New Retro Toy Store Discovery!

Recently a co-worker told me about a new retro toy shop that opened in town. You better believe that's where I took my lunch break that day. There was a ton of great stuff to look at and I had limited time to do so. I will have to go back and take a longer look at some of the stuff in this store. The prices were a little bit all over the place. Some things were priced too high and some were surprisingly affordable. In my haste to squeeze this trip in, I did find a few solid pick-ups in the comic book bins. Here is what I grabbed:

Gen 13 #1 (Image)

The Adventures of Kool-Aid Man #1 (Marvel)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #2 (Archie)

Ultimate Spider-Man FCBD #1 (Marvel)

I always love finding some sweet deals on new comic books and you know I couldn't leave without picking up a new TMNT item for the collection. I looked at their selection of vintage TMNT toys and saw a carded Venus for $150! The card was a little beat up and I already have the loose figure, so I passed this up and my wallet thanked me. As I continued looking around, I noticed randomly placed boxes of Non-Sport cards around the store, but something caught my eye more than the others...

Upper Deck Comic Ball Cards: Series #1

Upper Deck Comic Ball Cards: Series #2

Upper Deck Comic Ball Cards: Series #3

Upper Deck Comic Ball Cards: Series #4

Sealed packs of Upper Deck Comic Ball cards! I grabbed one pack from all 4 series for $1 each! I loved these cards as a kid. This was Space Jam before Space Jam existed. Once you collected the whole set, you were treated to a comic book style story that featured the Looney Tunes and some huge names from the 90's spots scene. Included were stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Reggie Jackson, Thurman Thomas & Jerry Rice to name a few. I remember pulling a Wile E Coyote hologram from one of these packs years ago and feeling like I was a Goonie that just discovered the Inferno! Loved these cards then and still love them now! Hopefully, I'll be back soon to see what other treasures I can uncover!

My Personal History of Non-Sports Collecting

The year was 1987 and my favorite baseball team, the NY Mets, were fresh off a sensational World Series winning season and my Dad saw my brother and my interest peak in the sport. He decided a good way to get us acquainted with baseball and the players would be to buy us some packs of 1987 Topps cards. 

You know the set, the one one with the fantastic wood grain boarders. Well, little did he know that this decision would kick start my love for collecting cards. Every time we would stop by a convenience store, gas station or drug store, I would ask for a new pack of cards and the majority of the time my Dad would cave. It would be years later when I discovered the joys of collecting basketball cards with the 1990-1991 NBA Hoops set.

This newfound love of basketball kind of pushed baseball to the side and I started playing organized basketball and it became my favorite sport. My team won two championships and lost only 1 game in 3 years, I was even named to the all-tournament team as the best all-around "Power Forward"! Those were great times and even though I was big into sports at the time, another interest started to creep in and it all started in 1992 with the...

DEATH OF SUPERMAN! Yes, I had a few comics scattered around the house and yes, I did have a small collection of Secret Wars action figures, but it wasn't until this momentous occasion that I really saw what impact comic books could have on people and that story really began my comic collecting obsession. I had to read all the Superman books! Superman led to Batman, Batman led to Spider-Man, Spider-Man led to X-Men and not only did these comics lead to discussions on the play ground, but it also brought together kids who had never really hung out before. This was a type of pop culture that it seemed everyone had an opinion on and my mind was blown when during one of those meetings of the minds, one of my buddies whipped out his collection of Marvel Universe trading cards!

Two of my favorite hobbies were now together in one amazing package! They were cards, but they featured stats and bios of some of the greatest superheroes of the time! Just like my Dad when he bought us those 1987 Topps packs, these cards introduced me to so many fantastic creations that I had never heard of before and I wanted to know more which led to a deeper love of the comic genre.

I became a big collector of these cards when Marvel Universe Series 3 cards came out and I tried to collect the whole set. I had some of the holograms and came close, but ended up a few cards short. After series 4 of the Marvel Universe cards was released, my interest in collecting them kind of waned and I would pick up a few packs every now and then, but I wasn't as big of a comic card collector as I had been.

