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.

So What Do I Do With This Now?: '08 Bowman Chrome Jesus Montero Blue Refractor RC

2008 Bowman Chrome Jesus Montero RC Blue Refractor #'d /99

As an avid sports memorabilia collector and Yankees fan, I decided a few years back to start collecting a Yankees prospect. I wasn't sure who that prospect would be, so I did a bit of research. I talked to other collectors, I read all the MLB prospect ratings and decided on Jesus Montero. Yeah, I know… big surprise there. In truth, I wanted to collect Austin Jackson, but the Yanks traded him just before I could pick up any of his cards. That was a lucky break for me I guess, since we all know it's no fun collecting a guy for your favorite team who ends up getting traded the next year.

So you can imagine my dismay when I heard about Montero being traded a couple months back. I do think my pinstripes made the right baseball decision, but the front office brass obviously weren't keeping my trading card collection in mind when they made the trade.

So basically, I have a card that looks great. I love the blue refractors, but I'm not sure I'm going to hold on to the RC. The whole idea of buying this card for me was to follow Montero as he came up through the minors and contributed to the big club. I know Montero is still one of the hottest young bats in baseball and he could become a big star, but you may see this one in my Trade Bait Album sometime soon.

Happy Collecting and… "Enjoy The Smell of that Spring Training Grass". Actually, scratch that. Have you ever seen a baseball field after professional baseball players are through with it? Those folds are disgusting. Guys are spitting who know what every five seconds. Grounds keepers are throwing manure and pesticides everywhere. With all the half eaten sunflower seeds on the ground, you would think they were getting ready to produce sunflower oil. It's a mess out there. How about this…, "Enjoy Every Crack of the Bat".

Another 90's Insert Set: '93 TSC Beam Team Set

There certainly were insert sets before 1993, but it really wasn't until that year that inserts really exploded. Many companies only had one or maybe two insert sets per product in the late 80's and early 90's like Fleer with its Stickers sets ('87 - '90) and Upper Deck with its Award Winner Holograms ('92). However, as the trading card industry took off in the early 90's, so did the size and scope of its products. Companies started producing smaller sets to insert into base product packs to entice the influx of new consumers that were flooding the hobby and market. Also known as the "Golden Age" of trading cards, the 90's helped spur-on creativity and design in the hobby. As far as the basketball trading card hobby was concerned, a perfect storm was created to coincide with the insert revolution.

Not only were trading cards being designed at a higher level to bring in the "Golden Age", but the NBA was in the midst of an upswing of its own. Collectors wanted cards of players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'neal. The sports card industry and NBA could not have been hotter, and one early 90's insert set captured the essence of all that excitement, new creativity in design and insert magic.

The '93 Topps Stadium Club product was a premium product that showcased superb photography and a high gloss surface. Sure laugh now, but take a look at a '91 Hoops card and you'll appreciate what Topps did with its '93 TSC release. To go along with its awesome 400 card base set, TSC also inserted a 21 card set into its series 2 boxes at a rate of 1:36. The TSC Beam Team insert set was truly a masterpiece of its time. The Beam Team set features the great photography found in the base set and combines it with the best stars from a hugely popular NBA and cool design. Some of the action shots Topps came up with for this set are really tremendous. Just look at the Dominique Wilkins card. Simply Awesome!

The list of players found in this set is really mind boggling. From Ewing, Robinson and Olajuwon to Barkley, Stockton and Rodman, this set has just about everyone in it. Unfortunately, two glaring omissions are that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I know neither played during the '93 NBA season, but they are in the TSC base set. Otherwise, a checklist for an early 90's set doesn't get much better than this.

Many collectors jumped on this set because of the "Shaq' Attack" craze of the mid 90's and Jordan found in the set. The Jordan Beam Team is considered to be one of his "must have" cards for Jordan collectors. I've seen varying prices for this set, so be cautious if you're looking to build this one. There currently are a number of Buy Now sets up on eBay with exorbitant prices from $199 to $350. That is way too much for this set that has a book value of $120. Yes, in 1993 the set did sell for well over $300, but the calendar reads 2012 today. I've seen this set sell for around $75 on the lower end and $150ish on the high end. I stole mine at $55.00. The set is a nice buy if you can grab it for $100 (click here) or under as the Jordan and O'neal typically sell for around $35 and $40 respectively. The Jordan really is a $25 - $30 card, but we all know those 90's Jordan inserts can get crazy. It's not uncommon to see one of these go over the $50 mark.

