This was just released on Panini's Facebook page. And is it just me or does this look really really good for a jersey card? I know that I'm a sucker for art sets and retro sets. And my favorite baseball set that I ever bought was Diamond Kings...so it's not a stretch to think that I would like Court Kings as well.
But this card is the way a jersey piece ought to be done in my opinion. The jersey swatch ought to have it's own piece of the card without interrupting the picture/art work. And this card designer figured that out. The Kobe image isn't impeded in any way by the swatch. And the bordering is really nice here too. It's the same reason that I like the Murad jersey pieces. The player image isn't ever cut off by the swatch. Sounds simple, but many card designs don't get it.
And before I forget, I found this little nugget on Twitter today that made me laugh. You know all the mania going on over the Allen and Ginter cases being busted without finding the Strasburg minis? Here's what Topps said on Twitter.
Yeah, sorry about that. We didn't know how many of those damn things we printed off. Hottest pitcher to enter the ranks of the MLB...in our lifetime (by hobby standards) - but yeah, the printers didn't fill us in on the final tally of the cards produced of the hottest selling pitcher we've ever seen.
This must be the same gap in communication that doesn't let Topps employees tell me exactly which autos were made in the Murad set. "I understand you're building the set, sir. I do know which autos were produced, but I'm not aware of the one's that weren't." Seriously, it's like talking to people who've never actually opened a pack of cards sometimes.
And it must be these same people who thought it was "fair trade value" to send me a Saer Sene autograph in place of a Lopez autograph. You know, "sorry for the confusion."
Now, back to my original topic, it seems Beckett may be busting a couple of boxes of Court Kings tomorrow. I really hope the boxes are on the up and up. It's bad enough that I have to watch those clowns open product that they will assign "book value" to in the first place.
Dirk Nowitzki just opted out of his final year in Dallas. He could stay in Dallas with a new deal, but he could also go. And there are 4 or 5 teams that won't get Lebron, but wouldn't mind getting Nowitzki if available.
Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson and now Dirk Nowitzki. Seriously, the landscape of the NBA is going to change in a major way this summer.
Only one more day until teams start making their public offers - and this whole thing is going to blow up.
Sorry Big D - I hope he re-signs in Dallas, though. He's the face of that team. He ought to finish his career there. But damn. There is some serious talent waiting to be signed out there.
I've got a friend. A Chilean friend. And this is his idol. This is his version of Nicolas Batum.
I was hoping that this card would get here before Chile played Brazil. But it arrived the day that Chile lost 0-3 to Brazil instead. And I'm sure my buddy's crushed. I haven't had the heart to call him yet. I know he's taking it hard. I have to wonder if he'll even come to work tomorrow.
Either way, we have the same misery to share - our teams are out. It's just as well. It would've been unbearable to have one of our teams advance while the other stayed behind. I have a feeling I'm going to have to have a moment with my friend that trancends sports. The Chilean team is his passion. He hated Brazilian football enough as it was - now it's just going to go to a whole other level.
But he swears to me that this Suazo is the real deal. So just an FYI for you budding soccer fans out there. He plays in the Spanish Premier League for Real Zaragoza. It's not the EPL, but I just can't throw the EPL's superior class in my friend's face for at least another month.
First, let me give you the proof that my previous post is legit. I bought that Scottie Pippen card for an insanely cheap price. And as you can see by the listing title, it's just not worded right to be found by the average collector.
See? The jersey piece is from an All Star jersey, but it doesn't say Murad relic at all. It's just an odd wording. And the 2007 listing is so far off from putting it into a classification for a card that is manufactured in 08/09. So what did I pay for this card? $4.76. And that's not bad. But like I said, this card in particular has always sold for way more. I don't really even know why. There's plenty of relic cards of Pippen that cost less. But for whatever reason, Murad Pippen's sell high.
Now today, another (properly listed) Pippen Murad relic auction ended. And here's how that one ended up.
It's listed as a Murad relic. Plain and simple. I don't know that it's called a 'gold' variation, but he still gets the listing right. 08/09 Murad relic. He even took a risk and put 'Scottie Pippen' in the extra information bar. But the card number and the card listing are correct. And look at the results. This card sold for $35.05. And that's about in the range I've seen them in the past.
So, for the same card, I saved $30.29 after shipping was factored in. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.
OK. I'm done bragging about it. But still - it's nice to celebrate a bit when you know for sure that you got an awesome deal.
I've got one of the most sought after of the Murad relics, the Scottie Pippen. And it's a silver version numbered 14/51. And it was one of the cheapest relics I've purchased yet. And it's all because the seller made the listing confusing as hell. Seriously, if I didn't type in "Murad jersey, murad relic and murad silver" everyday, I wouldn't have found it. Instead of just listing it as a murad jersey or relic, he listed Scottie Pippen's qualities. He wasted too many words with "All-Star" and instead of putting 08/09 in the title, he first put 2009 and then put 2007 (not 2008) - all in the title's listing. Like I said, it was confusing. But I looked past that and saw the card itself.
There is another Scottie Pippen Murad relic listed right now that's about to end and it's selling for $20 with a couple of hours to go right now. And I've not seen a Scottie Pippen relic sell for much cheaper than that. Until I landed mine.
I got mine for $1.77 plus $2.99 shipping. And I'm sure the seller is pissed. It took a couple of days too long to get here because I'm sure he was debating on whether or not to ship it. He didn't even get 10% of it's worth because he listed it incorrectly. So score for me. And you know what? I don't even feel bad about it. When you get as invested into completing a set like I do, you feel like you deserve a break every now and again.
This is the 36th relic of the 50. So only 14 to go. I'm so stoked I got the Pippen for a low price. The most expensive of the group is the Maravich - and I'm still looking for a deal on that one. But I'll content myself with Scottie for now.