I've picked up a few cards recently, but my main focus is on the actual comics nowadays, but if the price is right I won't hesitate to buy a box of these magnificent relics from the era of the comic boom in the 90's. I've brought some of these boxes home for my kids to enjoy and to share with them that experience of discovering new characters via the art on these mini masterpieces and of course I am always happy to share my knowledge of comic book characters with my children. It's a nice little bonding experience for us that I hope they will remember for years to come.

Collecting these non-sports cards was a fairly big part of my childhood and although I am not into the hobby as much as when I was younger it still feels good to look through a stack of these cardboard wonders and relive that time when these characters were new to me.

Another Weekend Antique Excursion!

 

A few weeks ago I met up with a friend as we went on the hunt for retro treasure at one of our local antique malls. I enjoy going to these kinds of stores, because you'll never know what you're going to find. Most of the time the cool stuff that I like is way over priced, but it's cool to know it's out there if I really want it. There were a ton of booths to go through. Some of them did have some great stuff, but nothing that I really collected. Below are some of the items we found this time around.

Ms. Pac-Man Coleco Tabletop Arcade Game: $175

I love these tabletop games! When I was younger I always admired the collection that my cousin had. He would rarely let us play them, but when he did, it was an amazing experience. My favorite of the tabletop games that he had was Mario's Cement Factory. I'm still on the lookout for one of those machines for an affordable price. Speaking of price $175 for this Ms. Pac-Man with the box and paperwork is actually a fair deal. I've seen these go for twice that price in worse condition. If I were a richer man, this would have come home with me! 

Dave Stevens Autographed Art: $75

Dave Stevens is most well known as the creator of The Rocketeer. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 52 after a battle with leukemia. He had such a distinct style that is immediately recognizable. At $75, this autographed piece of comic art titled "Hot Cargo" is a steal! I should go back and grab it before someone else comes to their senses and adds it to their collection!

Nestle Crunch/Upper Deck Slam Dunk Bar: $5

I was an avid collector of basketball cards in my youth, but I don't ever recall seeing these sold in stores. If I had, I know I would have bought them in bulk. Each pack contains a special "Slam Dunk" Nestle Crunch Bar and 4 Upper Deck basketball cards. The cards highlight some of the best dunkers of the era like Michael Jordan, Shawn Kemp and Isaiah Rider. This is an item that I did pick up and I'll show you what was inside in a future post.

Vintage Lunchboxes: $15 - $50

I love old lunchboxes and these ones especially. I had those Real Ghostbusters and Super Mario Bros. lunchboxes when I was in grade school and they were well used and well loved. I may still have them somewhere at my Mom's house, but they are nowhere near as clean as these ones are and I'm pretty sure the Thermos are long gone! For $30, I will go back and pick these up to add to my Ghostbusters and Nintendo collections. The She-Ra and Golden Girl boxes were a nice surprise to see in the display case.

X-Men #25 (Blue Hologram Error): $2

This X-Men issue was released in 1993 during the peak of X-Men mania! The cartoon was on FOX, the comics were selling like crazy and Wolverine was the hottest comic book character around. Of course I collected the X-Men books around this time and I do have the regular green/yellow hologram version of this book, but when I saw this for $2 at the antique mall, I couldn't pass it up. Allegedly, these blue holograms were a printing error and are fairly rare. I just think it's a cool looking book from an era of X-Men that had me hooked!

My Pal 2: $30

My Pal 2 was released by Toybiz in the early 90's. I never owned one, but I vividly remember the commercials for this little robot companion. He could talk, his nose glowed, he played games like Simon says & ring toss, he could throw and he had a basketball hoop on his chest for impromptu games of HORSE on a rainy day! This example of My Pal 2 is missing his sweet hat and hoop, but man did this bring back some memories. I've attached the commercial from 1993 below. Take 30 seconds to watch it and bask in all that My Pal 2 could do. If that's not your thing, at least give it a watch to see one of the kids truly magnificent mullets!

Wax Pack Revolution: Baseball Edition

Over the last few years, I've been collecting old wax & foil packs of trading cards from the 80s & 90s. When you would buy one of these packs you would tear it open and throw away the wrapper. Never giving it a second thought. Seeing these again brings back memories of feeling the slick paper in your hands, seeing the simple artwork and the smell of bubble gum. In celebration of the return of Major League Baseball after the great lockout of 2022, let's dive into a few of these packs that I have on display and celebrate a few of my favorite players from my #1 team...the NEW YORK METS!

