Box From 'Bama #7 - (12) 1996 Pinnacle Zenith #12 Bobby Allison Promo

I must confess that when I picked these up, I thought I might have found something special.  The Allison family is from Hueytown, AL and the shop that I picked these up from was about 30 minutes from there.  My hope was that it was something given away to area shops in limited quantity and perhaps there weren't a ton of them out there.

Bobby Allison is known as one of the best NASCAR drivers in history.  Since I was born in Birmingham, I've always been a fan of The Alabama Gang.  Later becoming an Indianapolis 500 fan and learning that he competed in 1973 and 1975 made me a bigger fan.

It turns out that the promo is at least somewhat common.  The image was already on Trading Card Database and three other members had it in their collection.  I was excited that I might be able to add to Billy's NASCAR collection, but he's someone that has a copy.

1996 Pinnacle Zenith #12 Bobby Allison Promo

Did you notice the ring in the lower left corner?  There is a jewel of some sort on the card, though I assume it's fake.  The cards are thicker in that area and they don't easily stack.

I'm not sure if those cards were actually inserted into packs (Billy?) and if they were, did Pinnacle protect the cards around it?  Did the company use decoys for packs that didn't contain one of these inserts?  I give Pinnacle credit, they weren't afraid to try something different.  Hindsight is always 20/20 and I wish I appreciated Pinnacle much more at the time.

1996 Pinnacle Zenith #12 Bobby Allison Promo (back)

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #7 - (25) 1997-98 Power Pack Blow-Ups Promos Jaromir Jagr

I wish I could find out more about these.  An internet search and Beckett.com weren't of any help unfortunately.  The distribution wasn't in packs, because the cards are 3.5 x 5.  Anyone out there know anything about them, or have much better research skills than I do?

Something else that I found odd was that the 25 cards came with cardboard on each side and wrapped in a rubber band.  I don't know how late 1990s promos were distributed.  Does anyone know if this was a normal method?

The Trading Card Database checklist only lists three of the base cards as promos.  The other two are Joe Sakic and John Vanbiesbrouck.  I see a Vanbiesbrouck image on COMC (it's "sold out"), as well at a Peter Forsberg.  Does the Sakic exist?  Perhaps someone entered him on TCDB incorrectly, since both Sakic and Forsberg played for the Avalanche.  Oh, the mystery...

1997-98 Power Pack Blow-Ups Promos Jaromir Jagr

1997-98 Power Pack Blow-Ups Promos Jaromir Jagr (back)

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #6 - (2) 1998-99 Donruss Elite Pavel Bure Promos

One of the best things about the box of cards I purchased is what I will learn.  It started with these two promo cards.  I went to enter them on Trading Card Database, but there was no 1998-99 Donruss hockey sets.  I posted in the forum and received numerous responses.

The promos were released but before the set was, Donruss went under.

1998-99 Donruss Elite Promo #8 Pavel Bure

1998-99 Donruss Elite Promo #8 Pavel Bure (back)

As you see, the promos are supposedly /2500.  However, per Beckett.com: "These cards were issued in the summer of 1998 in anticipation of an upcoming Donruss Elite hockey product. Prior to the release of the full set, Donruss went out of business. No regular cards from this set exist. Each card is marked PROMO/2500 on the back, although it is believed that far fewer than 2,500 copies were produced of each, with some probably limited to 100 or less. Some were believed to be easier to acquire than others, including the Sergei Samsonov and Dominik Hasek issue."

Both Beckett book values and online asking prices are high on some players, confirming that copies were limited.  Book values range from $5 (Sergei Samsonov and Dominik Hasek) to $100 or more (Steve Yzerman, Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky).  Pavel Bure falls in the middle, at $40.

I'm sending one copy to one of the newest card bloggers, burefanatic10.  His blog is A guy and his Pavel Bure collection (and other stories).  I checked with him last night and he has a copy, but said mine looks to be in much better shape.  I'll send up sending him one copy because it certainly belongs on that Bure collection of almost 1600 cards.  The other is already in my TCDB inventory to trade or sell.

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #5 - 1986 McDonald's Buccaneers

These cards aren't the easiest to find.  I have looked multiple times for an Oliver Luck (Andrew's dad) without success.  It's a shame that all I could find in the shop were Tampa Bay Buccaneers cards but knowing what I do, I figured I'd pick them up.

I can't imagine a more basic front, but I love the card backs.  Look at all of that text, and no Twitter handles!  I wish companies still cared about card backs like this.

Ron Heller is the ONLY one of these guys that I've heard of.

I did see this one and ask myself "Jerry Ball played for the Buccaneers in the mid-80s?"  Not so fast, my friend.

Hopefully these bring back some memories for you and if you have an Oliver Luck McDonald's card, PLEASE let me know!

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #4 - LOOSE PACKS!

I absolutely love the randomness that I found in my shop visit.

How many packs are there, you ask?

