My Favorite Easter Related Hobby Story

Chris P · 04-17-2022, 11:33 AM

I like to share this from time to time on these boards because it not only one of my favorite Hobby memories of all time but favorite Easter memories of all time. It's a long read but it's always fun to revisit something that meant so much to me.

I will never forget Easter Sunday 2000. Not only did I have a great time at my grandma's with all my family but that night I got the best Easter gift I could ever get. As an only child, I was indeed a little spoiled so I got a little something for each holiday. For Easter, I received 3 packs of 99-00 Fleer Metal and 2 packs of 99-00 UD Encore. I never expected anything huge, just to add some cool cards, maybe pull a Steve Francis rookie or a cool Vince Carter insert. Remember, this was right in the MIDDLE of Vinsanity. Everything and anything of Vince was INSANELY in demand, as Vince was having just an unbelievable sophomore season including the unforgettable 2000 Slam Dunk Contest which is probably still regarded as the best dunk contest of all time. Anyways, that night I started ripping the packs, and didn't get anything too exciting out of the first pack. If I recall the best thing I pulled was a Vince Base card (still a win in my book!) and an Antonio McDyess Heavy Metal insert. The 3rd pack though..the 3rd pack was magical. It's like it was yesterday that it happened. It was at the time the MOTHER LODE of all pulls. An actual VINCE CARTER GAME USED CARD. My reaction was priceless, I screamed like I was dying and ran around the house just full of so much joy and happiness. I remember getting on AOL Instant Messenger and messaging my best friend what I pulled and he made his parents drive him to my house to see it! I had never in a million years dreamed I would pull a card like this! It was crazy because I had watched my friends and cousin pull AMAZING cards the past few months before this. I had a friend pull a Terrell Davis Jersey card out of a single pack of Upper Deck Retail from Target (keep in mind the timeframe and how unbelievably lucky that was!), my cousin pulled a James Posey Hats off card out of a pack of Skybox Dominion (and ended up making Beckett's Cool Pulls to boot) and another friend pulled a JD Drew Authenkicks Autograph shoe card numbered to 8 out of a pack of E-X Baseball. It was finally my turn! Now today, a warm up card would elicit a shrug (not even a jersey card a Warm Up Card!) but back then game used cards regardless of the material were still grail pulls and Vince was molten hot. I remember the card booking for like $400 when it first hit Beckett. I didn't want to tell me my mom because I was afraid she would make me sell the cornerstone of my collection! I took the card to the local card shop where my parents bought the packs and they congratulated me and told me they had just had someone else pull a Michael Jordan Auto Game Jersey numbered to 23!! Between those two pulls, it looked like the Dugout was on a little bit of a hot streak! 22 years later it's still the #1 hobby moment that stands out in my mind. I've pulled much bigger cards..I even got out the hobby from 2011-2015 and sold the majority of my collection. But one of the few cards I kept was this one. It's forever priceless and the memory will live with me forever. Happy Easter everyone

SGC300ier · 04-17-2022, 01:34 PM

Very cool!

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

Arianny_Fan · 04-18-2022, 07:16 AM

VC! Man shouldve been on the 75 NBA greatest players of all time. Him and Kyrie got shafted. Cool story, even cooler pull!

PSA2Pac · 04-18-2022, 05:23 PM

Dope!

I guess that balances out all of those Skylar Mays lol I’m also an only child who thoroughly enjoyed the hobby to myself as a kid

eastbayak · 04-18-2022, 05:35 PM

Thanks for sharing your experience, I was able to enjoy it vicariously!

Growing up collecting cards in the 90s, I remember setting aside 1-2 jersey cards that I had the fortune of pulling and feeling similar excitement (the players weren't as notable though). Remember hitting some inserts that I loved and have kept in my collection to this day irrespective of value (never to be sold).

Kingofkings1281 · 04-18-2022, 05:36 PM

Awesome story. It reminds me of when I pulled his autographics out of a couple of packs of Fleer back in 2001. As a huge Carter fan it still stands out as one of my most exciting pulls.

