BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 50: ANOTHER KING

NOW WE REACH THE OLDEST CARD I PICKED UP ON THE CARD BUYING BINGE. SADLY IT WASN'T A NINTEENTH CENTURY CARD THIS TIME. BUT ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, IT IS A CARD OF AN ACTUAL KING RELEASED DURING HIS REIGN. THIS IS THE ROYALTY VERSION OF FINDING A T-206 HALL OF FAMER AT LIKE ONE-ONE THOUSANDTH THE PRICE. THIS ONE IS BEING POSTED OUT OF ORDER BECAUSE TOPICAL

1908 WILLS PORTRAITS OF EUROPEAN ROYALTY H.M. KING EDWARD VII

I GOT A WHOLE-ASS KING THAT'S 115 YEARS OLD FOR SIXTY CENTS, YOU CAN'T BEAT THAT WITH A STICK. IT'S A COOL BLACK BORDERED CARD TOO, I'VE COVETED MAYO CUT PLUG CARDS FOR A LONG TIME BUT THEY ARE SUPER PRICEY. EVEN THE REPRINT SET IS KINDA OUT OF MY PRICE RANGE.  ANOTHER COOL BLACK BORDERED VINTAGE SET IS THE OGDEN'S GENERAL INTEREST SET FROM 1901. I SEE A BUNCH OF THESE IN THE GREAT PRE-WAR CARDS BLOG AND REALLY LIKE THEM AS WELL. I HAD NO IDEA THESE WILLS'S CIGARETTES CARDS EXISTED UNTIL ONE FELL THE THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWEST PRICE ALGORITHM. I AM NOT A BIG FAN OF MONARCHY, BUT I LOVE FINDING CHEAP STAR CARDS IN THE BARGAIN BINS AND THE GUY WHO GOT THE HERO NUMBER 1 IN A SET DEDICATED TO ROYALTY DEFINITELY COUNTS

JUST LIKE THE NEW CHAP, KING ALBERT EDWARD 'BERTIE' THE VIITH WAS THE OLDEST MALE CHILD OF A QUEEN WHO RULED FOR A LUDICROUS AMOUNT OF TIME AND BECAME KING WHEN HE WAS OLD AND BUSTED. BERTIE LIKED THE WOMEN AND REPORTEDLY HAD AN AFFAIR WITH CAMILLA PARKER-BOWLES' GREAT GRANDMOTHER IF WIKIPEDIA IS TO BE BELIEVED, WHICH IT SHOULDN'T. IT ALSO APPEARS THAT HE HELPED POPULARIZE THE HORRIBLE COLLARS ON DRESS SHIRTS WE HAVE TO WEAR TO WEDDINGS AND JOB INTERVIEWS WHICH MIGHT BE THE WORST THING HE DID IN HIS REIGN. THERE ARE WAY WORSE MONARCHS OUT THERE AND AND HE HAS A WHOLE ERA NAMED AFTER HIM THAT IS VERY POPULAR ON PBS SHOWS. IF I MISSED ANY HORRIBLE DREADFUL EVIL THINGS HE DID, FORGIVE ME, I WROTE THIS IN A PANIC AT THE LAST MINUTE WHILE HOPPED UP ON INSTANT COFFEE. I ASSURE YOU I AGREE WITH HOW VILE AND ROTTEN HE WAS AND THAT WHATEVER HE DID WAS VERY BAD. ANYWAY, IT'S A COOL LOOKING CARD WITH A LOVELY BEAT UP BLACK BORDER. MAY KING CHUCKLES' REIGN BE AS PEACEFUL AS BERTIE'S, ALTHOUGH JUST LOOKING AT CURRENT EVENTS WE ALL KNOW THAT AIN'T GONNA FUCKIN HAPPEN

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CARDMAS: LAUNDRY EDITION - DAY 10

LAST ONE OF THESE THAT WAS PULLED BY ME OUT OF A PACK OF CARDS. AND IT'S A REALLY RIDICULOUS ONE TOO

I MISS PACIFIC CARDS. THEY WERE HANDS DOWN THE MOST CONSISTENTLY WEIRD TRADING CARD COMPANY AROUND. SURE THEY HAD ONE OR TWO MILDY NORMAL LOOKING PRODUCTS LIKE THE FLAGSHIP SET AND MAYBE PARAMOUNT BUT THEY ALWAYS SWUNG FOR THE FENCES WITH THE DESIGNS ON THEIR ODDBALL SETS. A LOT OF TIMES THEY STRUCK OUT, BUT 2000 VANGUARD WAS ONE OF THEIR BEST. BASE CARDS WERE THESE THICK PLASTIC THINGS WITH A SOLID BRIGHTLY COLORED BACKGROUND WITH A HOLOFOIL HALO AROUND THE PLAYER PHOTO. YOU HAVE TO SEE THEM IN HAND TO GET THE FULL EFFECT BUT THEY REALLY DO LOOK GREAT. 

