In The Mail Today

I couldn't pass this one up. One of the coolest (and cleanest) designs. The only issue with this issue is the full bleed design that practically invites chipping along the edges. Like this one, if I can pick up a big name for under $5, I'll take it.

Head 2 Head: Malone vs. Duncan

Games played: 25

Wins: Duncan 17, Malone 8

Rebounds: Duncan 282, Malone 248

Assists: Malone 99, Duncan 75

Blocks: Duncan 21, Malone 68

Points: Duncan 629, Malone 517

Winner: Duncan

Notes: On January 10th, 2000 Duncan scored 46 points against Malone. Okay, maybe not all of them against Malone, but it's still a huge game.

In The Mail Today

I'm not a Jordan fan but it's nearly impossible to not acknowledge his contribution to the history of basketball. I figured I might want to invest in one of the few (3) Jordan cards I will actually spend money on. This (pictured) being one of them. If I can find it for less than $5 I will buy it. The combination of the card layout, photography, and the hologram makes this one of my all-time favorite cards. I received this one today and I'm happy with my purchase. Funny how the Ebay policy of not allowing sellers to leave negative feedback about buyers has spurred more than a few instances of sellers waiting to leave feedback until the buyers do (as in this case). That's not how it's supposed to work.

Show Report

Jackpot!

Wasn't sure what to expect from a 10-12 table show at the Mermaid Event Center and Hotel with the very odd mermaid statue that adorns it. But I found a table with awesome deals. I learned never to underestimate the dime box. That's right each card was a dime. I found each of the cards on the bottom row of the image above for $.10 each. I even had to ask the seller to be sure. The deals were so good that I had to ask if he had any additional cards that he didn't already have out and he dropped another unpriced box on the table for me to sift through. I found one of my favorite cards (the Robinson jersey above) for $2.00!!! I guess one collector's trash...

In The Mail Today

Dream Teamers

Picked these two up online for under $5 (including shipping). Sure, there not flashy autographs or jersey cards, but they are relatively difficult to find. The first is a Platinum parallel version of the 95-96 Collector's Choice Chris Mullin (one of my personal favorites) with a Beckett value of $12.00. The second is a gold version of the Follow Your Dreams redemption of John Stockton (picked-up for a friend) with a Beckett value of at least $2.00 (since only the silver version is listed).

New Format

I've decided to change the format a bit. I'll still include the random news and opinions, but since a lot of collectors are attempting to cut back on their spending (including myself), I decided to write about hunting for awesome deals. I have imposed a spending limit $5 on my purchases. Surprisingly, there are a lot of great deals to be had online (Ebay and others) and at shows.

This is one of my all-time favorites that I recently picked-up online for under $3! And it's in great shape too (which is tough to find).

BGS Order On The Way

After waiting since Christmas for a good reason to finally send in this year's order, I've sent off three patch cards and am waiting for any news as to the grade they will receive. Unfortunately, I opted for the 45 day service, but I'll post any updates as I receive them. Stay tuned!

Then and Now: Fleer Team Leaders

Due to the perfect storm of condition sensitivity and limited availability, these cards were never popular until about a year after their release. Surprisingly their values remain strong and frequently sell for high book value and sometimes much more (especially for the tougher-to-find "common" players).

This Week's Worst

Topps Celebrity Cards

Possibly the worst of all of Topps decisions (and there's been plenty) is the one to include cards, parallels, memorabilia, and autograph cards of some of toda... um, yesterday's top... um B-list movie, film, and music stars. Imagine buying a box (as hard as that is) and opening the entire box and having your big pull being a 1/1 magenta printing plate of Duncan? No. Bryant? No. Howard? No. But Carmen Electra?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! As hard as it is to believe, some were actually submitted to get graded (see Today's Top 5).

If Money Didn't Mean Anything...

2005-06 Upper Deck Portraits Quad Kidd/Stockton/Nash/Billups

Limited to only 10 copies, this 8x10 card would be the centerpiece of any playmakers collection. These four point guards are the NBA's best ever, minus Cousy, Magic, Thomas... okay, so it might not be the best-of-the-best (see Today's Top 5), but it's still damn cool.