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

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

'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…?

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?

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".

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

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

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".

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

'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

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

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

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?

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?

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".

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

'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

"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

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

'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".