2023 CARD SHOW - PART 6 THE SAD REMAINS OF THE GLORIOUS QUARTER BOXES

I LEFT THE COLLECTOR'S TABLE WITH A BAG FULL OF GOODIES AND ABOUT TWENTY BUCKS IN MY POCKET AND HEADED TOWARD THE BACK OF THE ROOM. OCCASIONALLY THERE'S A GOOD DEALER AT ONE OF THESE TABLES BUT RECENTLY IT'S BEEN THE GUY WITH SEVENTEEN TABLES OF THREE DOLLAR BOXES ON THE LEFT AND THE ANGRY VINTAGE DEALER ON THE RIGHT. I USUALLY IGNORE THESE GUYS FOR DIFFERENT REASONS, THREE DOLLAR BOX GUY JUST HAS TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH, I'D BE THERE FOR A MONTH TRYING TO GET THROUGH EVERYTHIGN TO FIND THE ONE HIDDEN GEM. VINTAGE GUY HAS NO PRICES ON ANYTHING AND I'VE ALREADY SEEN HIM BE RUDE TO CUSTOMERS SO I DON'T EVEN WANT TO DEAL WITH THAT MESS. HOWEVER IN THE VERY BACK BRENDA USUALLY SETS UP WITH TONS OF QUARTER, DIME AND EVEN NICKEL BOXES. THIS IS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE STOP AT THE CARD SHOW

SADLY THIS TIME THERE WERE A LOT LESS BOXES ON THE TABLE AND MOST OF THEM WERE WRESTLING CARDS OR PHOTOS AND MEMORABILIA. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY'VE JUST RUN OUT OF QUARTER BOXES OR THEY GOT BOUGHT OUT BEFORE I GOT THERE OR WHAT BUT SEARCHING THROUGH A DOZEN QUARTER BOXES WASN'T IN THE CARDS FOR ME TODAY. THERE WERE A FEW DOLLAR BOXES FILLED WITH DECENT STUFF AND ONE QUARTER BOX THAT WAS MOSTLY FILLED WITH EARLY 80S TOPPS THAT WERE SELLING SIX FOR A DOLLAR. EVEN THOUGH ONLY ABOUT A FIFTH OF THE BOX WAS NOT THE 80'S TOPPS THAT WAS STILL ENOUGH FOR ME TO FIND SOME GOODIES. BEHOLD MY TREASURES: 

1970 TOPPS IN THE QUARTER BOX IS ALWAYS WONDERFUL. THERE WASN'T MUCH 70'S STUFF IN THERE BUT I DID FIND A COUPLE I COULD USE. THIS VIC DAVALILLO LOOKS GREAT WITH THE BATTING CAGE AND RANDOM DUDE WANDERING AROUND IN THE BACKGROUND

RON PERRANOSKI'S CARD IS MUCH LESS INTERESTING AS HE IS BEING PHOTOGRAPHED A MILE FROM HOME PLATE IN THE OUTFIELD. 1970 TOPPS IS NOT A SET I'M FOCUSING ON AT ALL BUT YOU BET I'LL PICK EM UP CHEAP

1977 TOPPS IS A SET I'M FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW BUT IT WASN'T WHEN I WAS AT THE CARD SHOW BECAUSE I WAS STILL LOOKING FOR THE ACCURSED 1976 ROSE. IF MY CALCULATIONS ARE CORRECT, I STILL NEED SIXTY-NINE CARDS TO COMPLETE THIS SET (nice) BUT IT'S MOSTLY COMMONS AND THE ONLY CARD I NEED THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE PRICEY IS JOHNNY BENCH. BUYING BENCH CARDS IS ALWAYS A DELIGHT SO I'M NOT EVEN WORRIED ABOUT IT. I DOUBT I COMPLETE THIS SET THIS YEAR BUT I BET I CAN KNOCK A TON OFF THAT LIST

THERE WAS A LITTLE PILE OF 1985 FLEER IN THE BOX AND I MANAGED TO FIND FIVE I DIDN'T HAVE. I DON'T REMEMBER THE REST OF THIS SET BEING AS COLOR COORDINATED AS THESE FOUR BUT I GOTTA SAY IT LOOKS PRETTY GREAT. SPEAKING OF SET COMPLETING, I REALLY GOTTA FINISH OFF A FLEER SET THIS YEAR. i NEED ONE CARD FOR 1981 AND THREE FOR 1984

