A MONTH OR SO BEFORE THE WORLD ENDED LAST YEAR THE CARD DUDE AT THE FLEA MARKET OFFERED ME A LARGE PILE OF JUNK WAX COMMONS AND GARBAGE FOR CHEAP. AS USUAL I DAWDLED AND DID NOT PULL THE TRIGGER BEFORE EVERYTHING GOT LOCKED DOWN AND ENDED UP REGRETTING IT BITTERLY ALL LAST SUMMER WHEN I WAS BORED AS SHIT AND COULD HAVE USED SOMETHING TO SORT. RECENTLY I RECTIFIED THIS ERROR AND PICKED UP THE FOLLOWING FOR TWENTY BUCKS PLUS THE CHANGE I SCROUNGED OUT OF THE SOFA WHEN I WAS CLEANING UP LAST SUMMER INSTEAD OF SORTING CARDS:
- THREE 5000-COUNT MONSTER BOXES
- ONE 3200-COUNT MINI MONSTER BOX WITH BONUS ART ☝
- ONE 1600-COUNT SHOE BOX THAT IS BARELY IN ONE PIECE
- SEVEN 800 COUNT BOXES
- ONE 600-COUNT BOX FULL OF FOOTBALL CARDS
- TWO SMALL PLASTIC STORAGE TUBS FULL OF FOOTBALL CARDS
- THREE RANDOM BOXES FULL OF CARDS:
- ONE LARGE PRIORITY MAIL FLAT RATE BOX
- ONE NEW BALANCE SNEAKER SHOE BOX
- ONE BOX THAT FORMERLY HELD A STARTER FOR A TOYOTA
- AND FINALLY ONE NIKE BOX FULL OF BASKETBALL CARDS
I AM NOT GOING TO LIE. 80% OF IT IS FLAGSHIP COMMONS FROM 1987-1993 THAT I ALREADY HAD. AND ANOTHER 15% IS STUFF I DON'T HAVE WANTLISTS FOR LIKE LEAF, ULTRA, STADIUM CLUB, BOWMAN, PINNACLE, COLLECTOR'S CHOICE, ETC. THAT LAST 5% THOUGH WAS FUCKING AMAZING. ALL SORTS OF ODDBALL SHIT, RANDOM INSERTS, A SMALL PILE OF PACIFIC CARDS WHICH I AM NOW CONVINCED IS THE RAREST MAINSTREAM STUFF FROM THE 90S BY FAR, AND A LOT OF WEIRD FUN STUFF. PLUS I FOUND ENOUGH COMMONS OFF MY WANTLISTS TO COMPLETELLY FILL UP A 1600-COUNT BOX AND THEN SPILL OVER TO A SECOND BOX. AND EVERY ONE OF THE BASKETBALL CARDS WERE CHERISHED AND APPRECIATED
FOR A MOMENT I THOUGHT ABOUT DOCUMENTING THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH ALL THIS MESS TO SHOW OFF ON HERE OR ON TWITTER BUT THE FIRST BOX I WENT THROUGH WAS ONE-HALF BRICKED 1993 UPPER DECK AND I GOT BORED WITH TAKING BAD PICTURES AND JUST WENT HAM ON SORTING ALL THE REST OF THE CRAP WHICH IS WHAT I DID ALL JULY INSTEAD OF POSTING ANYTHING ON HERE. I KNOW THIS IS DISAPPOINTING BUT I DID TAKE A FEW PICS AND HAD THE FORESIGHT TO PLAN ONE POST ON HERE WHICH IS WHY I'M TYPING RIGHT NOW
TWO OF THE 5000-COUNT BOXES DID NOT HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF CARDS. MOSTLY ALL BASE CARDS FROM THE SAME DOZEN OR SO SETS. THEY SEEMED TO ME TO BE LIKE A BUNCH OF MY DOUBLES BOXES WHERE I SORT THROUGH CARDS TRYING TO FINISH OFF SOME SETS AND THEN DUMP THE UNNEEDED CARDS INTO A BOX TO BE FORGOTTEN. ONE OF THEM WAS DIFFERENT, IT HAD ALL KINDS OF WACKY BULLSHIT IN IT. THIS ONE LOOKED LIKE THERE WERE A BUNCH OF RANDOM CARDS PILED ON A DESK, AND THEN SOME MORE OVER ON THE SHELF, AND THEN A BOX THAT HAD BEEN ACCIDENTALLY DUMPED ON THE FLOOR, AND THEN THE ROOM HAD TO BE CLEANED UP IN A HURRY SO THE WHOLE LOT OF IT WAS SHOVED INTO ONE MONSTER BOX. THERE WAS SOME NEAT STUFF IN THIS BOX AND ALSO SOME ACTUAL TRASH. WHILE SORTING OUT EVERYTHING I PUT ASIDE WHAT I CONSIDERED THE BEST AND WORST CARDS FROM EACH ROW AND HERE THEY ARE
