A little bit of 90's and early 2000's reminiscing........

Matt26

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Matt
After seeing the post about the 90's Grant Hill cards today, though it would be fun to reminisce about that fantastic period of trading cards from the early 90's through to the mid 2000's.......

Some great memories......

- Having multiple card shop(s) in most capital cities. I think Parramatta in Sydney had 3 at one time. Card Shaq at Penrith and in the City were always well visited.

- Remembering the very first release of Topps Finest and how everyone was going crazy over the refractors.

- Pulling a Jordan base card was going to set you up financially for life!

- Collecting players from the Draft class of 96/97 - Kobe, Nash, Allen, Marbury, Camby, Iverson etc.......

- Chasing down cards without the assistance of ebay.........was tough.

- The Parramatta collectables fair with multiple cards tables.

- Collectors Choice Silver and GOLD signatures.

- Seeing Flair showcase at $8 a pack and think damn.....that's high end.

- Opening 1 card Packs of SPX and pulling players like Penny, Shaq and if you were super lucky.... Eric Montross!

- Seeing some guy wearing 45 for the bulls and them being the hottest cards on the planet. "im back"

- Darius Miles rookie cards!

- Vince Carter Rookie cards!

- Seeing super high end Ultimate........ followed by Exquisite every July just in time for the Nationals.

- Beckett actually having great stories and a price guide that if you got it early enough you could see what went up/down before others and try and win some trades.

- Die Cut All Stars from Upper Deck SE (West and East)!

- Beam teams!!!!!

- The hugely popular TSC first day issues........and Super Teams!!!!

Should I go on?

What else do you fondly remember from those halcyon days of collecting!

Cheers
Matt
 
Please don,t go on.It brings back to many memories of how much money i wasted.As you seen last sunday,i still have inserts and common cards from the 90,s that i can,t get rid of.
 
Please don,t go on.It brings back to many memories of how much money i wasted.As you seen last sunday,i still have inserts and common cards from the 90,s that i can,t get rid of.

Almost classified as Vintage now Paul!!!
 
You've named everything I loved about that era.

But one thing you said about how tough it was to chase cards pre ebay.... But it was SOOOO much more rewarding though!

I've always dreamed of putting together a collectors choice Gold sig set.
 
You've named everything I loved about that era.

But one thing you said about how tough it was to chase cards pre ebay.... But it was SOOOO much more rewarding though!

I've always dreamed of putting together a collectors choice Gold sig set.

I see some of those cards around and they bring back so many memories........for what its worth.....my one Gold Signature I pulled out of a box was........Eric Montross! LOL
 
Buying loads and loads of regular packs of 93-94 Upper Deck chasing rookie standouts...and finally getting an Alan Houston and treasuring it...then finding out later you can get one RS in every jumbo pack haha.

If you pulled a 93 94 Mr June you were a king among peasants.

Penny Hardaway being the next Jordan.

Splashing out on "high end" 93-94 Upper Deck SE packs at the video store and chasing die cut allstars and Johnny Kilroy.

The joy of one insert per pack with Fleer. Hotpacks in 94-95 wtf.

Ordering a set of Fleer Drexler Career Highlights, a Shaq Upper Deck rookie card and a few SE die cuts allstars through the mail and friends wondering where I got all these awesome cards from.

Thinking Topps and Hoops were cheap and nasty. But loved Stadium Club.

Holojams.

When MJ came back from retirement in 95 and all the extra cards that would be made.

Grant Hill being the next Jordan.

Pulling a Webber 94-95 Ultra All Rookie Team and thinking this is the best card I will ever own. Then pulling a 95-96 Skybox Jordan Larger Than Life the next year and it going straight into the screw down.

Pulling an insert and looking in Beckett how much it is worth...and being disappointed most of the time haha.

Buying packs of 97-98 Upper Deck and knowing I will never pull a game jersey....but then buying a few over ebay years later lol.

Still think 97-98 Upper Deck is the best set ever made and still chasing game jerseys and diamond dimensions.
 
