFL Network. Out of these 17 finalists, who will be called for enshrinement into Canton?

Jerome Bettis	Tim Brown	Chris Carter

Dermontti Dawson	Richard Dent	Chris Doleman

Marshall Faulk	Charles Haley	Chris Hanburger

Cortez Kennedy	Curtis Martin	Richter/Hanburger

Willie Roaf	Ed Sabol	Andre Reed

Shannon Sharpe	Deion Nike Commercial	Deion Sanders

Product Previews: Upper Deck, Topps, ITG, Panini

2011-02-03T20:58:00.007-05:00

There are a ton of new products scheduled to be released over the next few months in all four of the North American major sports. It seems that every company is gearing up for a huge 2011, and that means good things for collectors. Here are a few of the products I'm interested in for the early 2011 hobby season:

- 2011 IN THE GAME HEROES & PROSPECTS BASE., Approx. Release Date 2/24/11:

I'm not someone who collects a ton of baseball prospect cards other than the NY Yankees. Call me a fair weather baseball collector, but I have to draw the line somewhere. The line mine as well be after all four sports, thousands of players and hundreds of sets I collect. Although I only collect Yankee prospects, In The Games' (ITG) 2011 Hereos & Prospects Series 1 Baseball has me intrigued. ITG puts out some very decent hockey products that feature killer relics. Wow, that sentence is a bit scary. Hope ITG doesn't put out any killer relics of me after this preview. The 5 card boxes will feature 5 relic or auto'd hits for $82.00 a box. Not too shabby for the jersey or auto hunter. There are also some relic and cut signature cards of baseball legends like Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron. This is a very interesting product for the baseball collector.

- 2010 Upper Deck SP Authentic Football, Approx. Release Date 2/22/11:

UD's Authentic Football is a nice looking collegiate product. All the names are there from rookies to legends. For a nostalgia guy like me, UD SP Football offers collectors the chance to look back on the good times of their alma mater. It's not the cheapest product at $96.95 per box, but you do get 3 auto's in each of those boxes. The big question is, will these be on-card or sticker auto's. Should be a very nice product that I'll definitely keep an I out for singles on the Bay.

- 2011 UPPER DECK SP AUTHENTIC BASKETBALL, Approx. Release Date 2/25/11:
Although Upper Deck lost it's MLB, NBA and NFL licenses, it's still turning out product after product. I, like many collectors, was disappointed that UD wasn't going to be able to produce cards featuring my favorite professional teams. Fortunately for collectors, UD has been able to turnout a few nice products despite the setbacks. That sentiment is true of 2011 UD SP Authentic Basketball. The big draw to UD basketball products is Jordan and LeBron, and UD has certainly exploited that advantage. Sp Authentic will follow the UD master plan by offering a Jordan or LeBron auto and an additional "case hit" from players like Jordan, LeBron, Larry Bird, Dr. J, Derrick Rose, Bill Russell, DeMarcus Cousins and Magic Johnson in every 12 box master case. That's two "case hits" in every master case. The master cases will be broken up into two 6 box inner cases that will each contain a "case hit". That's a pretty cool idea, if you can afford the $590.00 inner case price tag or the $1,150 master case price tag.

Each SP Authentic single box will contain 24 packs with 5 cards per pack and either 2 Letter Autographed cards or 2 auto'd cards and an additional Michael Jordan Supreme Court Floor Card. The Supreme Court Jordan cards feature an oversized piece of UNC basketball court piece that Jordan himself played on. There are also a number of interesting inserts like Die-Cut F/X Hologram cards. This is a product with tons of potential.

- 2011 TOPPS SERIES 2 BASEBALL, Approx. Release Date 6/08/11:
Topps seemingly puts out a hundred baseball products a year, so It's tough to narrow it down to one or two products. However, Series 2 looks like a fun product at a price point every collector can afford. At $59.95 a hobby box, you get tons of inserts, parallels, 1 auto and 2 relic cards. The early media releases I've seen of this Series 2 Baseball look nice.

It's still a few months until spring training and the release of this product, but it's never too early to get excited. I'm certainly going to pickup a pack or two of this and hope for the best. The best for me would be something like a Brett Gardner jersey card. He's my favorite current Yankee.

