Single Card Mail Day:2011 Panini Gridiron Gear Game Breakers Patch Hakeem Nicks

I don't find myself dabbling too much into newer relic cards like I used to.

It seems most relic cards aren't even worn or touched by the said player on the front. So basically, companies are buying jerseys off from store shelves and cutting them up. That's the easiest way to put it.

So, when I find a good game used patch card for under $5, I am scooping it up. Especially if it's one of my favorite Giants wide outs.

This is a nice two-color swatch of Hakeem Nicks.

 

Back of the card is numbered to 50.

I would love to find a few more in this set of the patch cards.

How many newer relic cards do you buy or do you stick with the classics that have game used pieces? Let me know in comments.

Rodney's Cardboard: End Of The Road?

Has it come time to end my reign of Rodney Hampton?

My once domination of owning every Rodney Hampton hasn't been the case the last few years. With companies pumping him out and prices of Rodney on the rise, this doesn't equal out well for a simple, low budget collector like myself.

In the last two months alone, the following Rodney's have been pumped out, all with parallels,

 

That's a lot. And what makes it worse, other than a few base ones from 2025 Prizm Black and 2025 Panini I don't see myself ever being able to add anymore.

Not when they are listed at $30 each or incredibly more. The rarer cards are being listed at $300+. This is for Rodney Hampton. I have seen 1/1's from Panini Select go for $70. It seems the combination of flippers and money makers in the hobby is having an impact on all areas and even a guy like Rodney Hampton isn't being left out.

The hobby is in a sad place right now and is dragging me down with it.

I have added four cards from the ones above that were actually priced correctly, but that maybe it for me and may be the end of the road for my Rodney chase in general. I also lost out on a 1997 Upper Deck Black Diamond Gold I had waited all these years to be listed and that even went for $13 and I got sniped. Prices for Rodney Hampton shouldn't be like this. There should be a happy medium for guys like this in the hobby and the collectors of them.

Let me know in comments if you are experiencing this with any of the people you collect.

Have a great Sunday and stay tuned for those four new Rodney's to be posted.

On The Dart

With all of the excitement and build up heading into the 2025-26 season for the NY Giants, I fell for the trap I said I never would again, that is buying up cheap Jaxson Dart cards.

I did this when the hype around Daniel Jones kicked in and kicked myself for adding 13 autographs and over 200 of his cards.

I said, nope, never again.

But, here I am.

However, with the increase of prices since the Daniel Jones days, I won't be adding 13 autographs or nearly that number of cards. But I will be adding some.

These are my latest ones, which I landed for all cheap,

(don't get me started on this SILVER Mosaic add. someone on Twitter argued with me telling me Mosaic doesn't have prizm silver parallels when you can obviously see it here)

(I think I might have four relic cards now)

 

And that's it.

For now.

There will be more to come.

Which player from your team are you adding more cards of? Let me know in comments!

Eli's Cardboard:2025 Prizm Black Kaleidoscope Silver

There are well over 14,000 Eli Manning cards as companies continue to pump them out.

So, how does one who collects him narrow down what to chase? Normally I chase it all, but there are some specifics that catch my eye first.

1. Relic Cards

2. Anything with Super Bowl 42 or 46

3. Cheap Rookies

4. Well designed cards

5. SHINY

Today's card is a combination of four and five,

which is this Kaleidoscope from Panini Prizm Black which was its own standalone product this year. I don't know what it was about the card, but I felt like I needed to add it before I added any others.

I waited for it to go cheap, used some of my gift card and snagged it. I also had to get the silver version since that looked better than the base one.

I will have to get back to posting my Eli's again when I get them fully updated and hope that TCDB can get caught up with some of the Leaf ones that weren't listed yet.

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Select Autograph Phil McConkey

Hello!

I promise I will try to post more on here; it's not like I don't have NY Giants cards coming in every so often, it's just finding time to post on three blogs which makes it tough. Though I do consider this blog #2 in my trio.

Anyways, a couple months ago I was able to cross another NY Giants autograph off from my needs list,

 

This beautiful Phil McConkey! Select put out a ton of oddball autograph players you don't see every day including some Giants I am trying to add. Panini was unloading everything before the NFL license ended.

I may not have watched Phil play, I didn't become a deep Giants fan until 1995, but he is still a legendary name in blue and I wanted his autograph.

I still have many others to cross off still as well so come back to see that journey.

Whose autograph from your team are you hoping to add still? Let me know in comments.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Turning Green

That's it!!!

I am done with the Giants, from now on, I am collecting ONLY Philadelphia Eagles cards and specifically of Saquon Barkley the greatest running back of all-time.

 

Here is my start. It's only going to grow from here!

And no, this post has nothing to do with April Fools Day....or does it.

Okay, it does.

I can't keep lying especially about something so serious as this. I am making myself gag.

If I ever actually say this, one of two things should be done. One, check to see if this is actually me and two make sure I am not having a medical episode and call 911.

Have a great day and don't get fooled today!

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Optic Signature Series Mario Manningham

When I get an eBay gift card like I did for my birthday, I am immediately looking for steals and deals from my Gmen.

