2024 WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 1

 I'VE BEEN WANTING TO DO A DEDICATED SUNDAY POST FOR A WHILE BUT DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL TO PUT HERE. I THOUGHT I'D DO SOME COMIC OR RECORD POSTS FOR A WHILE BUT THAT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND I NEVER KEPT UP WITH IT. AT THE END OF THE YEAR I STARTED SEEING A BUNCH OF 'WHAT'S YOUR BEST OF 2023' POSTS AND MY PORRIDGE BRAIN COULDN'T REMEMBER WHAT CARDS I GOT LAST WEEK, LET ALONE ANYTHING I BOUGHT IN SAY, FEBRUARY. SO I GOT THE IDEA OF POSTING THE BEST THING I GOT ONCE A WEEK SO I COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO LOOK BACK AT TWELVE MONTHS FROM NOW AFTER MY BRAIN HAS FURTHER DETERIORATED. THEN BECAUSE I HAVE TO OVERCOMPLICATE EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I COULD SUMMARIZE THE COLLECTING STUFF I DID THAT WEEK AND EVEN SHOW OFF SOME BOOKS AND MOVIES AND STUFF. WITH ALL THAT CRAP TO DO NOW I DUNNO HOW LONG IT'LL BE A WEEKLY THING BUT LET'S SEE HOW IT GOES. I'LL START OFF THE FESTIVITIES WITH THIS BINDER

COLLECTING STUFF I DID THIS WEEK

THIS BINDER WAS DECORATED BY YOURS TRULY AS A KID WITH EXTRA FLEER STICKERS AKA THE ONES I'M NOW LOOKING FOR TO COMPLETE MY SETS. THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF YEARS ON HERE WITH CAPS, PENNANTS, JERSEYS, CRYSTAL BALLS, TEENSY LOGOS AND BIG FAT LOGOS. THERE'S EVEN A BORDER OF TEAM NAMES AND A 1991 UPPER DECK NATIONAL LEAGUE HOLO STICKER THAT WAS HEAVILY TRIMMED. A FEW FOOTBALL STICKERS MADE THE CUT TOO, NOTICE THAT STEELERS LOGO IN THE MIDDLE. I TOLD YOU GUYS THEY WERE MY FAVORITE TEAM FOREVER WHO ARE NOW IN THE PLAYOFFS WHILE THE STINKY FALCONS POOPED THEMSELVES AGAINST THEIR HATED RIVALS. THE REASON I'M SHOWING THIS OFF OTHER THAN BECAUSE IT RULES IS BECAUSE I EJECTED THE CARDS THAT USED TO BE IN THE BINDER (SOME RETRO PARKHURST HOCKEY TALLBOYS) SO I COULD PUT AWAY ONE OF MY CARD SHOW PICKUPS. I CAN'T SAY WHAT IT IS BECAUSE THAT'S NEXT FRIDAY'S POST BUT HERE'S WHAT LIVES IN THERE NOW

CLEVER COLLECTORS MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE CONTENTS OF THAT FUTURE POST NOW BUT VINTAGE FLEER NOW LIVES IN THE FLEER STICKER BINDER WHICH SEEMS APPROPRIATE. OTHER COLLECTING TYPE THINGS I GOT DONE THIS WEEK INCLUDE:

WROTE FIVE OR SIX BLOG POSTS, I'VE GOT ABOUT THREE WEEKS' WORTH IN THE BUFFER NOW

RECEIVED MY 2023 COMC BLACK FRIDAY BINGE CARDS. I NOT ONLY TOOK PICTURES OF THEM ALL, I ACTUALLY CHECKED THEM OFF MY WANTLISTS AND PUT THEM IN THEIR RESPECTIVE BINDERS

PUT AWAY SOME CARDS OUT OF MY BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA BOXES

SORTED THROUGH THE REST OF THAT BIRTHDAY BULLSHIT BLASTER BOX. STILL HAVEN'T TAKEN PICTURES SO I CAN'T FULLY PUT EVERYTHING AWAY YET, BUT PROGRESS WAS MADE

STARTED THE FIRST DRAFT OF MY GOALS FOR 2024. THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO SEGUE INTO

COLLECTING GOALS FOR 2024

I SWEAR I WROTE THESE DOWN SOMEWHERE FOR 2023 BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE SO I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL I DID OR NOT. I GOT A SHITLOAD OF CARDS SO THAT'S GOOD! THEY'RE ALL A MESS SO THAT'S BAD! THUS: NEW GOALS ARE NECESSARY. HERE'S WHAT I GOT SO FAR

