2023 CARD SHOW - PART 3: THE DEALER WHO COLLECTS - MISCELLANEOUS

THERE WERE OTHER CHEAPO CARDS IN THE BOX ALONG WITH THE ARCHIVES AND IT IS THE LAW THAT I HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE CARD IN ANY BOX WHERE I FIND ONE (1) COOL CARD. THERE WERE NOT ONLY RANDOM-ASS QUARTER CARDS BUT ALSO DOLLAR CARDS AND A FEW TEAM BAGS FULL OF STUFF FROM ASSORTED ODDBALL SETS. THIS LAST THING WILL BECOME VERY IMPORTANT LATER. I ADDED A FEW THINGS TO MY ARCHIVES PILE SHORTLY BEFORE THINGS WENT COMPLETELY OFF THE RAILS. LET'S START WITH THE EXPENSIVE CARDS THAT COST A WHOLE DOLLAR

IF YOU SEE A CARD FROM 1954 FOR A BUCK, YOU BUY IT NO QUESTIONS ASKED NO MATTER WHAT IT IS. IF IT'S A 1954 TOPPS SCOOP CARD OF THE FRIGGIN MOON YOU GRAB IT IMMEDIATELY. LONG TIME READERS KNOW I LOVE CARDS OF SPACE SO THIS FITS INTO THE COLLECTION VERY NICELY. THE SET FEATURES A TON OF HISTORICAL EVENTS INCLUDING QUITE A FEW THAT PRE-DATE AMERICA SO IT'S NEAT TO SEE A CARD LIKE THIS THAT CELEBRATES SOME REAL CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY

THE BACKS ARE COOLER THAN THE FRONTS IN MY OPINION. THEY ALL HAVE A NEWSPAPER HEADLINE DESIGN AND THEY USE ACTUAL EXISTING  NEWSPAPER MASTHEADS. SOMETIMES THE CITY CORRELATES TO THE NEWS EVENT, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. THE ATLANTA JOURNAL STORY IS FOR THE WRIGHT BROTHERS' FIRST FLIGHT AND THE CONSTITUTION TELLS OF A FLOOD ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. I SHOULD REALLY THINK ABOUT TRACKING DOWN THOSE TWO CARDS ALONG WITH THE CARD DETAILING THE BRAVES' MOVE TO MILWAUKEE EVENTUALLY

THE DOLLAR BOX ALSO HAD ABOUT A DOZEN 2007 GOUDEY SHORT PRINTS WHICH MADE ME SUPER EXCITED. I HAVEN'T ADDED TO THAT SET IN YEARS AND WAS HOPEFUL TO FIND SOME NEW ADDITIONS TO THE BINDER. UNFORTUNATELY THIS MUSIAL WAS THE ONLY ONE I DIDN'T ALREADY HAVE BUT I FOUND A SHORT PRINT MUSIAL FOR A BUCK WHICH IS PRETTY GREAT

THERE WERE SOME RANDO EIGHT FOR A BUCK CARDS ASIDE FROM THE ARCHIVES THAT WAS STUFFED WITH OLD TOPPS INSERTS AND LEGENDS SETS AND SUCH. THE ONLY THINGS I PICKED OUT WERE THESE HORRIBLY ANNOYING 2003 BLUE/RED BACK INSERTS. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DISASTROUS INSERT SETS OF THE 00S. NOT ONLY DID TOPPS NOT INCLUDE CARD NUMBERS OF ANY KIND ON THE TWO SETS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF PLAYER OVERLAP BETWEEN SERIES ONE AND TWO. THE SET ISN'T EVEN 52 CARDS! IT'S 40 EACH SERIES! THE SET WAS COMPLETELY HALF-ASSED BUT I BOUGHT A TRUCKLOAD OF PACKS IN 03 SO I HAVE LIKE HALF THE SET ALREADY. HAD I NOT GOT MY TOPPS INSERT WANTLISTS SORTED THROUGH 2009 THESE WOULD HAVE STAYED IN THE BOX

THESE RED BACKS ARE FROM SERIES TWO. SERIOUSLY, WHY IS THERE NO CARD NUMBER ANYWHERE ON THE CARD? NOT ON THE FRONT, NOT ON THE BACK. THIS ISN'T EVEN THE STUPIDEST INSERT FROM 2003! THE RECORD BREAKERS SET DOES THAT STUPID INITIAL NUMBERING SYSTEM THAT WRECKED SO MANY SETS IN THE 00S

