Hoopography: February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

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

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".

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Box Preview/Giveaway: 2011 Panini Contenders Basketball

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.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Big Thanks To Mark Over At The Chronicles Of Fuji

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".

Thursday, February 24, 2011

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

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".

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

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).

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Poll: Who Will Make The Baseball Hall Of Fame?

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

Monday, February 21, 2011

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

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?