Back to HOST posting, after not scanning anything that didn't go to it's own post at all last week!
Starting out is a cool insert from 1999-00 EX, EX-Ceptional. I found out recently these came in three different colors, I've only seen red. I wish my scan of the Elton Brand card in the set came out as good as this Odom card did!
Here are the two Taco Bell cards I wasn't able to get scanned in time to make my November trade recap. Note the rounded corners, which are a dead giveaway they are Taco Bell issues. The copyright info on the back also mentions Taco Bell.
I think I've gotten more Anderson Varejao cards in 2015 than I have in any other year of his career, which is over a decade long, now!
Take a look at this 1993-94 Fleer base card. Do you notice anything strange about it?
How about the
5 foot 3 Muggsy Bogues guarding the
7 foot James Edwards? Bogues, the shortest player in the NBA's history, would normally not have been guarding Edwards, yet here we have photographic proof that at one point, he did! Muggsy was always one of my favorite players, by the way. Speaking of extremes on height in the NBA...
This card from 1994-95 Hoops shows two of the three tallest players in NBA history, missing only Manute Bol, who was ending his career with the Golden State Warriors during 1994-95. Interesting, he played (briefly) with both the Sixers and Bullets during 1993-94, when this photo was likely taken. (Also with Miami during that season). Note that they are so tall...Muresan was 7 foot 7, Shawn Bradley 7 foot 6 (which is why they wore 77 and 76, respectively)...that both their feet and the top of their hair doesn't even fit on the card!
I really miss team cards. The last that were issued that I am aware of was 2010-11, and the last time before that was 2005-06. There is so much that can be done with a team card, but they go ignored. (Team stats, a recap of their season, history of the team, team records, all-time leaders, and that's not even counting the simplistic team checklist.) This card, from 1993-94 Upper Deck, carries the team's schedule for the 1993-94 season on the back.
Is there a card that better represents the 1990s and 2000s in the NBA? One of the few cards to feature these two players combined. It's not too easy to tell from the scan but the borders are holofoil.
Remember when UD3 was a big deal, and considered revolutionary? Seems hard to believe today but when this came out, it was the highest end card set ever made for the NBA at that time. I was never a huge fan of UD3, although I like the 1996-97 set more. Both sets are only 60 cards, which is way, way too small. Embarassingly, I have not completed either of them yet, although I am one card short on the 1996-97 set. Here is the clear card for Damon Stoudamire from both years.
In case it's not easy to tell, the 1996-97 card is die cut. My example here still has the protective coating.
While not related to cards (yet), here are a couple of pictures of our Christmas tree.
I say for now, because my family knows me, and I know my family...there will be some cards under the tree soon!
UD3 felt like it was a million miles above my collecting budget. I remember buying a few of those $10 assorted pack products in the early 2000's just because they had a pack of UD3 showing.
ReplyDeleteI got most of mine second hand, too. Luckily, I pulled the big ones from 1996-97 when they were new. (Kobe/Iverson RC). I tend to get a lot of 200 or 500 cards for originally 5 dollars, now the boxes are up to $19. But I only get them once a year if I am lucky, last time I got any was September 2013. That's where most of mine came from.
DeleteFrom the 1997-98 UD3 I think the Jam Masters subset was spot on. It was ahead of its time with the clean white design. The Starstruck subset looks maybe even nicer, but it had major chipping issues. I have never liked the "see through" subsets from neither release. Also notice that the rookies are missing from the 97-98 base set.
DeleteWow, there are way too many good cards on here making it so hard to pick a favorite! Excellent post and I like the card saying "oh what fun" showing up with the tree...it IS fun!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the Muresan/Bradley card before . Pretty cool. Nice tree. My wife sets up 4 trees in the house. One real. Each with a different theme. We also gave one on front and rear deck. Six total.
ReplyDeleteSix trees! Mark, you are very lucky fellow.
DeleteWow! That's impressive! We only have one...plus a metal one that lights up outside too. No ornaments on that though.
DeleteThe outside trees only get lights. The inside trees are my wife's work. It takes a week to set up. I just carry up box after box.
DeleteI have always liked that Edwards/Bogues card. Mostly because of the look on James Edwards face, like he can't believe who's trying to guard him.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you can tell he's holding back from just outright laughing. All he'd really have to do is hold it up as high as he could and Muggsy would not have been able to reach it.
DeleteI've always liked that Muresan / Bradley card. I tend to PC the really tall and really short guys in the NBA, so I've got PCs of varying sizes for Muresan, Bol, and Bogues. I never did start one for Shawn Bradley, although I've thought about it.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty sure I've got some spares if you decide to start one!
DeleteI miss centers like Bradley and Muresan. They were so much fun.
ReplyDelete