2024 ONLINE BLASTER - PART 22: COMPLETED SETS FROM A NEW BOX

 I GOT MY SECOND BOX FROM BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA AND I'M ONLY ON POST FOUR FROM THE FIRST BOX LOL. I'VE RUN OUT OF CUTE NAMES FOR THESE BOXES SO WE'RE JUST SWITCHING TO 2024 ONLINE BLASTER NOW UNTIL WE RUN OUT OF CARDS OR RUN OUT OF YEAR. I ALSO HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO SORT THIS BOX INTO POSTS BUT I AM STICKING TO MY 2024 GOAL OF POSTING THINGS AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE SO HERE'S A POST OF THE STUFF THAT COMPLETED SOME INSERT SETS FOR ME

THERE'S LOTS OF NEAT STUFF I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SHOWING OFF IN THERE AND THAT TEAM TIMBER ON TOP APPEARS TO BE SOME LAGNIAPPE AS I DO NOT REMEMBER BUYING IT ON THE SITE

1991 FLEER ULTRA BARRY BONDS ULTRA TEAM

I THINK I SHOWED THIS OFF ON A WEEKLY RECAP POST BUT NOW IT'S HERE SO I CAN SHOW OFF THE WHOLE SHEBANG

THIS IS A REAL SNAPSHOT OF 1990. FOUR HALL OF FAMERS, ONE SHOULD BE A HALL OF FAMER, ONE COULD HAVE BEEN HALL OF FAMER, ONE MIGHT HAVE A CHANCE WITH FRIENDS ON THE VETERAN'S COMMITTEE HALL OF FAMER AND THREE HAD A CAREER YEAR IN 1990. WITH THIS I NOW HAVE THE MASTER SET OF 1991 ULTRA. EXCEPT FOR A FEW LOGO STICKERS. AND ABOUT HALF OF THE UPDATE SET. I DO NOT HAVE A MASTER SET OF FLEER ULTRA, BUT THIS INSERT SET IS DONE AT LEAST. 

1991-92 UPPER DECK BRETT HULL HOCKEY HEROES

IN A PREVIOUS POST I MENTIONED THAT I'M RUNNING OUT OF BASEBALL UPPER DECK HEROES INSERT CARDS TO COLLECT AND I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO START WORKING ON OTHER SPORTS. WELL, I STARTED. THIS SET IS A LITTLE ODD BECAUSE ALL THE BASEBALL HEROES SETS PAID TRIBUTE TO AN ALL-TIME GREAT WITH A CAREER'S WORTH OF HIGHLIGHTS, BUT HOCKEY CHOSE A 5TH YEAR PLAYER. IT WAS A VERY GOOD CHOICE AS HULL WON PRETTY MUCH ALL THE AWARDS BY 1991 AND ENDED UP IN THE HALL OF FAME WITH A COUPLE STANLEY CUPS. THANKS TO THE SHORT CAREER AT THIS POINT WE GET COLLEGE AND MINOR LEAGUE CARDS OF HULL IN THE HEROES SET WHICH IS PRETTY NEAT. HERE'S THE WHOLE THING WITH HEADER CARD

THIS IS A NICE LOOKING SET! UP NEXT FOR HOCKEY HEROES IS WAYNE GRETZKY (WHY DIDN'T THEY DO HIM FIRST??) AND GORDIE HOWE AND AFTER THAT I HAVE NO CLUE. I AM EQUALLY CLUELESS ABOUT THE BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL HEROES SETS. I'VE GOT SOME RESEARCH TO DO IF I'M REALLY DOING THIS HEROES COMPLETIONIST THING

2008 UPPER DECK PRESIDENTIAL PREDICTORS

THIS IS A CRUMMY THING TO POST NOW THAT WE'RE ENTERING MAYBE THE MOST MISERABLE ELECTION SEASON OF OUR LIVES BUT BACK IN 2008 THINGS WERE MORE WHIMSICAL*. UPPER DECK GAVE US A SET OF PREDICTOR CARICATURE CARDS FOR MOST OF THE TOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN SERIES ONE AND FOLLOWED IT UP WITH OBAMA VS. MCCAIN CARDS WITH HILLARY VARIATIONS SINCE THINGS WERE STILL A BIT UP IN THE AIR WHEN THE CARDS WERE BEING PRINTED. THE VERSUS CARDS ALL WERE PARODYING FAMOUS BASEBALL FIGHTS WITH THE CANDIDATES. THE ARTWORK WAS THE PERFECT MIX OF HILARIOUS AND HORRIFYING AS YOU CAN SEE BY THAT CARD OF HILLARY'S BADONKADONK WITH MCCAIN COPPING A FEEL IN THE SCRUM. AS AN OG CARD BLOGGER I WAS CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO BUY WAY TOO MUCH 2008 UPPER DECK AND HAD MOST OF THE SET ROTTING AWAY IN A BINDER. THESE TWO CARDS FILLED UP THE LAST TWO OPEN POCKETS AND NOW I HAVE TWO COMPLETED PAGES 

EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE SINCE BEEN DISGRACED TO SOME LEVEL SINCE THIS - JESUS, IT IS SIXTEEN YEARS NOW?? - SET WAS RELEASED AND I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CARDS WITH PALIN AND BIDEN. I WILL NEVER COMPLETE THE ENTIRE SET AS THERE'S THE VP INSERTS THAT WERE IN SP AUTHENTIC AND AN OBAMA VICTORY CARD WHERE HE'S GETTING GATORADE DUMPED ON HIM THAT WAS A MAIL-IN EXCHANGE CARD I THINK AND THE ORIGINAL HILLARY CARD WHERE SHE WAS PORTRAYED AS MORGANNA THE KISSING BANDIT GOT YANKED AND I'M NOT EVEN CERTAIN IT ACTUALLY EXISTS OR IF IT WAS JUST A GIMMICK TO GET SUCKERS TO RIP MOAR PACKS. I'M ALSO MISSING ONE OF THE HILLARY VARIATIONS AS YOU CAN SEE, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?  WITH TWO FULL PAGES THIS SHIT IS COMPLETE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. THESE PAGES ARE BACK IN THE BINDER AND I NEVER HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THEM AGAIN. HOORAY! 

A GET WELL SOON TO STEVEN, THE PROPRIETOR OF THE SITE WHO IS UNDER THE WEATHER AT THE MOMENT. HANG IN THERE BUDDY

UP NEXT: I HAVE NO IDEA! I STILL NEED TO SORT ALL THIS STUFF

*THEY WERE NOT, EVERYTHING WAS TERRIBLE AND WE WERE ALL A NERVOUS WRECK. THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

2023 COMC BINGE - PART 1 COMPLETE JAMAAL

ALL RIGHTY THEN! TIME TO SHOW OFF THE BLACK FRIDAY COMC SALE PICKUPS AGAIN! I BOUGHT FEWER CARDS THAN LAST YEAR BUT NOT BY MUCH. THE GETTING WAS MUCH MORE TARGETED THIS TIME AS I KNEW WHAT I WANTED AND WENT OUT AND GOT IT. WELL MOST OF IT ANYWAYS. I ALSO GOT QUITE A BIT OF RANDOM NONSENSE, BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE THE THING I WANT THE MOST SO MAYBE I DID TARGET WHAT I REALLY WANTED. AFTER A YEAR OF WRITING THESE POSTS UP I DEFINITELY WAS INFLUENCED SOMEWHAT BY THE THOUGHT OF 'CAN I ACTUALLY WRITE A COHERENT POST ABOUT THIS CARD' IN MY CHOICES AND I EVEN SAW A NARRATIVE POP UP WITH HOW AND WHEN I BOUGHT ALL THIS CRAP. CARDS WERE GOTTEN IN FIVE (THEN SIX) DISTINCT BATCHES:

BATCH 1: THE AUTOMATICS

EIGHT CARDS I ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT AND WERE ALMOST ALL STUFF I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT LAST YEAR. WITH... A COUPLE EXCEPTIONS. THESE WERE BOUGHT ON WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE I SIGNED ON FOR WORK EXCEPT FOR, WELL, THE EXCEPTIONS WHICH WERE BOUGHT ON A LUNCH BREAK AFTER AGONIZING OVER A CERTAIN CARD FOR A WHILE. THIS SOUNDS MYSTERIOUS BUT I'M POSTING THEM ALL IN ORDER OF PURCHASE SO YOU'LL KNOW ALL IN ABOUT A MONTH

BATCH 2: SETS, STARS AND STUFF

THESE WERE PICKED UP AFTER WORK ON WEDNESDAY AND IS THE LARGEST GROUP AT FOURTEEN CARDS. THIS IS WHERE THE LASER FOCUSED BIT OF THIS YEAR'S FESTVITIES REALLY KICKED OFF AS I BOUGHT FIVE CARDS I WOULD HAVE NEVER BOTHERED TO GET ON COMC BEFORE NOW. AFTER BEING A GOOD BOY AND PICKING UP STUFF I ACTUALLY NEEDED I ALLOWED MYSELF TO DRIFT INTO FRIVOLITY FOR THREE CARDS BEFORE GOING AFTER THE STARS. YOU KNOW WHICH TWO STARS I'M TALKING ABOUT. THE TWO STARS I WON'T SHUT UP ABOUT. THE TWO STARS I'VE POSTED ABOUT TWENTY TIMES THIS DECADE