I myself built the set the easy way and bought it completed about three years ago. I know that's like cheating, but I saved a lot on shipping charges by not having to pay $2-$3 each to have all 21 cards shipped from different sellers. The Jordan, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins are certainly favorites of mine, but the Shaq' is where it's at for me. Easily one of my favorite cards in my collection from one of my favorite 90's sets.

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".

What Summer Releases Are You Most Excited For?

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?

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

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".

3 Sports... 3 Cards

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".

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

'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 Are The Mets Leaders Now?

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.

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

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.


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?

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

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).

Product Previews: Upper Deck, Topps, ITG, Panini

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?

Poll: What Is Your Favorite All-time Highend Trading Card Product Line Based On Hobby Box Prices Of $125 Or More?

Mail Time: A Few Knicks Forward Danilo Gallinari Pickups

One of my favorite current players to collect is Danilo Gallinari of the New York Knickerbockers. The former 6th overall pick of the Knicks in the 2008 draft has a world of potential, but is plagued at times by inconsistency and lack of assertiveness. At 22 years of age and only two years of NBA experience, Gallinari is still transitioning from the European game. The talent, size and work ethic is there. It's just a matter of Gallinari gaining confidence in himself and taking that next leap as the Knicks third or even second offensive option. This all of course hinges on whether the Knicks will trade Danilo over the next few weeks. There's some player named 'Melo out west that everyone keeps talking about.

Here are a few recent Gallinari pickups I made on the Bay. The second Upper Deck Ultimate RC is for trade on my Trade Page.

So Which Is Cooler, The Face Paint or Auto?

Here's a collection oldie, but goodie. This is an auto'd Ray Bentley card my dad got me way back in the day. Bentley was a Bills linebacker from 1986-91 during the first couple Super Bowls. Since his retirement, Ray has enjoyed a successful career as a television announcer for Fox and ESPN. Taking a look at that scary looking face paint, Bentley surprisingly has also penned a number of children's books. As playing pro football, being a football announcer and children's author wasn't enough, Bentley also rocked a solid mullet to go along with a modest fu manchu mustache.

So which part of this card is cooler, the black face paint or auto? For me, the coolest part of this card is that my dad got it for me. Because of that, I'm going to have to abstain from the question. I'll just say that the huge signature is pretty cool and the face paint connected to the fu manchu is also pretty killer. One things for sure, I'm happy to have this card in my collection.

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

Big Thanks To Fuji Over At The Chronicles of Fuji

I'm back from a brief holiday hiatus and have tons of cards, posters, sports books and auto's to blog about over the next couple of weeks. I'll start with an awesome package I got in the mail last week just before the holiday. I guess it was Christmas come early. I lost a friendly bet between myself and Mark over at The Chronicles of Fuji several weeks ago when my second favorite football, the Minnesota Vikings, lost to Mark's Green Bay Packers. Since my team lost, I sent Mark a few cards he wanted (click here). Even though I lost, and badly I might add, Mark sent over a few really cool cards:

Here are some '93 Topps Gold cards of some of my favorite Buffalo Bills players. There's also a very cool Randall Cunningham who was the "Ultimate Weapon" back in the day. I've always liked the Topps Gold cards or really any foiling of any kind.

Before there was Josh Cribbs, there was Joe Cribbs. This 3-time Pro Bowler with the Bills is the uncle of Cleveland Browns player Josh Cribbs. The Marcus Easley card is also pretty cool. It's always fun to get jersey cards. Easley is a bit of an enigma here in Buffalo right now. He was a 3-year walk-on at UCONN before earning a scholarship his senior season. The work ethic will certainly go far here in Buffalo, but he has yet to see any playing time due to a season ending knee injury in late august. However, I have high hopes and am happy to add this card to my collection.

I saved the best for last. This '99 Upper Deck SPx RC Auto of Troy Edwards is one of the best looking cards I've seen in quite awhile. The foil background is almost like a Topps refractor and the auto is nice and big. As many of you know by now, I collect a lot of 90's inserts. The '99 UD SPx RC Auto set is the only football insert set I'm currently trying to put together. This is a nice piece to the puzzle.