I got six minis in yesterday, 2 of which are short printed - 207 Shawn Marion and 225 Deron Williams. And my binder is filling up with minis, but man alive, they just don't seem to end. It's like they're multiplying. Currently I have about 80 or so left to go. And that's not bad. But it's still 80 cards.
Maybe it's just the gray haze that I'm in due to the World Cup loss, but those 80 cards just look more daunting today than they did yesterday.
Either way, whenever I buy minis in lots, I make sure to get an SP or two in the lot to maximize the shipping. So to get 2 SP's in an order of six for just under $5 is an ok day.
I'm still so bummed out that it hurts. Seriously. I'm kinda getting that "almost teary eyed, throat hurts" feeling right now with the US out of the Cup. Sort of like when I watched the Time Travelers Wife - didn't make me cry, but probably would've if the kids weren't around - yeah, that kind of feeling.
So the World Cup for me is over as an American fan. But there is still good soccer left in the Cup. I'm still looking forward to it.
But what's just as good as the World Cup? English Premier League. And if you've become a fan of Tim Howard, you can see him again in 48 days between the goalposts playing at Everton. Seriously, the start of the EPL is just as exciting as the start of the NBA season. If you get it, you just get it.
What's that? You don't have a favorite team in the EPL? Don't know much about it? Just know that Tim Howard is the man - and he plays for a club (the best club) called Everton. If you need more convincing, watch this.
It's just a game, it's just a game, it's just a game. No matter how many times I try to convince myself of that, it doesn't feel right. That was our game to win. And we lost it.
I'm blaming everybody right now. I'm blaming the coach for tinkering with the lineup again. How well did that work out, Bradley? Clark starting for you didn't make you look like a genius, did it?
I'm blaming the vuvuzelas.
I'm blaming the French club that didn't let Davies go play.
And I'm blaming myself for not watching it live - but instead I went to work and DVR'd it. I thought that we had that game won - no problem. What's the harm in recording it?
I'll tell you what the harm was, I couldn't root for it live. I couldn't add my voice. Watching a losing effort on the DVR is torture. No matter how loud you cheer, the fate has been decided. It was brutal.
I need some time to come to terms with this. But I'm going to root really hard against Mexico tomorrow. That I can promise you.
Well, I broke the box that my dad sent me. And I still have to say, this is a fun product to bust. The inserts are great and the stickers add novelty to it. But I don't need to review the product again, I've done that before.
However, I'm still on the lookout to finish off the set. The rookies are only seeded 1 per pack - and there are 36 packs a box. So if you were going to build the whole set by busting packs, you'd need three boxes or more. I've done three boxes and I've busted loose packs as well, but even after this box, I'm still just a tad short on the RC's. My list is linked in the sidebar if anybody has rookies. And I've got plenty of extra rookies to trade.
But there was an interesting twist to this box. Which really made the box a lot of fun to bust.
And the twist is that there wasn't a rookie auto in the box. And that normally would bum me out. But the box made up for it in it's seeding of insert cards. I got more insert cards in this one box than in my two previous boxes combined.
This has alway been my favorite insert of the set, the Franchise insert. And I got seven of them in one box. That's quite a lot. I also got 8 of the All Pro inserts, 4 Jam Masters, 3 Block Party, 4 Legends of the Game, 3 Headliners, 3 Artist Proofs and a full 8 of the Future Stars inserts. Some packs had 3 inserts in them. It was a lot of fun. On most of the insert sets, this box alone has given me almost half the inserts I need in the more popular sets. So all in all, it was fun. And I'll be sure to thank my dad when I talk to him.
I've pulled good autos from this product before (Tyreke Evans, Dante Cunningham and Austin Daye) - but I've never pulled this many inserts. Would I have liked the auto? Of course, but I'm really happy getting 7 Franchises in one swift break as well.
Anonymous "Stackhouse guy" commented on my last post on why I hadn't mentioned the draft or the Pritchard firing by the Blazers. I watched the Draft. I planned on writing about the Draft. But really, I just need a day to collect my thoughts on how I feel about it.
First off, the firing of Kevin Pritchard bothers me. The whole thing bothers me. The day of the Draft? Really Blazers? The day of the Draft? The timing bothered me. The way they went about it bothered me. I'm just bothered. Let's put it that way.
Some of what Pritchard did was genius. He changed the culture of Portland basketball. And for that we are all in his debt. He did a lot of work to get fans back in the seats. With the players he's put on the floor, the Blazers are selling out games every night. We're one of the few teams in the league that can say that.
But, the draft as a whole for me is a bit of a question mark. For a Nicolas Batum fan, the move to trade Webster to the T'Wolves for Babbit and Gomes is great news. It's pretty much telling Batum that the position is his. Babbit will be the backup - as we all know how much time rookies get under McMillan's reign.
So for a Batum fan, I'm ok. As far as drafting Elliot Williams and Armon Johnson? I don't know enough about them to give too much breakdown. And it's unclear if Gomes will be around yet or not. The whole thing is up in the air.
But in all honesty, this draft was a bit underwhelming. The whole focus was really on the free-agents of this summer. Everything that was done during the draft seemed like it had nothing to do with the young players. But everything was a chess game to get into the free agent market.
All in all, I'm happy that the team has at least endorsed Batum as the man for the job. B Roy and Oden and Camby are still here too. We'll be alright. We'll be alright.
So this post, and a subsequent post, will be in thanks to my dad. My dad got me into collecting when I was a kid, and when he found out I was collecting again, he was eager to help. So my dad, who lives out of my state, went to his LCS and got me a couple of relics that I needed off of my list. And in addition to that, he sent me a box of 09/10 Panini flagship. I've been trying to polish off the SP rookies on that for a while - and a new box is a much more fun way of doing that. So I'll post that tomorrow.
