I started collecting cards in the mid-90s with my dad, traded cards with friends in the late 90s, and really solidified my NBA fandom during that time as well. I know there are folks who agree that the 90s have the best inserts, and while I like to think I have pretty good knowledge about the cards from that time, the truth is there are sets that people post cards from, especially with the emergence of Instagram over the last several years, that I haven’t seen. Often they are ones with long odds, or sets that I didn’t open cards from at that time. It’s led me to do deep dives into sets on TCDB, eBay, and elsewhere to become familiar with sets I might have missed at the time.

Anyone else have cards on a want list even though they aren’t super realistic? The ‘That’s Jam’ insert of Tim Duncan meets that description. Maybe there’s a shift coming in how I collect, and I’ve seen others mention it as well. The word is ‘consolidation’. I’ve always been a lower end collector, and I’ve built a solid collection over the years playing by a certain set of unwritten rules. One is I don’t spend more than 15-20 dollars on any individual card. And I’ve been OK with it. With this rule in place though, it does take a lot of cards out of the mix. Trading has always been in my arsenal, but moving some cards that no longer fit in my collection to fund cards that normally would be out of reach may have to be a tactic as well.

I’ve typed a lot of words so far just to say that I noticed a card show up for a much lower price than I’ve normally seen it, and it’s from the ‘That’s Jam’ insert set from 1998-99 Skybox Premium Series 2. The odds of opening are 1:96 packs, which doesn’t seem too bad looking back, but these cards, especially the top players, are pretty pricey (Kobe obviously being absurdly expensive).

When I saw the Stoudamire, I snatched it up, sight unseen, just knowing it was stated as NM (Near-Mint). The card has some issues on the edges, but for a card I don’t plan to move unless it’s part of a trade towards tough Duncans or special Pacers, I’m very pleased with it.

Hope to add more cards from this set in the future, especially the Duncan. But until I find the right deal, I’m OK with it staying on my want list and admiring this Damon Stoudamire. No diggity.