Back in the end of the 2003-04 NBA release season, Upper Deck announced a new set called Exquisite Collection. You got 5 cards per pack, and each pack cost $500, which at the time was insanely high for a box of cards. At that point in time, it was important to me to open a box of every set released. Other than 2000-01 Fleer Focus and 2001-02 Hardcourt that I missed, I opened a box of every NBA set released from 1999-00 through that time. (I did a box of most of the 1998-99 sets too)
When the set was released, I saved up and bought a box...and that instantly ended my opening a box of every set even though I still want to. Remembering now, not being able to actually actively collect every set even played a role as a contributing factor to why I quit the NBA during the 2006-07 season, which I now regret. Another BIG contributor to me leaving was my original Excel file corrupting in 2004. It was late in 2004 that I had my NBA sets together for the last time to date. I sorted them by letter trying (but failing) to recreate what was lost.
Exquisite Collection came out shortly after that time. I do not know when exactly that happened, but the first set that was still together, not sorted by letter with the rest of my collection was Triple Dimensions, which I got on April 8th, 2004.
My experience at that time wasn't a great one, and once I put the cards away from that failed sort, I didn't take any of my NBA cards back out again until 2012, when I joined the Database and got back into the NBA.
Not all of the cards were found at that time, although my paper listing showed that I did indeed have them. The box of Exquisite Collection was among the missing cards.
Flash forward to 2025. Doing some cleaning, I found the box of Exquisite Collection I bought, but I was in the middle of cleaning and didn't take the time yet to scan it/look in it. I refound it again in April 2026, and this time I looked in it. Surprise surprise, the cards were still in it! I almost NEVER leave cards in the packaging they came in, I tried to keep them all together in the same style boxes, specifically so they would always be with the other cards in my collection. This was actually somewhat of a big surprise to me because it's so rare.
I probably had not seen these cards with my own eyes or held them in my hands since late 2004.
The packaging on the cards is pretty extensive.
There's an outer carton...
Inside that is a brown cardboard box, and inside That box is a bag. Inside the bag is this wooden case with a glass placard on it.
Inside THIS box is full felt lining on both top and bottom, and yet another box.
and FINALLY inside that we get to the cards.
The only base veteran card in the pack was this Jason Kidd, which is probably the second best possible card the pack could have contained. Only Elton Brand would have been better. I do not have his card from the set even today.
The base set is only 78 cards, a very small set. There are the base veterans, but technically this is also a base card. Each pack contained 1 autographed rookie patch card. 2003-04 is one of the best draft classes in history, and the LeBron James card from this set sells for a LOT. Like the gross domestic product of some small island nations.
Unfortunately I was not lucky enough to pull LeBron. Nothing against Zarko Cabarkapa but this is a card I could buy for well under $100*. The patch comes from the Rookie Photo Shoot, not game worn, either.
Next up was a gold parallel of Steve Francis. Yes, it's numbered to 25 but I've never been a huge fan of his.
The next card is this jersey parallel of Steve Nash. I do not like Steve Nash. I also pulled a card of him from Ultimate Collection. Without something like the Database existing in 2004 I didn't know if this was a parallel or an insert back then.
Final card was this patch autograph of Tracy McGrady. It's nice. even with a single color patch (this can only come from the number on the jersey) McGrady is a Hall of Famer and it was obvious he would be even by that point in his career. I have 3 or 4 autograph cards of his.
What's the best part of finding this, aside from finding cards I knew I had but didn't know where they were? I didn't remember the Nash or McGrady at all, and I didn't have the inserts listed in my paper listing! I had no idea they were in my collection, since I hadn't layed eyes on them in 22 years.
I did not feel like I got my money's worth for $500. Little did I know this would be what most of the hobby would be these days, which is nothing short of disgraceful. Upper Deck produced Exquisite Collection until 2009-10, during which season the NBA pulled their license. This was the only box/pack of the set I ever opened, or ever will.
OK, before I published this post I thought to look up this set and maybe add the Elton Brand card to my collection. I had no idea what these cards were going for now. The cheapest card I could find is $50 and it's badly damaged, and even the base veterans are not available under $100. That's such a shock to me, because they aren't really great cards. Even the empty wooden box is available for sale without the carton or the baggie it comes in or any cards...for $215. That's insane. There's only one copy of the Elton card currently available, and it's $199 + 20 more for shipping from Thailand. Nope....that's a card I'll never collect. These cards are not worth the money they are selling for.
Are you kidding me? This has to be money laundering or something. No sane person would spend that much money on this card. I know the hobby has gotten stupid lately but this is just so egregious.