But first the two Murad relics I needed. I got a couple of the good ones too. The Rodman is the silver version numbered 39/51. And the Rodman is a bit more obscure than some of the others for whatever reason. Until I got this one in hand, I'd not yet even seen a scan of one. So I'm definetely happy to get that one crossed off the list. And of course, NBA champ Pau Gasol is never a bad card to have. I'm now up to 35 of the 50 relics. It's getting so close.
I made a couple of purchases on sportlots.com and brought home a bunch of Murad minis that I need. And I did need some minis. So here's a pic of the SP's that I purchased. And I expect to pay a bit more for the mini SP's - as I should. The minis are seeded one per pack, and the SP minis are probably about 4-5 a box. So here are the minis I purchased:
Here you're looking at numbers 204, 206, 209, 211, 217 and 227. The highest price card of the group was $2.00 for #211 Kevin Durant. The rest cost between a dollar and a buck fifty. All in all, between two orders on sportlots.com I purchased 36 minis for a total cost of $19.82 with all shipping included. I only tell you the exact totals because I really want to encourage people to start building their own sets - and to be passionate about it. But with the passion for set building, be responsible. So if you're really into building your own set - know the costs involved.
36 minis at a total cost of $19.82 equals about $0.55 a card shipped. And that's a price I can live with. Seriously, when I go to the snack machine at work on my break, I think to myself, "I could buy a bag of chips for a buck, or I could put that money to building my set." That's not an exaggeration. I want to build this set. I want to be the first person to build this set in it's entirety and be able to show off the results.
I've been asked several times by writers of sites how to build a new site. And this is my most important piece of advice: build an entire set - the whole thing. Pick a set that you like. Pick a set that you will want to pass on to your favorite child (don't act like you don't have one). And build that set. Build the relics, the autos, the inserts, the base, the minis and the SP's. Build the thing and chronicle it. When I don't feel like I have anything relevant to write on this site, I always feel rejuvenated when I get some new Murad in the mail. It's so rewarding to build this thing the right way.
A casual reader might be bummed out by seeing a group of six minis in a morning post. But I'm excited, because it means I'm that much closer to closing this thing out.
Did anybody ever read Marvel Comics Civil War storyline? It was pretty cool. Basically an event happens that forces the U.S. government to look at it's pool of super-heroes and what they were capable of - and if it was a good idea for them to remain apart from civil authority via their alter-egos. Great stuff. Basically, one group of super-heroes, led by Iron Man decide to register with the government. Another group led by Captain America, decide that they're most effective if they remain anonymous - apart from the government. A Civil War ensues, with all of Marvel's super-heroes choosing one side or another. Good guys were fighting good guys. Captain America got assissinated. Well, just go check them out if you don't believe me.
But the point is this, a whole group, fighting towards the same goal, turned against each other because of a basic difference in principles.
And currently, this hobby that we love, is in a bit of a Civil War of it's own.
I don't pretend to compare myself to a super-hero. Though if I had to pick one - Colossus would be my favorite. Really, Colossus is the thinking man's Hulk. He turns invincible when he needs to, but he keeps his mind while doing it. Perfect super-hero. But I digress.
This hobby, this card-collecting hobby is currently made up of two sides. There is the side that has Beckett as it's main source of pricing, information and direction in all facets of their collecting experience. And then there is the side that rejects what Beckett stands for - and strive to maintain the hobby's integrity outside of the influence of "book-value" and "grading" services.
Currently, both sides are very vocal. To hear Beckett's side of things, you can go to their website, any local card shop or a handful of trading sites that rely solely on the book-value that Beckett sells to them.
And on the anti-Beckett site, you have Voice of the Collector, Sports Cards Uncensored among several others who adamantly oppose Beckett at every turn. These sites are very transparent in their views and their criticisms of the Beckett machine.
And really, I don't believe I've stated what side of the divide I'm on. But for the record, I'm anti-Beckett.
Why would I bring this up now? Am I trying to ride on the coat tails of pioneer blogs for an extra hit or two a day to the site? No. Am I trying to isolate myself from the card-companies who love to send Beckett pre-loaded boxes of product to review? No.
I'm just letting everybody know that I stand against Beckett because they are wrong in what they do. They are killing this hobby one graded card at a time. They are putting this hobby down with every imaginary book-value price they print. And the entire hobby is suffering for it.
Beckett is a joke. On a whim one time, I looked into the Beckett when they had an "Exclusive First Pricing of 08/09 Bowman Basketball!!!" What a joke. What a joke. And again, what a joke. Understand, that Beckett "prices" cards on a whim. And LCS stores hold onto these imaginary prices like they're the Holy Grail or something. How many cards have I not bought in a card shop because they were firm on "book value". Grown men with gray beards clinging to book value as if it were a religious principle. A principle that keeps dingy glass cases full of the same cards year after year.
But you know the reasons of those who stand against Beckett. I don't need to re-list them all to you.
I only tell you my stance because I think my hobby is collapsing into itself. The value inherent in this hobby is too reliant on pricing by a third-party that has pulled more 1/1's in free boxes than should be allowed. And I'm against it. I'm totally against it.
I have more than my voice and this site to give influence to my side of the argument. I have my hard-earned money. And typically I buy from sellers who laugh at book-value and sell cards for their true values.
But this video, from Beckett themselves, is just one more instance of the crap that goes on over there. And to be fair, I only saw the video from Sports Cards Uncensored latest article. But the latest 1/1 Strasburg Superfractor went to Beckett for grading. And if you look at that card (and just listen to the three clowns talk about their grading) the card is nowhere near the 9.5 grade they gave it. They just couldn't afford to give it the 8 or the 7.5 it deserved because it would be bad for business.
If any of my daily readers are Beckett enthusiasts, I apologize. But this crap has gone on long enough. And if one more voice can be added amongst the opposition to this attack on the hobby, then so be it. Just watch this video and tell me if that card deserved a 9.5. Ree-donkulous.