THESE CARDS ARE A WHO'S WHO OF DISREGARDED 00S STARS. J-ROLL HAS AN MVP AT LEAST. I GENERALLY LIKE THE ORIGINAL 51 SET (NOT SO MUCH THE RECENT REIMAGININGS) BUT THE ACTUAL GAME ASPECT OF THE CARDS SEEMS KIND OF AWFUL. HALF THE CARDS ARE BALLS OR STRIKES OR FOULS OR EVEN BALKS AND IT SEEMS LIKE A GAME WOULD TAKE FOREVER WITH ALL THE FULL COUNTS YOU'D END UP WITH AND YOU'D HAVE TO RESHUFFLE THE CARDS A HUNDRED TIMES TO GET THROUGH 9 INNINGS. NOT TO MENTION THE INEVITABILITY OF SOME ASSHOLE KID WITH TOO MUCH POCKET MONEY HOARDING ALL THE AL ZARILLA CARDS AND STASHING A COUPLE IN HIS SOCK TO THROW OUT AT OPPORTUNE TIMES. ANYWAY, WHY DO I COLLECT THIS STUFF

1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL INSERT STICKERS I KNOW WHY I COLLECT. I FRIGGIN LOVE 1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL. IT'S GOT A GREAT DESIGN AND HAD A COOL INSERT GIMMICK WITH THE STICKER CARDS. I BOUGHT A BUNCH OF PACKS IN THE DAY BUT A LOT OF THE STICKERS DETERIORATED AND THE BORDERS FELL OFF. THERE WAS A TEAM BAG FULL OF THEM FOR A QUARTER A POP AND I MANAGED TO FIND FIVE I NEEDED. JOE THEISMANN WAS A HUGE STAR IN THE 80S AND IS STILL A POPULAR ANNOUNCER BUT WHEN I HEAR ABOUT HIM TODAY IT'S USUALLY IN REFERENCE TO THAT LEG INJURY. LIFE AIN'T FAIR

THESE ARE SOME GREAT 80S FOOTBALL NAMES. THIS LITTLE PILE BROUGHT A WHOLE LOT OF NICE NOSTALGIA TO ME. THE DESIGN IS PRETTY AWESOME AS WELL. CAN YOU TELL I WAS RUNNING ON FUMES WHEN I WROTE THIS. IT'S BEEN A ROUGH YEAR

THERE'S NOT ONLY STICKERS, BUT PUZZLES! THERE WERE THREE DIFFERENT PUZZLES ON THE BACK WITH PICS FROM THE SUPER BOWL I DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO A COMPLETE PUZZLE BUT A LOT OF THE CARDS HAVE THESE COMPLETED PUZZLE BACKS SINCE THE SET IS NOT DIVISIBLE BY NINE

THERE WERE ALSO A DECENT PILE OF 1991 ARCHIVES CARDS IN THE BOX. I'M FAIRLY CLOSE TO COMPLETING THAT SET SO THE ONLY ONE I NEEDED WAS THIS SATCHEL PAIGE CARD. I WOULDA BOUGHT IT ANYWAY OF COURSE BUT I DID JUST PROUDLY PUT IT INTO THE BINDER TO COMPLETE A PAGE JUST MOMENTS AGO. REMEMBER WHEN I SAID THE SELLER WAS CHATTING WITH ME ABOUT ARCHIVES SETS IN THE LAST POST? THAT WAS PLOTTING, THAT WAS SCHEMING. HE SAW A BIG FAT FISH IN FRONT OF HIM AND THAT FISH WAS ABOUT TO GET A HOOK. HE ASKED IF I WAS COLLECTING THE 91 ARCHIVES SET AND I REPLIED WITH A HELL YEAH. WOULD I LIKE SOME MORE 91 ARCHIVES? HE ASKED AND PULLED OUT A MONSTER BOX OF CARDS. A MONSTER BOX PRICED AT TWENTY-FIVE BUCKS (SOUND FAMILIAR?) THAT WAS FILLED WITH CARDS INCLUDING AN ENTIRE ROW OF ARCHIVES AND OTHER ASSORTED LEGENDS SETS 

OH NOEZ! YA BOY'S IN TROUBLE. WILL I ESCAPE THE LURE OF YET ANOTHER BOX FULL OF JUNK OR AM I WALKING OUT OF THE SHOW EARLY WITH A GIANT BOX-O-CRAP UNDER MY ARM? IF YOU READ THE FIRST POST YOU CAN PROBABLY FIGURE IT OUT, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T! YA GOTTA WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT

OH LAWD YOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT YEAR 😱