BATCH 3: PC PICKUPS, TEAM CARDS AND MORE NON-SPORT

AFTER A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP, I BOUGHT EIGHT MORE CARDS BEFORE WORK ON THANKSGIVING DAY. I STARTED WITH ONE CARD EACH FOR MY FAVORITE PLAYER BINDER SO I COULD WATCH THAT TCDB NUMBER GO UP. AFTER A SURPRISE PICKUP (ALTHOUGH NOT A BIG SURPRISE AT ALL IF YOU'VE EVER SEEN THIS BLOG) I WENT AFTER CARDS FOR A COUPLE VINTAGE TEAM SETS. I ROUNDED THINGS OUT WITH TWO EXCEEDINGLY WEIRD CARDS AS A REWARD BEFORE I WAS OFF FOR WORK

BATCH 4: AGGRESSIVELY ATTACKING SETS

WORK WAS OVER! ALTHOUGH TO BE FAIR NOT MUCH HAPPENED, IT WAS THANKSGIVING AFTER ALL. A LOT OF THE ITEMS ON MY TO DO LIST WERE ALREADY CHECKED AND IT WAS TIME TO SEE HOW MANY MORE SETS I COULD COMPLETE WITH THE LESS THAN TWELVE BUCKS I STILL HAD IN MY ACCOUNT. THE ANSWER WAS FOUR, MAYBE, WITH ANOTHER BATCH OF EIGHT CARDS. PLUS I ADDED ONE CARD TO A LONG TERM SET BUILD AND STARTED A NEW ONE

BATCH 5: THE DIFFICULT FINAL SELECTIONS

AFTER EATING TOO MUCH FOOD IT WAS TIME TO DO SOME LATE NIGHT SHOPPING TO SPEND THE LAST FIVE DOLLARS AND FIFTY-EIGHT CENTS IN MY ACCOUNT. I HAD PROBABLY FIFTY TABS OPEN WITH CANDIDATES AND I MADE A GAME OUT OF SPENDING EVERY LAST PENNY IN THE ABSOLUTE MOST OPTIMAL MANNER. AND I SUCCEEDED! WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM SEARCHING SOME ODDBALL CATEGORIES WITH LOWEST PRICE FIRST TO HELP ME FIND SOMETHING FOR THIRTY-SEVEN CENTS

BATCH 6: REJECTS REPRIEVED

SO UHHHH REMEMBER WHEN I SAID I HAD FIVE BUCKS IN MY ACCOUNT? WELL SHIPPING IS FIVE BUCKS. I FORGOT I HAD TO PAY FOR SHIPPING THIS TIME. AND THE THING WITH COMC, IS YOU CAN'T JUST PAY FOR SHIPPING, YOU NEED TO ADD MONEY TO YOUR WALLET AND THE MINIMUM YOU CAN ADD IS TEN BUCKS. HOORAY! I HAD FIVE MORE BUCKS TO SPEND ON CARDS! AND HONESTLY I SPENT IT ON SIX CARDS I SHOULD'VE BOUGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHEN YOU'RE READING THOSE LAST FIVE POSTS IN SEPTEMBER OR WHENEVER THEY GO UP, THANK SHIPPING FOR THEM 

HERE'S SOME SPOILERS A SNEAK PREVIEW. THE CARD ON TOP OF PACK 1 IS FROM BATCH 2, PACK 2 IS FROM BATCH 1, PACK 3 IS FROM BATCH 6, AND PACK 4 IS APPROPRIATELY FROM BATCH 4

ALL RIGHT, ENOUGH PREAMBLE. LET'S GET ON WITH THE CARDS

1979-80 TOPPS JAMAAL WILKES

 SO LAST YEAR I MADE THIS GIGANTIC POST ON HOW I TRIED TO COMPLETE MY 1979-80 BASKETBALL SET BUT DIDN'T BUY THE JAMAAL WILKES BECAUSE HIS CARD COST A BUCK AND I WANTED TO SEE IF IT WOULD GO ON SALE AND FORGOT ABOUT IT. WHEN THE SALE KICKED OFF THE VERY FIRST THING I BOUGHT BEFORE I EVEN LOOKED AT ANYTHING ELSE WAS THIS WILKES CARD. IT'S STILL THE LISTING THAT POPS UP WHEN I TYPE COMC IN THE SEARCH BAR. AND GUESS WHAT? 

