Back To Football

As much as I love surprise lots of cards - at this point, I am hoping not to have too many more of these days with 1991 Upper Deck football. I keep saying, at least they continue to move in trades fairly well, but not so much for me to talk about with them.

Some overlap from the recent pulls - another Boomer and Prime Time. Can't complain with the stars though.

A same that 1991 was the first year of four consecutive years of sorrow for Bills fans - many of whom are in Toronto. Even back then, it was the NFL team for many Canadians because of the close ties to the city. Add in the Doug Flutie connection on the latter part of that run, and it's all the more reason.

It was definitely the height of my Bills fandom - each year thinking it would finally be the year they won the big one, and each year being let down. Sure, the last couple years, the Cowboys were a strong dynasty style team, but still felt Buffalo had good chance of winning each year heading into the game.

Kind of like days with the lot here - feels good going in, then just beaten by the 1991 Upper Deck football cards. Hopefully, and at a high level glance, I'd say it's leaning towards, there not being too many more days like it going forward.

A Trade About Wrestling

 Another trade with TCDB member Amagee, and this one is almost all wrestling coming my way. Loved being able to trade some hockey cards in exchange, and plenty of goodies back.

Just to keep it interesting, one Jay and one Leaf card, both nice additions. Romano in a Capstone and Matthews in an MVP - both nice adds, but the rest are all 2023 Panini WWE base cards. It's a nice set of about 200 cards, and this trade puts me over 50 which is a nice little milestone, but let's see who that entails.

We get stars of now and then with Cena, Mankind and Owens being my fave in the first scan Dolph, I thought, was a WWE lifer, but I expect he will end up back even if just behind the scenes in retirement.

R-Truth and Bayley are greats here - I mean, R-Truth is such a great team player, personality, and has the ability to run with anything he is given and put 110% effort into it. Bayley, so obviously, has embraced her ability to teach and elevate other wrestlers, while still keeping herself well positioned and interesting from a character standpoint.

Can't say enough about Rhea, as this is when she really started coming into her own. Though one I thought we would see more from on the main roster was Shayna. I don't know why exactly, but she didn't seem to click. I was looking forward to Gigi getting a main roster run, and it didn't really get going before she was gone.

The Godfather - now there's a character that wouldn't be allowed to run the way it did if it started out today. Yikes! Goldberg in with the past stars found throughout the base set.

As far as wrestling stars go, doesn't get much bigger than ending with Eddie and Hulk.

Appreciate the great trade and massive help on getting going with the base set!

Koosh12 and Mjprigge Trades

I always get excited when trade envelopes arrive, but this one was extra nice.

First, the Bo 2020 Turkey Red insert from the flagship's first series, was the last of the Jays I needed to complete the team set.

A couple more 2021 Topps flagship cards has me down to just 32 remaining for completing the base set.

Katoh was the last of the five Jays I needed for the Topps Chrome Update base set to be finished off.

Oh, and the Roger parallel in the black foil is nice too.

We finish with...

Not a bad signature, very nice on card auto and...

Serial numbered too - awesome rookie card and much appreciate to pick it up in the trade!

Speaking of signatures in trades, I also picked up one in a nice little trade with mjprigge...

Talk about three unique cards. An auto of Pannone is pretty nice, actually a solid signature itself too. Though we also have a large and in charge Molitor Finest card and a one and done Toronto card from 1995 Post, which hasn't even been creased once. It's a two panel piece, meant to fold in half, but it never will be now!

Fantastic and thank you!

Revisiting The Holidays

Have seen a bit of a certain Topps Holiday baseball set in the last week or so, and if we get a couple more days like this, I might have enough to start collecting it...but not there quite yet.

Nice to see Aaron here, card one in the set. I don't mind the Padres alternative jerseys here. Actually would be able to get behind this set more if they all had alternative uniforms which were holiday colored or something like that. Make it a Christmas in July game across the league just to sell cards....

Future HOFer Clayton - really nice cards here too.