Awesome card here. The card is numbered 20/51 - so it's the silver variation. And I got it for a great price - $4.99 shipped. I'm telling you, if you branch out far enough into various card sales/auction sites, you can build just about any set on a budget. Because for every person out there looking to get a deal, there's a dealer out there willing to give a deal to make the "ends meet" on his end. He could've listed this card for $10 and watched it sit there for a month with no takers. But instead, he posted it for $5 dollars shipped and made a sale. I thank sellers with common sense.
This is card number 33 of the 50 relics in the set. I'm getting so close to the relic set that I can taste it. Please, if you have any Murad, check my needs list and see if you have something you'd like to trade for. I really want to get the Murad relics portion done before the summer is out.
Interesting note: Murad is the only product that I've seen that comes close to giving accurate information on the origens of the jersey piece. This jersey piece is stated on the back of the card as having come from a Nets jersey. Some are All-Star pieces. Few are 'event-worn'. But kudos for at least giving me a heads up on the memorabilia.
This post will be short. My hands hurt. I clapped so hard at the end of that game that my hands are still stinging red.
Landon Donovan proved he deserves the number 10 jersey once again.
The officials again tried out for the NBA.
But the U.S. overcame. The players didn't lose their cool like the Algerians. The Americans didn't start taking cheap shots like the other squad. And the Americans didn't scream into the face of the officiating crew like the Algerians did.
The U.S. overcame the greatest of odds to advance and take the stage. And they did it with class. This squad undoubtedly earned some new fans - and some much earned respect internationally.
Such a weird world we live in today where the word 'patriotic' can label you a nut on one side or the other. I feel I'm patriotic though. I'm not Republican nor Democrat. I'm not Green Party nor Tea Party. But I am patriotic. And my definition of patriotism is simply rooting for your country to succeed. But success isn't really success if it isn't done with class. And we can look to sports as the great case study on how to win and how to lose. Either way, do it with class.
So in that sense, I'm a patriot. I'm not a politician. I don't watch political TV. And I don't read political literature. Though that doesn't mean I'm ignorant. I'm just a bit smarter than the average bear. Who needs all that needless worry they throw at you now days?
So for tomorrow, I've actually worked out a day-trade at work with a friend to be able to watch the US play Algeria live. And in doing so I'm hoping that the US can pull off the stunner and go through to the knockout stage. I'm hoping that the handful of men who put on the US jersey can do it with class. I'm hoping that they can show the world that not everything America means to the world is negative. I'm hoping the world can start to identify Americans in the context of a sport. Very few of us are ever in politics - yet the majority of us are judged by the deeds of our politicians by the world as a whole.
The South Africans are hoping the US gets knocked out. The security detail costs more when the US is playing. A lot more. But I'm hoping the US sticks around. And I'm hoping that in the end, it was worth the price.
Don't ask me why - but I wikipedia'd "Ultimate Warrior" today - out of the blue. I think it's because the Chronilces of Fuji article made me think of 80's and 90's pro wrestling. So I did a wikipedia search and read his story. There was no picture of him without his makeup though - dissapointing. But at the very end of the article, there was a link to the Ultimate Warriors blog.
Well I just went right on over to check it out. And...it's awesome. He lays a verbal smackdown on Vince McMahon that is quite insightful. His posting is random, and it goes through droughts. But his most recent stuff is from the last couple of weeks. Check it out. You'll be glad you did - in a weird way.
Watch this video from back in 1990. Classic stuff. Makes me think of being a kid again. The video quality is good. I actually watched the whole ten minutes.
1) It's Father's Day. And I'm a father. So really, I want to play a video game and watch some MMA. I wonder how that's going to go for me. I'm guessing not too well. I've got a cigar I've been needing to get at too. First it was going to be when the Blazers were out of the Playoffs, then it was going to be after my youngest turned 3, then it was when the World Cup kicked off and now it's Father's Day. I should just torch it already and let my wife complain about it all tomorrow.
2) I'm still coming down off the extreme low I suffered with the blown World Cup call. I actually got a day trade worked out at work this week so that I can get Wednesday off to watch the US finish off Algeria. I don't know what else to do to get my team to win. I might actually buy the Star Spangled Banner off of iTunes and rock that national anthem for the entire morning. I just might.
3) How bout them Mariners? Do you think the guys in the lineup are trying their hardest to keep Cliff Lee in the club? If somebody would've given me a wager that the M's would sweep the Reds - I honestly would've bet the Reds. So it's good to see the club having everything work out the way they hoped it would - if only for a week.
4) Casey Kotchman just set the all-time record for 239 consecutive games at first base without an error. All-time. That's a pretty big deal. And he got to get it on Father's Day. I'm glad I was able to watch it live.
5) I leave you with the reaction to the disallowed goal at an American pub. All of American soccer fans know this reaction well at this point.
This article is submitted by reader, and fellow blogger, Nick Sabo. My deepest thanks to Nick for writing an article for my site. Not only is it a great article, but it kind of gives me the night off. Enjoy, and take a gander at Nick's site that's linked in the article. Nick's also got a great interview up from Ed Isaacson from NBAdraftblog.com, which is really insightful. So please check him out. --- Guy
What’s up everybody? I am Nick Sabo, blogger of Basketball Card Pro and follower of the Basketball Card Blog. A couple of days ago I got the idea on writing a post on Blazers’ reserve guard Patty Mills for my blog, but I knew that this blog is pro-Portland, so I figured it would be more beneficial to the blogosphere for the post to be on this blog.
"He's a great guard. He'll be an NBA guard. I'm very, very impressed. He really has great quickness.” Those are the words of Duke coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K has produced an abundance of NBA talent throughout his career, so I’d say he knows potential when he sees it. Coach K got a chance to see Mills play whilst he was coaching team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Mills, a member of the Australian team, scored 20 points, while snatching three steals and dropping two dimes against the US. As if those numbers aren’t impressive enough, they came against the likes of Jason Kidd, Chris Paul, and Deron Williams.
