After an all-timer Game 7 finish, the crew shifts from heartbreak to hobby joy with a massive ’90s/’00s insert show-and-tell: Pacific, Crown Royal, Topps Gold Label, Mystery Finest, Beam Team, Lamplighters, Omega Online, Kramer’s Choice, Blades of Steel, hat-shaped die-cuts, acetate sandwiches—the works. We unpack why these mixed-media, heavy-foil, die-cut designs still slap, how binders keep sets fun and affordable, and where to hunt budget-friendly shine.

Then we zoom out: is a superstar championship good for the hobby? Should acquired Panini brands (Prizm, NT, Kaboom) go dormant for a few years or continue uninterrupted? Plus the new Topps NBA flagship—do “first Topps” cards matter, how do one-of-one ‘First Off the Press’ parallels change the chase, and what the long NBA/NFL licensing shift means for collectors.

Highlights

Binder bliss: Why viewing full sets (refractors, atomics, team-combining puzzles) beats lone slabs

Design nostalgia: Foil/acetate layering, laser cuts, jumbo oddballs—why this era’s creativity endures

Affordable lanes: Beautiful inserts that won’t break the bank, even for star names

First-Topps vs rookies: Importance, value expectations, and where scarcity actually lives

Dormancy debate: Let legacy Panini brands rest (rarity pop) or keep them running (continuity)?

Championship effect: Superstar wins, hobby sentiment, and where it really moves markets

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