IT WAS ON SALE! 79-80 HOOPS SET COMPLETE! WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY? HALL OF FAME SET COMPLETER FOR SIXTY-NINE CENTS! NICE! I LOOKED AROUND FOR THIS CARD LAST SUMMER BUT COULD ONLY FIND OTHER 79-80 COMMONS THAT WERE PRICED AT TWO BUCKS AND UP SO I AM VERY GRATEFUL THIS WAS EVEN AVAILABLE FOR UNDER A DOLLAR

THIS COMPLETES A THREE SET RUN FROM 1978-79 TO 1980-81 TOPPS BASKETBALL. THE 78 AND 80 VERSIONS WERE COMPLETED OVER THIRTY YEARS AGO THANKS TO PICKUPS OF A COMPLETE SET AND VENDING BOX AT THE CARD SHOP FOR SEVEN DOLLARS EACH WHEN I WAS A KID. THIS IS THE FIRST VINTAGE HOOPS SET I'VE BUILT SINCE. THE 1977-78 AND 1981-82 SETS ARE THE OBVIOUS ONES TO FOCUS ON NEXT BUT THE 81 SET HAD THOSE RIDICULOUS EAST, MIDWEST AND WEST HIGH NUMBER SERIES AND I JUST CAN'T FIND ANY OF THE 77S ANYWHERE LATELY FOR SOME REASON. THE LAST TIME I SAW ANY OF THEM WAS AT A CARD SHOW BEFORE THE WORLD ENDED IN A FIFTY CENT BOX. THAT'S WHERE I GOT A LARGE PILE OF THE CARDS I NEEDED FOR THIS SET SO I DONT REGRET PASSING THEM UP, BUT I DO REGRET NOT GETTING TO ANOTHER CARD SHOW FOR THREE YEARS. I NEED LESS THAN TWENTY CARDS TOTAL FOR THE 1992-93 AND 2007-08 SETS SO I THINK I'LL FOCUS MY ATTENTION ON THOSE FOR A WHILE

NOT GOING TO SHOW OFF THE ENTIRE COMPLETED SET ON HERE BECAUSE I KEEP EXPECTING TO RUN OUT OF IMAGE STORAGE OR AT LEAST HAVE GOOGLE START CHARGING ME FOR IT BUT HERE IS THE FINAL COMPLETED PAGE

ONE POST DOWN, THIRTY-EIGHT TO GO! IF I KEEP ON SCHEDULE YOU'LL SEE THE LAST COUPLE CARDS I GOT BY THE END OF OCTOBER. I WON'T KEEP ON SCHEDULE THOUGH SO MAYBE WE'LL JUST SEAMLESSLY TRANSITION TO 2024'S BINGE INSTEAD

2024 WEEK IN REVIEW - WEEK 2

 

HEY I'M DOING THIS AGAIN! AT LEAST I BETTER BE DOING IT, I'VE UPLOADED ALL THE IMAGES ALREADY. HONESTLY I WAS BORING THIS WEEK, I SPENT MORE TIME WORKING THAN PLAYING BUT I GOT SOME FUN IN HERE AND THERE. I GOT A LOT OF STARING OUT THE WINDOW AT BIRDS DONE AS WELL. THE CARDINALS HAVE BEEN HAVING A PARTY LATELY, AT LEAST BEFORE IT STARTED STORMING AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED. IT IS SUPER DIFFICULT TO GET PITCURES OF BIRDS BUT I MANAGED TO GET THIS BIGFOOT QUALITY SNAP OF THIS RED GUY HERE AND I'M PROUD OF IT

COLLECTING STUFF I DID THIS WEEK

THE BIG ACCOMPLISHMENT THIS WEEK WAS GETTING A BUNCH OF BLOG POSTS WRITTEN. ENOUGH THAT WE'VE GOT POSTS QUEUED UP THROUGH THE END OF JANUARY. I DID GET A LITTLE BIT OF CLEANING UP DONE THOUGH. THESE PILES OF 80S DONRUSS AND FLEER AND 1975 STARS GOT PUT AWAY IN THEIR BINDERS. MY 2024 GOALS LIST AIN'T READY YET BUT PUTTING ALL THESE DAMN CARDS AWAY IS ON THE LIST. I ALSO INCHED TOWARDS GETTING ORGANIZED BY FINDING MY GREG MADDUX BINDER AND BOX SO I CAN EVENTUALLY GET THEM ADDED TO TCDB. THIS IS LESS SO I CAN JUMP UP ON THE RANKINGS AS I'M PROBABLY NOT EVEN IN THE TOP 50 BUT SO I CAN BUY MORE MADDUX CARDS WITHOUT GETTING MORE DUPLICATES. I ALSO HAD A BONUS SURPRISE: I AM TRYING TO BUILD THE FLEER STICKER SETS AND I WAS MISSING THE 1991 FLEER ULTRA BRAVES STICKER EVEN THOUGH I WAS CERTAIN I HAD ONE. THE MADDUX BINDER USED TO BE A GENERIC BRAVES BINDER AND LO AND BEHOLD:

THERE IT IS! HOORAY FOR ORGANIZATION! AS LONG AS WE'RE HERE LET'S SHOW OFF THAT BIG CARD

HERE'S A GIGANTIC CARD THAT WAS AN INSERT IN NEWSPAPERS SOLD AT THE STADIUM BACK IN 1998. I MANAGED TO PICK A FEW UP INCLUDING MAD DOG. CHECK OUT THE BACK

