History of Trading Cards Comes To Schaumburg Library

I will be presenting the History of Trading Cards on Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. at the Schaumburg Library. If you want to learn about the history of trading cards from their origins as advertisements to their current status as 2.5 x 3.5 encyclopedia entries, I hope you'll come out and visit.

It's my last presentation before the National Sports Collectors Convention and I'll bring out some packs to share with the participants. Let's talk trading cards!

If you'd like to register for the program, use this link.

I hope to see you there!

Cryptozoic Covers The Walking Dead Comics With Set Two

The Walking Dead has become a pop culture phenomenon. From the mind of Robert Kirkman, the comic book that started it all has spawned a television show, and an enormous amount of commercial products ranging from action figures to trading cards. In fact there are multiple sets of trading cards that focus specifically on the TV show or the Comic Book. All have met with success.

This time around Cryptozoic revisits the comic book and the outstanding, dramatic, sometimes gory covers. The 72-card set recaps the many adventures Rick and his peeps have endured since the law officer awoke from a slumber. The comic and TV show are much different however. While many believe the show is extreme, the comic is far more violent and tragic. Many of the same characters are in both worlds, but their existence has some similarities and vast differences.

Have a look at the trading card set with this video box break:

Pure + Plexiglass = Happy Collector

Yeah that headline lacks some pertinent info, but I don't usually inflict a lot of opinion into a box break. This time however, I felt it was abundantly necessary. You see, I am happy. A technology that I love has returned to the hobby. I love acetate cards. Love em. There's something about the clear, see-through nature of creating a card that looks good when you can see right through it. Maybe it's simply the transparency of it. I mean we all know a little more transparency would do this hobby a great deal of good... Whatever the case, as much as I love acetate, I love thick plexiglass more.

I can remember vividly when I was handed a Kobe Bryant UD Glass promo card. My jaw dropped.  My reaction was internal combustion. It was like a small explosion of the future and what COULD be done with cards was just multiplied by infinity and beyond. Immediately I thought of colored glass parallels, autographs and more. Sadly, I don't think the tech ever got the hobby love it deserved, or that I so selfishly wanted to explore.

When I heard rumblings that Leaf Trinty was going to have glass cards, I made sure I was going to get my hands on some. It's been ignored too long and I was beyond ecstatic to see it return. I can only hope that Leaf takes it to another level. It's not the most cost effective type of card to make and should remain a specialty item, but whoooo-hoooo am I happy to collect 2013 NFL rookie cards on this technology.

Here's recent break of Trinity I did, you can see how cool the cards look...

What Do I Collect?

I love getting mail and hearing comments about Cardboard Connection Radio -- good or bad. Keep em coming. In fact we need to make a regular weekly segment of reader mail and comments. If you want to ask a question, make a statement or just say hi, you can always reach us at radio@sportsology.net.

OK, that said, easily the most asked question is what do you collect. If you listen to the show, you know I am picky. I only really collect obscure Reggie Jackson cards, Kurt Warner autographs, Kyle Busch autographs and some oddball entertainment autographs. Right now I am chasing the Panini Golden Age Bad News Bears autos as well as a couple of TNA and Leaf Wrestling stragglers I missed out on after opening up some of those products. I'm always looking to add autographed cards of Steve Yzerman, Nicklas Lidstrom, & Sergei Federov to my collection, and I am in pursuit of autos of Brett Favre in a Vikings jersey and Brett Hull in a Red Wings jersey.

Recently I picked up some items to add to my personal collection, you know, things I just wanted...

They range from comics, to action figures, cards and even a sweet hat.

Here's a look...

L to R: Iron Patriot Action Figure, 2 Ken Shamrock Leaf Originals Wrestling Cards, Budd Lynch Bobblehead, Austin Aries TNA Live auto, Boba Fett cap, Essential She-Hulk Vol. 1, Kyle Busch Redline auto, Iron Monger build-a-figure & Paul Rudd Parks & Rec auto.

Pretty outlandish? Nah, I just like a wide variety of weird things and refuse to grow up. Do you collect anything special to you that you think is weird? Drop us an email and let us know. Maybe it could be a new segment on the radio show -- Collections of the Weird and Exotic?

 Addendum

I was cleaning up the office today and found 3 other recent items I acquired. The first was an autograph I wanted to add to my collection for a long time. I wish it was on a card, but this is a pretty awesome item too. He recently did a signing at a local book store, no brainer!

 

This was a surprise. I was at ALA, a librarian convention and I was extremely happy to find Gail Simone, Brian Azzarello and one half of one of my favorite creative teams (Batman: Dark Knight) writer Gregg Hurwitz sitting together doing a signing, so I got this gem.

 Finally, one last thing you probably don't know about me is that I collect Star Wars books. From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker to present, I am kinda obsessed with the stories of Star Wars. I don't dress up like them or anything, but I think I can attest a lot of the things that go on in my mind, as well as my vocabulary to reading Star Wars novels. When I was a little kid, maybe 6 or 7 I sat witha dictionary and a book and looked up words like corridor, bureaucrats, obstinate, and some that weren't in the dictionary such as Jedi, Corellian and hyperspace. Timothy Zahn isn't exactly my favorite Star Wars author, that designation goes to Troy Denning. But I owe Zahn something, and this is a really cool edition/addition to my collection. He wrote some great books and brought Star Wars books back to prominence with his Thrawn Trilogy and Heir to the Empire novel. His latest book follows Han Solo and Chewbacca shortly after they played a part in destroying the Death Star. I sure hope its good!