My First Kobe Bryant Graded Rookie Card: 96-97 Topps #138 RC BGS 9.5

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For my Kobe Bryant side PC, I don't intend to collect all his cards.

Only his rookie cards as well as his insert cards from his rookie year up to the 1998-99 NBA season.

A tall order for me is to collect Kobe Bryant autographed cards with one of each kind as listed here.

Not contented with my quest, I added another one: to collect all of his rookie cards graded BGS 9.5 or PSA 10. Those that are GEM MINT copies to be more specific.

This is my first one I got off eBay:  a 96-97 Topps #138 RC graded BGS 9.5.

I'm hoping to get more although getting them nowadays is very hard as with the start of the 10-11 NBA Playoffs, Kobe Bryant's quest for his sixth championship ring has began.

Mail Week March 21-25: Shaq RARE Inserts, Dwight Howard Autos and Kobe 2nd Year Inserts

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I think this is one of my best mail weeks because I have added something to my Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard main personal collections as well as to my Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan side PCs.

Check out my mail week from March 21 - 25, 2011.

FRONT

BACK

Finally, I got my first Flair Legacy parallel card. This is from the first edition, the 96-97 one and is numbered 058 of 150. 

I also got the 97-98 Flair Row 0 card which makes my 97-98 Flair base set complete from Row 0 to Row 3. It is numbered 179 of 250. Check out my 97-98 Flair rainbow set.

The 95-96 Flair Hot Numbers is actually my second one. I decided to get multiple copies of this card because it is really beautiful and sells well. Good as a trade bait as well.

Thanks to irv*2010 of eBay for these beautiful cards.

The top card is a rookie-year card, 04-05 SP Signature Edition Rookies Incorporated. This is only graded as 8 due to an 8 grade on the edges and 7.5 on the corners. Still, the autograph is graded as 10 and is on-card. This is only RARE as only 100 cards were ever produced.

The bottom card is from 07-08 Topps Triple Threads which features 3 jersey swatches, one of which is a patch. The autograph is sticker but since this is pretty limited and is the first numbered (1/9), I will take it anytime.

Thanks to dhmhoops of eBay.

Bought this lot from kamino of NBA Cards Philippines primarily for the 2nd-year Kobe inserts.

The shiny Planet Metal insert is really beautiful to look at in person.

Shaquille O'Neal / Dwight Howard 08-09 SP Rookie Threads Dual Threads Patch Card

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Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard are two of my most favorite NBA players.

Both have similar power games, are funny, charismatic and both donned the Superman persona.

A dual autographed card featuring these two is my dream card. However, that will remain a dream because none have been produced. Blame that for Shaq being a Topps exclusive while Howard, an Upper Deck exclusive.

With Panini being the sole manufacturer of NBA cards nowadays, it might still be possible. For the meantime, I settled for the next best card available, a dual patch card.

This is my first patch card featuring them both and I intend to collect as many as I can. 

Shaquille O'Neal / Dwight Howard 08-09 SP Rookie Threads Dual Threads patch card.

Both patches are multi-colored with multiple breaks. It's more beautiful in person.

Got this off eBay.

Mail Month 1st Half of November: OJ Mayo Ultimate Auto RC, Brandon Roy UD Black Auto, etc.

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From November 1 - 15, I got a few mails of my recent card pickups from eBay and the local online trading site: NBA Cards Philippines.

Check out my mail month for the first month of November.

The lot contains the following cards:

Brandon Roy 07-08 UD Black Ticket Auto #d/50 - I traded my Tyreke Evans 09-10 Timeless Treasures RC Auto #d/399 and two Tyreke Evans jersey cards plus I got P1,300 cash in exchange for this card. Thanks to bounty_hunter23 of nbacardsph.com

O.J. Mayo 08-09 Ultimate Auto RC #d/150 and Russell Westbrook 09-10 Timeless Treasures auto #d/10 - paid through PayPal. From Wink3 of nbacardsph.

Kobe Bryant 97-97 Hoops Frequent Flyers UPGRADE Plastic Parallel - with high odds of 1:360, this is a RARE card and books $80. Bought from dhmhoops of eBay.

Jason Kidd 02-03 Ultimate Signatures Auto - bought from emiebou2007 of eBay.

Brook Lopez 07-08 Chronology XRC Parallel #d/99 - bought from greatliving2008 of eBay.

Michael Jordan 97-98 Topps Chrome and 96-97 Ultra GOLD Medallion Parallel - bought from cloven of nbacardsph.

Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh 07-08 Finest REFRACTORS - bought from willsmith48  of eBay.