LIMITED EDITION BAYBEE!! THERE'S EVEN A SERIAL NUMBER. WHO'S EVEN HEARD OF SERIAL NUMBERED NEWSPAPER INSERTS?? THIS IS VERY NICELY DESIGNED FOR WHAT IT IS AND WHILE I PROBABLY AM NOT HIGH ON THE TCDB LIST I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY OF THE TOP TENNERS GOT ONE OF THESE

SPEAKING OF HAVING WORK TO DO, THIS IS THE BOX OF THE REST OF THE MADDUX CARDS. I ONLY GOT UP TO 1996 INTO THE BINDER MAINLY BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO SCAVENGE PLASTIC SHEETS FROM OTHER BINDERS. AND THE LAZINESS. I AT LEAST KNOW WHERE THEY ALL ARE NOW

HERE'S SOME NON-CARD STUFF I'VE BEEN DOING

COMICS AND BOOKS

MY COMIC READING WAS MOSTLY RANDOM WEBCOMICS AND THE DAILY STUFF THAT POPS UP ON MY TWITTER AND BLUESKY FEED LAST WEEK SO THERE'S NOTHING SPECIFIC TO SHOW OFF. HOWEVER, MY DAUGHTER CLEANED OUT HER BOOKS IN PREPARATION FOR A BOOK SWAP NEXT WEEK AND FOUND THIS. THIS IS AN OLD BOOK THAT HAS BEEN BOUNCING AROUND MY STUFF SINCE I WAS A KID AND IT'S BEAT ALL TO HELL AND HELD TOGETHER WITH ANCIENT SCOTCH TAPE. THE SPINE IS HARD TO READ BUT IT SAYS BEST BOOKS - STORIES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

SHERLOCK IS EVEN EMBOSSED ON THE FRONT! HELL YEAH, SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES! I DON'T REMEMBER READING THIS BOOK WHEN I WAS A KID THOUGH, I HAD A DIFFERENT HOLMES ANTHOLOGY. LET'S CHECK IT OUT

THE WHITE COMPANY? WHAT THE HECK IS THIS

AH. A THREE VOLUME SET OF ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S BEST BOOKS IN THREE VOLUMES. THE FIRST TWO VOLUMES ARE SHERLOCK HOLMES AND I GOT VOLUME THREE. THERE IS NO COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ANYWHERE IN HERE, THAT PAGE MUST HAVE FALLEN OUT DECADES AGO. I HAVE NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER IN THE NOVEL AS IT'S HISTORICAL FICTION ABOUT A 14TH CENTURY TEAM OF MERCENARY ARCHERS BUT THE BOOK IS COOL LOOKING IN A DECREPIT SORT OF WAY AND THIS PORTRAIT OF DOYLE LOOKS COOL

VIDEO GAMES

I REALIZED I HADN'T PLAYED A MINUTE OF VIDEO GAMES THIS YEAR  AND DECIDED TO RECIFY THAT THIS WEEK. I PLAY EXACTLY TWO GAMES: THE BINDING OF ISAAC, WHICH I HATE, AND STARDEW VALLEY, WHICH IS COMING OUT WITH A GIGANTIC NEW UPDATE SOON SO I'M WAITING ON THAT BEFORE PLAYING ANY MORE. I PLAYED A COUPLE GAMES OF ISAAC BEFORE GETTING KILLED BY SOME NONSENSE AND RAGE QUITTING AND UNINSTALLING. TO FIND SOMETHING NEW I DOWNLOADED SOME DEMOS TO TRY. I PLAYED FIVE OR SIX THAT EITHER DIDN'T CLICK OR DIDN'T WORK ON MY POTATO LAPTOP. THEN I TRIED OUT DUNGEONS & DEGENERATE GAMBLERS, A GAME SCHEDULED TO COME OUT SOMETIME THIS YEAR. ROGUELIKE AND DECKBUILDER ARE TWO PRETTY POPULAR CATEGORIES ON STEAM AND THIS ONE COMBINES THEM BOTH WITH BLACKJACK. IT AIN'T NORMAL BLACKJACK THOUGH, DIFFERENT SUITS CAN GIVE YOU HEALTH, EXTRA DAMAGE, SHIELDS OR COINS AND WINNING A HAND INFLICTS DAMAGE ON THE LOSING PLAYER. YOU CAN ALSO PLAY WITH OTHER KINDS OF CARDS INCLUDING BIRTHDAY CARDS, BUSINESS CARDS, MONOPOLY CARDS, TAROT CARDS AND AS YOU CAN SEE ABOVE A SLABBED 1971 BASEBALL CARD. THE FIRST GAME I PLAYED I REACHED THE END OF THE DEMO AND IN THE DOZEN GAMES I'VE PLAYED SINCE I HAVE NOT GOTTEN PAST THE SECOND LEVEL. IT'S FUN AS HELL IF YOU'RE INTO BLACKJACK AND BUILDING CARD DECKS FULL OF POWERUPS 