STEVE JELTZ ROOKIE CARD! FOR A GREATER APPRECIATION OF HOW GOOD THIS IS WATCH THIS VIDEO

PETE ROSE CARD OUT OF MY DAMN HAIR, GOTTA LOVE IT. THIS CARD CONFUSED ME AT FIRST BECAUSE 1) I DIDN'T RECALL ANY OTHER 1986 FLEER SPECIAL SUPER STAR CARDS WITH THIS SHINY GOLD BORDER AND 2) HOW MANY BASEBALL CARDS FEATURE A LIMITED EDITION COMMEMORATIVE PLATE. SUCH A WEIRD CARD

WOOOOOOO! OLD FLEER INSERTS!!! I LOVE THEM, EVEN PETES. THE 1986 FUTURE HALL OF FAMER SET WAS EXTREMELY ACCURATE WITH THIS ONE EXCEPTION

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT FROM THE SET IN THE BOX AND I GOT THEM BOTH BECAUSE I FORGOT I HAD A WANTLIST FOR FLEER INSERTS ON MY PHONE. GOOD NEWS: I DID NEED THE ROSE BECAUSE OF COURSE I DID. BETTER NEWS: I ALREADY HAD ROD CAREW BUT NOW I HAVE TWO ROD CAREWS

I NEED SO MANY 1984 DONRUSS CARDS THAT I HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT GETING ONE I NEED EVEN IF THERE'S A BIG RIP IN THE TOP OF THE CARD.THIS IS THE LAST CARD OUT OF THE BOX THAT I ACTUALLY NEEDED OFF A WANTLIST, THE REST ARE ALL THINGS I JUST COULDN'T LEAVE BEHIND

REGGIE JACKSON SUPER VET! I ALWAYS SEE OAKLAND TO CALIFORNIA AS REGGIE'S ALPHA TO OMEGA BUT IT'S REALLY KANSAS CITY TO OAKLAND. THIS WAS TOO GOOD TO LEAVE IN A BOX WITH 1985 TOPPS

I ALSO REFUSED TO LEAVE BEHIND SCHMIDT EVEN THOUGH MY WANTLIST SAID I DIDN'T NEED IT. I EVEN TRIED TO PUT IT IN THE BINDER, BUT MIKE WAS ALREADY THERE. YOU CAN'T TAKE CHANCES LIKE THAT, WANTLISTS CAN BE WRONG

I DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT THE WANTLIST, THIS CARD SLAPS. OF ALL THE 1984-85 SET I REGRET MISSING OUT ON BECAUSE I WAS DISTRACTED BY OTHER COLLECTIONS IN THE MID-80S THIS ONE IS THE MOST PAINFUL REGRET. I LOVE THIS DESIGN SO MUCH

BY FAR THE WEIRDEST THING I FOUND AT THE ENTIRE CARD SHOW WAS THIS 1974 ALL-STAR CARD OF FISK AND BENCH IN ALARGE, VERY OLD PENNY SLEEVE. THE CARD WAS BEAT ALL TO SHIT BUT IT STILL SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN A QUARTER BOX. THAT'S NOT THE STRANGE PART. THAT'S THE CARD THAT WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SLEEVE

A 1986 BIG LEAGE CHEW HANK AARON HOME RUN LEGENDS CARD, ALSO BEAT ALL TO HELL. THESE CARDS ARE USUALLY A BIT DINGED UP BECAUSE THEY WERE INSERTED LOOSE INSIDE A BAG WITH A WAS OF BUBBLE GUM BUT THIS ONE GOT SOME EXTRA ADDED BEATING. WHY WAS AN AARON ODDBALL CARD PUT IN AN SLEEVE WITH A 1974 ALL-STAR CARD? WHY WERE THEY BOTH IN A QUARTER BOX? YOU GO TO CARD SHOWS LOOKING FOR UNEXPECTED TREASURE AND THIS IS ABOUT AS UNEXPECTED AS YOU CAN GET

LAST CARD I PICKED UP OUT OF THE BOS WAS THIS 1998 CIRCA THUNDER BOSS INSERT OF TRAVIS LEE. THIS WAS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY CARD IN THE BOX MADE AFTER ABOUT 1997 AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT GOT IN THERE. THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE I ALREADY HAVE THIS ONE BUT I CAN'T PASS UP A 90S INSERT THIS WILD LOOKING AND EMBOSSED EVEN AND STILL SLEEP AT NIGHT