1988 Donruss

1990 Topps Traded

1991 Donruss

1991 Fleer

1992 Topps Stadium Club

Thanks for taking a minute to look at some old packs of baseball cards and humoring my die hard Mets fandom. I hope whoever you cheer for has a great season and you can enjoy the game to the fullest! If you feel like checking out the classic 1985 broadcast of the Mets vs. Cubs game, feel free to watch the Youtube video below. Now let's PLAY BALL!!!

Non-Sports Card Showcase #2

I have loved collecting cards since I was 6 years old. Recently it's been a bit of a hassle keeping up with the hobby by attempting to actually locate products or seeing the huge prices secondary sellers are trying to get. Regardless, I still enjoy opening a fresh pack of cards whether it be baseball, basketball or Garbage Pail Kids! Recently I was sitting in my basement with my kids going through some of my collection and I realized that I have some pretty cool non-sports cards. Today, I'd like to share a few more of those cards with you. Let's begin!

2002 Inkworks MIIB #PW1

I've stated on here before about how big of a Fresh Prince/Will Smith fan I am and it may come to no surprise that I loved the Men In Black films. This card set came out in 2002 and I did buy a few packs in hope that I would get lucky and pull one of these relic cards. I never did pull one, but I kept it on my wish list and would check the eaby listings from time to time. I finally found this card featuring a piece of screen worn MIB suit, for around $5. I know it's not from Will's suit, but still a cool piece of MIB memorabilia.

2006 Topps Chrome #CO-JM

Last week I told you all about my love of Jenny McCarthy back in the 90s, but as time went on so did I. She still holds a special place in my teenage years, but by the time this card was released I really could have cared less. I think I received this card in a relic card lot that I bought pretty cheap.

2008 Upper Deck Semi-Pro #1

I am a big fan of the movie Semi-Pro and, in my opinion, it's one of Will Ferrell's funniest movies. In 2008 Upper Deck released a 3 card set to help promote the movie. The other 2 cards feature Andre 3000 as Clarence "Coffee" Brown and Woody Harrelson as Ed Monix. I found these pretty cheap and they always make me smile when I see them in my collection.

2015 Panini Americana #MS-JJ

The other half of my most favorite rap duo of all-time, DJ Jazzy Jeff has made quite a name for himself in the music industry. Yes, I enjoy his Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince albums, but I also really like his solo stuff that he has put out over the years. Each album is it's own mix tape and features production by Jeff with guest vocals by some of the biggest names in hip-hop like Eminem, The Roots, Method Man & Biz Markie. This is one card I will never let go of!

1995 Sports Stars USA #103

Again I am ending on a card that features one of the greatest sporting icons of all-time, Michael Jordan. I found this in a dollar box at a local card shop and had to pick it up. It features Jordan in his White Sox attire during his baseball playing phase in the 90's and encourages us all to eat our Wheaties. I like the shimmery faux autograph on the front and the basic back really help to make this oddball card a standout in my collection! Did you collect non-sports cards back in the day? If so, let us know what your favorite sets to collect were in the comment section below.

Non-Sports Card Showcase #1

I have loved collecting cards since I was 6 years old. Recently it's been a bit of a hassle keeping up with the hobby by attempting to actually locate products or seeing the huge prices secondary sellers are trying to get. Regardless, I still enjoy opening a fresh pack of cards whether it be baseball, basketball or Garbage Pail Kids! Recently I was sitting in my basement with my kids going through some of my collection and I realized that I have some pretty cool non-sports cards. Today, I'd like to share a few of those cards with you. Let's begin!

2005 Topps #255

In the 2005 Topps basketball series you would find these "Rookie" cards of celebrities. Some of the celebs included were Shannon Elizabeth, Carmen Electra and Jay-Z. Not sure why these folks were included in several Topps sets that year, but at least I now own a unique card of one of the dopest MCs of all-time!