Mills was the 55th pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, after putting up some good numbers his sophomore year at Saint Mary’s, including 18.4 points per game. However, injuries plagued Mills early. After sitting on the bench most of the season, Mills was sent to the D League. In five games in the D League, Mills averaged 25.6 points per game, along with 5.4 assists.
Mills only played in 10 regular season games for Portland, yet he has shown flashes of brilliance. Injuries have prevented him from showing the NBA what he has got, but 2010-2011 brings hope. You’d be hard pressed to find any of Mills’ cards in Beckett Magazine, and searching “Patrick Mills” on eBay yields twenty results, most of which are priced at 99 cents.
Is Mills a risky buy? Yes, but what’s there to lose? His cards are dirt cheap, and even coach K is impressed with him. So I say buy him, I know I will.
I'll get to how much I paid for this in a minute. It's almost worthy of the "Point and Laugh" treatment. But first off, for being a huge Blazer fan - this is only the second Greg Oden memorabilia card that I have (the first being the Murad piece). And it's really a cool card. First off, it's a card numbered to 25 copies. So that's always a huge plus. And what you don't see in this scan is the thickness of the card. This card is made up of a couple of dummy cards layered together. It's really insanely thick for being a jersey card. I like that. It really doesn't feel like you could break it.
And for that reason, this is the first card that I've really let my kids handle. I talked about how the jersey in the picture gets cut up after a game and put into cards. They got to hold the cards and touch the jersey material. Really there wasn't anyway they were going to damage the corners on this card unless they threw it at a wall.
Am I in love with the foil aspect? Not really. But when it's a player you follow, it's really not that big of a detraction. I'm more of a fan of artist renditions or action shots. The foil holds it's own fan club who happen to hate what I love too. But like I said, a favorite team logo and a favorite player go a long way to making the card attractive in my eyes.
And how bout the dual colored jersey piece? I didn't know they came like that. It's the first multi-colored swatch I've had that isn't a patch. So it does add some character to the card for sure. All in all, I'm happy to have it in my collection.
Oh, what did I pay for it? $5.00 shipped in a Buy It Now listing on ebay. Really a great price. I have no qualms about taking this one down for a bargain.
This man is the man responsible for taking away the US's third goal that would've given them the victory over Slovenia.
Name: COULIBALY Koman
Country: Mali
Offense: Poor officiating - stealing a goal in the 3rd Degree
Recommeded punishment: 3 year ban on international officiating (1 year for each point he robbed us of) - possible to reduce punishment to 2 years for having a nice smile and friendly eyes...it's true, look at him for Pete's sake.
And until the writer of this site deems - his face shall remain on the site in remembrance of the offense. It's a good thing for him that England shocked the world by giving us a draw against Algeria. We're still in it!
So I went to the Target today to get some stuff done and had to make the obligatory pack purchase of some basketball cards. And the card I pulled out of Absolute Memorabilia is a bit of a stunner. It's of a player I've never heard of - and have definetely never seen him included in a card set that features retro players.
Anybody else have any Kelly Tripucka knowledge? Am I a horrible basketball fan if I've never heard of him before? I'm sure somebody will say, "how do you not know him? He scored a thousand points his first year in the league!" Or something like that.
Either way, it's definetely a retro picture. Mustache? Check. Chest hair? Check. Hot shorts? Check.
And hey, it's numbered 299/499. If there are any Kelly Tripucka collectors out there, let me know. I may have a card you've been needing.
Seriously. If you're a true USA soccer fan, you should've been up about an hour ago getting the stage set to watch the national team put a beat down on Slovenia. I'm actually pretty nervous. I'm just going to have some oatmeal with some wheat toast.
If the US played every day - I'd be insanely skinny I think.
Today is the only game of the group stage that I get to watch live. I plan on taking full advantage. Although, 'full advantage' is a bit of a stretch. I really can't see me have chips and dip with a scotch at 6:30AM for the kickoff. I know the whole saying, "it's 5 o'clock somewhere".... But I've got kids in the house, man. As soon as the game is over, we're transitioning the TV set into Dora the Explorer and Yo Gabba Gabba. Then how cool would I look with a drink and party food stains on the front of my shirt? Not very cool at all.
So do yourselves a favor - put on a pot of water for your oatmeal and green tea, and root like hell anyways.
This, to date, is the most expensive of any of the relics I've purchased to this point. And maybe it's because he's a key player in these playoffs, but really he's been above the $10 mark every time his Murad stuff has come up. I got this card for $12.50 shipped. And that's only because somebody else put up another Rondo Murad relic at the same time - so it divided up the bidders.
If you look at my needs list for the relics, there aren't many players left who are going to go for the $3-$4 dollar range. In fact, if I hadn't pulled the Larry Bird myself, I'd still be looking at another expensive pick-up.
I'm really happy with this card. The Celitc Green looks great here. This marks card number 32 of the 50. At least something good came of this day that saw Mexcio beat France 2-0 in Group Stage. Nothing like a Murad relic to brighten my day.
If you were to look at me, you may think that I'm hispanic or italian or middle eastern. I'm a very hodge podge sort. Truth be told (or what they told me was the truth), I'm half German, quarter Scottish and a quarter Mexican.
But the Mexican - like the Force - is strong in me.
Somebody highlight that. That may be the greatest sentence I've yet penned on this site.
Either way, I've got the Mexican last name, the Mexican color and hair, I've learned the Mexican language and for all observers I'm pretty much a Mexican American. I like Mexicans. It would be hard to hate something that's a part of you. I'm not into self-loathing. I suppose I could hate a mole that's a part of me, if it was big enough. But that's a different aspect to what makes a person altogether.
I digress.
Politics aside - for I abhor politics - Mexican culture in general is pretty good to me. However, there is a limit to how much Mexican I can take. And that limit is the Mexican National Soccer Team. El Tri. La Seleccion Nacional.