I REALLY TRIED TO FIND SOME STUFF OUT OF THE DOLLAR BOX SO I COULD GIVE BRENDA MORE THAN THREE BUCKS FOR EIGHTEEN CARDS BUT I HAD ALL THE VINTAGE ALREADY AND I WASN'T INTERESTED IN THE MORE RECENT CARDS. I WENT TO PAY BUT SHE INSISTED THAT THERE WASN'T THREE DOLLARS WORTH OF CARDS IN THE PILE I HAD AND ONLY CHARGED TWO. BEWILDERED, I ARGUED A BIT BUT EVENTUALLY JUST GAVE HER THE TWO BUCKS. SEE WHY THIS IS MY FAVORITE SELLER?? I DON'T KNOW WHEN I'LL BE BACK TO THE NEXT SHOW BUT I HOPE SHE'S THERE WITH A FRESH BATCH OF BOXES SO I CAN GIVE HER MORE MONEY. AND FORGET MY USUAL TRIP AROUND THE REST OF THE SHOW, I'M GOING THERE FIRST

UP NEXT: A WHOLE NEW AREA FULL OF ALL NEW DEALERS!

BIRTHDAY BOOLSHEET BLASTER: PART 12 - THE SECOND PILE OF RANDOM CRAPOLA

 WE HAVE REACHED THE SECOND ROW OF THE BOX WHICH MEANS MORE RANDOM CRAPOLA. TODAY'S CRAPOLA IS SPLIT INTO TWO DIFFERENT DISTINCT SECTIONS: PART 1) THE TRADITIONAL RANDOM NONSENSE. PART 2) SOMEBODY RIPPED SOME PACKS AND DUMPED THEM INTO THE BOX. LET'S BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

LONG BEFORE PANINI WAS FORCED AT GUNPOINT TO PIVOT TO PROSPECTS, DONRUSS TURNED THE ELITE BRAND INTO A FOILY MINOR LEAGUE SET. I WILL ADMIT TO BUYING A COUPLE PACKS HERE AND THERE AND EVEN PULLED A DUSTIN PEDROIA AUTOGRAPH ONCE. OTHER THAN THAT I COULDN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE CARDS. RYAN TATUSKO HERE TOPPED OUT AT TRIPLE-A HERE BUT ALSO PLAYED IN THE KBO AND VENEZUELAN, PUERTO RICAN AND DOMINICAN WINTER LEAGUES

NEW PINNACLE. DID ANYONE EVER COLLECT THIS? I REMEMBER SEEING IT IN 2013 AND IMMEDIATELY THINKING LOL NOPE BUT WAS THAT EVERYONE'S REACTION? THERE WERE SOME PRETTY AWESOME INSERT CARDS IN THERE BUT I FOR ONE HAD NOT ACCEPTED THE FACT THAT BASE CARDS WERE WORTHLESS AS FAR AS THE INDUSTRY WAS CONCERNED YET. IT'S NOT EVEN A BAD DESIGN, JUST A LITTLE OFF WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO THE ORIGINAL BLACK BORDER PINNACLE SETS. IT DEFINITELY COMPARES FAVORABLY TO THE CHONICLES PINNACLE SETS. ANYWAY, HERE'S DAN HAREN  

DIAMOND KINGS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME. I'M A BIG FAN OF THE 1987 DONRUSS SET AND BOUGHT A WHOLE HOBBY BOX OF IT WHEN IT CAME OUT. TWENTY-FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS! THAT'S HOW MUCH I PAID FOR ALL THIS CRAP! SINCE I COMPLETED THE SET A COUPLE DECADES AGO I'VE KIND OF IGNORED IT, PERHAPS I SHOULD BUILD A SECOND SET OR AT LEAST LOOK INTO THE VARIATIONS. OH WAIT, THE WHOLE SET IS A VARIATION. THANKS FACTORY SET SHENANIGANS

WOOOO! MORE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED FOR KIDS CARDS. THIS ONE WAS TORN SORT OF COCKEYED AND THERE'S A BIG FLAP ON THE BACK THAT REFUSES TO STAY DOWN. I'M ACCUMULATING A NICE LITTLE PILE OF THESE CARDS SOMEHOW