Once again, thanks Mark for the cards. It was very nice of you to send me some very cool cards even though I lost the bet. Thanks for reading and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

Hoopography Top 25 PC Countdown #2: '93 TSC Shaquille O'neal Beam Team RC

'93 Topps Stadium Club
Shaquille O'neal Beam Team RC

My Top 25 PC Countdown is getting down to the end with the #2 card on the list: 1993 Tops Stadium Club Shaquille O'neal Beam Team RC. I'm sure the appearance of this card so high on the countdown isn't really much of a surprise to readers. I'm a big fan of the early 90's TSC sets with their great photography and early Shaq cards (Orlando Magic and L.A. Lakers). This is also the 7th appearance of an O'neal card on the countdown. What can I say? I was too young to afford any of these cards back in the day. These are like white whales for me.

This was easily one of the most sought after cards in the hobby during 1993 and for good reason. The "Shaq Attack" was well underway and TSC was hot. In fact, the entire TSC Beam Team set was on fire (click here). I remember seeing this card, along with the Jordan Beam Team, in cases at card shops for around $150-$175. That's a much different story today (click here). I somehow pulled an eBay miracle out with a $35 winning bid (plus $5 for shipping) for the entire 21 card Beam Team set!

As great as all the other cards in my countdown are, no card symbolises the fingerprint smudges and fogged up showcases than this. That's why it takes the #2 spot on my Top 25 PC Countdown.

Rookie Cards For $10 Bucks or Less: Kevin Durant

('08 UD Rookie Box Set)

I recently received a great email question from a reader called Joel. Joel asked which reasonably priced Kevin Durant RC I think is the best to add to ones collection? That's such a great question on so many levels Joel. First, it gives me a chance to utilize the Rookie Cards For $10 Bucks or Less post series, but more importantly, I get to write about one of the best players in the NBA today. There are a number of great card options for well under the $10 price tag. Actually, there're a few good looking Durant RC's that can be purchased for under $4 - $5. However, the best cards are always the ones that you think look the coolest and you're going to enjoy the most. So the short answer is to pick out the card that you get the most excited about. Here's the long answer:

There's no questioning Kevin Durant's talent and upside. At 22 years of age with a 25.3 point/game and 6.2 rebound/game averages in three NBA seasons, Durant hasn't even scratched the celling on that talent (if there even is a celling). Just as Durant's game should improve, so should his collectability amongst collectors. While many this week are arguing who would win a one on one matchup between Kobe and Lebron, Durant is catching up. He and the Oklahoma City Thunder are an up and coming team. Winning typically catches the attention of collectors and the Thunder should be in the playoff hunt this year again. What will catapult Durant into the collecting stratosphere is team success. If he can do that, here are two of his Rookie Cards For $10 Bucks or Less you might want to add to your collection.

2008 Topps RC

The '08 Topps RC is not the fanciest card out there by any means, but it is one of the best. I'm a huge fan of this Topps design. Aside for the fact that you can typically buy this card form $1 - $5 (click here), there are also plenty of parallel versions including a white and really cool orange color (click here). There are plenty of these out there on the secondary market. Patients is said to be a virtue and can be the best friend to a collectors wallet on this one. That being said, I would grab one of these before the season starts and "Durantuala" fever sets in this season.

2008 UD SP RC

I'm an Upper Deck fan. I always have been and always will be. The '08 Upper Deck SP Rookie Edition Premier Prospects Durant card is another inexpensive base card that collectors can purchase for right around $1 - $5 (click here). My favorite thing about this card is the Texas Longhorn Orange Durant rocked during the '07 NBA Draft shown in this cards. Beware with this one. Some sellers are tying to get $15 - $30 for this card on e-marketplaces like eBay.

If you're looking for something with a bit more pizazz and don't mind spending a few extra bucks, here are several more Durant RC's that have collectors salivating:




- '08 Upper Deck SP Authentic Profiles (click here)
- '08 Topps Chrome RC (click here)
- '08 Topps Chrome Refractor RC (click here)
- '08 Topps Echelon RC (click here)

Thanks for the question Joel. I hope this post helps you and other collectors looking to pick up a few Durant RC's. If you have a trading card or sports memorabilia question, feel free to email me via hoopography@yahoo.com or on the Hoopography Facebook fan page. Good luck in your collecting pursuits and… "Enjoy Every Bounce of the Ball".

