A Couple Packages From Colbey

The greatness that has been showing up in my mailbox has been amazing.  Colbey from the fine blog, Cardboard Collections, held one of his cheapo group breaks recently.  He always busts a wide variety of products which is usually boxes from the 90s. The prices are low and the cards are always cool looking.  Colbey usually picks boxes that not many collectors have a lot of cards from.  This makes his breaks new and fresh.

This is the freshness that I am talking about.  These are two cards from 1999 EX Century Skybox.  These cards are made of plastic and have the thickness of a credit card.  Skybox also added some holographic shine to the card.  This makes the cards even classier.

I was luck enough to get the Orioles as my second team for this break.  The Dodgers were my first team of course.  Colbey did a nice enough job pulling a lot of Cal Ripken cards for me and a healthy dose of Dodgers.  I also dig seeing Ripken listed as a third baseman.  I know that I watched him play third base but, I still think of him as a beast shortstop.

Colbey also opened up some packs of 1997 Stadium Club.  This was one of the better sets of the 90s.  The cards were super glossy and the photography was world class.  This is a Mike Piazza Stadium Slugger card.    This photo is perfectly framed and shows Piazza lacing a line drive down the left field line.

Here are a couple more 1997 Stadium Club cards that I got in the group break.  These are from the base set.  The photo of HOFer Roberto Alomar is top notch.  Alomar was such a smooth second baseman.  He truly was a joy to watch field his position.  The Rauuul Mondesi card shows him rounding the bases on a ball he crushed in the gap at Wrigley.

Please Topps, bring back the Stadium Club.  We, as collectors, need a set that focuses on photography more than we need another vintage set or a high end set that I will never purchase.

Pinnacle sets make me feel nostalgic for the 90s.  Pinnacle makes me feel like listening to Alice in Chains and wearing JNCO jeans. I wish that Pinnacle never went away.  There sets always looked unique and pushed Topps and Upper Deck to step there game up.

That is what needs to happen in today's collecting world.  Topps needs somebody to push them for something greater than simplicity.  Maybe Pannini can do that this year.  But, I am not really into logo less photos or autos of 18 year old draftees.

Keep up on the breaks, Colbey.  I love taking a trip down 90s lane.