Retirement

NO NOT ME. I'M NOT A BOOMER, I'LL WORK TILL I'M DEAD. NOT THE BLOG EITHER, HAD A COUPLE OF FRUSTRATING WEEKS SO I'VE BEEN GOOFING OFF MORE THAN USUAL. ALSO KIND INTIMIDATED BY TRYING TO FOLLOW UP THE WALLY WOOD POST. THE NEXT NON-SPORTS POST IS GONNA SUCK, I SHOULD JUST GET IT OVER WITH. AND ALSO NOT THE SCANNER, MY LAPTOP WON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE IT NOW BUT I'M WORKING VERY HARD TO FIX IT. JUST THE OTHER DAY I THREW THE USB CORD AS HARD AS I COULD ACROSS THE ROOM. ANY IT PROFESSIONAL SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS ALWAYS WORKS. BUT SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS BLOG IS GOING INTO RETIREMENT.

MEET MY STANDARD CATALOG OF BASEBALL CARDS.

GEM MINT 11. VERY APPROPRIATE FOR SOMEONE WHO LOVES CARDS LIKE THIS

SO YOU KNOW HOW I'M THIS BIG CARD KNOW-IT-ALL WHO POSTS A BUNCH OF OBSCURE CRAP AND KNOWS THE ANSWERS TO ALL THE CARD QUESTIONS ON TWITTER AND IS GENERALLY AN OBNOXIOUS ASS? THIS BOOK IS THE REASON. WELL NOT THE REASON I'M AN OBNOXIOUS ASS, THAT JUST COMES NATURALLY. ALL THAT OBSCURE CARD BULLSHIT - I LEARNED A WHOLE LOT OF IT FROM THIS BOOK. LOOKING UP CARDS I HAVE, PERUSING SETS I DON'T HAVE, BROWSING THE CHECKLIST FOR A SET I JUST COMPLETED AND SEEING HALF A DOZEN CARDS I DON'T HAVE AND HAVE NEVER HEARD OF. JUST READING IT FOR FUN LIKE A BIG OL' NERD. THIS WONDERFUL BOOK FROM BOB LEMKE DOES IT ALL

I PICKED THIS UP AT A BOOKS-A-MILLION OUT OF THE CLEARANCE IN FOR ABOUT FIVE BUCKS AND IT WAS A BLESSING AND A CURSE AS I THOUGHT I WOULD EVENTUALLY FIND ITS REPLACEMENT FOR THE SAME PRICE. NOPE, IT AIN'T THE 90S ANYMORE, THESE THINGS ARE HARD TO FIND ON SALE. AS A RESULT THIS THING IS WELL USED AND GETTING A LITTLE (A LOT) DOG-EARED

I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED IT JUST DID. UNFORTUNATELY THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO TURN PAGES IN THE FIRST AND LAST 50 PAGES OR SO IN THE BOOK. THE BACK IS IN MOSTLY THE SAME STATE. AND SEE? YOU CAN BE A BASEBALL CARD EXPERT. IT SEZ THERE RIGHT ON THE BACK AND IT IS TRUTH

THEN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO I GOT AN UNEXPECTED $10 AMAZON GIFT CERTIFICATE (YES, I KNOW - BOOOOOO AMAZON, AMAZON SUX, PAY YOUR WORKERS YOU BILLIONAIRE FUCK) AND DECIDED TO BURN IT ON THIS:

ONE MEEEELLLION CARD VALUES! I ONLY USE IT FOR THE CHECKLISTS. AND LIL WRITEUPS ON ALL THE SETS. AND INSERTS! HOLY SHIT THERE ARE SO MANY INSERTS TO KEEP UP WITH. AND MINOR LEAGUE SETS FROM THE 30S I'VE NEVER HEARD OF. AND ODDBALLS- YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING

THIS IS THE 20TH EDITION FROM 2011. WHICH MEANS IT WAS PRINTED IN 2010 AND HAS CARD SETS THAT WERE RELEASED UP TO ABOUT JUNEISH? 2010 LISTED. I REALLY DIG THE COVER CARDS

PRINCE ALBERT, MICKEY AND THE HAMMER. A BAZOOKA AT THAT! NEVER JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER BUT IF HANK AARON'S ON IT YOU CAN CHEAT AND BE A LITTLE JUDGEY. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THE BAR CODE SLAPPED ON THE COVER, THERE'S A REASON FOR THAT

