Posts Tagged ‘collecting’
1989 Upper Deck Baseball Cards: A Complete Guide
Introduction: The Hobby Before 1989 Let’s set the scene. In 1989, baseball card collecting was already booming. Kids were ripping wax packs of Topps, Fleer, and Donruss, building sets with gum-stained fingers, and trading “commons” on the playground like a second currency. The hobby was fun, affordable, and… a little stale. Topps, Fleer, and Donruss…
Read More2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Basketball: Collector’s Holy Grail
Intro: When Card Collecting Went Luxe If trading cards were luxury cars, 2003 Exquisite would be a blacked-out Rolls-Royce Phantom—sumptuous, rare, and leaving the rest of the hobby in its dust. Debuting in the 2003–04 season, Upper Deck went all-in on premium. These cards came in wooden boxes, just five cards each, with serial numbering,…
Read MoreThe 1989 Score Football Card Set: Complete Guide
Introduction: When Football Card Collecting Got Its Cheer Chant If the card hobby were a stadium, 1989 Score Football is the roaring crowd that made it feel alive. It marks not just the set’s debut for Score, but a seismic shift in the late-80s football card scene—which had been dominated by Topps and the fledgling…
Read MoreThe 1952 Topps Baseball Set: A Collector’s Epic (With the Full 407-Card Checklist)
Introduction: When Baseball Cards Grew Up If the baseball card hobby were a rock band, the 1952 Topps set would be The Beatles. Before 1952, Topps made candy, gum, and some smaller test issues. Then, they decided to go big. Literally. The ’52 Topps cards were oversized compared to Bowman, had bright colors, facsimile autographs,…
Read MoreComplete Collectors Guide to 1984 Star Basketball Cards 🏀
🌌 The Hobby Context – Why Star Company Even Happened Alright, picture this: It’s the early 80s. Topps, who had been producing NBA cards for years, taps out after 1981–82. No more Bird, Magic, Dr. J, or rookies in packs. For three long seasons (’82–83, ’83–84, and ’84–85), there’s no licensed NBA trading card product…
Read MoreThe Complete 2017 Prizm Football Checklist 🔥
🏈 2017 Panini Prizm Football – The Set That Shook the Hobby If you’ve been in the hobby for a minute, you know Prizm is basically the gateway drug of modern football cards. Chrome shine, rainbow parallels, and enough refractor action to make you squint like you just stared at the sun too long. But…
Read MoreThe Complete Guide to Mickey Mantle Cards
The Complete Guide to Mickey Mantle Cards — The Hobby King If Michael Jordan is the GOAT of basketball cards, then Mickey Mantle is the cardboard Babe Ruth of baseball cards. He’s the guy your dad, your grandpa, and probably your grandpa’s drinking buddy all said was “the one you wanted to pull.” Mantle isn’t…
Read MoreComplete Guide to 1980s Michael Jordan Cards
The Ultimate 1980s Michael Jordan Card Guide — From True Rookies to Weird Oddballs Alright hobby fam, let’s talk about His Airness — Michael Jeffrey Jordan — the GOAT, the guy who made basketball cool worldwide, and the man who has somehow convinced generations of collectors to mortgage a kidney for cardboard with his face…
Read MoreMORE Pressure Coming to Card Shops
Smaller sports card shops could be walking into a very different playing field if high-profile athletes open their own card stores with the backing—directly or indirectly—of Fanatics/Topps. Here’s the breakdown of the challenges and how they might fight back: Challenges for Small Card Shops 1️⃣ Star Power & Marketing Reach Athlete-owned shops will instantly get…
Read MoreThe National Card Show is Different This Year
Event Highlights The 45th NSCC took place July 30 to August 3, 2025, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois.The Cardboard Connectionnsccshow.com It featured a massive setup, with over 500,000 square feet of trading floor, more than 600 dealer booths, autograph sessions, live breaks, auctions, and exclusive brand redemption programs.The Cardboard Connection…
Read More