1) COMPLETE MOAR SETS

I FINISHED WELL OVER A DOZEN SETS IN 2023 INCLUDING A COUPLE REAL BIG ONES. I DID THIS MAINLY BY PICKING SOME SETS AND SPECIFICALLY TARGETING THEM. I DON'T HAVE THAT LIST OF TARGETS FINALIZED YET BUT  HERE ARE SOME TOP CANDIDATES:

1977 TOPPS - I ALREADY HAVE THE @#$%!!! PETE ROSE!
1981 FLEER - I MIGHT HAVE THIS COMPETE ALREADY OR I MIGHT NOT
1988 DONRUSS - I ONLY NEED TWO CARDS!!! WHY WON'T I BUY THEM???
1994 UPPER DECK - I AM VERY CLOSE ON THIS SET
1984-91 TOPPS GLOSSY ALL-STAR COMPLETE RUN - WITH 1991 DONE, THIS IS DOABLE
1990-91 SKYBOX BASKETBALL - I'M IN THE HOME STRETCH ON THIS ONE
ANY VINTAGE TOPPS FOOTBALL SET - I'M ASHAMED OF MYSELF THAT I HAVEN'T COMPLETED ANY OF THEM YET. I'M CLOSE ON 1983, 1985, 1986 AND 1988, I JUST GOTTA PICK ONE AND GET LASER FOCUSED

I STILL HAVE A FEW SETS ON GOING FROM LAST YEAR LIKE 1993 UPPER DECK INSERTS, I'M GOING TO TRY TO HAVE A CLEAR LIST TOGETHER BY FEBRUARYISH OR MARCH WHEN I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET TO SOME SHOPS OR SHOWS

2) GET MORE PLAYER COLLECTIONS ON TCDB

I WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME MORE PLAYER COLLECTIONS UP ON THERE SO I CAN WATCH NUMBER GO UP AND ALSO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT CARDS I DON'T HAVE. MY HOCKEY COLLECTION OF CHELIOS, COFFEY AND BELFOUR ARE OBVIOUS CHOICES. I SHOULD ALSO PUT MY CHIPPER JONES COLLECTION UP THERE SINCE I HAVE OVER A THOUSAND OF THEM AND THEY ARE ALL IN BINDERS. I KINDA WOULD RATHER PUT IN GREG MADDUX OR ANDRUW JONES THOUGH SINCE I STILL LIKE BUYING NEW CARDS OF THEM. I'M NOT PUTTING IN ANYTHING NEW LIKE RONALD ACUÑA OR TRAE YOUNG BECAUSE IT'S A PAIN IN THE JUNK TO NAVIGATE THE SITE WITH NEW PLAYERS DUE TO THE ENDLESS PARALLELS AND AUTOGRAPHS I'LL NEVER SEE

3) PUT AWAY ALL MY 2023 CARDS

IT'S SO EASY TO BUY CARDS AND SO HARD TO PUT THEM WHERE THEY BELONG. THIS IS WHY I PUT AWAY THE COMC CARDS IMMEDIATELY SO I DON'T GET EVEN MORE BEHIND ON THIS. ALONG WITH PUTTING THEM AWAY, THIS WILL BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO REALITY CHECK THESE SETS AND UPDATE THE WANTLISTS. BEFORE I CAN DO THIS EFFECTIVELY THOUGH I NEED TO

4) GET ALL THE SETS IN ONE PLACE AND ALL THE DOUBLES IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACE

BETWEEN FLOODS, LEAKS AND CRITTER INVASIONS MY CARD SPACE IN THE BASEMENT IS A DISASTER ZONE. EVERYTHING'S JUST KINDA EVERYWHERE AND I NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHERE EVERYTHING IS GOING AND GET IT THERE. THIS IS ALSO A GOOD TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHICH STUFF I DON'T REALLY WANT TO DEAL WITH ANYMORE SO I CAN SEGREGATE IT FROM THE GOOD STUFF AND START TO PLAN ON HOW TO GET RID OF IT

IF I ACTUALLY DO NAIL DOWN EXACTLY WHAT MY GOALS ARE I'LL POST 'EM HERE EVENTUALLY. IT MIGHT BE JUNE BUT I'LL POST 'EM. IF I DON'T AND THEY JUST FLOAT AROUND NEBULOUSLY IN MY NOGGIN THEN THIS IS A GOOD ENOUGH LIST FOR END OF YEAR REFLECTION. OK! THIS WAS MEANT TO BE A PLACE TO REVIEW THE WEEK AND SHOW OFF MY COOL NEW STUFF AND I HAVEN'T DONE ANY OF THAT YET. LET'S SHOW A THING FROM LAST YEAR

