Collectibles We're Eyeing, From J.J. McCarthy Rookies to Rick Pitino Autos

I sometimes wish Mail Day was daily, because a metric ton of weirdness has been dropped on us since we last met. It feels like the “TETAS” cap drama was a month ago, right?

I’ve decided to bring back a Very Special Edition of “Things I’m Buying” just to organize my thoughts. There are a lot or worthy collectibles floating around up here. LEZZGO!

Four things I’m buying

1. Capri Sun Moon Punch ($???) - This will never be my favorite “glow in the dark thing of the last 10 years” – Allen & Ginter’s “Where Monsters Live” will forever be No. 1. And I cannot figure out when these go on sale, how much they will cost, or even what the “cherry” flavor tastes like (eds note: likely cherry). Frustrating? No. This all adds up to a classic “there will be a rush to get these,” like the McDonald’s retro glasses and Don Julio x Popeyes combo. All we know so far is there was a Snapchat promo and the brilliant twist is that it’s not just one glow in the dark full moon on each pouch – they made different stages that glow:

2. J.J. McCarthy rookie cards ($40-200) – I think the Vikings are telling us something by not signing any QBs (yet). They seem to have a lot of faith in McCarthy, who has never played a regular season snap BUT has Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hockenson, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason to throw passes to. Really, you could kind of throw anyone in there at QB and guarantee 250 yards and 2 TDs as a floor. 

McCarthy’s card prices, though, feel a little muted. And look, I’m not even a fan of McCarthy – his sycophant fanboys are too loud/annoying on X and I don’t care about Michigan football – but I can buy these cards relatively cheap and likely flip them around Week 5 or 6 when McCarthy is on fire.

3. Molly Miller Star Wars autographed cards ($1-5) – The coach of Grand Canyon University, Molly Miller, is probably going to go from “kind of instagram famous” to “Barstool famous” by the middle of next week – this is a really good team with offensive firepower, and Miller is not camera shy: 

Leaf usually steps up in these situations and I was astonished they didn’t have autographed cards of Miller ready to go. YET. In my searching for anything Miller memorabilia, though, I found these autographed Star Wars cards of a completely different Molly Miller – a stuntwoman/actress who often does work for child actors (she’s 4’4”). It’s random enough for me! Our collections really should be more like a series of mementos than JJ McCarthy flip factories – I’ll find this card in a tub in 2033 and remember the time I suggested people buy a dual sweater relic!

4. Rick Pitino autographed Leaf Metal card ($39.99) –  SPEAKING OF LEAF! My impressionable years were spent watching the legendary coaches of the Big East be crazy sideline characters. And now we can buy a Pitino autographed Leaf card for $40. The hype level is high with his return to Providence for the first round of March Madness and his possible matchup against John Calipari (which gives off Golden Age Big East vibes) in the second round. Pitino autographed cards are few and far between (Fleer had one in 2001, for instance, that’s selling for $75) so $40 might not be the worst price to pay to get in on the Pitino market. 

Things I’m going to make Mantel pay for and we will all benefit from it

1. Something on Opendorse.com ($10-100) – My Molly Miller searching then brought me to Opendorse.com, a site that is kind of like Cameo, but all college players. The idea is great – pay college kids money to do shoutouts, autographs, endorsements, etc. – and I can see how this can work. For instance, Cam Skattebo wants $173 for his autograph. His Bowman 1st sells for around that much, I get it. Plus, if I’m a millionaire “fan” of ASU, I can just go here and order 700 autographs, right? Is that how it works now?

For the purposes of Mail Day (and now Yahoo!), though, I want to find someone in a lesser-funded sport who we can pay a little money to for a post advertising everyone’s favorite newsletter. Maybe we can have several of them. Like Memphis rifler Gabriela Zych. Or flag football player Tatiana Dos Santos. Or if we’re being topical, how about Terp center Amari DeBerry? In fact, maybe we do a post and an autograph and we give the autographs away! Last week Mantel gave away a box of Pokemon cards in our other newsletter, “Above the Mantel.” All we normally get here at Mail Day are texts saying “sorry I edited out that inappropriate joke.” It’s time we get to give away Tatiana Dos Santos paraphernalia!! We’ve earned it!!

Anyway, the weekly post has been started on Mantel. Run over there and give us some ideas.

One thing I am undecided on

1. 2024 Herky on Parade Blaster Box ($29.99) – Once in a while I’ll do a “searching for weird stuff” deep dive on the card sites – Topps always has funky jumbo posters in the Wall Art section. Leaf…you can find some stuff. But Panini… that site is so labyrinthine and impossible to navigate you stumble upon stuff by accident. Like the Herky on Parade 20th anniversary Blaster Box. 

I don’t know what’s going on here or how I found this: A collection of 100 cards commemorating statues related to Iowa’s mascot, Herky. My best guess is they signed Caitlin Clark and she demanded a set of cards dedicated to Herky the Hawk statues or she would sign with Leaf. Panini capitulated and now they have warehouses full of Herky on Parade blaster boxes. 

THE TWIST: There is a Caitlin Clark Herky in here. So one of these cards is technically “a Caitlin Clark card.” Do with that what you will. I get to the “enter billing address” page and then shut my laptop in disgust at what I’ve become. A week later I repeat it.

I have to get back to scrolling through Opendorse for more unwitting Mail Day influencers. I do want to leave you all with this incredible article I read on RIPPED, though, about the “blackless” cards that ended up creating the Frank Thomas “no name” error. It’s engrossing. I don’t throw around engrossing a lot. But check it out. 

Until next week, my friends! Happy first weekend of March Madness to everyone!!