MANDATORY RONALD & TRAE

EVERY TIME I GO TO THE CARD SHOP I PICK UP ONE CARD OF RONALD ACUÑA AND ONE OF TRAE YOUNG. I WOULD PROBABLY GET THESE CARDS WAY CHEAPER ONLINE BUT IT'S MORE FUN TO HUNT MY PREY IN THE WILD. ON THE MOST RECENT TRIP* WHERE I WENT ON THE FIFTY CENT BINGE THESE WERE MY ATLANTA SUPERSTAR CARDS OF CHOICE

2022 PANINI CHONICLES OBSIDIAN RONALD ACUÑA

SO NORMALLY WHEN I CHOOSE A CARD FOR MY ACUÑA COLLECTION I PICK UP A CHEAP CARD I DON'T ALREADY HAVE WHICH MEANS LOTS OF FLAGSHIP BASE CARDS. MONEY IS TIGHT AND IF THE CARD COSTS MUCH MORE THAN A BUCK I HAVE TO THINK THRICE ABOUT IT. THERE'S BEEN A DONRUSS PARALLEL WITH TINY STATUES OF LIBERTIES ON THE BORDER IN THE BOX FOR MONTHS I REALLY WANT FOR THE LOL VALUE BUT IT'S NOT FUNNY ENOUGH FOR FOUR BUCKS WORTH OF LOLS. THIS ONE WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF BUCKS AND HAS HAS AN EXCELLENT DOLLAR TO SHINY RATIO. I HAVE STATED MY LOVE FOR THIS PRODUCT BEFORE AND I'LL TAKE ANY OF EM THAT I CAN GET

AS WITH MOST PANINI PRODUCTS I LOVE THE FRONT, NOT THE BACK. I LIKE THAT THEY COMPARE RONALD TO A VIDEO GAME CHARACTER THOUGH. TECMO BO OF BASEBALL, GET READY FOR A 70-70 SEASON FROM ACUÑA THIS YEAR NOW THAT HE'S 100%

2021-22 OPTIC TRAE YOUNG T-MINUS

FINDING A CARD WITH TRAE YOUNG AND A GODDAMN SPACE SHUTTLE BLASTING OFF TO THE MOON MADE ME REACT LIKE A TEX AVERY WOLF. AWOOOGA! OOH DADDY. THAT'S ONE THING ABOUT PANINI, WHEN THEY HIT ON A DESIGN THEY HIT HARD. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS CARD AND IT'S PROBABLY MY FAVORITE TRAE THAT IS NOT A SLABBED ROOKIE. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN OPTIC-ONLY INSERT AND I HONESTLY WOULDN'T MIND PICKING UP A FEW CHEAP PARALLELS FOR A MINI RAINBOW

FOR AS TRASH AS MOST PANINI CARD BACKS ARE, THIS ONE IS EXTRA AMAZING. THERE'S A WHOLE ASS ROCKETSHIP CONTROL PANEL FROM A 50'S SCI-FI MOVIE ON HERE. POWER LEVEL, BLINKY LIGHTS, MANDATORY LOGOS, SHINY RED CANDY-LIKE HISTORY ERASER BUTTON. THIS GOOFY-ASS CARD MAKES ME SO, SO HAPPY. THIS ONE ALSO WASN'T THE CHEAPEST IN THE BOX BUT I'VE LEARNED THAT SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA SPLURGE ON THE GOOD GOOD STUFF EVEN WHEN YOU HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN TUMULTUOUS FOR THE HAWKS BUT I STILL FEEL LIKE TRAE'S READY TO BLAST OFF

*WHICH IS NOW NO LONGER THE MOST RECENT TRIP AND THIS IS NOW BECOMING A SERIES OF POSTS

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 35:

IN DOWNTOWN MARIETTA THERE IS AN ANTIQUE SHOP WITH A BUNCH OF RECORDS IN THE BACK. AT THE CHECKOUT THERE HAS BEEN A SMALL BOX OF VINTAGE BEATLES CARDS FOR SALES FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. THEY WERE CHARGING FIVE BUCKS A CARD AND I ALWAYS PASSED BECAUSE I AM A CHEAPSKATE. THEN COVID HIT AND I DIDN'T GET TO GO TO THAT SHOP FOR YEARS AND WHEN THINGS LOOSENED UP AND I FINALLY GOT BACK I DECIDED I'D STOP BEING A CHEAPSKATE AND PICK UP A CARD OR TWO. THAT BOX OF BEATLES CARDS WAS STILL THERE! FILLED WITH CARDS FROM THE 1993 BEATLES COLLECTION SET. STILL FIVE BUCKS A POP. *SOB* 