BEST THING I BOUGHT IN 2023 BUT NEVER GOT AROUND TO SHOWING OFF

I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TEASED THIS IN ONE OF MY DUCK'S DUGOUT POSTS BUT ON MY SECOND TRIP TO THE STORE LAST YEAR I PICKED UP THIS ISSUE #1 OF THE RENATA GALASSO BASEBALL-HOBBY CARD REPORT. I HAD A COUPLE ISSUES OF THIS MAGAZINE WHEN I WAS A KID BUT THEY'VE DISAPPEARED. DUCK'S HAS A SECTION OF SPORTS RELATED MAGAZINES AND I SPIED THIS THE FIRST TIME I WAS THERE BUT DIDN'T HAVE THE TEN BUCKS TO GET IT. I WAS SWEATING IT HOPING IT WAS STILL THERE WHEN I WENT BACK AND HONESTLY I DON'T THINK ANYONE ELSE EVEN LOOKED THROUGH THOSE MAGS OTHER THAN ME ALL YEAR SO I WAS ABLE TO PICK IT UP ON THE NEXT TRIP. I HAD PLANNED TO DO A BIG SUNDAY POST ON THE MAGAZINE BUT AS I SAID BEFORE THAT NEVER HAPPENED. THE MAIN REASON I REALLY WANTED THIS AND WAS OVER THE MOON ABOUT FINDING IT IS THIS:

THERE WAS A CENTER INSERT OF T-206 REPRINT CARDS IN MANY OF THESE BASEBALL-HOBBY CARD REPORT MAGAZINES. I HAD A BIG PILE OF THEM FROM THE ONES I HAD WHEN I WAS A KID AND I WAS VERY GLAD THE OWNER OF THIS ONE DIDN'T TEAR THEIRS OUT TOO. THE SOPHISTICATED COLLECTOR IN MY WANTS TO KEEP THIS INTACT, WHILE 12 YEAR OLD ME IS DYING TO RIP THEM ALL APART. NOT GONNA LIE, I'M THINKING ABOUT IT. THE BEST PART ABOUT THESE IS THEY ALL HAVE A VARIETY OF BACKS:

THESE CARDS DID A LOT TO TEACH ME ABOUT THE VARIOUS TOBACCO BACKS AND I'M SO GLAD THEY DIDN'T JUST GO WITH PIEDMONT OR SWEET CAPORAL ON ALL OF THEM. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THE THE CARDS ON THE FRONT MATCH ACTUAL BACKS THEY CAN HAVE IN REALITY - THERE SEEM TO BE AN AWFUL LOT OF OLD MILL BACKS THERE - BUT IT WAS COOL PLAYING WITH THESE THINGS WHEN I WAS A LITTLE JUNKIE AND DECIDING THAT SOVERIGN CIGARETTE BACKS WERE RARE SINCE THERE WERE FEWER OF THEM THAN THE OTHER BACKS. I NEED TO DIG OUT ALL MY REPRINTS AND COMPARE THEM TO THESE, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SECOND TIME I BOUGHT THIS ISSUE

OK, FINALLY. BEST THING I BOUGHT THIS WEEK

OK SO WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS - REMEMBER WHEN I SAID I ADDED TEN BUCKS TO COMC AND THEN IMMEDIATELY BLEW IT ALL SO I HAD NO MONEY TO BUY ANY NEW COOL THINGS I STUMBLED UPON? WELL I STUMBLED UPON THIS. I HAD KING KONG ON THE BRAIN AND I WONDERED IF I HAD ANY ORIGINAL KONG CARDS AND IF THERE WERE ANY VINTAGE CARDS OF HIM BESIDES THE 1976 REMAKE MOVIE AND THE MORE RECENT KONG SETS. I STARTED POKING AROUND COMC AND FOUND THIS 1965 RKO SET. ALL THE CARDS IN THIS SET ARE PRETTY SPECTACULAR FEATURING IMAGES FROM THE ORIGINAL 1933 FILM WITH GOOFY JOKE CAPTIONS. SEVERAL CARDS HAVE A "WRITE YOUR OWN!" SPEECH BUBBLE AND A LOT OF KIDS DID JUST THAT. I WAS HAVING FUN READING ALL THE 60 YEAR OLD SCRIBBLES AND I FOUND THIS ONE THAT MADE ME GIGGLE  UNCONTROLLABLY. AND THE BACK IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE FRONT LOL BUT YOU CAN DISCOVER THAT ON YOUR OWN. I WAS DUMB AND LOOKED AT THE PRICE AND IT WAS ONLY A BUCK AND A HALF! DAMMIT, TIME TO ADD MORE MUNS TO THE COMC ACCOUNT. I ADDED THIS TO MY NEW YEAR'S EVE PURCHASES AND FORBID MYSELF FROM EVEN THINKING ABOUT THE SITE FOR A MONTH

