Approximately 10 times have cards been replaced and upgraded. I'm grateful to say that only once - the Kobe Bryant Championship tag - was a card removed for a lesser card and it was sold to help a friend with his collection. This is a sign of my focus to not sell - even in the face of profit - a temptation I have given into more times than I would care to admit. I have made only one card available for sale publicly, the Stephen Curry Auto Patch /10, and that was only because I was so angry about my Thunder getting beaten in 7 games. Rest assured that when the 30 day listing is up, it will not be relisted.
As the project progressed, my goal became clearer, yet increasingly complex. To compile the greatest 9 card case of eminence while highlighting the variety of the product as well as the history of basketball. Sounds easy enough, right? Not so much.
I had to make decisions about what parts of the history of the NBA and what sets in Eminence were most important. I leaned heavily towards current and recent NBA history, and found 5 cards of current players - including one of a nearly retired star - while also focusing on the greats of the 80's and 90's and in one case the 50's and 60's. I leaned towards the inclusion of high quality patches over precious metals, while acknowledging the quality of the Silver and Gold, including one of each on the first tray - but make no mistake, for me the real beauty of Eminence is in the autographed Patch cards.
I upgraded several key unique patch cards in favor of platinum variation 1/1's. The removal of some of these was, besides the sell of the Kobe Championship tag, the most difficult of the process. In the end, I wanted 1/1's of the cards and players which I could somewhat afford. Curry and Kobe being the obvious offenders. I have never considered myself to be a "high-roller", and those cards from the beginning have basically been unattainable.
To allow in my mind for the ownership of some of these replaced cards, I have purchased a second empty Eminence box. It is already nearly full - Yes, this is the moment where you can accuse me of having "a problem". :)
The next group of cards are these cards previously mentioned, I like to call them....
THE REPLACED
This section includes cards that were once a part of the Build-A-Case, but are now not included in the 9 card case. This does not include cards that were originally included in the Build-A-Case, and are now in the base set (in progress). This also does not include cards that have been moved - The Kobe Championship tag and additionally, the Penny Hardaway Gold Gilded Graphs.
Let's get to it.
Karl Malone USA Patch Auto /10 - replaced because there was only space for one mailman.
Chris Webber Gold Patch Autograph /5
Kevin Durant Silver Oz Logoman Auto /10 - In some ways, this was my most difficult removal. In a project like this where both the player and the card have to be weighed, this card just misses the cut. The Eminence Silver Oz Logoman set is amazing, but it didn't quite make the cut.
James Harden Championship Tags Patch Auto /2 - Lastly, and most difficult of all, the James Harden. This set is one of the highlights of Eminence. It's absence in my case is felt, but the facts that Harden was not part of either of the championship teams that this tag was created for, and his team's less-than-optimal performance during this season both contribute to the removal from the case. It is still a great card. One that I am not seeking to unload. But it missed the cut.
THE FINAL NINE
In the end, there could only be nine. Four horizontal spots and five vertical. 5 spots on the first tray and 4 on the back.
The symmetry was also taken into consideration. How do the cards line up and look next to each other. In a lot of ways, eliminating the James Harden was a result of another card being a better on the back tray next to the Larry Bird USA Patch Auto.
Front Tray
Front tray, top left - ANTHONY DAVIS PLATINUM PATCH AUTO 1/1. Easily the youngest player in the case, Davis's story and legacy is yet to be written. He has all the talent in the world. But can he stay healthy? A few of AD's key cards have yet to surface from Eminence, but as far as the one's that have, this is my pick for the best one.
Front tray, top left - KARL MALONE PLATINUM PATCH AUTO 1/1. It wasn't easy pushing the Malone USA Patch to the side. But with the 1/1 designation and of course THAT PATCH, it was the right move. As most of the best Karl Malone's from Eminence have surfaced, I feel comfortable at this stage declaring this to be the best one I have seen to date. I'm not sure Panini has made a nicer card of the Mailman.
Front tray, bottom left - KOBE BRYANT SILVER Oz LOGOMAN AUTO /10. I can't say enough about this card. The Autograph is perfect. The foil and the silver are perfect in hand. The card weights about 4 ounces. It's incredible. Would I love to upgrade to a tag or high quality patch? I have thought about that, but I want more than just a single spot in the case for precious metals - so in the end, this is the fit.
