The 2006-07 rookie class was in my opinion one of the weakest in the decade, hobby impact wise. LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, Paul Millsap, those are the biggest names looking back. Not a bad group of players, but many of the top picks didn’t have all-star careers like you’d… Read More Parallels and Relics Galore: 2006-07 Bowman Elevation
Parallels of all different colors and types have come and gone over the years, and they are more prevalent today than ever before. A popular parallel in many Panini products is Cracked Ice, and they are stunning parallels, for sure. When we look back at similar parallels from other companies, the Topps Atomic Refractors definitely… Read More Cracked Ice Before There Was Cracked Ice: 1999-00 Flair Showcase Elevators
A couple things I miss since the pandemic began, going to the movies, and going to professional sporting events. I enjoy seeing the coming attractions as I walk up to the theater, the movie posters and cardboard cutouts inside, and the previews before the movies. On the sports side, and in particular, going to NBA… Read More It’s Showtime: 2009-10 Upper Deck Now Appearing
Looking back at rookie cards from 2001-02 Topps basketball, inserted at 1:4 packs.… Read More The Year Topps Rookie Cards Were Short-Printed and Redemptions
Taking a look back at the Big Shots insert set from 1997-98 Ultra basketball.… Read More Who Wants the Ball? 1997-98 Ultra Big Shots
2004 was a big year for the NBA and in basketball cards as well. LeBron, Wade, Carmelo, Bosh, and the star-studded rookie class entered the league in 2003 and that 2003-04 season has some iconic card sets, in my opinion. It was also towards the end of Fleer’s run producing basketball cards. What I didn’t… Read More Pretending It’s 2004 – Opening a 2004 Fleer National Trading Card Day Pack
Jalen Rose became a starter with the Indiana Pacers for the 1999-00 season, ended up leading the Pacers in scoring that year, and helping guide the Pacers to their only NBA Finals appearance. Rose’s scoring jumped from 11 points a game to over 18, he shot over 39% from 3 point range, and he ended… Read More Most Improved Player… and Cards – 2000-01 Jalen Rose Cards
Nothing like the excitement of opening a pack of cards and realizing that things aren’t going like you expected… in a good way. In my case, I opened a lone hobby box of 2004-05 Fleer Authentix, in the twilight of Fleer’s run producing basketball cards, and I was about halfway through the box, if my… Read More Here’s What a Fleer Authentix Hot Pack Looks Like
It’s interesting for me to see inserts of semi-star players, taking a term out of the beckett magazines I used growing up. The 1995-96 Topps Pan For Gold includes players who took an uncommon path to success in the NBA. These guys didn’t play at traditional NCAA powerhouses, and they may or may not have… Read More Taking the Unconventional Path – 1995-96 Topps Pan For Gold
1996-97 was a huge year for basketball cards. Huge draft class, first year of Topps Chrome, some other iconic sets like EX-2000, Metal, and I think Skybox Premium goes into that category. It was the only Kobe rookie I actually pulled from a pack in my childhood. It was the first year of Autographics as… Read More Under the Magnifying Glass – 1996-97 Skybox Premium Close-Ups
Hoops Hobby 