MOVIES

THREE MOVIES THIS WEEK, EACH ONE WORSE THAN THE LAST

#4 THE CHEAP DETECTIVE

A KINDA SORTA FOLLOWUP TO MURDER BY DEATH WHICH IS A FAVORITE OF MINE DESPITE THE STUFF THAT'S AGED VERY POORLY. THIS IS SORT OF A PARODY OF HUMPHREY BOGART FILMS IF THE ONLY FILMS HE EVER MADE WERE CASABLANCA AND THE MALTESE FALCON. THE STORY AND JOKES ARE PRETTY BASIC AND IT'S EASY TO SEE WHY THIS NEVER BECAME A CLASSIC, BUT PETER FALK IS AN INCREDIBLE BIZZARO WORLD SAM SPADE AND THE CAST IS COMPLETELY PACKED WITH A PILE OF THE BEST COMEDIC ACTORS OF THE 70S. YOU'LL BE POINTING AT THE SCREEN LIKE LEO FROM THE FIRST SCENE WHEN VIC TAYBACK AND ABE VIGODA STROLL IN AS COPS INSTECTING A CRIME SCENE AND A NEW CHARACTER ACTOR OR THREE WILL POP UP EVERY FIVE MINUTES AFTERWARDS. I KNOW MOST OF YOU OLD GEEZERS OUT THERE WILL LOVE IT

#5 THE THREE STOOGES IN ORBIT

I HAVE NEVER WILLINGLY SAT DOWN AND WATCHED A THREE STOOGES MOVIE BUT SINCE I FAILED AT MY MISSION TO WATCH EVERY STOOGES SHORT LAST YEAR (TWO MORE DOWN THIS WEEK BUT I STILL HAVE OVER 60 LEFT TO GO) I DECIDED TO PUNISH MYSELF BY HAVING TO ADD THE FILMS AS WELL. I HAVE NEVER LIKED CURLY JOE DERITA IN ANY OF THE STOOGES CLIPS I'VE SEEN AND WHEN I SAW HIM STAR IN HIS OWN COLUMBIA SHORT AND BE THE ABSOLUTELY WORST PART OF THE FILM THIS REINFORCED MY DISTASTE. THIS FILM POPPED UP IN MY RECOMMENDATIONS SO I WATCHED IT. IT WAS PRETTY DAMN GOOD ACTUALLY! I MEAN, YES, IT WAS BAD, DERITA WAS STILL A STIFF AND THE STORY WAS LUDICROUS AND AN HOUR AND A HALF IS OBJECTIVELY TOO MUCH STOOGES. HOWEVER, EMIL SITKA HAD A MAJOR ROLE AND WAS AWESOME ENOUGH TO MAKE UP FOR CURLY JOE, THE SPACE ALIENS WERE WONDERFULLY GOOFY AND I THOUGHT THE SUBPLOT OF THE STOOGES TRYING TO SAVE THEIR CARTOON SHOW WAS A NEAT TOUCH. I'D DEFINITELY WATCH IT AGAIN, BUT THEN AGAIN I LOVE BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA

#6 ORGY OF THE DEAD

SPEAKING OF BAD MOVIES, THIS ONE IS REALLY BAD. I LOVE ED WOOD MOVIES AND HAVE WATCHED PLAN 9, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER AND NIGHT OF THE GHOULS MANY, MANY TIMES. I HAD SEEN ALL OF ED'S PRE 70S WORK BUT NEVER WATCHED THIS ONE, HIS FIRST OF MANY BOOBIE MOVIES. THIS IS A NUDIE EXPLOITATION FLICK, BUT IT IS ALSO DEFINITELY A PURE ED WOOD MOVIE WITH NO STORY, HORRIFIC ACTING, EXCEEDINGLY QUESTIONABLE EDITING CHOICES AND ALSO MAYBE THE FUNNIEST BIT OF STOCK FOOTAGE IN HIS ENTIRE FILMOGRAPHY. IT'S EXTREMELY STUPID AND EMBARRASSING AND ALSO KINDA BORING AS YOU WATCH A NEVER ENDING PROCESSION OF TOPLESS GIRLS DOING YET ANOTHER BURLESQUE DANCE BUT IF YOU'RE A TRUE ED WOOD FANATIC YOU'LL GET A FEW LAUGHS OUT OF IT