VINTAGE IN THE TRASH BOX, HELL YEAH. RICHIE ZISK WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 70S CARDS I EVER GOT, I THINK IT WAS THE 1977 VERSION. HE WAS A PRETTY GOOD PLAYER TOO! A GOOD START ON THE 70S FOR LITTLE ME

RANDOM 2022 OPTIC CARD OUTTA NOWHERE OF ANOTHER Z-NAMED PLAYER. THIS WILL EVENTUALLY GO INTO THE "NEW" BOX OF STUFF I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH

HOORAY! AN ALLEN & GINTER CARD! I STILL HAVE BARELY ANY OF THE 2022 VERSION AND NONE FROM 2023. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE RHYME OR REASON WAS FOR THROWING THESE CARDS IN THE FRONT OF THE BOX. THE REST ARE ALL ABANDONED PACKS. THIS I'VE SEEN PLENTY OF TIMES ESPECIALLY WITH BORED SELLERS OPENING UP ALL THEIR PROFIT

STARTING OFF WITH TWENTY FOUR 1994 UPPER DECK CARDS. THERE ARE THREE ELECTRIC DIAMOND CARDS SO I GUESS THAT COULD BE THREE EIGHT CARD PACKS WORTH. MY WANTLIST FOR THIS SET IS IN SINGLE DIGITS AND MOST OF THEM ARE STARS SO THERE WERE NONE I NEEDED

THIS ALAN TRAMMELL CARD IS STILL WORTH SHOWING OFF. YER OUT! RANDOM DUDE. I CAN'T TELL WHAT TEAM THE RUNNER IS FROM, I THOUGHT MAYBE ROYALS BUT THE UNI HAS YELLOW TRIM. BREWERS PERHAPS?

NEXT IS TWO-ISH PACKS OF 1994 COLLECTOR'S CHOICE. THERE ARE TWO SILVER SIGNATURES AND ONE SCRATCH OFF INSERT. I DO NOT HAVE A WANTLIST OF THIS AND PROBABLY NEVER WILL. IT'S FUN TO LOOK THROUGH THOUGH, THERE'S A COUPLE HOWARD JOHNSONS, A HAROLD REYNOLDS AND AN UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH JUAN GONZALEZ IN HERE

UPPER DECK TRIED THE SCRATCH-OFF GAME GIMMICK THAT TOPPS USED IN 1970 AND 71 AND ADDED THE EXTRA COMPLICATION OF DEFENSIVE CHECKS. THESE ARE WEIRDLY DIFFICULT TO FIND NOWADAYS AND THERE PROBABLY AREN'T MANY BETTER PLAYER COMBOS THAN THE DODGER-GIANT RIVALRY OF PIAZZA AND BONDS

OH NOEZ! I'VE BEEN BIPPED!

THESE ARE NO SO MUCH RIPPED PACKS AS MINI TEAM LOTS OF THE ANGELS AND PHILLIES. I FOUND A CARD I NEEDED, RENE GONZALES, BUT THE TRUE STAR OF 1993 LEAF IS THE BACKS

I'M NOT SURE WHO WINS THIS MATCHUP, PHILLY'S LIBERTY BELL OR ANAHEIM'S SETTING SUN. YELL OUT THE RIGHT ANSWER IN THE COMMENTS

 NEXT IS NINE CARDS FROM 1993 STUDIO SO IF THIS WAS AN ACTUAL RIPPED PACK THREE CARDS WERE YOINKED. THE SET LOOKS FANTASTIC WITH A PORTRAIT IN FRONT OF A TEAM UNIFORM LOGO PLUS A HOLOFOIL FACSIMILE AUTOGRAPH. EASILY ONE OF THE BEST STUDIO SETS EVER MADE. THIS IS ANOTHER SET WHERE MY WANTLIST IS DOWN TO SINGLE DIGITS SO NO NEEDS IN THIS PILE

STADIUM CLUB IS ANOTHER SET THAT WILL LIKELY NEVER GET A WANTLIST. THEY'RE PRETTY BUT I DUNNO MAN, MAYBE I'D HAVE MORE NOSTALGIA FOR THEM IF THEY DIDN'T COST FIVE BUCKS A PACK IN 1991. THIS PACK INCLUDES THE HOLOFOIL PARALLEL AND INFO CARD BUT ONE CARD IS MISSING FROM A FULL PACK. HIGHLIGHTS ARE THE TURK CARD HERE, A JAY BUHNER CARD AND MARK MCLEMORE PARALLEL

EIGHT 1994 SCORE CARDS ARE UP NEXT AND I DID PRETTY WELL WITH THESE. DOC IS THE STANDOUT BUT THERE'S THREE CARDS IN HERE I NEED FOR THE SET:

CHRIS GOMEZ AND VINNY CASTILLA 1993 ROOKIE CARDS AND A NICE HORIZONTAL SHOT OF RUBEN AMARO JR. THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO SEE FROM TRASH BOXES! MORE SET NEEDS PLEASE!

