I don't know why, but, as I noted at the conclusion of the last post, the cards of the 2000s were never the same as they had been previously. One of the worst "innovations" in the hobby began in 2001 when exclusive licenses made their debut in sports cards, when NASCAR gave Press Pass the exclusive. During this decade, Fleer went out of business and the memorabilia delivery systems began to replace actual card sets...
2000
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| 2000-01 Hoops Hot Prospects |
2001
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| 2001 Enduring Freedom |
2002
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| 2002 Topps Simpsons |
2003
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| 2003 Press Pass |
2004
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| 2003-04 Topps Chrome |
2005
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| 2005 Topps Revenge of the Sith |
2006
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| 2006 DC Direct Who's Who |
2007
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| 2007 Wheels High Gear |
2008
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| 2008 Press Pass UMI |
2009
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| 2009 Element |
What symbolizes the decade more than a jersey card? This one for 2000 was the first I ever pulled from a pack- Christmas Day, 2000. 2001 saw the world rocked by September 11th. Topps actually got a card set out of it. 2002 was a rough year, as I lost my dad to cancer in February. 2003 saw me pull one of my favorite cards I've ever pulled- this one, from a single pack purchase at the Target in Kingston, NY. It brought me back to NASCAR fully, for the first time since 1996. 2004's set is from the 2003-04 season, but Topps Chrome was a very late season release. I was slowly losing my interest in the NBA, and during 2004 (I think) my Excel file corrupted, and I lost everything- I had only one copy, stupid-which took away most of the enjoyment I was getting. 2005 saw me purchase non-sports cards for the first time since 2002, when I had gotten the Simpsons cards shown at the Toys R Us in Lake George, NY, and some Attack of the Clones cards. 2006's set is one where, while I was not actively purchasing the non-sports cards, I was still getting some anyway...these came with figures that you had to assemble...not quite models, but close. Sometime between October and Christmas 2006 I decided I was done with the NBA forever. That didn't hold, but I would not purchase another NBA card during the decade. From 2007-2009, I was collecting NASCAR only, and barely at that. I was unhappy with Press Pass's cards and got very little in 2007. In 2008, I got only 14 cards documented for the entire year, my record low since I started recording dates in 1999 (but surely my lowest total for any year). While I did get more than 14 cards from the year, I only wrote down the date of 14 of them- 13 of which came from this UMI promo set that came with the Cup Series Yearbook, which I got for Christmas. 2009 saw me get back into hobby full time...although I didn't even truly leave in 2008, I did consider it. My brother surprised me with some cards from the local Target in 2009, including some from this Element set, and I really enjoyed them. That got me back in...it was in 2009 that I began my Excel files anew (which I've since put on the backburner as I've made them obsolete) and I also began scanning my entire card collection, which, 10 years later, has a long way left to go. In the ensuing decade, everything changes...
That phrase really sums up the card collecting environment of the last 20-25 years " memorabilia delivery systems began to replace actual card sets...
ReplyDeleteSweet Lebron. Heard that card is selling for insane money these days. Love that 2009 Element card. I'm not a big NASCAR fan, but if I ever dove into the sport... I'd love to own a set that taught me key terms regarding the car.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a cool Lebron. Nice summary of the decade. Hard to believe it was that long ago already.
ReplyDeleteI'm so lucky I pulled that LeBron when the set was new, there's no way I could have afforded one now. One thing I forgot to mention is that, even though I didn't enjoy the decade as much, most of my collection was built during this decade. Everything else has been building off what I collected then.
ReplyDeleteThe decade that I returned to the hobby ... and discovered nothing was the same. Much of the first half of the decade was a mystery even years after I came back.
ReplyDeleteI didn't collect much in that decade and missed out on a lot. Thanks for the fun recap. That LeBron is a great pull! Nice photo on the Jimmie Johnson card and I may have to pick up some of those Revenge of the Sith cards.
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