My Favorite 150 Items in My Collection-#142 99-00 Mattel NBA Superstars Vince Carter FP

Why I Like It: Vinsanity took over the hobby in the late 90's/early 2000s and everything of Vince Carter was scorching hot. This piece brings me back to the time where EVERYTHING Vince Carter was high in demand. In the sports figures world, Hasbro had bowed out of the NBA market in 1998, opening up the chance for Mattel to come in with their own line of sports collectible figures. This piece was one the most coveted of the time. Vince Carter's rookie piece was in high demand and was a very difficult figure to find. I waited until after not only Vinsanity subsided but interest in the Mattel Line of figures waned to finally add this piece to my collection. Vinsanity was probably the most fun I ever had in the hobby, and this brings back so many fun and awesome memories.

My Favorite 150 Items in My Collection-#143 John "Mule" Miles IP Autograph 8X10

Why I Like It: It's a moment as a young teenager I'll never forget. It was the late 90's and there was a card show in San Antonio and John "Mule" Miles was one of the signers at the show. He was signing for free and it's pretty surreal to meet someone who had played in era where the color of your skin determined what league you could actually play for. It's a shame that players like Mr. Miles, Josh Gibson, Ray Dandridge, Cool Papa Bell, Buck O'Neil and countless others never were afforded the opportunity to play in the Major Leagues where they belonged. Even at a young age, I understood the injustice of that era, and it's inspirational to meet a guy like John Miles. He was beyond courteous and nice and it was truly an honor to meet him and get his autograph. I proudly still display this autograph in my room.

My Favorite 150 Items in My Collection-#144 1992 Classic Draft Picks Shaquille O'Neal

Why I Like It: It was THE SHAQ CARD TO HAVE before his initial NBA Rookie Cards came out. I was 8 years old when Shaq entered in the league and it was my first experience with a player coming in the league with so much hype. People wanted everything and anything of Shaq and due to Classic's exclusive deal with Shaq this was Shaq's first card and it was very popular. As a little kid, I could never afford it. I did buy a couple packs of this stuff hoping to pull it but to no avail. My cousin got the complete set for Christmas that year and  I was beyond jealous. Such a cool simple card. A few years ago I finally bought one for a buck. I might have overpaid, but the memories alone were well worth it.