I JUST FINISHED THIS SET LOL

HERE'S A COUPLE PACKS WORTH OF 1990 BOWMAN COMPLETE WITH ART SWEEPSTAKES CARDS. I HAVE SO MUCH OF THIS CRAP ACCUMULATED FROM PREVIOUS LOTS I'VE PICKED UP THAT I'M MAYBE A COUPLE DOZEN CARDS AWAY FROM NOT ONE BUT TWO COMPLETE SETS OF THE STUFF YET I STILL HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TIME TO PUT TOGETHER A LIST TO TRY TO FINISH THEM. WHAT EVEN IS THE BIG ROOKIE IN THESE THINGS? SURELY PEOPLE WEREN'T RIPPING CASES OF THIS STUFF FOR FRANK THOMAS AND SAMMY SOSA, RIGHT? THAT IS A VERY NICE LARKIN HOWEVER

WHAAAAH! MOAR BIPS!

THE STRANGEST INCLUSION IN THE FILLER CRAPOLA WAS THESE RANDOM 2022 HERITAGE HIGH NUMBER CARDS. AT FIRST I WAS LIKE, HEY NICE A PACK'S WORTH OF HERITAGE, BUT NO. AS YOU CAN SEE NOT EVEN TOPPS IS THIS LOUSY WITH THEIR COLLATION

UP NEXT! A GIGANTIC PILE OF FIFTY CENT CARDS. EVEN BIGGER THAN THE LAST TEAM LOT I POSTED. UGH I'M GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE SO MANY PICTURES AND WRITE SO MANY WORDS

HAPPY BLOG BIRTHDAY

I'VE TOLD THIS STORY A DOZEN TIMES BEFORE BUT THIS BLOG GOT ITS START ON DECEMBER 26TH A MILLION YEARS AGO WHEN I GOT A NEW SCANNER FOR CHRISTMAS AND USED IT TO CREATE THIS IMAGE OF THE CARD I'VE HAD IN MY COLLECTION THE LONGEST AND USED THAT TO CREATE A CARD BLOG COPYING A DOZEN OTHER BETTER ONES I LIKED TO READ

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I WAS DOING AT FIRST BUT THEN I GOT SUPER POPULAR AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING AND I GOT HELLA PROLIFIC WHILE NOT KNOWING WHAT I WAS DOING THEN I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING BUT I DIDN'T THEN I GOT KICKED IN THE DICK METAPHORICALLY SEVERAL TIMES AFTER WRITING STUFF WHEN I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING THEN I REALLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING AND THEN I BARELY DID ANYTHING THEN I SAID SCREW IT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING BUT I'LL DO SOMETHING AND NOW WE'VE GONE FULL CIRCLE AND I'VE STARTED POSTING REGULARLY AGAIN AND JUST LIKE AT THE BEGINNING I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL I'M DOING

ONE THING I DID MANAGE TO DO THIS YEAR IS FINISH SOME STUFF I STARTED. IT TOOK A WHILE BUT I DID IT. THEN I STARTED LIKE THREE OTHER THINGS AND NOW I'M STARING A COUPLE HUNDRED DRAFT POSTS IN THE FACE. ALL WHILE NEGLECTING ALL THE OTHER POSTS I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN MONTHS AGO, SOME OF WHICH ARE MIXED UP IN THAT DRAFT FOLDER. AS A BLOG BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO MYSELF I HAVE DECIDED TO COMPLETELY IGNORE ANYTHING AND POST NOTHING ELSE THE REST OF THE YEAR EXCEPT FOR THE ONE THING THAT'S ALREADY SCHEDULED. IF I GET STUFF WRITTEN, GREAT! I'LL BE AHEAD OF THE GAME NEXT YEAR. IF I DON'T, OH WELL! IT'S JUST SHITPOSTING ABOUT BASEBALL CARDS. MAYBE I'LL GET SOME STUFF ORGANIZED OR PUT AWAY OR GET SOME PACKAGES MAILED OR COLLAPSE IN A HEAP ON THE FLOOR AND LIE THERE TWITCHING FOR A WEEK. SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE! OR MAYBE I'LL DO NOTHING! IT DON'T MATTER. NONE OF THIS MATTERS