I can't stand them. I would go so far as to say that I hate them. And every time they play - love, absolutely love - to root against them. And today they play France at around 11AM. So bonus for me - I seem to have an affinity towards French atheletes. I don't care if Ochoa or Perez is in goal. I want to see France destroy Mexico to the tune of 4-0. A guy can hope can't he?
So, for the game, there will be nothing Mexican about me. There will only be all of my pent up soccer-frustration directed towards the defeat of the Mexican side.
And after that I will begin my regularly scheduled Mexicanism once again. I leave you with this. The funniest thing ever sung about Mexican Americans. Although it doesn't apply to me entirely. I love to wake up early.
In many ways, conspiracy theories aside, you just had to know that this series was going to go 7 games. And it will all be done tomorrow. Will Kobe get another one? Will Kevin Garnett bring the hardware back to Boston for a second time under his watch? I really don't know. I did know however that Boston wouldn't win it in Game 6. I'm not a conspiracy theorist to that degree - but we all know what people are saying under their breath. And truth be told, this NBA Finals is a ratings powerhouse for the summertime. Game 7 should be gold for ABC.
But we all knew that already. I'm excited about the game. I've got tomorrow off along with Friday. So I get the Finals off, and Game 2 of the US in group stage for the World Cup. It's going to be a powerhouse sports 'weekend' for me. My thanks to the Mariners for being the lone dark spot in my television viewing. But I keep coming back for more. Gotta get that baseball.
And some good news? English Premier Leauge soccer is starting up in under 60 days! Can't wait.
And since my cards on order didn't come in today - I still felt obligated to give the reader something 'visual'. And it doesn't get any better than this. This is the latest trailer from Star Wars the Old Republic. It's going to put World of Warcraft down for the count. Just watch this. I'm actually going to have to get a new computer just to play this game. Seriously.
Seriously. I should just start to learn French. I'm sure I could do it.
I just found a great basketball sight called http://www.basketballsessions.com/. Sounds like it would be a site in English, right? No. It's all in French. And let me tell you, there are some French basketball enthusiasts out there. The site is loaded....but it's all in French.
And Nicolas Batum has a blog. In French. Here's his latest post. You could check it out, but if you don't speak French, it's not going to make a ton of sense. But a fantasy basketball site referenced this post (that's how I found out about it), and it supposedly says that Nicolas Batum has been promised the starting role going into the next season by Nate McMillan. So that's good.
But really Nate? What else were you going to do? Throw Martell out there and hope his shot is on? Maybe watch Martell play half the defense that Batum can? Give me a break. By the power of the Tapout bandana, I'll tell you that Batum is starting next season.
But I am pretty happy to hear it from Batum's blog. Even if it was translated by a third party.
Somebody get this kid a Tapout bandana. That's a hell of a stare.
Huh? Huh? Am I wrong? I don't mean to toot my own horn, but my new Tapout swag makes me look like a scary man.
So I finally broke down and bought me a Tapout bandana. It will be good for work - and for scaring away young men who will one day try to take my daughters out on dates. I may have to buy about a hundred different Tapout items to maximize the effect. The bandana is actually very cool. It's got Asian dragons flowing up the sides. I'm sold. I think that I've found my new sports wear.
Really, I was looking into photobucket and shutterfly for a way to display my collection of cards. But they were lacking that extra something that would allow me to streamline what I really want to do. First and foremost, I want a place that readers can go quickly to see the cards and collections that I'm working on. It's one thing to see me post cards here on the main page, but in a couple of days they're gone and you wouldn't think of them anymore.
So to start out, I put up all 31 Murad relics I have at the moment. Each card is listed individually with name and card number. And it looks really sharp. It's a mammoth little task to get it up and running. So please, go over to the site and tell me if it was even worth it to put all of that up.
Secondly, I'm planning on putting up the Murad autos, the Nicolas Batum autograph signing and the Bowman Batum rainbow. But more than that, I want a photo section that I can put up cards I have for trade. The trade stuff will all be up by this next weekend. I don't always want to take the time to sell everything on ebay. I'd much rather put it up on a trade page and have people make requests right there below the card they want. It's just an idea, but I think it will work.
Lastly, the facebook page will allow me to follow the card companies and other collectors without making it painfully obvious on my personal Facebook page how much of a dork I am about sports cards. Some stuff just doesn't need to be shared with every person I ever went to high school with.
So seriously, go check out the Murad relics page. You'll be jealous.
1) So I can finally sit down and reflect on what a great start the World Cup is off to. The U.S. taking on England for the draw is a wonderful beginning to the tournament. I was worried sick the entire game that we wouldn't hold that draw. There is so much talent on the English squad, but their problem is that it's almost too much talent to work well together. Either way, I'm pleased with the start, and I can't wait to see the next match on Friday.
2) I think it's time to shave my hair off again. I know that's completely random for a thought, but it's the truth. Out here in the Portland area, we've had nothing but rain since last October. At least that's what it feels like. And finally we've had two days straight of nice weather - and I'm finding my mop is a bit much. Plus, whenever I watch a UFC fight I always want to shave my head. It's crazy I know. Though I do have a red Tapout bandana coming in that I ordered online. I think the look would be best served with a buzz cut.
3) I've decided that I'm going to leave the site graphics alone for a while. It's about time blogger has given us something we can work with from a visuals standpoint. I was beginning to wonder if I should've started up on wordpress.
4) I was thinking about what to bet somebody today. I don't know who I would bet or what we would be betting on - but I've figured out the best consequence for losing the wager. So, the next time you want to bet somebody something tell them that the loser has to watch every Senior PGA tour event for a year - and write about it online to prove they watched it. Man, I struggle with the regular PGA, I caught some Senior PGA the other day. Like watching paint dry - beige paint, too. Which is worse, you know.