1997 Sports Time Playboy #P

In the 90's I was a teenager, therefore I was a big Jenny McCarthy fan. I had her posters on my wall, watched "Singled Out" on MTV and also had a few of her *ahem* magazine appearances under my bed. I found this card on ebay for $1 and it reminded me of those early days of my youth. I have never seen any other cards from this set and the only Playboy card in my collection is this promo card...for nostalgia reasons of course.

2018 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions #34

My kids and I are big fans of the American Ninja Warrior show on NBC. My kids even went to a "Ninja" gym for a few years, so when the opportunity arose for me to take my kids to meet one of their idols Jessie Graff...we took that opportunity! My work was sponsoring a speaking engagement featuring Jessie Graff and former NFL player/Ninja Warrior host Akbar Gbajabiamila and we were invited to a VIP meet and greet with them. I bought these cards immediately so my kids could get them autographed. We all had an amazing time and Jessie took about 20 minutes of her time to sit and talk with my kids before signing their cards and taking some photos. It was fantastic and they still talk about the experience to this day!

1990 TMNT Soundtrack Sticker

Anyone who was a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fan in the early 90's knows what this is. Every copy of the TMNT Movie soundtrack included one of these stickers. My original sticker that was in the cassette tape me and my brother bought ended up in a sticker book somewhere. Luckily when I recently purchased a CD copy of the TMNT Movie soundtrack, the sticker was still inside! I slipped it into a top loader case at it remains there for me to take out and admire from time to time.

Bo Jackson - No Caine

Okay, this one is kind of a cheat since it includes Bo Jackson, but it is so odd that I had to include it here! Some people have told me this was handed out at ball games back in the 80's, others told me it was a poster of this card that was handed out and this was a bootleg card of that poster that was made to capitalize on Bo Jackson's popularity. I don't know the origins of this card and honestly I don't care. It's an odd piece to have in my Bo collection that teaches us all an important lesson...TURN YOUR BACK ON CRACK! Thanks for reading! Did you collect non-sports cards back in the day? If so, let us know what your favorite sets to collect were in the comment section below.

Wrapping Up Christmas 2021

Now that I am a parent Christmas is mostly all about making the kids happy and helping Santa get them the toys that were on their list. There is nothing like seeing their little faces light up on that special December morning...even if it's at 4am. I guess that's karma, but every year I still look forward to unwrapping my own gifts from my kids & wife. They typically do a great job of getting me some sweet presents and this year they did not disappoint. I know it's a little late, but lets look behind the wrapping paper and see what goodies were under the tree for me this year!

Basketball Cards

I love collecting basketball cards and have been doing so since I was about 10 years old. I'm always down for opening a few packs whether they are new or old wax packs. This year I got a few of the top rookies and I was happy we were actually able to find a box on the shelves at Walmart.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game

I was really excited to get this game. I have the original for the Wii, but this version blows that one out of the water! The graphics are fantastic, the story is fun and hearing the entire Ghostbusting crew back together is amazing!

He-Man Figures

I actually enjoyed watching the new Masters of The Universe cartoon on Netflix with my kids. Yes, it is more of a kid friendly and safe option and the creators changed quite a bit from the original, but the action, humor and adventure are still there. My wife also got me the sweet MOTU mini figures from the Dollar Tree. For $1, these are some pretty well done figures!

Silk Sonic CD

I've been a fan of Bruno Mars for a while and Anderson Paak just recently made it onto my radar add in some Bootsy Collins and I am sold! Some good funk & soul jams on here.

The Office Items

I love The Office, so my wife got me a Dwight Schrute bobblehead an official The Office "Talking Button" that spews out icon lines from the show when you push down on it. The fact that it is shaped like a stapler in a Jell-O mold only makes this impulse item cooler.

Will by Will Smith

I have been following Will Smith's career since I feel in love with his fresh rhymes on the 80's jam "Parents Just Don't Understand". I watched "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" religiously on Monday nights on NBC and have seen the majority of his movies. It should be cool to dig a little deeper into the life of one of my favorite MCs.

Movies

The fam picked me up the original King Kong vs. Godzilla from 1962, Wonder Woman 1984 and The Goldbergs Seasons 3 & 4. Got a little bit of watching to do! Well, that's it for this past Christmas. I hope yours was merry, bright and full of good tidings. Merry Christmas!