I AM STILL HAVING FUN DOING THIS NONSENSE AND I'VE EVEN POSTED MORE STUFF THIS YEAR THAN I HAD THE PREVIOUS FOUR YEARS COMBINED. THAT DRAFT FOLDER THO. AND THE IMAGE FOLDER WITH HUNDREDS OF PHOTOS FOR EVEN MORE POSTS. HOO BOY. I'M NOT GONNA THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW, I'M ON BREAK FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. WHICH IS LESS THAN A WEEK BUT WHATEVER. AS A SPECIAL TREAT I'VE DUG DEEP IN THAT DRAFT FOLDER AND FOUND THREE POSTS FROM A VINTAGE CARD SHOW IN SEPTEMBER 2013 THAT NEVER GOT WRITTEN AND I'M GONNA SHOW THEM OFF NOW. ONE MORE THING FINISHED IN 2023!

IN 2013 I WAS STILL FULL STEAM AHEAD TRYING TO COMPLETE MY 1974 TOPPS SET WHICH MEANS CHASING THAT RATBAG PETE ROSE. HE'S ONE OF THE LAST DAMN CARDS I NEED FOR EVERY DANG SET AND I HATE IT. GO CHECK MY 1976 TOPPS NEEDS, I'M EXTRA MAD AT PETE AT THE MOMENT. I GOT NOTHING AGAINST BOBBY MURCER. I DON'T REMEMBER EXACLY WHEN I COMPLETED THE '74 SET AND I'M STILL LOOKING FOR THOSE DUMB SAN DIEGO LARGE AND SMALL PRINT FRIESLEBEN ROOKIES BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THIS WASN'T ANYWHERE NEAR THE LAST CARD I NEEDED. I WONDER WHAT IT WAS? MAYBE I CAN FIND IT IN THE BLOG

OH SONOVABITCH 

THE BACK FEATURES A BOBBY BONDS 1973 ALL STAR MVP PUZZLE. WHY HAVEN'T I PUT THESE PUZZLES TOGETHER AND TAKEN A PHOTO YET?? ONE MORE THING FOR ME TO DO IN 2024

I REALLY LIKE THIS 1955 TOPPS ALL-AMERICAN SET BUT SOMEWHERE AROUND 20-15 YEARS AGO OR SO I STOPPED BEING ABLE TO FIND THEM FOR A BUCK APIECE. I ALREADY HAD THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS CARD AND I COULD BUY TWO OR THREE 50'S BASEBALL COMMONS FOR THE SAME PRICE AS AN ALL-AMERICAN SO I FOOLISHLY KEPT PASSING THEM UP. NOW YOU CAN HARDLY FIND THEM AT ANY PRICE. I'M PRETTY SURE THIS WAS THE LAST '55 ALL-AMERICAN EVER SOLD FOR A BUCK

BENNIE OOSTERBAAN IS A GREAT NAME AND MICHIGAN IS A PREMIER COLLEGE FOOTBALL CLUB. THIS CARD IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION TOO, SO MUCH CHARACTER. YOU DON'T SEE THIS KIND OF CARD ENTOMBED IN A PLASTIC CASE. OR MAYBE YOU DO, THESE CARDS REALLY HAVE GOTTEN EXPENSIVE

I COULD NEVER LEAVE A VINTAGE CARD SHOW WITHOUT RAIDING THE BARGAIN NON-SPORTS BOX AND I GOT A PRIMO CARD THAT SEPTEMBER SHOW. DA VINCI WAS A FAVORITE ARTIST OF MINE WHEN I WAS A KID BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID HE DO THE SUPER FAMOUS PAINTING BUT ALSO A BUNCH OF SCIENCY STUFF AS WELL. HE WAS WAY COOLER THAN MICHAELANGELO, DONATELLO OR RAFAEL. I WAS ALREADY A BIG FAN OF THIS 1952 TOPPS LOOK 'N SEE SET AND WAS STOKED TO FIND LEO. NOT ENOUGH TO YA KNOW - WRITE THE GODDAMN POST - BUT SUPER STOKED ALL THE SAME

