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

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?

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

'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

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

'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?

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

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".

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

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

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

'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".

Product Preview: 2011 Upper Deck SP Authentic Basketball

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?

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

'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".