APRIL 2024 CARD SHOW PART 5: YEP, MORE DIME BOX

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN A MONTH AGO AND I FORGOT TO POST IT LOL. OH WELL NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

MOST OF THE CARDS IN THIS POST ARE FROM A SMALL VEIN OF EXTRA SHINY CARDS THAT I MOSTLY GRABBED WITHOUT REALLY LOOKING AT THEM. I LITERALLY DON'T REMEMBER BUYING HALF OF THESE BUT LOOKING AT THEM NOW I CAN SEE WHY I DID

 I STILL HAVE THE FINEST BUG BUT NOT THE FOCUS TO ACTUALLY FIGURE OUT WHICH CARDS I NEED. THERE'S A PILE OF THEM RIGHT NEXT TO MY DESK BUT HAVE I PUT TOGETHER A WANT LIST? NO! I DO KNOW I HAVE TWELVE CARDS FROM 1993 INCLUDING YOUNT, WINFIELD AND SHEFFIELD SO IF I GO THROUGH WITH MY PLAN TO PUT TOGETHER A PAGE FROM EACH SET I GOT THE OG FINEST COVERED. THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE I ALREADY HAVE EDGAR HERE BUT IF I DO SO WHAT? IT GIVES ME A CHANGE TO PEEL THE COATING. MMMMMM PEEELIES

I HAVE BEEN OBSESSED WITH 1995 FLEER FOR A WHILE TO THE POINT WHERE I'VE PUT TOGETHER A FULL MASTER WANTLIST OF ALL FOUR SETS WITH INSERTS. I THOUGHT THIS WAS MY FIRST ALL-FLEER 9 INSERT BUT IT LOOKS LIKE I EITHER HAD AN EXTRA GREG MADDUX OR I PULLED IT OUT OF THE MADDUX BINDER . THIS IS A WEIRD SET AS IT WAS MAIL-IN ONLY AND CHOSE 'KID SCRIBBLING ON A RAINBOW SCRATCH PAD' FOR THE DESIGN. IT'S ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT ON THE BACK AS FLEER USED WHITE TEXT

I HAVE A FEW OF THESE 2004-05 ULTRA KINGS INSERTS FOR BASEBALL BUT I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THE FIRST BASKETBALL ONE IN MY COLLECTION. THE MATTE CARD STOCK WITH SPOT GLOSS AND A SPLASH OF BRONZE FOIL LOOKS CLASSY

I THOUGHT THIS GRANT HILL CARD WAS AN INSERT INITIALLY BUT NOPE, IT'S A PLAIN OL 03-04 FLAIR BASE CARD. FLAIR WENT THROUGH A LOT OF WILDLY DIFFERENT DESIGNS AFTER THE FIRST COUPLE OF SUPER THICK, HIGH GLOSS ITERATIONS AND MORPHED INTO SHOWCASE FOR A LITTLE BIT. THIS ISN'T THE BEST FLAIR DESIGN OUT THERE AS THE GHOST PORTRAIT ON FOILBOARD IS A LITTLE OFFPUTTING BUT IT ISN'T THE WORST ONE OUT THERE. THIS VERSION AT LEAST PRETENDS LIKE IT'S A PREMIUM CARD

ELVIS LEERING AT MARY TYLER MOORE'S NUN ASS

REALLY WHAT MORE IS THERE TO SAY

THIS IS A REAL TRADING CARD THAT EXISTS

EVERYONE LOVES FLEER BUT THEY PUT OUT A TON OF COMPLETELY FORGETTABLE ONE-OFF ODDBALL SETS IN THE EARLY 00S. FLEER FORCE WAS A SLIGHTLY UPGRADED VERSION OF THE FLEER TRADITION SET WITH SOME DIFFERENT INSERTS THAT FLOPPED AFTER ONE YEAR, THEN CAME BACK A COUPLE YEARS LATER AS A STANDALONE SET THAT ALSO CRASHED OUT AFTER ONE RELEASE. EVEN THE GOOD ONE-OFF SETS LIKE APEX AND AVANT ONLY GOT ONE YEAR. NOT GOOD IN A HOBBY WHERE THE INERTIA OF COLLECTING THE SAME SET YEAR AFTER YEAR IS SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT. HONESTLY THIS INSERT AIN'T THAT GREAT AS THE EXTRA BUSY DESIGN IS VERY HARD TO SEE ON THE BLAND FOILBOARD BUT I DIG FINDING A CARD OF HAWKS LEGEND STEVE SMITH