ROW ONE - BEST CARD
1996 UPPER DECK HIDEO NOMO HOT COMMODITIES INSERT
A ONE PER BOX SUPER SHINY DIE CUT INSERT IN THE MIDST OF PILES OF JUNK IS LIKE FINDING A DIAMOND WHILE DIGGING IN THE SAND AT THE BEACH. EASILY THE BEST CARD IN THE BOXAND I THINK I DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE THIS ONEDESPITE OPENING LOTS ON 96 UPPER DECK BACK IN THE DAY
ROW ONE - WORST CARD
1991 UPPER DECK NOLAN RYAN BASEBALL HEROES INSERT DEVOURED BY FUNGUS
THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THE NOMO CARD, EASILY THE WORST CARD IN THE BOX BY A MILE. THIS CARD GOT WET AND LEFT TO FESTER INTO A SCIENCE PROJECT. THANKFULLY THIS WAS NOT A SITUATION WHERE THE BOX GOT WET AND A WHOLE SECTION OF CARDS WENT MOLDY, IT WAS JUST ONE HORRIBLE DISGUSTING CARD IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUNCH OF OTHER PERFECTLY FINE CARDS. IF MY SKLIN FALLS OFF AND I BECOME A ZOMBIE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS YOU KNOW WHAT TO BLAME
ROW TWO - BEST CARD
2002 DONRUSS ORIGINALS TED WILLIAMS PUZZLE
EVERY CARD COMPANY DID THEIR OWN RETRO DESIGN REHASH PRODUCT AFTER TOPPS HERITAGE BLEW UP AND 2002 DONRUSS ORIGINALS WAS THE DONRUSS VERSION FEATURING A SET WITH THE 1982, 1984, 1986 AND 1988 DESIGN. THERE WAS NO 2003 VERSION WITH 1981, 1983, 1985 AND 1987 DESIGNS BECAUSE THE 2002 SET BOMBED HORRIBLY. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THEY CREATED THE FIRST PUZZLE SET IN A DECADE AND THEN MADE THEM AN INSERT CARD AT LIKE 1:8 PACKS OR SOME SUCH FOOLISHNESS. SINCE THE SET FLOPPED THESE ARE STUPID HARD TO FIND NOW, IT'S WAY EASIER TO STUMBLE ACROSS AUTOS OR RELICS. IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE THE COMPLETED PUZZLE LOOKS GREAT BUT GOOD LUCK COMPLETING THE THING
ROW TWO - WORST CARDS
1980 TOPPS MARKED CHECKLISTS STAPLED TOGETHER
THIS WAS A TOUGH CHOICE BECAUSE THERE WAS ALSO TWO-THIRDS OF A DONRUSS WILLIE STARGELL PUZZLE SET ALL STAINED BY RED KOOL-AID IN THE BOX. I CHOSE THIS INSTEAD BECAUSE WHILE A MARKED SET OF 1980 TOPPS CHECKLISTS ALL STAPLED TOGETHER IS A COOL ARTIFACT OF A BYGONE AGE, THE SAME THING WITH THE TOP CHECKLIST RIPPED OFF AND FLOATING AROUND SEPERATELY IN THE BOX IS KINDA TRAGIC
ROW THREE - BEST CARD
1998 COLLECTOR'S CHOICE CAL RIPKEN JR. CRASH THE GAME INSERT
A 90S INSERT OF A HALL OF FAMER IS ALWAYS WELCOME. I HAD QUITE A FEW WINNER CARDS FROM CRASH THE GAME CONTESTS ALTHOUGH I DON'T THINK I REDEEMED ANY THIS YEAR. CAL KNOCKED A HOMER AGAINST THE MARINERS ON SEPTEMBER 4TH SO THIS CARD WOULD HAVE WON. WHERE'S MY TIME MACHINE
ROW THREE - BESTEREST CARD
1999 FLEER TRADITION TURNER WARD
THIS ENTIRE ROW WAS FILLED WITH GOOD CARDS AND I COULD NOT FIND EVEN ONE THAT I CONCIDERED BAD. SO YOU GET A BONUS AWESOME CARD OF BUBBLE BOY TURNER WARD
ROW FOUR - BEST CARD
1994 SCORE BIP ROBERTS