04-18-2022, 07:16 AM	#3
Arianny_Fan Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: On a rock in the middle of the sea. Posts: 3,577 basketballfiend	VC! Man shouldve been on the 75 NBA greatest players of all time. Him and Kyrie got shafted. Cool story, even cooler pull! __________________ IG: @basketballfiendcards @ariannycelestecards Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139631202@N06/albums

04-18-2022, 05:36 PM	#6
Kingofkings1281 Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 9,621 Kingofkings1281	Awesome story. It reminds me of when I pulled his autographics out of a couple of packs of Fleer back in 2001. As a huge Carter fan it still stands out as one of my most exciting pulls. __________________ Always looking for high end Vince Carter, Randy Moss and Tom Brady. http://kingofkings1281.imgur.com

04-17-2022, 11:33 AM	#1
Chris P Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 15,130	My Favorite Easter Related Hobby Story I like to share this from time to time on these boards because it not only one of my favorite Hobby memories of all time but favorite Easter memories of all time. It's a long read but it's always fun to revisit something that meant so much to me. I will never forget Easter Sunday 2000. Not only did I have a great time at my grandma's with all my family but that night I got the best Easter gift I could ever get. As an only child, I was indeed a little spoiled so I got a little something for each holiday. For Easter, I received 3 packs of 99-00 Fleer Metal and 2 packs of 99-00 UD Encore. I never expected anything huge, just to add some cool cards, maybe pull a Steve Francis rookie or a cool Vince Carter insert. Remember, this was right in the MIDDLE of Vinsanity. Everything and anything of Vince was INSANELY in demand, as Vince was having just an unbelievable sophomore season including the unforgettable 2000 Slam Dunk Contest which is probably still regarded as the best dunk contest of all time. Anyways, that night I started ripping the packs, and didn't get anything too exciting out of the first pack. If I recall the best thing I pulled was a Vince Base card (still a win in my book!) and an Antonio McDyess Heavy Metal insert. The 3rd pack though..the 3rd pack was magical. It's like it was yesterday that it happened. It was at the time the MOTHER LODE of all pulls. An actual VINCE CARTER GAME USED CARD. My reaction was priceless, I screamed like I was dying and ran around the house just full of so much joy and happiness. I remember getting on AOL Instant Messenger and messaging my best friend what I pulled and he made his parents drive him to my house to see it! I had never in a million years dreamed I would pull a card like this! It was crazy because I had watched my friends and cousin pull AMAZING cards the past few months before this. I had a friend pull a Terrell Davis Jersey card out of a single pack of Upper Deck Retail from Target (keep in mind the timeframe and how unbelievably lucky that was!), my cousin pulled a James Posey Hats off card out of a pack of Skybox Dominion (and ended up making Beckett's Cool Pulls to boot) and another friend pulled a JD Drew Authenkicks Autograph shoe card numbered to 8 out of a pack of E-X Baseball. It was finally my turn! Now today, a warm up card would elicit a shrug (not even a jersey card a Warm Up Card!) but back then game used cards regardless of the material were still grail pulls and Vince was molten hot. I remember the card booking for like $400 when it first hit Beckett. I didn't want to tell me my mom because I was afraid she would make me sell the cornerstone of my collection! I took the card to the local card shop where my parents bought the packs and they congratulated me and told me they had just had someone else pull a Michael Jordan Auto Game Jersey numbered to 23!! Between those two pulls, it looked like the Dugout was on a little bit of a hot streak! 22 years later it's still the #1 hobby moment that stands out in my mind. I've pulled much bigger cards..I even got out the hobby from 2011-2015 and sold the majority of my collection. But one of the few cards I kept was this one. It's forever priceless and the memory will live with me forever. Happy Easter everyone

04-17-2022, 01:34 PM	#2
SGC300ier Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Location: Michigan Posts: 5,079 sgc_collectiblez	Very cool! Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

04-18-2022, 05:23 PM	#4
PSA2Pac Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 3,923	Dope! I guess that balances out all of those Skylar Mays lol I’m also an only child who thoroughly enjoyed the hobby to myself as a kid

04-18-2022, 05:35 PM	#5
eastbayak Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 16,737 eastbayak	Thanks for sharing your experience, I was able to enjoy it vicariously! Growing up collecting cards in the 90s, I remember setting aside 1-2 jersey cards that I had the fortune of pulling and feeling similar excitement (the players weren't as notable though). Remember hitting some inserts that I loved and have kept in my collection to this day irrespective of value (never to be sold).