Actually, a number of solid star cards in this bunch. If the set was a bit smaller, this would have been enough to get me collecting.

Don't get me to get over the faux snow look, won't be a favourite ever, but could at least collect it.

Football Foray

A smattering of cards and sets of the football variety from the 2026 lot today, so let's see what we have for trade bait... 

Have to love to have the microvariations that seem to be fraught through the high production era of the late 80s and early 90s. The 1991 Ultra set has two different size NFLPA logos on the back apparently. Something I found out trying to log Randall in. Nice to get a card from back then that isn't 1991 Upper Deck, so I'll take that as a win anyway.

Still not a fan of Chronicles, but I'll take the variety of Panini card lines here to provide a mix of traders. I find it's not too bad finding people to trade football for baseball. Definitely don't see a football/hockey mix nearly as much.

Even a few Draft Picks cards in the bunch, and the Kittle card is a card from the 2021 Panini NFL Stickers and Cards set - an interest cross combo there I guess, rather than having them as completely different product runs I guess.

Chark Jr tries to sneak by with the Kickoff parallel pretending to be a base card, but I caught him before I scanned this time! Warren Moon wins for the group though, I did enjoy watch him play back in the day.

Snow Vladdy!

Before we get to some snow from the lot - a quick PWE trade to share with TCDB member boucher33 who sent some double sided cards my way.

1997-98 Donruss Limited had these double sided cards which highlights a picture of a player on each side with no write ups, just great picture and a graphic background/ Still need some more for the team set, and with two people on each card, does make for more real estate to include more players in the set.

Appreciate the trade, but onto the snow!

Baseball cards abound from the 2026 Lot today, and we get some tempt from summer snow.

I have a bit of a loathing for this set, just because it's such a gimmick to make a winter looking set for baseball. I guess it's to help fans keep the sport top of mind in the middle of winter, but with the World Series stretching into November and spring training being less than 150 days later, there isn't too much down time as there is.

If you are going to do a holiday/winter theme, I don't mind the years where the design is around the edge with maybe snow or snowflakes, but the snow spattered all over the card - it's too much for my liking.

That said, I'll happily take a great Vladdy card. According to TCDB, this is my 280th Vladdy card, with 174 different unique ones. This isn't unique, I did have one already, but I always laugh because if I had 280 cards of a player in 1988, I probably had close to all the cards that were ever made. Now, Vladdy has over 16,000 different unique cards, and that's just what is in TCDB, and of course growing every day. I'd guess it may be close to 50,000 if he play through his entire contract with the Jays.

A single Update series card joins the fun from 2023 before we get to some cards from a set I am collecting...

A fair enough bunch of 2024 Topps flagship base series two, and I needed more than I didn't, so solid pick ups there.

Still just starting out on the set build for 2024...only about 12% done so far, so hoping for more in the lot before starting to trade for more.

2002 Bowman Chrome Football

 Another interesting day today from the 2026 Lot as we have a new set I have never had cards in hand for before, 2002 Bowman Chrome football - I know, hard to guess given my title.

This was a few years into the Bowman Chrome football sets coming into existence, with 1998 being the first year. Not unusual that the scans come out darker than having the cards in hand, but the border is black and the background colour on the name along the side, is a dark blue. Even in hand then, these are pretty dark.

Playing the game of names I recognize, I do recognize Shannon Sharpe at least.

Kerry Collins and Kordell also. Of course I also know Jake "The Snake" Plumber as I remember, even from sports highlights, that nickname inspired by the WWF wrestler from the 1980s.

Tomlinson - nice card too.

Drew Bledsoe - alright, but fave card of the day has to be an NFL card of CFL legend, Doug Flutie!

The backs remind me very much of Bowman baseball cards - not really a surprise there I guess. Also, Ricky Williams - how are we supposed to feel about him at this point? I don't remember all the details, and will not bother looking it up, but I recall he had some troubling times during his playing career which impacted it. Either way, he has a card here at least.