Thanks for looking!

Shaquille O'Neal 96-97 Finest Rainbow Set

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I finally got the REFRACTOR version of the 96-97 Finest #147 GOLD Shaquille O'Neal card.

Thus, my Shaq 96-97 Finest rainbow set is now complete.


Let's start with the #243 BRONZE card and its REFRACTOR parallel:

 

The #289 SILVER card and its REFRACTOR parallel:

 

The #147 GOLD card and its REFRACTOR parallel:

 

The Shaquille O'Neal 96-97 Finest rainbow set!

 Thanks to shrev of eBay for helping me complete this set.

Mail Day October 4: Lot of Shaq Game-Used Cards

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I claimed yesterday a package at the post-office which I have been waiting for a month now.

It's a lot of Shaquille O'Neal game-used cards I bought off eBay.

Check out my October 4, 2010 mailday.

These are the cards I like best:

03-04 Genuine Article Insider #d/400 - with 2 colors and 3 breaks

99-00 Flair Showcase Feel the Game PSA 8 NM MT

03-04 Hoops Hot Prospects Sweet Selections #d/375 - with Tim Duncan

00-01 Fleer Feel the Game - Yellow and Purple variations

03-04 Ultimate Collection  Game Jersey #d/200

Thanks to nvr4get2smile for adding to my collection.

Mail Week September 20 - 24: Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings Exquisite RCs, Huge Rudy Gay lot, etc.

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Coming home from a week of field work yesterday, a huge stack of package was waiting for me.

Two came from eBay and the two from online trading site: NBA Cards Philippines.

Check out my mail week from September 20 - 24, 2010.

The centerpiece of this mail week would be the 09-10 Exquisite Rookie Card of Tyreke Evans. I got it from  chris02jammers of eBay.

The 09-10 Exquisite Rookie Card of Brandon Jennings is not shabby either. I got it from mundoniwet of eBay along with the Ken Shamrock auto.

vto47 of nbacardsph sold me the Michael Jordan 96-97 UD3 Superstar Spotlight and the Shaquille O'Neal 97-98 Bowman's Best Cuts Atomic Refractor.

 

I also got this nice lot of rookie and jersey cards with two autos and a FREE  9-pocket album from rafmondcruz_93 of nbacardsph.

The lot is composed mostly of Rudy Gay rookie cards (around 20 pieces) and jersey cards (around 15 pieces). There are also rookie cards from the Class of 2009: Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Tyler Hansbrough, Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry.

Also included are assorted rookie cards from players like Lamarcus Aldridge, Monta Ellis and Marc Gasol, assorted jersey cards from players like Carlos Boozer and Gilbert Arenas and assorted refractors.

The two autographs included are a David West 08-09 UD Black Flag Patch Auto #d 1/50 and some rookie auto from 09-10 Playoff Contenders.

Overall, it was a nice lot and mail week.

Shaquille O'Neal 1995 Classic Five Sport Hot Box Autographs 655/655!

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This one has caught my fancy while casually browsing at auctions in eBay.

The reason? This card is hand numbered to 655/655!

Yes, the last card in the set. 

And it is seldom you find cards numbered to 1, the last number and the jersey number of the player featured in a type of card with a numbering as high as this.

Presented with the opportunity, I immediately presented my bid and fortunately, I won it.

After almost a month of waiting, it finally arrived as part of my September 15 mail day.

1995 Classic Five Sport Hot Box Autographs #6 Shaquille O'Neal 655/655

 

Shaq has written his full autograph here. This is what I like on his early autographed cards.

This is the back of the card with the hand numbered 655/655. Cards produced today are usually machine numbered.

Thanks to munkee-diddy of eBay for this beautiful card.

This is actually my first Shaq last numbered card, autographed or not.

Mail Day: Shaq Last Numbered Auto, Roy Epic Signature, etc.

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I got three packages waiting for me at home today.

One came from eBay and the two from online trading sites: sportscardforum and ozcardtrader.

Check out my September 15, 2010 mailday.

I got the Brandon Roy 2008-09 Epic Signatures Auto in a trade with stoner of ozcardtrader.

The two Shaquille O'Neal jersey cards: 01-02 Topps All-Star Remnants and 02-03 Topps Finest and the Kobe Bryant 07-08 Topps Chrome Refractor were traded to me by basketball fiend of sportscardforum.

The centerpiece of this mailday would be the Shaq auto which is hand numbered 655/655!

Find out more about it: 1995 Classic Five Sport Hot Box Autographs #6 Shaquille O'Neal /655