ALBUMS 

LAST WEEK WAS A LITTLE OUT THERE SO I'M DIALING IT BACK FOR YOU ALL WITH THIS ONE. MINT JAMS BY CASIOPEA IS ALMOST A MEME FOR HOW IT MANAGES TO GET INTO EVERYONE'S RECOMMENDATIONS ON YOUTUBE. IF YOU SEE IT POP UP THOUGH, IT'S AN EXCELLENT LISTEN. CASIOPEA IS A JAPANESE JAZZ FUSION BAND THAT'S BEEN RELEASING MUSIC SINCE 1976 WITH VARIOUS LINEUPS OVER THE YEARS. MINT JAMS IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THEIR BEST ALBUMS AND IF YOU ARE INTO FUSION OR JUST JAZZ IN GENERAL YOU MIGHT DIG IT

YES I KNOW YOU ALL CAME HERE FOR THE CARDS AND NOT ALL THE WEIRD BULLSHIT I LIKE SO HERE'S YOUR REWARD FOR SCROLLING DOWN QUICKLY INSTEAD OF CLOSING THE TAB

BEST THING I BOUGHT THIS WEEK

I'VE BEEN GOING FULL SPEED AHEAD ON BUILDING SETS LATELY SO EVERY TIME I SEE A CARD FROM A SET I KNOW I HAVEN'T COMPLETED I HAVE TO OPEN UP THE WANTLIST AND MAKE SURE I HAVE IT. THIS IS A PAIN FOR THE HANDFUL OF SETS I ONLY NEED A FEW CARDS FROM BECAUSE MY FEEBLE BRAIN CAN'T MEMORIZE THE CARDS I NEED AND I INEVITABLY OPEN UP THE WANTLIST FOR NO REASON 99.9% OF THE TIME. THE TWO CARDS I NEEDED FOR 1999 TOPPS WERE DENNY NEAGLE AND THIS GRIFFEY JR LEAGUE LEADERS CARD. THE LEAGUE LEADER CARD WAS EXTRA FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I KNEW I NEEDED ONE OF THESE FOILBOARD LEADERS CARD BUT IT NEVER STUCK IN MY BRAIN THAT IT WAS GRIFFEY. LEAGUE LEADER CARDS IN 2000 WERE ALSO FOILBOARD SO  NOW EVERY ONE OF THOSE I SEE I'M CHECKING THE  WANTLIST AGAIN. I GOT FED UP WHEN I SAW A 2000 LARRY WALKER LEADERS CARD AND OPENED UP THE WANTLIST AGAIN. SURELY I HAD THE NEAGLE IN A TEAM BINDER. YEP, THERE IT WAS. I YOIKED IT FROM THE BINDER, WENT TO COMC AND PICKED THIS UP FOR FIFTY FIVE CENTS. 1999 TOPPS COMPLETE - FIRST COMPLETE SET OF 2024. OR IT WILL BE WHEN I SHIP THESE THINGS

THIS WEEK'S BASEBALLCARDSTORE DOT CA PICKUPS TOTALED 55 CARDS. MY FORTY CARD PACK A WEEK ISN'T CUTTING IT. IT'S NOT MY FAULT, THERE'S A LOT OF COOL STUFF BEING POSTED ON THERE. HERE'S THIS WEEK'S TOTALS

WANTLIST CARDS FOR SETS: 15
BRAVES/HAWKS/DAWGS: 6
STAR CARDS: 18
INSERT CARDS: 4
CHRONICLES: 3
SHIIIIIINY CARDS: 8

THE BEST THING I PICKED UP THIS WEEK WAS THIS TRIO OF GALARRAGO TEK CARDS. I HAVE HAD SOME TROUBLE SLEEPING THIS WEEK AND ONE NIGHT I WOKE UP AT 3:30. I CHECKED MY PHONE AND REFRESHED THE SITE AND SAW NOTHING NEW. I TRIED TO GO BACK TO SLEEP, HAD NO SUCCESS AND WAS STARTLED BY A LOUD NOICE OUTSIDE AT ABOUT 4AM. FRUSTRATED I STARTED MESSING AROUND ON THE PHONE AGAIN AND THIS TRIO APPEARED. TEK CARDS USUALLY LAST ABOUT 12 SECONDS ON THE SITE AND THAT'S ABOTU HOW LONG IT TOOK ME TO PUT THEM IN MY CART. THESE ARE LISTED UNDER SHIIIIIINY CARDS ABOVE BUT TWO CAN BE ADDED TO THE WANTLIST PICKUPS AS I NEEDED THE AWAY VARIATION OF ANDRES AS WELL AS ONE OF THE BACKGROUND PATTERNS

UNTIL NEXT TIME, Y'ALL GO PLAY WITH YOUR CARDS AND DO SOMETHING FUN THIS WEEK

TWO COMPLETED SETS

 FOREVER AGO NIGHT OWL CARDS MENTIONED HE WAS THREE CARDS AWAY FROM COMPLETING HIS 2008 HERITAGE SET AND HE HAD TRACKED DOWN ONE OF THEM. I HAD ALREADY RESIGNED MYSELF TO THE TERRIBLE FACT THAT I WILL NEVER EVEN COMPLETE A HERITAGE NON-SP SET SO I CHECKED THROUGH MY ABSURDLY LARGE PILE OF NO-LONGER-WANTED HERITAGE CARDS TO SEE IF I HAD THE ONES HE NEEDED. I DID! THEN I FORGOT ABOUT THEM FOR MONTHS

