The Big Guy In The Middle: Marcell Dareus Ref Auto RC

2011 Bowman Chrome Auto/ Ref RC

I really don't know much about this card other than it features Marcell Dareus, who is a key cog in my Buffalo Bills' revamped defensive line, and that I love the look of the auto/ref. as with most refractors, the card looks better in hand. It almost looks like Mr. Dareus takes up the entire surface of the card. At 6'3'', 325 pounds, he is one big boy. I just became a Bills season ticket holder about two months ago in the Paul Maguire Club, so I can't wait to watch Mr. Dareus gobble up some quarterbacks next season.

Shawn Kemp In The House: '94 UDA BlowUp Auto

Basketball fans can’t talk 90’s NBA basketball without mentioning the “Reign Man”. Shawn Kemp was a devastating 6 foot 10 inch athlete who could catch an ally-oop from fellow running mate Gary “The Glove” Payton better than anyone in the Association. In addition to his athleticism, Kemp also had the skill-set to work down low in the post. He averaged 14.6 points/game and 10.9 rebounds/game with a .488 field goal percentage during his NBA career. Those numbers are a bit skewed because of a few seasons when his averages dipped for a number of reasons including weight issues. It was reported that Kemp showed up to Cavaliers’ training camp weighing a hefty 275 lbs. during the ’99 lockout shortened NBA season. 275 lbs. might be generous.

I like to remember the Shawn Kemp that many referred to as “Man Child”. This was the player that no team had an defensive answer for during the mid 90’s. The player in this sweet 8 x 10 Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA) Team MVP Blowup Auto'd card. For all of Kemp’s natural abilities though, it would have been fun to watch how much better he would have been if he had only put more time into the game and himself. As it is, I'm still a fan and enjoy watching old clips of Kemp Reignin’ down on Seattle.

 As far as the newest edition to my collection goes, this UDA piece is easily the biggest card I own. It's pretty impressive in the lucite screw down case. I'm a huge fan of anything UDA and this auto's card with matching COA's is really great. Especially since I paid well under $25.00 for it. It will goes nice with the Kemp RC's that I have.

The ’91 Fleer RC features a great action shot of Kemp doing what he did best, dunking. This is my favorite Kemp RC out of the three. Just checkout that awesome blue and red trim around the photo of Kemp. Coupled with the yellow surrounding Kemp's name, this card is so bad it's actually cool. The card has a book value of only $1.50 due to the over abundance of the card. In fact, that is the case for all three of these cards. Trading card manufactures mass produced their sets and thus killed the value of their own products during the late 80’s and early 90’s.

The ’91 NBAHOOPS RC has a fairly simple design. I can’t say it’s the best looking card ever made, but it’s a nice buy at around $1 on the secondary markets. Again, the card only has a book value of $1.50 like the ’91 Fleer RC.

The final Kemp RC is a ’91 SkyBox card. The ’91 SkyBox set is one of my all-time favorite sets. I actually like both the ’91 and ’92 SkyBox sets. They have some really funky early 90’s graphics and designs. The Kemp RC from the ’91 set has some of those funky graphics and is a good looking card. Nothing like some randomly colored lines going through the background of a card. Kinda like the always cool laser background used in 90’s school photos (you know the ones I'm talking about). This Kemp RC has a book value of $2.50, but typically sells for right around $.50 to $2.00.

 

Sets I'm Currently Attempting To Assemble

Here are the sets I'm currently working to put together ('97 UD SPx Duo View Hockey is not shown as I do not have any cards in that set, but I am interested in building it!!!). If anyone has any cards in these sets and is interested in trading, let me know. I have a number of cards in each of these sets. I would like to complete a couple of these by the end of the summer. If you are interested in trading, send me an email to Hoopography@yahoo.com or leave a message on the Hoopography Facebook page. Thanks!

         '98 Metal Universe Titanium                                      '97 Upper Deck SPx Cornerstones

            '98 Ex Century Dunk N' Go N                                '98 Topps Finest Mystery Test Refractor

                          '08 Upper Deck SP Rookie Edition Auto's                                         '97 Fleer Ultra Court Masters

                                   '97 Upper Deck SPx Holoview Heroes                                   '99 SPx Rookie Auto's

                                '96 Jam Session Showstoppers                                       '97 EX 2000 A Cut Above

                                                  '97 & '98 Big Man On Court                   '98 SPx Hardcourt Holoview (Football and Basketball)

                                                              '97 SPx Promotion                                                   '98 SPx ProMotion 

                                                             '98 SPx ProMotion                                                '97 SPx Cornerstones

NY Yankees Pitcher Phil Hughes In The Hoopography House: 2007 Upper Deck Masterpeices RC Auto

2007 Upper Deck Masterpeices
Phil Hughes RC Auto

In my never-ending quest to add some New York Yankees auto's to my collection, I picked up this UD Masterpeices auto of Pinstripe's pitcher Phil Hughes off the Bay a few weeks ago. Hughes has had an up and down career thus far. Injuries last year derailed his development from a back of the rotation starting pitcher to a solid middle of the rotation starting pitcher. I am hopeful and encouraged that the once first-round pick can be a good pitcher in the bigs, if he can only stay healthy this year.

Like many collectors, I have always enjoyed these Upper Deck Masterpeices and Chronology cards. They look great and you've got to love the on-card auto's. This is a nice addition to my PC and will make the Yankees games that much more fun for me. Happy collecting and… "Enjoy Every Crack of the Bat".

