CANADA CUSTOMS BLASTER - PART 1: VINTAGEY GOODNESS

FORGOING THE WEEK IN REVIEW POST AGAIN AS I WAS SICK AS A DOG MOST OF THE WEEK AND NO ONE NEEDS A POST LIKE 

BEST SLEEP I HAD THIS WEEK

IT WAS THE NIGHT I GOT DESPERATE AND TOOK A SHOT OF NYQUIL, BY THE WAY. NOT A WHOLE LOT HAPPENED. I SLEPT A LOT, READ A MYSTERY NOVEL, FARTED ABOUT MOSTLY. THOSE POSTS MIGHT END UP A BI-WEEKLY AFFAIR ANYWAY. HOWEVER! THIS IS IN SOME WAY A WEEK IN REVIEW POST AS ON TUESDAY DURING THE TWO-HOUR PERIOD WHERE I WAS ACTUALLY AWAKE THIS ARRIVED:

A BRAND NEW PACKAGE FROM BASEBALLCARDSTORE.CA WITH ALL THE STUFF I GOT FROM LATE NOVEMERISH TO THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY. THE US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION AGENCY KNEW MY PICKUPS WERE PRETTY AWESOME AND HAD THEMSELVES A PEEK AT THEM. THERE WERE EVEN A COUPLE CARDS I DIDN'T BUY SITTING ON TOP! I AM HORRIBLY BACKED UP ON DRAFT POSTS AND I HAVE DECREED TO MYSELF THAT I AM POSTING EVERY PACKAGE AS IT COMES IN SO THE ONLINE BLASTER CARDS FROM LAST YEAR ARE GOING TO BE POSTED ALONG WITH THE ONLINE BLASTER CARDDS FROM THIS YEAR CONCURRENTLY. THE MORE RECENT BLASTERS HAVE SOME WILD STUFF I WANT TO SHOW OFF BADLY ANYWAY. WHAT WILL THIS MEAN WHEN THE NEXT PACKAGE COMES IN AND I STILL HAVE 15 POSTS LEFT FOR THIS ONE? THAT'S FUTURE ME'S PROBLEM. IN THE MEANTIME I HAVE SORTED THIS SUCKER INTO APPROPRIATELY THEMED POSTS. DON'T WORRY, THERE'S STILL QUITE A FEW CHAOS POSTS, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FOCUSED YET. WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE GOOD GOOD STUFF

CATEGORY: VINTAGE WANTLIST

THIS IS EVERYTHING ON GOOD OL' FASHIONED CARDBOARD I PICKED UP FOR MY WANTLIST. THERE IS A LOT OF VINTAGE POSTED TO THE SITE AND IT KINDA KILLS ME NOT TO PICK IT ALL UP BECAUSE I'VE ALREADY COMPLETED EVERY TOPPS SET FROM THE 80S AND HALF FROM THE 70S. HOCKEY AND FOOTBALL SETS HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED THOUGH. AND THE FIRST TWO CARDS HERE ARE ONES I DIDN'T EVEN BUY! I HAVE KEPT A SOMEWHAT DETAILED LIST OF CARDS I PICK UP EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY FOURTH 1993 TOPPS MADDUX/CLEMENS ALL STAR CARD AND THESE TWO AIN'T ON THAT LIST. A LITTLE BONUS FOR BEING A GOOD CUSTOMER PERHAPS? I APPRECIATE IT A LOT BECAUSE I LOVE THESE TWO SETS 

1985-86 TOPPS HOCKEY KEVIN DINEEN RC

EVER SINCE I DISCOVERED I HAD OVER 90% OF THE 85-86 TOPPS SET I'VE BEEN LOOKING TO FINISH THAT ONE UP. WELL, FINISH IT UP EXCEPT FOR THE MARIO LEMIEUX ROOKIE. I HAVE A REPRINT FOR THAT ONE. THE GRETZKY WON'T BE SUPER CHEAP BUT I HAVE ALREADY SCOPED OUT PRICES ON COMC AND MOST OF THE REST CAN BE HAD FOR UNDER A BUCK EACH. PLUS YOU NEVER KNOW, I MIGHT GET LUCKY AT A CARD SHOW WHERE A ROGUE HOCKEY SELLER SHOWS UP. DINEEN WAS A PRETTY DANG GOOD PLAYER AND ROOKIES ARE ALWAYS A LITTLE TOUGHER TO PICK UP. PLUS THAT WHALERS LOGO IS AWESOME AND LOOKS GREAT ON 80S PRINTING