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Buying loads and loads of regular packs of 93-94 Upper Deck chasing rookie standouts...and finally getting an Alan Houston and treasuring it...then finding out later you can get one RS in every jumbo pack haha.

If you pulled a 93 94 Mr June you were a king among peasants.

Penny Hardaway being the next Jordan.

Splashing out on "high end" 93-94 Upper Deck SE packs at the video store and chasing die cut allstars and Johnny Kilroy.

The joy of one insert per pack with Fleer. Hotpacks in 94-95 wtf.

Ordering a set of Fleer Drexler Career Highlights, a Shaq Upper Deck rookie card and a few SE die cuts allstars through the mail and friends wondering where I got all these awesome cards from.

Thinking Topps and Hoops were cheap and nasty. But loved Stadium Club.

Holojams.

When MJ came back from retirement in 95 and all the extra cards that would be made.

Grant Hill being the next Jordan.

Pulling a Webber 94-95 Ultra All Rookie Team and thinking this is the best card I will ever own. Then pulling a 95-96 Skybox Jordan Larger Than Life the next year and it going straight into the screw down.

Toukley card shop and the owner telling me that Silhouette Stadium was overpriced and to go off Beckett prices, but then still sell me cards at SS prices.

Pulling an insert and looking in Beckett how much it is worth...and being disappointed most of the time haha.

Buying packs of 97-98 Upper Deck and knowing I will never pull a game jersey....but then buying a few over ebay years later lol.

Still think 97-98 Upper Deck is the best set ever made and still chasing game jerseys and diamond dimensions.

Love this!!!!

I remember when MJ came back, there was a guy who knew where the Flair Jordan 45 card was in the box......and always got to grab the first pack out of the box.......

I used to love busting the stadium club jumbo packs which were awesome with all the different printing technology!
 
Being able to get a whole set in a box on most products!!!! And only finding this out after buying well over a hundred packs of 94/95 Collector's Choice and Steve and Collector's Edge, Parramatta telling me, "It'd be cheaper just to buy a box."

Side note (kinda): The three card stores in Parramatta were Collector's Edge (Steve Zeng), Eddie's and Dean's.
 
Was cleaning up the other day

20181106_110104.jpg
 
Being able to get a whole set in a box on most products!!!! And only finding this out after buying well over a hundred packs of 94/95 Collector's Choice and Steve and Collector's Edge, Parramatta telling me, "It'd be cheaper just to buy a box."

Side note (kinda): The three card stores in Parramatta were Collector's Edge (Steve Zeng), Eddie's and Dean's.

Old Ed brought back some memories!!!
 
The shop at blacktown was one of the best.You could go there not worrying about searched boxes and get a bargin for your money,when it came to buying cards.The 2 young mean who ran the shop were ok too.Dave and a very young Matt26 were the best you could ever know when it came to helping you with basketball cards.
 
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Oh wow did Matt26 work at a card shop? Now that's card collecting passion at it's finest and even now still on the forums, salute to you fine sir :thumbsup: and wasn't Phantom zone in liverpool back in the day?
 
Oh wow did Matt26 work at a card shop? Now that's card collecting passion at it's finest and even now still on the forums, salute to you fine sir :thumbsup: and wasn't Phantom zone in liverpool back in the day?

Yep i'm a nerd...... I used to work at Swapmeet back when I was a teenager........that's where I originally met @Paul_Ambrey from. Great bloke!

One day they got busy and I offered to help......from there on got to help run the shop when I wasn't working my other job(s).

Remember there was a guy who was very well off and had a standing offer with the shop......any major Jordans get pulled.....he would buy them.....just name the price.

Saw some awesome cards pulled by people........the best was a box of Flair Showcase where a Rodman Row 0 Legacy got pulled followed by a Jordan Row 0 Legacy from the same box.

Cheers
Matt
 
Phantom Zone mostly dealt with comics but did have some basketball cards - not a lot though.

Matt26 and Paul Ambrey , you guys might have known my younger cousin, Matthew O'Keeffe. He used to be regular at the blacktown store when he lived in the area (1994-96/97). Young kid, big Grant Hill Fan.
 
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