I GOT A LOT OF BIPS OUT OF ALL THESE BOXES. VERY BAD WHEN OPENING A SEALED BOX YOU GOT AT TARGET, VERY GOOD WHEN SORTING THROUGH A PILE OF JUNK WAX. 1994 SCORE IS ALSO A BIG HOLE IN MY COLLECTION SO ANY AND ALL CARDS OF IT I CAN FIND ARE APPRECIATED
ROW FOUR - WORST CARDS
THIS ROW HAD A LOT OF TRASHED CARDS, I CHOSE THESE THREE AS A SAMPLE. THE GERALD PERRY DID NOT RECEIVE TYPICAL KIDS PLAYING WITH CARDS WEAR AND TEAR, THIS WAS ABUSE AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT STAINBY HIS KNEE. THE SCAN DOES NOT DO JUSTICE TO THE DAMAGE ON BRIAN HOLMAN'S CARD. IT IS VERY SCUFFED WITH ODD SURFACE DAMAGE LIKE IT WAS RUN OVER BY A TRUCK AND THEN FELL IN A POOL OF SOLVENT. THE MIKE CAMERON CARD IS THE SADDEST, NOT ONLY IS THIS COOL PIC OF HIM ON A CELL PHONE RUINED BY THE MANGLING, BUT I NEED THE CARD FOR MY SET AS WELL. I MIGHT PUT IT IN THE SET ANYWAY
ROW FIVE - BEST CARD
1994 TOPPS FINEST RICK WHITE
THE LAST ROW HAD A LOT OF COOL STUFF IN IT BUT NO REAL STANDOUT PERFORMER SO I WENT WITH THE TOPPS FINEST CARD. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T LIKE THIS FINEST SET BUT I HAVE A LOT OF NOSTALGIA FOR IT. I ONLY GOT FOUR FINEST CARDS IN THE WHOLE LOT, THESE THINGS WERE RARER THAN INSERTS
ROW FIVE - WORST CARD
1998 FLEER SPORTS ILLUSTRATED WORLD SERIES FEVER JEFF BAGWELL
NOT MUCH MORE DISAPPOINTING THAN FINDING A HALL OF FAME PLAYER FROM AN EXTREMELY OBSCURE SET YOU LIKE AND THE CARD IS ALL TRASHED TO HELL. NEW CARDS MAY BE SHINER AND MORE HIGH TECH BUT OLD CARDS KNEW HOW TO AGE GRACEFULLY
THIS WAS A VERY FUN LOT TO SORT THROUGH AND I STILL HAVE A LOT OF SORTING TO DO. I CAN PROBABLY START SECOND AND THIRD SETS FOR A LOT OF STUFF NOW IF I CHOSE TO. I HAVE NOT ACTUALLY UPDATED ANY OF THE WANT LISTS YET DUE TO BLOGGER DECIDING IT DOES NOT WANT TO STAY SIGNED IN ON CHROME FOR SOME REASON BUT AT THIS TIME I THINK THESE ARE THE BIG WINS AND LOSSES FOR ME SO FAR:
WINS:
- FINALLY FOUND THE 1989 TOPPS CRAIG MCMURTRY THAT WAS MISSING FROM MY BINDER AND FOUND A SECOND ONE SO I CAN START A SECOND SET
- GOT A GIGANTIC PILE OF 1993 SCORE AND PROBABLY INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CARDS I HAVE FROM THAT SET TENFOLD
- ALL THE BASKETBALL CARDS. I LOVE THEM ALL
LOSSES:
- STILL HAVE NOT FOUND THAT @%$^!! 1993 UPPER DECK CLEMENS CHECKLIST THAT I'M MISSING. ALSO I'VE MISPLACED THE ACTUAL SET AS WELL. HOW DO YOU LOSE ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE SETS
- DESPITE GETTING ENOUGH 1992 DONRUSS TO FILL UP A TRUCK I'M PRETTY SURE I'M STILL MISSING A CARD, ALTHOUGH I STILL NEED TO VERIFY
- SORTING THE FOOTBALL CARDS HAS GIVEN ME THE ITCH TO GO THROUGH MY MESS OF A COLLECTION AND MAYBE BUILD A COUPLE SETS LIKE 90 PRO SET OR SOME OF THE EARLY SCORE SETS, SOMETHING I ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO TIME FOR RIGHT NOW
HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS TRIP THROUGH SOME JUNK, I'LL TRY TO POST MORE OFTEN THAN ONCE EVERY TWO MONTHS BUT NO PROMISES