BUT THEN!!! I FOUND THEM AGAIN AND WAS MORTIFIED ENOUGH TO COMMIT TO MAILING THOSE CARDS TO HIM RIGHT AWAY. THEN I COULDN'T FIND MY BUBBLE MAILERS

BUT THEN!!!!! I FOUND THE BUBBLE MAILERS!!!!! AND I ACTUALLY PUT THE CARDS INTO THE BUBBLE MAILER!!!!! AND I ACTUALLY EVEN MAILED THE BUBBLE MAILER!!!!! I DID A THING!!!!! AND THEN NIGHT OWL GOT THE CARDS AND REALIZED HE WAS STILL MISSING ONE MORE CARD

BUT THEN!!!!!!! HE BOUGHT THE CARD!!!!!!! AND FOUND OUT HE HAD PUT A CARD IN THE WRONG SLOT ON A PAGE AND NEEDED A DIFFERENT CARD

BUT THEN!!!!!!!!! HE GOT THE RIGHT CARD AND FINISHED THE SET AND ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD

WELL NOT REALLY. BUT HE COMPLETED AN IMPOSSIBLE SET AND I HELPED AND THAT'S GOOD

BUT THEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE THE LAST CARD WAS INSERTED INTO A PAGE AND NIGHT OWL'S SET WAS COMPLETE I FOUND THIS:

THIS IS A 1980-81 TOPPS BASKETBALL ROBERT PARISH CARD SEPARATED FROM A PANEL. THE 80-81 SET IS INFAMOUS FOR BEING AN 88 CARD SET OF THREE CARD PANELS THAT MAKE UP A 264 CARD MINI SET BUT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS OF THE PANELS SO IT'S ACTUALLY A 176 CARD PANEL SET BUT YOU NEED 264 PANELS SO YOU CAN RIP 88 OF THEM IF YOU WANT BOTH VERSIONS OF THE 88 CARD PANEL SET AND A 264 CARD MINI SET SO YOU HAVE EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU ARE A COLLECTOR AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING. ALSO THERE IS A SET OF SIXTEEN TEAM PIN-UP POSTERS YOU NEED THEM TOO

THANKFULLY I BOUGHT A VENDING BOX OF 1980-81 TOPPS BASKETBALL THAT HAD ABOUT AN INCH OF DUST ON IT AT MY LOCAL CARD SHOP WHEN I WAS ABOUT 15 FOR SEVEN BUCKS. SO I HAD 264 CARDS AND THEN SOME. AND BOY HOWDY I RIPPED 88 CARDS. NOT THAT ONE. BUT I HAD 263 OF THOSE MINI CARDS IN A BOX AND I KNEW I HAD THE PARISH BUT IT WAS MIXED UP IN SOME JUNK BOX AND I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHICH JUNK BOX IT WAS. THEN WITH A LITTLE BIT OF INSTANT KARMA I FOUND THE BOX WITH PARISH IN

NOW NIGHT OWL HAS A SET, AND I HAVE A SET. ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE. ENJOY THE SET

IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT THOSE CARDS UNDERNEATH ARE, THAT IS THE FIRST PAGE OF COOL BINDER VOL. 2

HERE IS COOL BINDER VOL. 1 IF YOU'RE CURIOUS ABOUT SUCH THINGS

YES YOU HAVE TO GO TO TWITTER TO SEE IT, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT. VOL. 2 IS ALMOST COMPLETE AND SHOULD BE POSTED DAILYISH TO TWITTER STARTING THIS SUNDAY, I'LL PUT A LINK HERE WHEN IT IS IF I REMEMBER TO

The Twelve Days of Setmas - Day Three: Hoopy Froods

Augh!
I did real life stuff all day instead of writing blog posts!
I don't know what set to upload!
Where are my scans?!?
Everything's ruined!
I'm gonna be late!
AAAAaahhhhhhhhhh!

DON'T PANIC

1994 Cardz The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I might have posted this before, but what the hell, here it is again(?). I didn't know this set existed until I saw it paged up and wrapped in plastic hiding in a pile of old Star Wars magazines at a local antique shop. I snagged it and took it home and put the two checklist cards in the same pocket so a 100 card set could fit in 11 nine pocket pages. Have you ever wanted to read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in convenient trading card form illustrated by Steve Leialoha? Well now you can! Grab your towel and click on the images because the text is probably really tiny. Especially if you're reading this on a phone. Did you ever think you could read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in trading card on a phone?

IT'S THE FUUUUUTURE!!!!!!

 
 Tomorrow: Something Topical!