Seven "Super Packs" of 35 cards.  I bought a good bit of these in 1993, but it probably wasn't these super packs.  That 1993 class wasn't too shabby with guys like Jerome Bettis, Garrison Heart and Drew Bledsoe.  Bledsoe was the rookie I was collecting in 1993.

I took this picture for one purpose.  Look at the upper left of it.  $1.69 for 35 cards.  Is it any wonder why there aren't as many kids collecting today as when we were kids?  There's no way my parents could have afforded current prices.  If I was born in 2009 instead of 1979, there's no way I'd be a collector.  

These are also headed to the rack for the time being.  Eventually I'll open and show some results over at A Pack To Be Named Later.  

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #3 - Lineups

I had a decent collection of Starting Lineups as a kid.  If I remember correctly, probably just south of 200.  I went through a phase (once I hit college) where I wasn't as into cards and the hobby.  When I came back, the bottom had completely fallen out of the SLU prices.  Does anyone know what actually happened?

I know they aren't "worth" anything, but hell...most of what we collect really isn't.  Curtis quoted me both of these for $5.  It was well worth the $5 for the nostalgia I get from these bad boys.

Did you collect SLUs back in the day?  Do you still have them?

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #2 - BOXES!

I walked out of the shop in Birmingham $55 lighter, but there was so much in the box that I left with.  I need to get things organized on my card rack, so I thought that posting the largest items early so that they can get onto the shelf was a solid decision. 

On the original post, it was noticed that there was a box of 1992 Topps in the box.  There was more underneath.  These are all full boxes. 

These were some of the earlier items I inquired about.  Curtis quoted me both 1992 Topps boxes for $15 and the Parkhurst box for $5.  You could say that I'm a very happy camper and I feel like most bloggers would love to get these three for $20.  For now they are going to the card rack and will be saved for a rainy day.  By rainy day I mean when I'm pretty well caught up and organized.  So, you might see a blog post on these again in 2022.  

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

Box From 'Bama #1 - MINIS!

If you didn't see my first "Box From 'Bama" post, it has the backstory.  I can't believe that I walked out with everything for $55.  I'm going to have way more fun for that price than three retail blasters!

I didn't count how many are there, but the first group to share is a whole lot of mini cards!  I picked them up knowing that there are a few Trading Card Database users that collect them.  I should be able to move most of them and pick up some things for my collection.

The bad news is that many of the cards have condition issues.  One was bent.  Many have some soft corners and edges.  I do always make note of condition flaws when I enter them into TCDB and make sure to tell my trading partner.

That's all of them, but it's obviously not a great picture and there are stacks.  I give to you some better pics.

I didn't know what was in the box until about an hour ago and didn't know what to expect.  I do know that I didn't expect those top two cards...or the top 2/3 card...however you want to look at it.  I don't recall the year, but those are from an early 1980s Topps set that was a card, perforated, that was three mini cards.  I've seen plenty of them attached but can't imagine that too many people broke them apart.  At least one person did.

Can anyone help me with the card above?  I haven't started any research yet so maybe it'll be an easy one to figure out.  I'm not optimistic since I don't have a first name on the card.  Any info is greatly appreciated!

I'm not too wild about the bottom cards, but I love the top two.  If you've read my blog you know that I like pre-war cards.  The T205 design is pretty sweet.

I'll probably keep the Obama cards for a cold night when I need to start a fire.  Yes, it gets cold in Texas.

I doubt the Pacific cards are rare, but I don't recall them at all.

I've got to imagine that Trout is worth a few bucks and fortunately it's a mint card.  If you need any of these, find me on TCDB and propose a trade!

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!

COMING SOON: Box From 'Bama

It's been a month since my uncle's unexpected passing.  Since he was the uncle that got me into collecting, I felt it was only right to stop into a card shop when I was in Birmingham for the funeral.  I made the 30 minute trek from where I was staying to Alabaster to visit Sports Nuts Collectibles. 

Curtis' shop isn't your normal shop.  He sells online and is a breaker.  There are also shows in the rotation, as he was headed to Houston the next weekend.  His shop is as much a warehouse as anything else. 

There was still plenty to dig through and I walked out with a case-sized box of goodies.  It was mostly oddball and promo cards but I also picked up three boxes and some random packs. 

Friday on the Condition Sensitive blog, it was mentioned to "enjoy the new cards instead of spending money on new stuff."  That struck a nerve as something I need to do a better job of. 

This box of cards is a good place to start.  My plan is to post short posts, but it should be extremely fun with all of the promo cards and oddballs.  I hope that y'all will enjoy it and hopefully see some things you didn't even know are out there. 

Oh, I guess I need a picture, so here's a shot of the box...

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out.  I also use it on eBay to get money back from purchases there.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $150 in a year.  FREE CARDS!

If you're on Twitter, please give me a follow.  You can also find me on Trading Card Database.  I love trading cards, when it makes sense.  Happy collecting!