THE GIMMICK OF THIS SET IS YOU COULD HOLD UP A PIECE OF RED CELLOPHANE TO THE BACK OF THE CARD AND SEE A SEECRIT PITCHUR! YOU DON'T NEED NO CELLOPHANE FOR THIS ONE, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THAT BLOB BEHIND THE TEXT LOOKS LIKE. OL' SMILIN' LISA IS EVERYWHERE, INCLUDING ON TRADING CARDS. REMEMBER A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN SOME NEWFANGLED SET PUT A MONA LISA ROOKIE CARD GIMMICK IN THEIR SET? HOGWASH! SHE WAS HIDING ON THE BACK OF A CARD IN 1952 ALL ALONG

I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CARD IDIOCY THIS YEAR BECAUSE THERE'S TWO AND A HALF BOXES OF ONLINE DIME BOX CARD POSTS LEFT AS WELL AS THREE QUARTERS OF A JUNK BOX, AND MORE CARD SHOW POSTS AND A BIG COMC ORDER ON THE WAY AND OH GOD I NEED TO WRITE UP SOME PACKAGE POSTS AND ACK THERE'S TOO MUCH TO DO! I'M OUTTA HERE! SEE Y'ALL NEXT YEAR!

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 24: MISSING

BACK TO SOME SET BUILDING STUFF. BUT THIS IS A CARD FROM A SET I'VE ALREADY COMPLETED!

1974 TOPPS JESUS ALOU NO POSITION ERROR

1974 TOPPS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SETS AND THE OLDEST TOPPS SET THAT I'VE COMPLETED. BUT SETS ARE NEVER REALLY COMPLETE, THERE'S ALSO THE TRADED SET. I COMPLETED THAT ONE BEFORE THE ACTUAL SET. BUT THERE'S ALSO THE CHECKLIST INSERTS. COMPLETED THAT TOO. AHA, BUT VARIATIONS! 1974 HAS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS VARIATION SETS OUT THERE WITH THE SAN DIEGO/WASHINGTON CARDS. THAT ONE IS NOT YET COMPLETE, BUT I'M ONLY MISSING THE MCCOVEY WHICH IS EASY ENOUGH TO FIND. HOW ABOUT ERRORS? AHA! I DIDN'T HAVE ANY ERROR CARDS! MAINLY BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW THERE EVEN WERE ANY ERROR CARDS UNTIL I STARTED LOOKING INTO THE VARIATION CARDS TO MAKE SURE I WASN'T MISSING ANY OTHER WASHINGTONS. I FIRST STARTED COLLECTING DURING A BIG ERROR CARD BOOM YOU'D THINK I WOULD HAVE SEEN THIS THING SOMEWHERE BUT NOPE. TOPPS FORGOT THE POSITION ON THE CARD AND THEN SNUCK IT BACK IN AT SOME POINT. O-PEE-CHEE WASN'T SO LUCKY, ALL THEIR JESUS ALOU CARDS HAVE NO POSITION. FROM THE MOMENT I LEARNED ABOUT THE CARD I DESPERATELY WANTED IT AND THEN FOUND IT WAS QUITE REASONABLY PRICED WHEN I CHECKED COMC

AT THE TIME I COMPLETED THE SET (WITH A JOHNNY OATES CARD I HAD ALREADY POACHED FOR MY TEAM SET IF I REMEMBERED CORRECTLY) I WAS DOWN TO JUST FIVE CARDS TO COMPLETE THE FULL MASTER SET OF 1974 TOPPS. THE ALOU ERROR, THE OTHER ERROR CARD OF BOB 'APODACO', THE MCCOVEY WASHINGTON AND THE TWO DAVE FREISLEBEN ROOKIE OUTFIELD CARDS WITH THE LARGE AND SMALL SAN DIEGO TEXT. THE APODACO I PICKED UP VERY QUICKLY ALTHOUGH I'M NOT SURE WHERE, PERHAPS A CARD SHOW. WITH THE ALOU, I'M NOW DOWN TO JUST THE THREE CARDS TO COMPLETE THE 1974 TOPPS MASTER SET. THE MCCOVEY WASHINGTON NAT'L CARD WHICH YOU CAN FIND EVERYWHERE AND IS SOMEWHAT AFFORDABLE AND THE DAMN FREISLEBEN ROOKIES WHICH ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND AND COST A LUDICROUS AMOUNT IF YOU DO TRACK ONE DOWN. AND SINCE THE FREISLEBEN IS A VARIATION ACCORDING TO MY DUMBASS COLLECTOR'S BRAIN TECHNICALLY THE SET ISN'T EVEN COMPLETE WITHOUT ONE OF THE SAN DIEGOS. ARGH WHY DO WE DO THIS TO OURSELVES. LIKE I SAID, SETS ARE NEVER REALLY COMPLETE