THIS BOOK WAS ORIGINALLY PROPERTY OF THE HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY. I'M ASSUMING THE RESELLER BOUGHT IT IN A LIBRARY SALE AND DIDN'T JUST CHECK IT OUT. IF THIS IS A HOT BOOK AND THE PO-POS SEARCH MY BOOK COLLECTION THEY'LL FIND A BUNCH OF LIBRARY SALE FINDS AND I'LL PROBABLY BE SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT IN ONE OF THOSE LITTLE STUDY ROOMS. WAIT, IF I COULD SNEAK OUT AND GET BOOKS THAT WOULD BE KINDA AWESOME. IF YOU LIVE IN TEXAS SNITCH ON ME UNLESS THE LIBRARIAN IS REALLY INTO GUNS

EVER WONDERED WHAT THE DEWEY DECIMAL CODE IS FOR BASEBALL CARD CATALOGS?

SEVEN SIXTY NINE

NICE

BY THE WAY, THIS THING IS FRICKIN HUGE. LIKE TWO PHONEBOOKS HUGE. LEGIT THICK AS A CARD BOX. YOU COULD EASILY FIT ALL OF THE CEREBUS COLLECTIONS UP TO THE POINT WHERE DAVE SIM HAD A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN IN THIS THING

SINCE I UPGRADED FROM 2002 TO 2011 I NOW HAVE LISTINGS FOR HERITAGE CARDS AT LEAST UP UNTIL I STOPPED GIVING A SHIT ABOUT HERITAGE. OH YAY A HUNDRED DOLLAR VARIATION IN A SET COLLECTOR'S SET

I BELATEDLY REALIZED THIS ENTIRE POST IS POTATOPHONE PICTURES OF TINY CATALOG TEXT SO I'M GONNA SHOW OFF A CARD FROM THE SET LISTED  IF I CAN FIND ONE IN MY PICTURES FOLDER. ISN'T THIS A GODDAMN GLORIOUS FUCKING CARD

WHOOPS THIS IS FROM 2005 HERITAGE. FUCKIT, 2010 HERITAGE WAS UGLY

I'M ALSO HAPPY TO SEE SOME ALLEN & GINTER CARDS IN THE CATALOG, ESPECIALLY ALL THOSE FINICKY LITTLE INSERT MINIS.

WOOOO GRIFFEY RED. WHOOPS THIS IS FROM 2006. CLOSE ENOUGH

I NOW HAVE THE COMPLETE CHECKLIST RUN OF UPPER DECK CARDS. I DIDN'T JUST PICK THIS EDITION FOR THE AARON, 2010 IS KIND OF A LANDMARK YEAR IN CARD COLLECTING. MY WORD THIS PICTURE IS AWFUL

I MISS FUN UPPER DECK PHOTOS *SOB*

NO THE SAME KIND OF PHOTOS PRINTED ON SP VARIATION CARDS DON'T FUCKING COUNT

FLEER ALSO GETS THE ENTIRE-RUN-OF-THE PRODUCT TREATMENT IN THIS BOOK. FROM VINTAGE TED WILLIAMS TO UPPER DECK FLEER BRANDED JUNK. AS MENTIONED EARLIER THE TRUE VALUE HERE IS IN ALL THESE INSERT CHECKLISTS. A LOT OF TIMES YOU WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW AN INSERT EXISTED UNLESS YOU BOUGHT A FEW CASES OR OWNED A CARD SHOP

AAUGH I CLICKED ON THE WRONG IMAGE!! BUT THE PHOTO IS UPLOADED NOW SO YOU'LL HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT

DONRUSS.... WELL DONRUSS IS KIND OF A MESS. NOT COUNTING THE NEW PANINI DONRUSS, THIS CATALOG DOES NOT END WITH 2005 DONRUSS (ALTHOUGH WITH ALL THOSE $%*&! SHORTPRINTS DONRUSS DESERVED TO END) BUT CONTINUES ON WITH ALL THOSE ELITE AND THREADS SETS WITH THE MINOR LEAGUERS. WHY DID CARDS IN THE '00S HAVE TO SUCK