PACIFIC'S ODDBALL RELEASES ARE ALWAYS A DELIGHT HOWEVER. I FRIGGIN LOVE LOVE LOVE THE - IS IT OK TO CALL THESE VINTAGE NOW? - VINTAGE REVOLUTION CARDS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST DESIGNS. I DON'T EVEN MIND IF IT'S FROM A FOOTBALL TEAM I HATE, GIMME THAT SHINY SPARKLY FOIL

TOPPS REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A HANDLE ON INSERT CARDS IN THE 90S AND THIS ONE FROM 99-00 IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT. YOU'D THINK THIS WAS AN INSERT CALLED FRESH FOUNDATIONS BUT NOPE, IT'S SEASON'S BEST. SIX DIFFERENT SUBSETS OF FIVE CARDS EACH ALL WITH DIFFERENT DESIGNS. WHO ASKED FOR SUBSETS IN AN INSERT SET?? AND TOPPS DID THIS A TON IN EVERY SPORT THEY HAD. ADD THE SPARKLY HOLOFOIL CAMOUFLAGE DROWNING OUT THE DESIGN AND IT'S A BIT MUCH. YOU KNOW I LOVE THE SHINIES, JUST LOOK AT THE PREVIOUS CARD, BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHEN TO GO WILD IN SERVICE OF THE DESIGN

TOPPS FIGURED IT OUT EVENTUALLY, THIS TOP TANDEMS CARD FROM 2002-03 HAS A PRETTY RIDICULOUS BACKGROUND THAT WOULD LOOK AWFUL WITH SPARKLY HOLOFOIL AND WOULD BE HARD TO SEE ON STRAIGHT FOILBOARD LIKE THAT FLEER FORCE INSERT. A NICE FLAT HOLOFOIL MAKES ALL THOSE RANDOM CIRCLES AND ANGLES POP. DON'T GET ME WRONG, THIS ISN'T A GREAT LOOKING CARD DESIGN BUT AT LEAST YOU CAN TELL WHAT EVERYTHING IS

WE FINISH UP WITH AN AWESOME INSERT CARD FROM A TERRIBLE AWFUL SET. 2008 UPPER DECK X WAS AS BIG A TRAINWRECK AS TWITTER X IS NOW BUT DAMN, THESE XPONENTIAL INSERTS LOOK SO, SO GOOD. IT TAKES A SILLY CONCEPT OF PUTTING X'S EVERYWHERE AND MAKES IT WORK WITH A DECENT COMBINATION OF HOLOFOIL AND EMBOSSING. IS THIS ACTUALLY TERRIBLE AND I'M JUST DAZZLED BY THE SHINY? YEAH PROBABLY. I LIKE IT THO

APRIL 2024 CARD SHOW PREVIEW

 THIS PAST WEEKEND I SOMEHOW HAD BOTH TIME AND A LITTLE MONEY AT THE SAME TIME AS THE MONTHLY CARD SHOW SO I TOOK A LITTLE TRIP AND HAD A LITTLE FUN. I HAD TO BE SUPER EXTRA CHEAP (THAT MURPH THERE WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING I BOUGHT) BUT I HIT ALL MY FAVORITE TABLES AND WAS SUCCESSFUL AT THE ONE GOAL I SET FOR MYSELF. I AM EVENTUALLY GOING TO DO A SERIES OF POSTS ON THE SHOW BUT I HAVE OVER A HUNDRED CARDS THAT NEED PICTURED TAKEN, CROPPED AND UPLOADED SO HERE'S A SORT OF TOP TEN LIST OF MY PICKUPS IN THE MEANTIME. I WILL LIKELY SHOW THEM ALL OFF AGAIN IN THE SUBSEQUENT POSTS, PLACE YOUR BETS NOW ON HOW MANY JOKES I RECYCLE