5) I'm still a bit stunned by the Franlin win last night in UFC. It makes me want to go and join an MMA gym. Not to get my arm broken or anything, but just to do something without logic or reason, just for the sake of doing something manly. I can't be the only one who feels like that.
I've been trying my best to go at this Murad chase with as structured a process as possible. First knock off the relics and minis and then go after the autos. Sounds simple. But I've been really neglecting the minis. I finally put all of my minis into the binder, and I realized that I only filled up a complete page or two. So I've made a couple of raids on sportlots.com and have begun to rectify the situation.
My first purchase was for 9 minis (7 regular and 2 SP's). The regulars were a steal as I got them all for .18 cents a piece. The SP's were $2.45 a piece. And really that's a pretty good deal. It's hard to spend nearly $5.00 dollars on two cards when the rest came so cheap, but it's all about perspective. With the combined shipping and the reasonable price, I couldn't pass them up.
I've also got another batch of minis coming in - and I'm hoping to have the minis done by July. I find that if I set a timetable for myself along with a budget, it makes the collecting much easier.
Here's number 219 (Leandro Barbosa) and 216 (Carlos Boozer).
It also helps to continue to buy cards that I have to put in the binders, because it makes me actually look at the cards. That sounds weird. But it's true. This, to me, is still a great visual art/retro set. And to some degree, when you put together a whole set, it becomes all about the numbers and ceases to be about the cards themselves sometimes. So it's good to get a fresh look again at some cards.
The Boozer, in particular, is a great looking card. I'm not such a fan of either of the players, but I can appreciate the look.
I think I just saw the last fight Chuck Liddell gets in the UFC. That was one of the greatest fights I've ever seen. Ever.
The first part of the first round was very back and forth, very aggressive. And then Liddell kicked Franklin for a body shot that landed on Franklin's left arm. And he broke the arm. End of fight, right? No.
With a broken arm, Franklin kept in it and ended up delivering a direct blow to Liddell's face with 5 seconds left in the 1st round to end it by knockout. Have I abused the italics for dramatic effect enough yet?
I'm stunned by the fight. Absolutely stunned. Liddell's 40 years old now, and by that knockout, it's hard to see him coming back for another bout. If you're not into UFC yet, it's really starting to get some quality talent and there's no better time to start watching.
What a day. What a day. World Cup and UFC. I'll put today in the 'win' column.
Well, I guess that could be a bit of a grand title. But it's true nonetheless. I just got this Chris Bosh jersey piece in for my Murad relics. I don't think we'll see him in a Raptors uniform again - but then again, what do I know? I found this relic for a good price. I believe I got it for just under $5.00, so that's not too bad. This is relic 31 of 50 for me. It's great to know that I have under 20 left to get. I'm making some real progress here.
And as always, bonus points for not being a white jersey piece.
What do you guys think of the new layout? Truth be told I was getting bored with the old layout. This one feels more modern. And it's conducive to my general geekery in Star Wars and Sci-Fi.
And I was looking for some way, however small it may be, to mark the beginning of the World Cup. So I'm not 100% sure that I could even get it back to the way it was, but if the response is negative I'd try my best to put it all back the way it was.
So is it worthy to stay or not?
And hey, how bout them South Africans. I despise the Mexican squad, so I was glad to see the home team get a point. Let's go USA!
I for one am absolutely sold that the World Cup is the greatest event to happen in sports. More and more we see that football, futbol or soccer is the most adored, most passionate sport worldwide. And Americans are catching on. Do you think ESPN wanted to run soccer five years ago? No. But people like myself regularly spend an extra $25-30 dollars a month on their cable bills to be able to get premium soccer channels. The dollar speaks louder than other corporate agendas - how did Strongman competitions and Lumberjack tournaments work out for ESPN for a decade while the rest of the world watched soccer? So ESPN figured it couldn't continue to let the market go to other competitors. And now they have the World Cup. So good for them. And good for us.
And this morning the whole thing gets kicked off with South Africa facing off against Mexico. And I despise the Mexican squad. I despise their coach, their Azteca stadium and their keeper, Memo Ochoa. So I'll be rooting hard for South Africa. Especially since Steven Pienaar is playing for South Africa. Pienaar plays for Everton - and he's going to show the world what the English fans have known for a while. Simply put, the guy can be a game changer.
So here we are. The start of the World Cup. I'm so excited.
And remember, just say no to Memo.
Freaking Ochoa. Stupid girly headband. I hope he gets worked.
I went to Target today to get a whole slew of things. And I actually had a bit of a score. First off, I decided to put my Murad minis into a binder so that I can see them. What I can't figure out is why card companies haven't joined together and made a binder sheet that is for mini cards. Maybe they're out there, but I can't find them. So I had to settle for the regular binder for the time being.
Either way, I went to buy a pack of Ultra-Pro 9 Pocket Pages while I was at Target. But for whatever reason, the pocket pages wouldn't scan in Target's system when I went to buy them. The cashier said that she'd give me a pack for $6.00. Um...yes, please. So I got a ton of pages for dirt cheap. So I figured I'd buy some cards while I was there.
I got a retail pack of Absolute. The Absolute was really good stuff. When you buy something like Absolute Memorabilia in retail you know you're going to get base. I actually loved the base look and the Star Gazing insert of Jamison is a great looking card.
And I bought a pack of Star Wars: 3D cards. And I was really glad that they put these out retail. But even being retail, it's a spendy purchase. They're $3.00 a pack for 3 cards. Really, per card, they're the most expensive cards you can buy outside of a hobby shop. But they didn't dissapoint. I don't know how well the 3D shows up on a scan. But they're so cool.
Actually I was this close to buying a hobby box of these before the Batum plate came up for sale. These are about $75-77 a box. By a stroke of luck, the Batum showed up in a knick of time. And now I can go to Target to fill my Star Wars need when I get the urge.