- 2011 Panini Classics Basketball, Approx. Release Date 3/23/11:

Panini's 2011 Classics Basketball is all about living up to 2010 Classics Basketball. Last years product was one of my favorite basketball releases, so I'm excited to see what Panini has in store for this years release. With on-card rookie auto's and a heavy focus on hoops legends, Classics does has me salivating. I'm liking the info I've seen so far on A Knight's Lance, but I'd like to see a few more images of the base cards and inserts.

Each box will contain 2 auto'd and 2 memorabilia cards per hobby box. Classics will also feature a Classics Moment insert set chronicling some of the biggest moments in NBA history. That definitely sounds promising! This looks like a nice product that is sure to feature some of the best rookie auto'd cards of 2011 as they will be on-card signatures.

Stay tuned for another Product Preview post next week that will feature several upcoming basketball and hockey releases. Until then, which upcoming products are you most excited for?

2009 Upper Deck Exquisite Inscriptions Auto Thurman Thomas 14/15 In The Hoopography House

2011-02-02T17:34:00.000-05:00

I recently added a very nice 2009 Upper Deck Exquisite Inscriptions Auto Thurman Thomas card to my collection. The card is absolutely beautiful and is numbered 14 of 15. I'm really excited to have this card in my collection. I've bid on every copy of this card that's come on the secondary markets over the past year.

Surprisingly, two copies appeared on eBay over the past two weeks. The first sold for $69.97 (click here) about a week and a half ago. I put a late bid in on this one just before it shot up to the $50.00 range. I was disappointed that I was quickly outbid with a few seconds to go in the auction, but you have to know when to fold 'em.

With a limited print run of only 15, I didn't think I'd see another one of these Thomas cards for awhile. As the collector gods would have it though, another copy was listed last week. I knew the market value on the card from the last auction and ones previous. I assumed I'd be out snipped on this one too, but my late bid held strong.

I paid $33.99 with free shipping. I don't normally spend over $15-$20 on a single card let alone over $30.00, but this is a really great item this Bills die hard just couldn't pass up. I'm especially excited I payed less than half of what the previously listed card sold for.

I have a number of nice Thomas cards in my collection, but this one certainly takes the cake. At least until the next one! Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

NBA Teams On The Rise And On The Fall

2011-02-01T16:07:00.000-05:00

The fortunes of an NBA franchise can be changed seemingly overnight. That night is usually some time around June 23rd, the night of the NBA Draft. Which similar to the NFL Draft, is like a holiday to me. The decisions made on draft night, coupled with key trades and free agent signings can turn a perennial cellar dweller into a powerhouse. So which NBA franchises have made the right moves to put their teams on the rise and which have made the wrong decisions? Lets look at a few teams as stocks considering future growth potential.

NBA Teams On The Rise

The L.A. Clippers might be the best team to invest in right now. This is partly do to how low the stock has been for basically the entire history of the franchise since it moved from Buffalo, NY in 1978. The growth potential is immense. When you take out Brian Cook, Rasual Butler and Baron Davis, the average age of the 11 other Clippers players is 24. With talented young players like Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe, the future is bright in Clipper land. Unless of course, the curse of the Clippers shows its ugly head. By "curse", I mean Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

It should be of no surprise that the Oklahoma City Thunder are a team on the rise. Actually, I'm sure many readers consider the Thunder to be a team that is not on the rise, but rather, a team that has arrived already. However, the truth is this team is still very young at just under an average age of 25. The team will also get a bit younger and free up some cap space to sign their young guns when Nick Collison and Morris Peterson are no longer with the team. Think about this, Collison makes more than double of what Kevin Durant makes/year at more than $13 million compared to Durant's $6 million. With players like J. Green, K. Durant and R. Westbrook in the fold, the Thunder are a team on the rise in a hurry.

The Chicago Bulls organization has finally put a contender together after the Jordan years. So I guess it was a good move for Bulls management to dismantle the Bulls dynasty when they did. Otherwise, we would be waiting another ten years for a "Baby" Bulls contender. In all seriousness, the Chicago Bulls are no joke. The team follows the same youth movement as the above mentioned Clippers and Thunder with an average team age of just under 28 (Kurt Thomas' 38 skews the average a bit) and they are loaded with talent. I'm not a Derrick Rose fan, but he is a physical freak at the PG position. This team also has a number of solid trade pieces if they so chose to add a different piece before the trade deadline. With Noah, Boozer, Rose and Deng in the mix, this is one stock that is loaded for the long haul.

