Wednesday Wax: 2019-20 Panini Mosaic Hobby Pack

 I'll preface this post by saying this: As I have gotten back into collecting, I just started buying whatever I could find, wherever I could find it. For me, the joy is in ripping into a pack and finding something super cool or a favorite player, or preferably both. I have bought packs and boxes of baseball, basketball, and football cards this fall. The funny thing is, I don't know ANYTHING about current baseball players. I still think of DANTE Bichette as a good player, not his kid. chances are that I won't be writing much about modern baseball cards in the near future. I hate the feeling of opening a pack and not recognizing anyone that I pull. Searching the internet to see if someone is any good or if their card holds any value just isn't real fun to me. 

I will follow this up by saying that I only marginally follow the NBA. Basketball used to be life for me...I watched and played all the time. But things change. I still read enough to know who the biggest stars are, but that's about it. I also feel like basketball card prices have gotten out of control I know that it is the most international of the Big 3 and therefore has the potentially biggest market, but here's the thing: I don't really care about that. I want to open the pack and see stuff that I like and am stoked on. Today's post is about my first basketball card experience since probably my childhood...I shelled out $35 for a Hobby Pack of 2019-20 Panini Mosaic cards. While I got some great cards and enjoyed opening it, It just isn't the same thrill as opening a pack of football cards is for me right now. I would rather get some cool looking Za'darius Smith or Gardner Minshew card than a Kendrick Nunn Pink Prizm RC (which I did pull), even though the Smith or Minshew is probably worth a lot less. 

From here on out, most of the stuff I write will probably be focused more on football. It's just what I know and am into. If I run across some cool packs of baseball or hoops in the wild, I may pick one up to check out a new offering. For now, though, football cards are the way forward for me. 

On to the post! 

The Mosaic cards are a fantastic reflection of how awesome sports cards can be and how far they've come over the years. I love the glossy finish and flashy colors, and the prizms look really sharp. So here's the pull: 

OK, so these look really cool. Also, Kendrick Nunn is a RC and a legit player, so far so good. The pink is sharp, and I'm happy to see more of it being used in sports cards, but let's not kill it like we did teal in the '90s.

Now we have a Garland NBA Debut RC and a future HOF in John Wall, and a green refractor of a guy who seems to be Finnish, maybe? that I've never heard of. Oh, and also a Westbrook Got Game card. Not much of value here, but still, cool cards. 

BOOM BABAY! I've got both Lebron and a ZION RC here! I know they're bases, but those two cards pretty much paid for the pack. I am pretty sure these are the two most valuable base pulls in the set...well, maybe a Ja rookie would push Lebron down to third, but still, not bad. Pretty happy over here.  What do you think, should I get the Zion and Lebron graded? I'm thinking that a Grading comparison of the 3 major services would make a good Saturday feature. 

Man, these cards look good! I wish they weren't so expensive, but that's life. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you on Saturday!