"Bo Knows…" Memorable Materials

(Bo Jackson Topps Tribute Memorable Materials Jersey Card 46/89)

In a continuation of the "Bo Knows…" Series, this 2002 Topps Tribute Memorable Materials Bo Jackson jersey card signifies the first Bo Jackson jersey/relic card that I've been able to add to my collection. I've hunted this card down for quite a long time. There certainly are a lot of great Jackson cards out on the secondary markets today, but this offering from Topps is one of the best looking cards of the former two-sport superstar. I'm not sure if it's the refractor surface, the Kansas City Royals blue uniform or the horizontal layout of the card, but I've always liked the look of this card since I first saw it several years ago.

I know the card doesn't feature a huge jersey patch or auto, but I'm still pretty excited just to add a Bo Jackson jersey card to my collection. The card is fairly rare with a print run of only 89. The print run is significant because the Topps Memorable Materials set highlights a milestone moment in MLB history. In this case, the memorable moment was Jackson winning the 1989 All-Star Game MVP Award. Jackson lead the game off with a 448 ft. home run that turned many big leaguers into spectators and also had a potential games saving catch in the outfield.

The 1989 All-Star Game was the coming out party for Jackson as a professional baseball player. Unfortunately, it would be Bo's last MLB All-Star Game. As we all know, Jackson suffered a catastrophic hip injury in a '91 NFL playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Although Bo's hip injury was more than unfortunate, it's really great to remember the highlights of his career. That's why, "Bo Knows Memorable Materials".

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

Yet Another 90's Insert Set: 1993 TSC Beam Team

There certainly were insert sets before 1993, but it really wasn't until that year that inserts really exploded. Many companies only had one or maybe two insert sets per product in the late 80's and early 90's like Fleer with its Stickers sets ('87 - '90) and Upper Deck with its Award Winner Holograms ('92). However, as the trading card industry took off in the early 90's, so did the size and scope of its products. Companies started producing smaller sets to insert into base product packs to entice the influx of new consumers that were flooding the hobby and market. Also known as the "Golden Age" of trading cards, the 90's helped spur-on creativity and design in the hobby. As far as the basketball trading card hobby was concerned, a perfect storm was created to coincide with the insert revolution.

Not only were trading cards being designed at a higher level to bring in the "Golden Age", but the NBA was in the midst of an upswing of its own. Collectors wanted cards of players like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'neal. The sports card industry and NBA could not have been hotter, and one early 90's insert set captured the essence of all that excitement, new creativity in design and insert magic.

The '93 Topps Stadium Club product was a premium product that showcased superb photography and a high gloss surface. Sure laugh now, but take a look at a '91 Hoops card and you'll appreciate what Topps did with its '93 TSC release. To go along with its awesome 400 card base set, TSC also inserted a 21 card set into its series 2 boxes at a rate of 1:36. The TSC Beam Team insert set was truly a masterpiece of its time. The Beam Team set features the great photography found in the base set and combines it with the best stars from a hugely popular NBA and cool design. Some of the action shots Topps came up with for this set are really tremendous. Just look at the Dominique Wilkins card. Simply Awesome!

The list of players found in this set is really mind boggling. From Ewing, Robinson and Olajuwon to Barkley, Stockton and Rodman, this set has just about everyone in it. Unfortunately, two glaring omissions are that of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I know neither played during the '93 NBA season, but they are in the TSC base set. Otherwise, a checklist for an early 90's set doesn't get much better than this.

Many collectors jumped on this set because of the "Shaq' Attack" craze of the mid 90's and Jordan found in the set. The Jordan Beam Team is considered to be one of his "must have" cards for Jordan collectors. I've seen varying prices for this set, so be cautious if you're looking to build this one. There currently are a number of Buy Now sets up on eBay with exorbitant prices from $199 to $250. That is way too much for this set that has a book value of $120. Yes, in 1993 the set did sell for upwards of $300, but the calendar reads 2010 today. I did find this Buy Now auction for $75 (click here). That's actually a pretty good price as the Jordan and O'neal typically sell for around $30 (click here) and $35 (click here) respectively.

I myself built the set the easy way and bought it completed about two years ago. I know that's like cheating, but I saved a lot on shipping charges by not having to pay $2-$3 each to have all 21 cards shipped from different sellers. The Jordan, Clyde Drexler and Dominique Wilkins are certainly favorites of mine, but the Shaq' is where it's at for me. Let's just say, if you've been following my blog, you'll see it soon in the Hoopography Top 25 PC Countdown.