I know the New York Knicks is a homer pick by me, but think about this. The Knicks added Amar'e Stoudemire and Rymond Felton during the past off season, who will they add this upcoming off season? That's right, I'm talking about the end of the Eddie Curry era in NYC. His more than $11 million/per will finally be coming off the books this year. The Knicks are poised to be over $16 million under the cap next year. I'm no math major, but that's some solid dough. Combine that with young and talented players like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields, Timofey Mozgov and Anthony Randolph, and you have a lot of excitement building in the Garden. Oh yeah, the Knicks are also the fourth youngest team in the NBA with an average age of only 25.

The Memphis Grizzlies just made the category. They are a risky stock at this point. I like many of the moves they have made through free agency and the draft in recent year. However, this team and franchise is at a crossroads. Mainly, they do not have enough talent to contend for a championship as currently constructed. Rudy Gay is an all-star caliber player, but not a superstar. Mike Conley is a very nice PG, but not an elite PG in the NBA. Marc Gasol does a lot of things well for the Grizzlies, but nothing great. Do you see where I'm going here? Basically, as constructed, the Grizzlies are a nice team that is coming very close to its plateau. The crossroads decision is whether management will make a move to bring a superstar in that can catapult this team and franchise to the next level. The good news is that Memphis is the second youngest team in the Association. Also, they will have some cap space freed up as Gasol, Z. Randolph and others will be free agents. They also have a lot of solid talent up and down the roster and many trade options. The first step is to figure out what to do with recently demoted and former 3rd overall pick, O.J. Mayo. The team needs a superstar to bring the rest of the talent together and make the Grizzlies a more enticing stock.

NBA Teams On The Fall

The Portland Trailblazers have been a team on the rise for seemingly forever. That's for good reason. Brandon Roy was one of the best players in the Association. Along with one of the youngest rosters, the Blazers management also assembled one of the best stockpiles of talent in the Association. The problem with those previous statements is that they were all in the past tense. Brandon Roy is no longer one of the best players in the league. In fact, it's uncertain whether Roy can comeback from his 1,488th knee surgery. Two of the teams starters, M. Camby and A. Miller, are 36 and 34 years of age respectively. The salary cap isn't going to do the Blazers any favors either over the next few seasons. Think about this. After all those issues, I still haven't mentioned Greg Oden. With all those negatives, there are actually a few bright spots. LaMarcus Aldridge is finally playing up to his #2 overall draft selection and $65 million contract extension. Plus, Aldridge is only 25 years old. Young wing players like W. Mathews and N. Batum are also playing well.

For some reason, I've always liked the Portland Trailblazers. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the Rose Garden in the Rose City. It might be watching Terry Porter passing to Clyde "The Glyde" for a majestic dunk. It could be Buffalo's own Clifford Robinson. Or even an amazingly smooth Brandon Roy game winner. Maybe it's all of these great moments that drive me to root for the Blazers. I'm not someone who believes in luck of any kind, but damn, this team has had some bad luck over the years. I hope Oden and Roy can come back healthy to become a team on the rise again.

The Denver Nuggets had a nice run over the past few seasons that included an appearence in the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Unfortunately for the Nuggets and their fans, C. Billups and K. Martin are not getting any younger. On top of an aging core, the franchise wants out. Carmelo Anthony doesn't see much of a future in Denver and neither do I. Nuggets management need to trade 'Melo and start all over. Too bad a young Dikembe Mutombo, Laphonso Ellis and Antonio Mcdyess aren't available to start over with. That would help to put this team's stock back on the rise.

To say the sun is out in Phoenix is an understatement. The Phoenix Suns have had a supernova over the past several months. After losing Amar'e to free agency, the Suns are left with an aging and over paid squad. In fact, it looks like the Suns will again be over the salary cap next year. And how does Vince Carter make $7 million more than Steve Nash? Someone please explain that one to me. The Suns have really been a model franchise over the past two decades, but have failed to plan for the future over the past two years. I long for the years of Kevin Johnson and "Thunder" Dan Majerle. It will take a long time before this stock is up again.