1984-85 TOPPS HOCKEY DAVE ANDREYCHUK RC

ANOTHER ROOKIE CARD! OF A HALL OF FAMER!!THIS IS SUPER COOL AS I HONESTLY LIKE THE 84-85 DESIGN EVEN BETTER THAN 85-86. BUT I NEED 60 CARDS FOR 84-85 AND ONLY 20 FOR 85-86 AND I'M LAZY, LOL. HEY, HOCKEY CARDS AREN'T EXACLY COMMON IN GEORGIA! THIS SET REMINDS ME A LOT OF THE 1983 TOPPS SET AND I THINK IT'S KINDA NEAT THAT THE PORTRAIT ON THIS CARD IS THE SAME ONE USED ON HIS O-PEE-CHEE TEAM LEADER CARD

1984-85 TOPPS HOCKEY EDDIE MIO

EDDIE'S NOT A ROOKIE CARD BUT APPARENTLY IT'S A SHORT PRINT? I AM LEARNING EXACTLY NOW THAT THIS SET HAS SHORT PRINTS. OOF. GOALIE CARDS ARE GREAT AND THIS IS A GOOD LOOKING ONE. THE RED WINGS ARE KINDA SORTA MY NHL TEAM NOW SINCE MY HOMETOWN TEAMS KEEP RUNNING AWAY. NO REAL REASON OTHER THAN I LIKE THEIR LOGO AND ENJOYED PLAYING THE WINGS ON NHL 93 ON MY SUPER NINTENDO. SPEAKING OF RED WINGS THE YZERMAN ROOKIE IS ONE I STILL NEED FOR THIS SET, BUT I PICKED UP A REPRINT CARD OFF THE SITE A WEEK OR TWO AGO THAT MIGHT BE FILLING IN FOR THE TIME BEING

1984-85 TOPPS HOCKEY GLEN HANLON

ANOTHER SHORT PRINT? I HAD TO CHECK OUT THIS SHORT PRINT BUSINESS AND THERE'S 66 IN THE SET, PROBABLY DUE TO HOW THEY WERE LAID OUT ON THE PRINTING SHEETS. I ALREADY HAVE 40 OF THEM AND I'M HONESTLY FAR MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TWO GRETZKYS AND ROOKIES I NEED. HANLON HERE KNOCKS OFF ANOTHER GOALIE CARD. THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THE HANDFUL OF HOCKEY SETS I KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR AND I'LL PICK AWAY AT IT SLOWLY BUT SURELY

1987-88 TOPPS HOCKEY BOB MURRAY

1987 TOPPS HOCKEY ALSO DOES THE WOOD GRAIN BORDER, KINDA. I LIKE THIS DESIGN FOR IT'S SIMPLICITY. HOCKEY STICK, HOCKEY PUCK AND A LITTLE COLORFUL CORNER FOR THE POSITION. VERY ELEGANT. I DON'T HAVE A TON OF CARDS FOR MOST TOPPS HOCKEY SETS SO HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TIME TO WANTLIST THEM YET. SO WHEN I SEE A VINTAGE CARD ON THE SITE LIKE THIS I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CARD NUMBER AND DIG THROUGH MY CARDS TO SEE IF I NEED IT. I NEED TO FIX THIS SOON BECAUSE IF I DO END UP AT THAT CARD SHOW WITH THE ROGUE HOCKEY DEALER AND DO NOT HAVE THEM I WILL LIKELY START CRYING RIGHT THEN AND THERE. IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHY I FOCUS ON TOPPS AND NOT O-PEE-CHEE CARDS IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE HARDLY ANY O-PEE-CHEE CARDS LOL

1989-90 TOPPS HOCKEY JOHN VANBIESBROUCK

THIS IS THE FIRST HOCKEY SET WHERE I SAW A TON OF PACKS BEING SOLD EVERYWHERE. I DIDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE AND BUY ENOUGH TO GET CLOSE TO THE SET, BUT I HAVE A FEW AND I STILL SEE LOOSE PACKS HERE AND THERE. THIS IS A PRETTY WILD DESIGN FOR THE LATE 90S, I GUESS THE SIDE BORDERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE SHIMMERY ICE OR SOMETHING? I GOT ANOTHER GOALIE HERE, I'VE BEEN A FAN OF THE BEEZ FOR A WHILE AND PICKED UP A LOT OF HIS PANTHERS CARDS IN THE 90S. I SHOULD REALLY PUT TOGETHER THIS WANTLIST, SURE IT HAS 198 CARDS INSTEAD OF 165, BUT THAT JUST MEANS IT HAS DOUBLE PRINTED CARDS INSTEAD OF SINGLE PRINTS

1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL KEN ANDERSON RECORD BREAKER