Front tray, bottom middle - STEPHEN CURRY PATCH AUTO /10. With less than 20 total patch autographs out of Eminence of Curry this is not an easy card to find - but given what he has done for the NBA the last couple years, the case would be empty without him.
Front tray, bottom right - BILL RUSSELL GOLD Oz LOGOMAN AUTO 1/1. I had to have one gold card. I had to represent more of the history of basketball than just the recent past. This was the way to fulfill each criteria.Eleven Championships, that's a lot of gold. This is the only gold card of Bill Russell in Eminence.
The Back Tray
Back tray, top left - LARRY BIRD USA PATCH AUTO PLATINUM 1/1. USA LOGO. As the best card in the case, Bird takes his spot in the back representing Team USA, the perfect tag, the best of the 1980's, and the magic of Eminence. For over a decade now, the hobby has viewed the "logo man auto" as the pinnacle for a player's non-rookie best card. This card, in my humble opinion trumps any and all Bird Logoman autos. How many game worn USA tags have been made? This is the only one that I am aware of - of any player. Combine that with the autograph, the 1/1 marking, and the Eminence price point, and you have the best modern Larry Bird in existence.
Back tray, top right - CHRIS PAUL USA PATCH AUTO PLATINUM 1/1. With Bird representing the original Team USA, Paul represents today. The two serve as bookends for the modern Team USA.With a solid patch and a streak free, gorgeous autograph, this is likely the best Chris Paul card from Eminence.
Back tray, bottom left - SCOTTIE PIPPEN ENSHRINED PATCH AUTO PLATINUM 1/1 - Nothing in Eminence has been as polarizing as the gold ink. But there is little debate when it comes to this set. The blue ink, the perfect amount of foil and an ideal patch window give this set the perfect combination of Hall of Fame brilliance. It's a small, 10 card set, and one of the most collectible of Eminence. Without Jordan, Scottie Pippen alone represents the historic 90's Bulls in Eminence. It's my opinion that this is one of his top two cards out of the product - the other being the USA Patch Auto 1/1, which has yet to surface to my knowledge as of the date of this writing.
Back tray, bottom right - DIRK NOWITZKI GILDED GRAPHS PLATINUM AUTO 1/1 - The Final piece of the case, Dirk stands out as a top 5 player since the turn of the century. Similar to the Enshrined set, the Gilded Graphs set uses a beautiful blue pen with just the right amount of foil. The set is gorgeous. The autograph on this particular card is placed perfectly. It is the second best Nowitzki to surface to date, only surpassed by the 1/1 Auto star patch which closed on eBay earlier this year for nearly $3700.
Back tray, top right - CHRIS PAUL USA PATCH AUTO PLATINUM 1/1. With Bird representing the original Team USA, Paul represents today. The two serve as bookends for the modern Team USA.With a solid patch and a streak free, gorgeous autograph, this is likely the best Chris Paul card from Eminence.
Back tray, bottom left - SCOTTIE PIPPEN ENSHRINED PATCH AUTO PLATINUM 1/1 - Nothing in Eminence has been as polarizing as the gold ink. But there is little debate when it comes to this set. The blue ink, the perfect amount of foil and an ideal patch window give this set the perfect combination of Hall of Fame brilliance. It's a small, 10 card set, and one of the most collectible of Eminence. Without Jordan, Scottie Pippen alone represents the historic 90's Bulls in Eminence. It's my opinion that this is one of his top two cards out of the product - the other being the USA Patch Auto 1/1, which has yet to surface to my knowledge as of the date of this writing.
Back tray, bottom right - DIRK NOWITZKI GILDED GRAPHS PLATINUM AUTO 1/1 - The Final piece of the case, Dirk stands out as a top 5 player since the turn of the century. Similar to the Enshrined set, the Gilded Graphs set uses a beautiful blue pen with just the right amount of foil. The set is gorgeous. The autograph on this particular card is placed perfectly. It is the second best Nowitzki to surface to date, only surpassed by the 1/1 Auto star patch which closed on eBay earlier this year for nearly $3700.
CONCLUSION
The Eminence Build-a-case project has been one of the most enjoyable projects that I have done in this hobby a long time. The final product is better that I would have dared to dream when I started - and that is largely thanks to those friends that I have made through Blowoutcards, The Basketball Card Podcast, and this Blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you, again for your help, to those of you who assisted in this.
Again, thank you to those of you came along for the ride. It was a blast.
Best,
Adam
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