HERE'S A FULL PHOTO OF ALL THE PICKUPS. THE PILES AT THE BOTTOM ARE LEFT TO RIGHT:  QUARTER BOX, DIME BOX, FIVE DOLLARS WORTH OF VINTAGE AND THREE FOR A DOLLAR BOX. THAT'S NINE OR TEN POSTS RIGHT THERE DEPENDING ON HOW I DEAL WITH THAT FIVE DOLLAR PILE. THE FIRST CARD IN THE TOP TEN LIST IS WHICHEVER OF THE TWO 1987 FLEER BOX BOTTOM PANALS YOU PREFER. DO YOU LIKE THE BASE PANEL WITH DALE MURPHY? OR PERHAPS THE TOUGH STICKER BOX BOTTOM WITH BOB HORNER? IF YOU CAN'T CHOOSE, THEN CHOOSE BOTH. I WON'T STOP YOU. THIS IS THE ONLY PICTURE YOU'RE GETTING THOUGH BECAUSE I TOOK MULTIPLE SHOTS OF THEM AND THEY ALL TURNED OUT BLURRY FOR SOME REASON AND I'M NOT DOING IT AGAIN

DALE HERE IS THE LAST CARD I NEEDED FOR MY 1981 FLEER SET. THIS IS SOMEWHAT AWKWARD BECAUSE I HAVE A POST LINED UP FOR THE PENULTIMATE AND NEXT-TO-NEXT-TO-LAST CARDS I NEEDED FOR THE SET SCHEDULED IN A COUPLE MONTHS IN MY COMC BLACK FRIDAY POSTS. THEY'RE GOOD CARDS AND YOU'LL FIND OUT WHY THIS WASN'T IN THAT COMC PACKAGE THEN. BUT RIGHT NOW AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THE 81 FLEER BINDER IS COMPLETELY COMPLETE. EXCEPT FOR THIRTY-SEVEN ERROR CARDS. AND ABOUT A HUNDRED AND THIRTY STICKER CARDS. BUT THE SET! IS! COMPLEEEEETEEEE!!!

I LOVE FINDING EXTRA-ODD ODDBALL CARDS IN CHEAPO BOXES I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE AND THIS ONE COUNTS. AT LEAST I THOUGHT I'D NEVER SEEN ONE OF THESE BEFORE BUT IT TURNS OUT IT'S FROM THE 1993-95 SPORTS STARS USA BOOTLEG SERIES THAT I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH. I KNEW I RECOGNIZED THAT CRACKED ICE-STYLE FOIL FROM OTHER CARDS. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THEY GOT AWAY WITH USING LOGOS ON THEIR UNLICENSED SET BUT THE EARLY 90S WERE WILD. THERE'S A SURPRISE ON THE BACK BUT I'LL SAVE THAT FOR THE ACTUAL QUARTER BOX POST

I THINK I AM OFFICIALLY COLLECTING ANY MINOR LEAGUE TRAINER CARDS I FIND FROM NOW ON. NORMALLY WHEN I COME ACROSS AN ABANDONED MINOR LEAGUE TEAM SET IN A DIME BOX I LOOK FOR ANY PLAYERS WHO MADE THE BIGS. THIS TIME I WAS ALL "I HOPE THERE'S A TRAINER, I HOPE THERE'S A TRAINER, I HOPE THERE'S A TRAINER... YES!!" I HOPE BARNEY'S HAVING A GOOD TIME OUT THERE WHEREVER HE IS

THERE WERE A BUNCH OF TOPPS BUNT CARDS IN THE DIME BOX BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY WERE 2017 BUNT WHICH DON'T CARE FOR.THIS MCCUTCHEN INSERT WAS TOO PRETTY TO LEAVE BEHIND THOUGH. I'M NOT SURE HOW 'IMAGE USED IN AN OBITUARY' ENDED UP BEING THE THEME OF AN INSERT SET BUT I'M GLAD I FOUND THIS ONE