When I can land a deal on a Giants Super Bowl "legend" for under $5, I take it.

 

Which is why it's now in hand. 

Mario Manningham isn't a household name for most collectors, but as a Giants fan and collector he is. The toe tapping catch he made in Super Bowl 46 will forever live in my mind. I mean the Eli throw was also incredible and accurate, but the catch and awareness by Manningham to make sure both feet were in, was something you have to see if you haven't yet.

I will happily add Mario autographs for under $5 any day.

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Select Autograph Juice Wells

The latest autograph addition is the first one of his I have in a Giants uniform.

Earlier in the season I picked up an Antwane Wells Jr Leaf college uniform autograph but wanted an upgrade once he was wearing Giants blue.

Yes, if you re-read that sentence you will notice I used his real name, Antwane instead of Juice, which is his nickname because he is known to juke defenders and "juice" the ball.

  

I can't tell by his signature if he signed it Juice or by his real name. I tend to lean more towards Juice.

I was really hoping with the lack of wide receivers the Giants have that he would get his opportunity, but I guess not yet. Who knows what this season is to bring.

So, he has a clean slate of no stats going into year number two.

I am still excited for this addition and hopefully will chase my next new Giants needed autograph soon!

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Select Autograph Marcus MBow

Hey! You, yeah you, offensive lineman are collected too! They are people.

 

At least that's how I feel about my Giants collection. I will take them all. All QB's, RB's, Special Teamers, WR's, TE's, Oline, Dline. If they are wearing blue, I welcome them.

This is my first MBow auto and it was basically given away because he isn't an offensive superstar. Works for me!

MBow does have a future on this roster and possibly oline after making a few decent appearances last season. We all know how badly we need this offensive line to work!

Let me know if you collect offensive lineman in comments!

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Mosaic Purple Reactive Abdul Carter

We don't see them too often in the hobby, but occasionally they exist.

What am I talking about, well, Barney parallels.

Or as companies call them, Purple Parallels. 

There are always tons of blues, reds, greens, blacks and golds but you don't see purples often.

  

I picked up this newest Carter through a pwe trade on Twitter with long time friend Jeff, who I trade with on and off.

I have found myself liking Mosaic more and more every year. It's sad that this is the last run of it.

Do you own any purple parallels in your PC?

Best Looking "Football" Parallels?

Panini is putting out some of their best stuff this year with this being their last run of NFL trading cards.

I guess they should had done this before now.

But, before this hobby becomes a complete Monopoly I am enjoying everything that Panini is throwing a me currently.

When I did a search for 2025 Prizm NY Giants cards, hence yesterday's pickup, I also found another round of cards I quite enjoyed and had to get some.

This is probably the most footballist, is this a word, football parallel out there with these Pigskin parallels.

The border looks like, well, a football. Each of these is numbered to 180 and look even better in person.

I chased down what Giants I could. Not showing is Tyrone Tracy and Brian Burns as I didn't have time to snap pics of them to add to this post.

 

I really wanted the team set but considering the Giants strong draft class last year and the prices for those players, I won't be adding Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo or Abdul Carter anytime soon or at all.

I may have to look again at what is being offered in 2025 Prizm for Giants as it's been magical so far.

So, what do you think? Are these the best looking football parallels you have seen?

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Prizm Lockdown Silver Dexter Lawrence

2025 wasn't the greatest season or the greatest season for one of their best players, Dexter Lawrence.

But, I think 2026 will be different for him and different for this team.

I was recently playing around on eBay and just looked up 2025 Prizm Giants cards since I haven't had the opportunity to add any.

As I was scrolling, I found one that caught my eye, not only because it was shiny, but I really liked the photo.

There is just something about a Giants player flattening a Cowboys one that really draws my eyes.

The photo with the shiny effect and the price of under $2 made this an obvious grab for this Single Card Mail Day.

Single Card Mail Day:2025 Mosaic Silver Cam Skattebo

It's crazy to think that this is my first post on here of the New Year.

Time has gotten away from me.

I have missed so much on posting. The actual excitement around the Giants team this year with the hiring of John Harbaugh. The new free agent acquisitions. The building of a new culture in what feels might finally be the turnaround year for this team and I haven't posted anything.

That changes today!

Time to start posting on here again. It won't be daily, but there will be some new posts coming up.

Today I am showing off one of my newest pickups from the 2025 draft class.

 

A 2025 Mosaic Silver parallel of Cam Skattebo. I feel Mosaic doesn't get the credit it deserves, it's just too bad this is the last year of it before Topps takes over football.

I don't have much in terms of cards for Cam, probably under ten total, which is sad as he was a lot of fun to watch last year up until his season ending injury. But, this newest addition is by far my favorite thus far.

I am hoping when he hits the field this fall, he will be back at 100% and tearing up and destroying defenses again.

In the meantime, I plan to add more cards of him and hopefully some day I will be able to add an autographed card. He is needed for the overall Giants autograph collection too.

Let me know how your teams offseason has been so far in comments!