I'm going to have to make a new series on this site called, "Point and Laugh". Because sometimes in my daily card searches I find people (whom I suspect are failing LCS store owners hawking cards in an alternative market) selling cards at some mythical book-value. My card searches are more refined than others, as I try to keep my collecting as specific as possible - but every once in a while you see some noob come to the scene and try to sell me something I could get for five or six dollars on an average day for 10 to 20 times it's value.
Anybody see the McCants Murad auto on ebay that somebody tried to sell for $30?
Maybe that Tim Duncan Murad 1/1 that somebody was selling for over $300?
Point and laugh. Point and laugh. In a way, I'm glad that ebay makes them pay to post items like that. They should lose money trying to sell cards at that price.
But I've said time and time before - if there's an expert who could make actual "book-values" of Nicolas Batum cards and trends, it's me. I'm not bragging. Just stating the facts. Dirk Nowitzki, Lebron James or even Brandon Roy? I have no right to say I could price any of their cards by sight alone. Nicolas Batum? Give me a pen and paper and I'll make you the damn book-value in a couple of minutes.
I was asked how much Batum's printing plate cost me. It was $79.99 with free shipping. Do I feel I got robbed? No. It just so happened that the only income I've made doing this site came in that same week and I was able to use those funds to snatch that card as soon as it came up. It's actually an amazing story. I was about five seconds from buying something else with my newly acquired funds and just happened to browse Batum cards once more. And there it was. The printing plate in a Buy-It-Now format. What luck. That card wasnt' listed for more than an hour. If the seller had taken the time to auction it, he could've made more money with it. Like I said, I know what it's worth.
But that's not the point of this article. Every once in a while, like I said, a seller posts something that defies reason. Here's today's "Point and Laugh" item.
Like I said, point and laugh. The Skybox RC for Batum is continually one of his poorer sellers. And with good reason. Look at the card. Cut-off at the junk, poor color scheme and indirect pose. This card, with the low-numbering, should sell for about $10. Maybe. I wouldn't pay $10 for it, but somebody would. Most likely other super-collectors that might try to get every version of every Batum card made. $10. Maybe.
A card numbered to /50 copies of Batum shouldn't sell for over $40 - and that would be for a good one like Bowman Chrome or Topps Chrome.
I don't know how much ebay charged this seller to hawk this card, but hopefully they added in a 10% surcharge for trying to attain book value and an additional 5% for general ignorance.
The Nicolas Batum ebay page is my house. Don't come knocking on my door unless you have your act together.
So if you hop to any one of a handful of sports card blogs today, you'll pretty much see the results of the fallout from the Stephen Strasburg RC fiasco brought to you by Topps. And you know what? It just makes me shake my head. But I'm not too touched by the development - it's not my sport of choice to collect. But I feel for the collectors who got duped into buying codes that ended up being turds.
Even though my favorite card is the Bowman Batum (produced by Topps) and my current set that I collect is Murad (also by Topps), I really don't feel any attachment to the brand that has become so synonymous with sports cards. I'll continue to collect my favorites - with a passion - but in the end, my future in collecting past Murad will involve, most likely, Panini.
And it's a change. But a good one. If you haven't fallen in love with the World Cup sticker books, then you have no passion for soccer. Shame on you. Panini also brought us a straight forward basketball base set to collect this year. No gimmicks. No mystery cards. Just base, autos and some attractive inserts. Really, I think I'll take my chances.
And a while back I redeemed a code on the Million Card giveaway. I haven't sent for it yet. Can you imagine why?
Yeah, thanks but no thanks. I'll stick to basketball this year.
I hate to give into hype. I absolutely hate it. But this Strasburg kid has more hype than any player has had this decade - and yet I gave in. And I'm glad I did.
His pro-career may be nothing at all. It could be riddled with injury or mediocrity. But it could also be the career breaks the mold. The scouts say he's that good. And if his first inning of work were any indication - they could be right.
Kudos to the MLB network for broadcasting the event. I'm going to continue to watch - even though I know it's a Pirates vs. Nationals game.
It's going to be another busy sports day. NBA Finals coming up in a couple of hours, Mariners are taking on Texas with Hernandez on the mound and Strasburg is making his monumental debut. I may have to go warm up the DVR.
Yesterday was the greatest mailday of my collecting career. Not only did I get my Nicolas Batum printing plate (which was huge) I also got a couple of X-Men comics in the mail as well. I picked Uncanny X-Men number 500 to start back into the storyline. Remember a while back I found out that issue 524 is the issue where Nightcrawler died. So I had to start somewhere to get the backstory that leads up to that. I like round numbers - so number 500 sounded about right.
But that's beside the point. So I get a couple of pristine comics, a Batum printing plate, zero bills and another manila envelope surprise. And it was a package from Walker, from the Blazer Blog. Walker's a good writer, but he's been busy with school, so I can't wait for him to start back into the blog again this summer. But he does have an active youtube page where you can see some of his monster cards. He's got a Zach Randolph collection that is probably one of the most extensive out there.
So, that Walker sent me a package. I wasn't expecting anything from him, we didn't have a trade set up. And inside the package was something that I didn't have yet. And something that is pretty key for a Blazers fan.
Here it is:
He sent me a Clyde Drexler Murad relic. And it's the SP version numbered 06/51! Granted, the card is in the Houston uniform, but who's to say that it's not really a white Blazer jersey in there? It does state that it was used in an NBA game. I'm just going to say that it's a Blazers relic.
But how cool is that? A great card on the greatest mailday I've ever had. Thanks so much to Walker. I'll be on the lookout for something he could use.
This is my 30th relic in the set too. Only 20 more to go. If I do this right, I could have all the relics done by the end of summer and focus my energy (and limited funds) on getting the autograph set knocked out as well. Thanks again Walker. You helped make a special day just that much more rewarding.