I HAVE DECIDED THAT ONE WAY OR ANOTHER I AM COMPLETING A 1980S FOOTBALL SET THIS YEAR SOMEHOW. THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE TO THIS GOAL IS SIMPLY DECIDING WHICH ONE. I NEED LESS THAN 20 CARDS FOR NO LESS THAN 4 SETS: 1983, 1985, 1986 AND 1988. 88 IS CLOSEST BUT I'M MISSING THE BO JACKSON ROOKIE, BUT NOT REALLY CARD THAT IS EXPENSIVE AS HELL AND I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIND IN A STORE AT ANY PRICE. 1983 HAS SENTIMENTAL VALUE AS IT WAS THE FIRST FOOTBALL SET I REALLY TRIED TO BUILD. PLUS MARCUS ALLEN'S ROOKIE CARD IS WAY CHEAPER THAN BO'S. THE ACTUAL FIRST SET I COMPLETE WILL PROBABLY BE 1985 OR 1986 THOUGH AS I CAN PROBABLY PICK UP THE REST OF THOSE SETS FOR LESS THAN A PACK OF TOPPS. THE PLAN IS TO CHECK THE LOCAL CARD SHOPS AND A CARD SHOW FIRST TO SEE WHAT I CAN FIND AND THEN KNOCK OUT THE REST ONLINE. I PUT A HURTIN' ON 1983 HERE THOUGH INCLUDING THAT IMPORTANT CARD #1

1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL JETS TEAM LEADERS

A WEIRD QUIRK OF COLLECITNG THIS SET IS THAT EVEN THOUGH I OPENED A BUNCH OF PACKS BACK IN THE DAY A WHOLE BUNCH OF THE LAST CARDS I NEEDED WERE TEAM LEADER CARDS. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY, THESE AREN'T EVEN CHECKLISTS THAT I MIGHT'VE WRECKED BACK THEN. MY BEST GUESS IS I JUST HAD WEIRD LUCK AND DIDN'T GET THEM OR USED THEM AS TEAM CARDS FOR SOME FORGOTTEN FOOTBALL GAME. ANOTHER BIT OF STRANGENESS ON THESE CARDS IS THAT DUE TO THE STRIKE THERE WERE ONLY 9 GAMES PLAYED IN 1982 SO THE LEADER TOTALS ARE PRETTY ANEMIC, EVEN FOR OLD-SCHOOL FOOTBALL. EVEN THE ROTTENEST TEAMS HAVE A PLAYER WHO GOT A THOUSAND YARDS SOMEWHERE

1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL STEELERS TEAM LEADERS

HELL YEAH STEELERS. ANY FRANCO HARRIS CARD IS AWESOME EVEN IF IT'S A TEAM CARD. I KNOW I DIDN'T HAVE THIS CARD AT ANY POIINT BECAUSE FRANCO WAS ONE OF THE FEW PLAYERS I KNEW ABOUT AS A KID AND I WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED IT

1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL CHARGERS TEAM LEADERS

CHUCK MUNCIE CARDS WITH THE BIG CHUNKY GLASSES ARE EXHIBIT A ON WHY 70S AND 80S FOOTBALL CARDS KICK ASS. I APPRECIATE WES CHANDLER GETTING A THOUSAND YARDS RECEIVING IN A STRIKE YEAR AS WELL. GOOD JOB, WES

1983 TOPPS FOOTBALL WILLIAM ANDERSON STICKER

I'D ALSO LIKE TO COMPLETE THE 80S FOOTBALL INSERT SETS BUT THESE 1983 STICKERS ARE KINDA TOUGH AND THE ONES I HAD WHEN I WAS A KID LOST THEIR STICKY AND THE BORDERS STARTED FALLING OFF. I'M PRETTY CERTAIN I HAVE THIS WILLIAM ANDREWS CARD ALREADY BUT THIS ONE STILL HAS ITS STICK SO I'M COOL WITH DOUBLES IF THAT'S THE CASE

1975 TOPPS TONY PEREZ

HA HA HA! I LULLED YOU INTO COMPLACENCY WITH A BUNCH OF HOCKEY AND FOOTBALL CARDS AND THEN DROPPED THE 1975 HALL OF FAMER CARD ON YA! THIS ISN'T EVEN THE FIRST 1975 HALL OF FAMER I'VE GOTTEN ON THE SITE! JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THOSE. THE MORE I INSIST I AM WORKING ON THE 1977 SET, THE MORE 1975 CARDS JUMP OUT AT ME. I SHOULD PROBABLY JUST ACCEPT I DON'T HAVE THE FOCUS TO COMPLETE EITHER SET THIS YEAR AND JUST TRY TO WHITTLE DOWN THE WANTLISTS FOR BOTH THE BEST I CAN. WHITTLE THE WANTLISTS AND COMPLETE THE PAGES

I COULDN'T DO A VINTAGE POST WITHOUT A COMPLETED PAGE, NOW COULD I. HOORAY! I'M NOW JUGGLING FOUR DIFFERENT WEEKLY SERIES! FIVE IF YOU INCLUDE THE WEEK IN REVIEW! NEXT WEEK IN PREVIEW: WRITING A LOTTA POSTS