ALONG WITH THIS ARE MY WEEKLY BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA PICKUPS. I USUALLY ADD A 40 CARD PACK A WEEK AND THAT GENERALLY LASTS ME A WHILE. IT DID NOT THIS WEEK AS I HAVE ALREADY PICKED UP FIFTY CARDS AND COUNTING. THAT'S A LOTTA CARDS BUT I WAS MOSTLY VERY FOCUSED IN MY PICKUPS AND LEFT A LOT OF COOL STUFF FOR OTHERS. THE TOTALS BY CATEGORY:

WANTLIST CARDS FOR SETS: 14
BRAVES/HAWKS: 12
PLAYER COLLECTIONS: 7
INSERT CARDS: 7
STAR CARDS: 6
CHRONICLES: 2
AUTOGRAPHED CARD: 1
NON SPORTS CARD OF A ROBOT WITH BIG BOOBS: 1

I AM ALLOWED SOME FRIVOLITY IN MY CARD PICKUPS! THE BEST ONE OF THIS BUNCH IS EASILY THIS TRAE PRODUCTION LINE INSERT THAT WARRANTED THE IMMEDIATE ONE-CARD ORDER

THAT ENDS THE CARD STUFF FOR THIS WEEK, BUT HERE'S SOME NON-TRADING CARD FUN I HAD

MOVIES I WATCHED:

I WAS BUMMED THAT I HAD FAILED TO WATCH A TON OF MOVIES THAT I HAD PLANNED ON WATCHING LAST YEAR SO I'VE STARTED TO KNOCK A FEW OF EM OUT JUST SO I CAN CLOSE THE BROWSER TAB

#1 STEAMBOAT BILL JR. - A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT CARE FOR SILENT FILMS AND I GET IT. THEY CAN SOMETIMES BE SLOW AND SOMEWHAT HARD TO FOLLOW. EVEN IF YOU HATE SILENT FILMS DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND PUT THIS MOVIE ON AND SKIP TO ABOUT 52 MINUTES IN. FORGET THE PLOT, ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW IS BUSTER KEATON'S THE HERO, THE GUY IN JAIL IS HIS FATHER, THE LADY IS HIS GIRLFIREND AND THE OLD MAN IN THE WATER IS HER FATHER. I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL NEVER REGRET WATCHING THAT 20 MINUTES OR SO OF SILENT FILM

#2 THEATRE OF BLOOD  - ONE OF MY FAVORITE VINCENT PRICE FILMS IS THE ABOMINABLE DOCTOR PHIBES. THEATRE OF BLOOD IS THE ABOMINABLE DOCTOR PHIBES MINUS THE STYLE WITH A LOT OF SHAKESPEARE ADDED. IT'S A FUN LITTLE MURDER COMEDY WITH SOME GOOD ACTORS HAMMING IT UP BUT DOCTOR PHIBES IS STILL SUPERIOR IN EVERY WAY

#3 THE HAUNTED WORLD OF EDWARD D. WOOD JR. - A DOCUMENTARY DEFINITELY GREENLIT THANKS TO THE SUCCESS OF TIM BURTON'S ED WOOD WHERE A TON OF PEOPLE WHO KNEW AND WORKED WITH ED WERE INTERVIEWED ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES. MANY PRAISE ED WHILE MANY OTHERS MOST ASSUREDLY DO NOT. HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE LYLE TALBOT'S BEWILDERMENT, BELA LUGOSI JR'S BITTERNESS AND REV. LYNN LEMON (ONE OF THE BAPTISTS SCHNOOKERED BY ED WHEN HE MADE PLAN 9) BEING SURPRISINGLY CHILL ABOUT THE WHOLE THING. THE STAR OF THE SHOW IS MAILA NURMI THOUGH, EVERY TIME SHE OPENS HER MOUTH IS A DELIGHT