YOU ALWAYS LEARN SOMETHING NEW AT EVERY CARD SHOW. AT THIS SHOW I LEARNED THAT PRESS PASS RELEASED AN ELVIS SET THE YEAR HE WOULD HAVE TURNED 75, AND THAT ELVIS WAS IN A MOVIE WITH MARY TYLER MOORE. I TOOK ONE LOOK AT ELVIS LEERING AT NUN ASS AND KNEW THIS CARD WAS COMING HOME WITH ME. THIS IS THE WILDEST CARD I'VE SEEN ALL YEAR AND I'VE SEEON SOME SHIT

THE AFOREMENTIONED GOAL FOR THIS CARD SHOW WAS TO FINALLY PICK UP SOME 1977 TOPPS CARDS SINCE I'M OSTENSIBLY FOCUSING ON COMPLETING THAT SET THIS YEAR. NEWS FLASH: I AM NOT FINISHING THIS SET THIS YEAR. I WILL BE CHIPPING AWAY AT THE WANTLIST AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY. A HALL OF FAME CARD IS ONE OF THE BIGGER CHIPS OFF THE LIST. OF COURSE I BOUGHT THIS BEAT UP MESS FOR CHEAP INSTEAD OF GETTING A NICE ONE IN EX CONDITION FOR A BUCK OR TWO. THEY BOTH FIT IN THE BINDER POCKET

THIS ONE WAS FROM THE THREE FOR A DOLLAR BOX. THERE WAS A NICE MIX OF OLD BASEBALL BASKETBALL AND HOCKEY IN THERE AND I HAD TO MAKE A LOT OF TOUGH CHOICES AS IT WAS THE LAST BOX I SCROUNGED THROUGH AS I WAS EXITING THE SHOW. THIS WAS NOT A TOUGH CHOICE AS I LOWKEY COLLECT KENTUCKY COLONELS CARDS AS MY FAVORITE ABA TEAM. MY ABA FAVE ARTIS GILMORE IS NOT ON THIS CARD BUT YOU KNOW WHO IS? HALL OF FAMERS JULIUS ERVING AND GEORGE MCGINNIS. JUST PUT DOCTOR J IN YOUR EBAY TITLE AND YOU'LL TRIPLE THE BIDS

ANOTHER DUMB THING I'VE BEEN BUYING A LOT MORE OF LATELY ARE EXCESSIVELY MARKED CHECKLISTS. I DON'T WANT THE ONES WITH HALF THE BOXES NEATLY MARKED, I WANT THE RUINED ONES WITH THREE DIFFERENT COLORS OF PEN INK, PENCIL SCRIBBLES AND DIFFERENT MARKINGS POSSIBLY TO INDICATE DOUBLES OR A SECOND SET. THOSE ARE THE CHECKLISTS I WANT. IT HELPS WHEN THERE'S A HEADSHOT OF A RECENTLY MINTED MVP ON THE CARD AS WELL

1977 TOPPS IS MY OFFICIAL SET BUILDING FOCUS RIGHT NOW BUT 1975 TOPPS IS WAY MORE FUN TO BUY SO I HAVE BEEN DOING JUST THAT. I'M NOT COMPLETING THAT SET THIS YEAR EITHER AS I HAVE SOME DAUNTING ROOKIES AND SOME BIG STARS STILL STARING ME DOWN. NOT THE BIG ROOKIES THANKFULLY BUT THERE'S ABOUT TEN CARDS I WILL HAVE TO ACTUALLY SPEND REAL MONEY ON. THIS WAS THE MOST ICONIC I HAD LEFT THOUGH AND I ALMOST MADE ASCENE WHEN I FOUND IT HIDING AMONGST SOME '75 COMMONS. I HAVE ABOUT FORTY CARDS LEFT FOR THE SET BUT WITH THIS ONE IN THE BINDER WE CAN DEFINITELY SAY I'M ON THE HOME STRETCH NOW