Third Annual COMC Blaster

Once a year since 2011, I've splurged a Jackson on Check Out My Cards. I'd be much happier if I'd quit the wax and threw that card cash at COMC, but old habits die hard. This year thanks to the Black Friday free shipping I had a buck and change left over when all was said and done. Let's see what I got instead of a blaster.

Pretty Rickey! This is, pending a reality check, the last card needed for my 1982 Topps set. I have looked through a few hundred Rickey Henderson cards at various card shops/flea markets/card shows looking for this damn thing with no success. Especially irksome since I have a couple dozen of the 1987 Topps reprints. All mine now, along with one other card that completed a set.

Jason Heyward relic for under two bucks. Either I'm a lucky bastige or this hobby is screwed.

The first of many Ginter SP pickups. I am full steam ahead in my quest to complete the 2006-2013 run before the 2014 edition comes out. Basically the criteria for any Ginters I bought this go-around is if it was a short print and it was cheaper than I could get at the local card shop I went for it. Don't give me that look, I've already mostly cleared them out on pre-2010 cards off my wantlist.

Catfish! The good kind. Lookit that beautiful Oakland jersey/jacket/whatever. This simultaneously knocks another card off my 1972 Topps list and adds to my unofficial collection of cards so badly miscut you see the printer markings.

The 1974 Topps list is getting really small. When I tried to put this card in my basket, I got a popup stating that this card had "Problems". 569 wins, six Cy Youngs and two Hall of Famers? I see no problems.

Another Ginter SP down. Oswalt is one of those players whose cards I can never seem to pull out of packs. Unless it's a relic card, I'm a magnet for those.

I swear I have three or four or maybe five of Nasty Nate's SP mini cards, but the full size has somehow eluded me until now.

MARK LEMKE DUFEX WITH EXTRA ADDED CHARLIE O'BRIEN MOJO

I'm slowly but surely adding to the Mark Lemkepalooza collection.

Wiped out my 2010 short print needs with this order. I don't know much about this guy other than his odd name is pronounced oddly.

I love love love it when I knock any 2006 Ginter card off my list even if it is of a dooooooouche like Lackey. For some reason on my wantlist I had card #325 listed as Brad Hawpe and not LAckey, which confused me greatly.

I didn't even know this card existed until I did a COMC search and it's now one of my favorites ever.

TEAM SET COMPLETE!!! I'll show it off as soon as I can get my scanner working again. These traded cards are a real pain in the rump to find loose. Especially odd for this set as I expect a good number of them have been strip mined for Ripkens.

What's the word Thorzul uses for these kind of players? Pissant? This is a very pissanty card. Oh well. *ticks box off checklist*

The fact that this card is not a super expensive key card to the 1996 Topps set instead of something that gets thrown in 50 cent boxes if you can even find it is all that needs to be said about cards from the '90s.

BAM 2009 Ginter short prints are a wrap. Anyone got a pile of commons lying around? I only need about 5 more cards.

Look at Sid Bream smoldering on his '91 Traded card. Bonds couldn't throw him out because he was too stunned by the handsome.

My reaction when I completed the best insert set of the past 20 years:

Hey kids! If you wait long enough you can get one of the biggest card of the '80s for the price of a pack of 2013 Topps with tax! This also completes my 1985 set, probably.

This is the first time I've had one of these Online Exclusive nouveau Turkey Reds in hand. My verdict:

Completely crappy cynical cash grab.

The stuff is printed on Ginter stock for fuck's sake. Put it in a top loader and forget what once was and it's a pretty nice looking card.

This card was literally my 2013 Archives Holy Grail. I had virtually no chance of pulling it out of a pack so thank $DEITY for rippers and flippers.

Not technically a short print, but it's a Jeter which will be priced at over twice a normal short print anyway. I now only need 34 cards for my complete 2006-2011 Ginter run.

The package finished up with a Collector's Choice Gold Signature card of The Lemmer. Back in the day when parallels weren't completely obnoxious.

That was fun, maybe I should do it more often?