I BOUGHT QUITE A FEW PACKS OF BASEBALL FOOTBALL AND HOCKEY THAT YEAR* AND ENJOYED THEM GREATLY. THIS WAS A PREMIUM PRODUCT SO PACKS ONLY HAD FOUR CARDS  IN THEM. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I FOUND A PACK OF VANGUARD AT TARGET THAT WAS THE SIZE OF A BRICK. THICK PACK = MOAR CARDS SO OF COURSE I BOUGHT IT**. I OPENED IT UP AND THERE WASN'T MOARER CARDS, THERE WAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CARDS AND A CRAZY THICK CARD OF FUTURE HALL OF FAMER CRIS CARTER WITH A LARGE CHUNK OF WHAT APPEARED TO BE PART OF A UNIFORM NUMBER. WITH BONUS SERIAL NUMBER #1/25 HAND WRITTEN WITH A SILVER PAINT PEN THAT WAS RUNNING OUT OF PAINT. IT WAS THE YEAR 2000 SO RELIC CARDS WERE STILL RARE BUT NOT UNHEARD OF AT THAT TIME SO I WAS COOL AND COLLECTED WHEN I SAW IT, RIGHT. NOPE. MY EYEBALLS BUGGED OUT AND I WENT HUBBA HUBBA AWOOOOOGA NYONG NYONG NYONG BBBBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBLBBLBLB

THEN I TURNED THE MOTHERFUCKER OVER AND IT'S GODDAMN RANDY MOSS WITH AN EVEN NICER PATCH SWATCH. TWO HALL OF FAMERS ON THE SAME CARD THAT'S AS THICK AS A PULP NOVEL AND HAS TWO GIGANTIC PORT HOLES STUFFED WITH JERSEY BITS. IT'S A HELLA NICE CARD AND IF DIDN'T LOVE BASEBALL WAAAY MORE THAN FOOTBALL MIGHT'VE BEATEN OUT ICHIRO FOR MY 'NICEST PATCH CARD' AWARD. 2000 WAS A BANNER YEAR FOR PACIFIC AND IT'S A DAMN SHAME EVERYTHING CAME CRASHING DOWN AFTER THEY LOST THEIR BASEBALL LICENSE THE NEXT YEAR. I HAVE TWO MORE RELIC CARDS FROM 2000 PACIFIC OF KURT WARNER AND GREG MADDUX AND THE ONLY REASON THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT IS BECAUSE I FOUND ALL THE OTHER CARDS IN THE POST BEFORE I GOT TO THEM. STILL, THIS CARD REPRESENTS THAT PACIFIC QUALITY WELL

YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TICKLED I WAS THAT THE TWINS WERE WEARING PURPLE

*POSSIBLE FRANKENSET CANDIDATE?

**BOOOO PACK SEARCHERS, HISSS BAH FOR SHAME. YEAH, YEAH,  WHATEVER. IF YOU CAN STRAIGHT UP LOOK AT A PACK AND SEE IT'S THREE TIMES FATTER THAN THE REST OF 'EM YOU'RE GONNA PICK THAT ONE. IT'S SIMPLE HUNTER GATHERER INSTINCT. THAT'S NOT EVEN PACK SEARCHING*** THAT'S PACK LOOKING

***ALSO, I AM ON RECORD AS BEING 100% SUPPORTIVE OF PACK SEARCHING IN RETAIL. TARGET AND WAL-MART CARD AISLES ARE A HELLSCAPE AT THE BEST OF TIMES I RESPECT THE HUSTLE FOR COLLECTORS JUST TRYING TO GET SOMETHING NICE. IF YOU'RE A FLIPPER THOUGH AND CLEAR OUT EVERY STORE WITHIN A 50 MILE RADIUS LIKE A SWARM OF LOCUSTS AND GET IN FIGHTS WITH THE OTHER LOCUSTS OVER POKEMON CARDS AND ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THERE BEING NO ALLEN & GINTER PACKS IN STORES SINCE 2019 THEN SEE THE FIRST SENTENCE IN ** AND I HOPE EVERYTHING YOU BUY IS ALREADY OPENED AND STUFFED WITH CRUMMY BOWMAN BASE CARDS**** WITH NOT EVEN A SINGLE BIP ROBERTS IN SIGHT*****

****AND NOT EVEN PLAIN OLD VETERAN BASE CARDS, CAREFULLY CHOSEN NON-FIRST BOWMAN CARD PROSPECTS CARDS EXCLUSIVELY OF PLAYERS WHO NEVER GOT PAST DOUBLE-A. THAT SPEW OUT BY THE THOUSANDS LIKE IT'S THE BLASTER VERSION OF A CLOWN CAR OR A VERY STRANGE TARDIS

*****WHAT AM I SAYING, EVERYONE DESERVES THE BLESSING OF BIP ROBERTS DURING THE JOYOUS HOLIDAY SEASON. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. OH WHY OH WHY DO I TALK POLITICS DURING THE HOLIDAYS, IT NEVER ENDS WELL. JUST SKIP ALL THESE FOOTNOTES

Playoff game in Minnesota

Falcons vs. Vikings.

#1 running back vs. the #2 running back.

Vikings are in 1st place, but barely.

Falcons are in a wild card slot right now, but barely.

Neither team can afford a loss right now.

The pressure isn't as high as it could be, Dallas lost and the Bucs are down to San Diego in the fouth quarter.

Still, it's a pretty frickin' HUGE game with only two to play and I did not expect that for the Falcons when I first looked over their schedule months ago. And of course, the Chargers/Bucs game isn't on TV so we can see the Steelers and Titans which only appeals to fans four hours to the north and the Cardinals/Patriots slaughter which doesn't have anything to do with anything.

Damn, I shoulda made a card bet with Gellman. Oh well, with some luck we'll meet again in the playoffs.