Toni Kukoc In The Hoopography House: 2010 Upper Deck SP Sign Of The TimesAuto

2010 Toni Kukoc Upper Deck SP Sign of the Times Auto

Toni Kukoc had some great nicknames during his playing days overseas and in the NBA. From "The Pink Panther" to "The Croatian Sensation, he was a magician with the basketball and maestro on the court. An interracial cog in those Chicago Bulls teams of the mid 90's, Kukoc was one of my favorites to watch. I had been meaning to pickup an auto'd card of his for some time now. If I would have known Panini was going to make a Silhouette card of him in their Preferred release, I would have waited for that. As it is, I'm pretty happy with this Upper Deck Sign of the Times auto. I didn't break the bank on it and the red really pops. Not a bad addition to the ever growing collection.

Enjoy the rest of the Sweet 16 tonight and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Box Review: 2012 Panini Preferred Basketball

Panini's 2012 Preferred basketball went live last Tuesday as the second hoops release this years from the company. Panini is touting Preferred as a high-end product that combines previously successful designs like Crown Royale, Donruss Signatures, Panini's Choice (formerly Cramer's Choice) and my favorite Silhouettes. I checkout all the press releases for upcoming products months before they go live, and every once and a while I get excited for a product to come out just like I did with Preferred. Luckily for me, Panini was nice enough to send me a box for review. So a big thanks goes out to Panini and The Knight's Lance. Now for all the fun.

Each $200 box contains four individually wrapped cards. I know that four cards for $200 seems steep, but you can see the prices for singles on eBay justify that $200 price tag. Also important to note about these four card boxes is that each card is either an auto or jersey booklet. So every card is a hit. Here is everything else you need to know about Preferred:

• - Every autograph will be limited to a print run of 99 or less
• - Tons of on-card auto's
• - The first Panini America autographs of new Clipper Chris Paul
• - 10 Autographed Crown Royale die-cuts will feature retired legends
• - Three distinct autographed Rookie Card designs for each player — Silhouettes, Crown Royale Die  Cuts and Preferred: all limited to 99 or less
• - Next-level memorabilia cards showcasing never-before-seen player combinations on each booklet

You can see the cards I pulled in the box of Preferred I opened. The Walton is the gem for me. I love collecting cards of legends like Walton and it's a pretty limited at 04/15. The foiling on the Panini's Choice cards really shines and adds a level richness to the product. Also, the on-card auto's really pop off the cards against the white background where the signatures are located. The jersey booklet is nice as well. I love the themes of these booklet cards. You really can't go wrong with a Slam Dunk theme in a basketball trading card, especially when you have the likes of Dr. J, Dominique Wilkins, Blake Griffin and Larry Johnson featured. The only gripe I have with my box break is the Patrick Paterson. Admittedly, I don't collect Patterson, but my grip is less to do with the player and more to do with the design. Where it looks like the Panini team nailed it with every other card in this product, these preferred signatures just lack the effort or higher standard of the other lines in Preferred. It's almost like the Preferred Signatures don't even belong in the product. I know some of the cards are on-card autos for certain players like Kevin Durant, and maybe that would make a difference, but the Preferred Signatures just don't make the grade compared to an otherwise flawless product.

THE VERDICT: Aside from the Preferred Signatures, Panini hit a home run on this one, or should I say slam dunk. The Silhouettes and Panini's Choice are amazing. The on-card auto's are great and the list of current NBA superstars and legends is more than extensive. If you are a collector who is looking for hits, than this is the product for you. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

2011 Panini National Treasures Chris Mullin Auto 10/25

2011 Panini National Treasures Chris Mullin Auto 10/25

I've got a few Chris Mullin cards in my collection that are worth a mention (click here), and this one is no different. I picked it up a few months ago and I'm pretty excited to show it off. The pic of Mullin is cool and the auto is as bright as it is big. For this collector, it doesn't get much better. Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball.

What Card Reminds You Of Why You Are In The Hobby?

Gary Sheffield/Dwight Gooden '92 Upper Deck Score Board Dual Auto

We all have cards that remind us of our youth or fund memories. There are also cards that are just plan cool too. I love auto'd cards and this Sheffield/Gooden Dual Auto is no exception. It's not the rarest of auto'd cards out there at 1,992, but it definitely is cool. So no fund memory here… just coolness. I bought the card a couple months ago and it came with the COA from Score Board. I paid around $10.00 for this one, and I am happy with that. However, the prices do vary (click here and here).

Now to the coolness. I'm sure Mr. T himself would be envious of the bling around these guys' necks, and that's part of the fun of this card. I also like how Sheffield is sporting a basketball shirt for a trading card shoot. Again, it's all in the fun of this card. Between the card itself, the auto's and reasonable price, this card reminds me of why I'm in the hobby.

Are there any cards that remind you of why your a collector?

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

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 Upper Deck Fleer Retro

 2012 Panini Hoops

Did Shaquille O'neal Maximize His Talent?

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".

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

'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

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".

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

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".

A Much Deserved Nod To HOF'er Chris Mullin

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

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:

1. 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.
2. One guess per contestant.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. I will utilize random.org to determine a tie break if needed.
7. If no one guesses the exact number, the closest guess will be the winner (even if that number is over the actual number).
8. Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".