HERE'S THAT FLEER CARD I SHOULD HAVE POSTED.
NO YOU'RE NOT GETTING A DONRUSS CARD, ENJOY A LOVELY CARD OF ADRIAN BELTRE YOU PHILISTINE

WHILE FLIPPING THROUGH THE BOOK I REALIZED I COULD NOW PORE OVER CHECKLISTS FOR A BUNCH OF WEIRD-ASS SETS I BOUGHT A TON OF AND IMMEDIATELY FORGOT ABOUT. LIKE MLB SHOWDOWN! REMEMBER WHEN EVERYONE WANTED TO BE A CCG? NOW I CAN SEE JUST HOW MANY FOILS I'M MISSING

I DON'T HAVE ANY SHOWDOWN SCANNED SO HERE'S DERPY AKA MUFFINS. IT'S NOT A COLLECTIBLE CARD GAME EITHER BUT THE CORNERS ARE KINDA ROUNDED. BEFORE YOU ASK, NO, THIS CARD IS NOT IN THE NON-SPORT FRANKENSET

THIS SET ALSO CAUGHT MY EYE WHILE RUMMAGING THROUGH THE BOOK. OH BOY! THE COMPLETE LIST OF FLEER WORLD SERIES CARDS! JUST LIKE IN THE OTHER BOOK! AND THE VINTAGE PRICE GUIDE I BOUGHT AND NEVER USE! BUT NOW IT'S IN THIS ONE TOO

I'M ALMOST CERTAIN I SCANNED A FLEER WORLD SERIES CARD AT SOME POINT BUT I MUST HAVE MOVED IT TO MY BACKUP DRIVE AND I'M NOT DRAGGING THAT THING OUT TONIGHT. YOU'LL HAVE TO SETTLE FOR A '59 TED

HERE'S A SET THAT IS NOT IN THE 2002 EDITION A 50S DOMINICAN REPUBLIC SET THAT'S SCARCE ENOUGH THAT ALL THE SUBJECTS ARE UNKNOWN BUT CARDS ARE SOMEHOW ONLY 10 BUCKS A THROW? THIS KIND OF STUFF FASCINATES ME BECAUSE I'M A BIG OL' NEEERRRRRRRRD WHO LIKES TO READ BOOOOOOKKKKKSSSS

I ABSOLUTELY DON'T HAVE ONE OF THESE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CARDS BUT HERE'S AN OLD TOBACCO CARD OF GOLFER DENSMORE SHUTE THAT I CAN'T USE FOR A STANDALONE POST BECAUSE I BOOGERED UP THE BACK SCAN

whoops

AND HERE'S WHAT I'LL MOSTLY BE USING THE BOOK FOR, LOOKING OVER TOPPS SETS I'VE LOOKED AT 1000 TIMES BEFORE. I APPRECIATE THE (DP) AND (SP) NOTATIONS AS WELL AS THE EASE IN PICKING OUT ALL THE CARDS I STILL NEED FROM 53 TOPPS BY THE THREE AND FOUR DIGIT PRICE TAGS

GOTTA LOVE THEM RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE HIGH NUMBERS THO

NOTE THE MOBILE STATS. BILL DID MAKE IT TO THE BIGS IN '53 AND HIT A HOMER FOR BROOKLYN WHICH IS COOLER THAN ANYTHING ANY OF US WILL EVER DO

BACK TO AARON. ONLY REASON FOR THIS PIC IS I WANTED TO SHOW OFF THOSE WONDER ROOKIE CARDS IN BOLD ITALIC. MUCH EASIER TO PICK OUT IN THIS EDITION, SOMETHING MY RUINED EYES APPRECIATE.

HOMEBREW TRADED CARD! I SHOULD MAYBE LOOK THIS ONE UP IN THE OLD CATALOG

NOW THAT THE OLD EDITION HAS BEEN PUT OUT TO PASTURE HERE'S THE NEW LINEUP OF REFERENCE MATERIALS FOR WHEN SOMEONE RANDOMLY ASKS A QUESTION ABOUT AN OBSCURE CARD ON TWITTER. IF YOU CAN PICK ONE UP AT A GOOD PRICE FOR YOU I RECOMMEND IT. JUST DON'T BLAME ME IF YOU GET CAUGHT UP LOOKING AT SKYBOX INSERTS FROM THE 90S AND LOSE AN AFTERNOON