ALONG WITH THE MOVIES I WATCHED A BUNCH OF SHORTS INCLUDING THE NOW-PUBLIC DOMAIN STEAMBOAT WILLIE (ANCIENT MICKEY MOUSE IS SUCH A JERK) AND SEVEN THREE STOOGES SHORTS, THE BEST OF WHICH WAS PUNCH DRUNKS

BOOKS AND COMICS

THE ONLY BOOK I'VE READ IS THE COPY OF NEWS OF THE WEIRD I USE AS MY BATHROOM READING BUT I HAVE A LARGE PILE OF UNREAD COMICS AND WEBCOMICS I AM TRYING TO MAKE TIME TO READ THIS YEAR. JOHN ALLISON IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE COMICS CREATORS AND IS KNOWN FOR SCARY GO ROUND, GIANT DAYS AND BAD MACHINERY AMONG OTHERS. MY FAVORITE OF HIS, STEEPLE IS COMING TO A CLOSE SOON SO I TRIED CHECKING OUT SOLVER AND IT'S PRETTY GREAT TOO. CHARLOTTE GROTE STARTED OUT AS A CHILD CHARACTER WHO SOLVED MYSTERIES IN BAD MACHINERY WHO IS NOW TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH HERSELF NOW THAT SHE IS GROWN UP. ALLSION'S COMIC UNIVERSE HAS A VERY DISTINCT COMIC STYLE AND I LOVE IT. I HAVE ONLY READ STORIES PIECEMEAL THROUGH ALL HIS WORKS AS I CAN FIND THEM AT THE LIBRARY OR ONLINE BUT THIS IS ONE SERIES I'D LIKE TO GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE CANON

PODCASTS

I HAVE A SMALL LIST OF PODCASTS I LISTEN TO REGULARLY TO HELP ME GET THROUGH WORK OR COMMUTES OR THE GYM BUT INSTEAD I'M GOING TO SHOW OFF AN OLD TIME RADIO SHOW I STUMBLED ACROSS AND ENJOYED. CANDY MATSON, YUkon 2-8209 IS A DETECTIVE SHOW FROM THE LATE 40S FEATURING A FEMALE PRIVATE EYE WHO SOLVES MYSTERIES AND MURDERS. THIS IS A GREAT HARDBOILED NOIR SHOW AND I'VE ENJOYED LISTENING TO SOME EPISODES WHILE WRITING UP POSTS ABOUT SOME RANDOM-ASS BASEBALL CARDS. I'LL SHOW OFF MY FAVORITE PODCASTS LATER BUT THIS WAS A GOOD PAIR WITH THE COMICS

ALBUMS

YOUTUBE'S ALGORITHM FOR REGULAR VIDEOS IS A TRAINWRECK BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IT DOES KNOW EXACTLY WHAT MUSIC I LIKE TO LISTEN TO AT ALL TIMES. OCCASIONALLY IT WILL RECOMMEND AN OBSCURE ALBUM I - AND POSSIBLY EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD - HAS NEVER HEARD OF BEFORE AND ALMOST ALWAYS WHEN I LISTEN TO ONE IT'S A BANGER. THIS KAWAII FLOWER OCTOPUS SHOWED UP IN MY RECOMENDATIONS WHEN I WAS DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR SOME MUSIC TO HELP ME FINISH SOME WORK SO I CLICKED. THIS IS PISTACHIO ISLAND BY ILKAE AND THE MUSIC IS AS ECLECTIC AS THE COVER BUT I REALLY LIKED IT. IT'S 45 SHORT TRACKS OF ELECTRONIC BLEEPS THAT ARE INTERESTING AND FUN BUT DON'T OVERSTAY THEIR WELCOME. IF YOU LIKE ODDBALL IDM, YOU MIGHT LIKE IT! EVERYONE ELSE PROBABLY WON'T LOL

I ALSO HEARD KLAUS NOMI'S VERSION OF LIGHTNING STRIKES SOMEHOW AND IMMEDIATELY HAD TO GO LISTEN TO THE FULL ALBUM. IT IS EVERYTHIGN I HOPED IT WOULD BE. MY MUSIC PICKS ARE PRETTY OUT THERE AND I DON'T EXPECT ANYONE ELSE TO ENJOY THEM BUT THAT'S THE KIND OF MUSIC I LIKE TO LISTEN TO  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

THIS WAS A LOT OF FUN BUT IT TOOK TOO LONG TO WRITE AND I'M NOT GOING TO PROOFREAD IT SO ENJOY THE TYPOS. WHEN I DO THIS AGAIN IN A WEEK OR TWO DON'T EXPECT THIS MUCH STUFF, BUT EXPECT MORE COOL STUFF