BACK TO BEING A CHEAPSKATE AND GETTING CHEAP CARDS ONLINE

1964 TOPPS BEATLES FIRST SERIES - GEORGE HARRISON

THERE IS ONE VERY SPECIFIC BEATLES CARD I AM DESPERATE TO GET. I HAD IT IN MY CART BACK IN 2021, BUT SOMEONE ELSE GANKED IT FROM ME BEFORE I COULD PAY. I WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANOTHER COPY IN 2022 SO I WENT THE BARGAIN HUNTING ROUTE AGAIN. THIS CARD OF THE FAB FOUR STOMPING ON A STUFFED PONY OR PIÑATA SPOKE TO ME AND WAS ONLY SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS SO I GRABBED IT. THIS TIME I WAS SMART AND LOADED SOME CASH ON MY ACCOUNT AHEAD OF TIME. NO STEALING MY CARDS AWAY THIS TIME! THIS IS MY SECOND BEATLES CARD AFTER THE COLOR SERIES CARD I PICKED UP . TOPPS RELEASED 5 BEATLES SETS IN 1964, I STILL NEED TO PICK UP A CARD FROM THE DIARY SET AND THE HARD DAY'S NIGHT SET TO ROUND OUT A TYPE CARD COLLECTION. THE PLAKS SET IS SCARCE AND SUPER EXPENSIVE SO I'LL PROBABLY BE PASSING ON THAT ONE. THIS SET REMINDS ME OF THE 1969 DECKLE EDGE INSERT SET AND LOOKS TO BE THE CHEAPEST, QUICKEST THING TOPPS COULD THROW TOGETHER TO CAPITALIZE ON THE BEATLES FAD. I LIKE IT, WHILE BLACK & WHITE THE PHOTOS ARE INTERESTING AND THIS IS THE CLOSEST I'LL EVER GET TO A GEORGE HARRISON AUTOGRAPH

THE BACKS ARE SPARCE BUT WOULD HAVE BEEN QUICK AND EASY TO PRODUCE SINCE NO ONE HAD TO WRITE ANY NONSENSE TEXT FOR THE BACK. A LOT OF THESE WERE PROBABLY PASTED IN SCRAP BOOKS ANYWAY. THIS CARD'S A LITTLE ROUGH WITH SOME WATER DAMAGE AND SOME SCHMUTZ ON THE BACK, BUT OLD CARDS SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE CHARACTER. IF IT WAS CRISP AND CLEAN IT WOULDN'T HAVE COST UNDER A BUCK, OR EVEN FIVE FOR THAT MATTER

RECORD SWAP - PART 5: I SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF MYSELF

WE FINALLY REACH THE GRAND FINALE OF THE RECORD SWAP POSTS. THE WORST RECORD I GAVE UP VS. THE LAST RECORD I FOUND. BY DEFAULT IT KINDA HAS TO BE AN UPGRADE BUT LET'S SEE JUST HOW MUCH OF AN UPGRADE IT IS

RECORD GIVEN: BOOTLEG ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS SUNG BY BUGS

THIS RECORD CAME INTO MY POSSESSION ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS GOOFING OFF AT THE FLEA MARKET AND FOUND A DUDE SELLING RECORDS FOR SOMETHING LIKE THREE FOR FIVE BUCKS. I FOUND A COPY OF PAUL'S BOUTIQUE THAT WAS MISSING A DISK AND A COUPLE OTHER JAZZ/FUNK RECORDS AND PICKED THEM UP. IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY SO I ASKED HOW MUCH FOR A WHOLE CRATE OF RECORDS AND I GOT IT FOR THIRTEEN DOLLARS WHICH WAS HOW MUCH CASH I HAD LEFT ON ME. ALWAYS ASK FOR DEALS AT FLEA MARKETS AND CARD SHOWS! ESPECIALLY IF IT'S CLOSE TO CLOSING TIME! THEY DON'T WANNA DRAG ALL THIS CRAP HOME! MOST OF THE CRATE WAS CRAP LIKE THIS BUT THERE WERE A FEW GEMS AND SOME JUNK WITH COOL COVERS AND ALSO A FREE ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER AND SOME GUY'S BILLS?? I GOT RID OF THOSE, DON'T NEED TO BE UP IN SOMEONE'S BUSINESS. I ALSO GOT RID OF THIS ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS RIPOFF ALBUM AT THE BOOK SWAP. THE ONLY REGRET I HAVE ABOUT GIVING THIS UP IS THE CRIMINAL RECORDS DOLLAR BIN PRICE TAG STUCK TO IT. CRIMINAL RECORDS IS AN AWESOME RECORD SHOP DOWN IN LITTLE FIVE POINTS IN ATLANTA AND IS WELL WORTH A STOP IF YOU'RE IN TOWN. GO GET A BURGER AT THE VORTEX AND GO DIG THRU SOME CRATES

I NEVER EVER LISTENED TO THIS RECORD, WHICH HONESTLY WAS THE CASE FOR MOST OF THE ALBUMS IN THAT CRATE I BOUGHT. I ABSOLUTELY GOT THIRTEEN DOLLARS WORTH OF ENJOYMENT OUT OF THE ONES I DID LISTEN TO SO I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT IT. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT MAY BE THE BEST OF THE CHIPMUNK KNOCKOFF BANDS THERE IS A WHOLE WEB SITE DEDICATED TO THEM WHERE YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEIR SONGS. I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT GOING TO DO SO, SO LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK. I ALREADY KNOW YOU'RE A LITTLE FUNNY IN THE HEAD SINCE YOU'RE A REGULAR READER OF THIS BLOG BUT I WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR WHATEVER FURTHER PSYCHIC DAMAGE YOU TAKE FROM LISTENING TO GRASSHOPPERS SING WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN. I HAVE TO ADMIT I FIND THE ALBUM ARTWORK REALLY APPEALING. VERY RETRO CHINTZY 

THE LABEL IS A LINE ART COPY OF THE ALBUM COVER AND KINDA LOOKS BETTER THIS WAY. A VINTAGE GRASSHOPPERS COLORING BOOK WOULD BE SWEET. THAT PETER PAN LOGO BRINGS BACK GREAT NOSTALGIA FOR CHEAP KIDDIE RECORDS FROM THE 70S.  IT GIVES ME A NICE WARM FUZZY FEELING OF DAYS GONE BY. A FEELING OF QUALITY IT DOES NOT. I DIDN'T GIVE A CRAP WHEN I WAS 6 THO

RECORD GOT: THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET - TIME OUT

I WAS GETTING A LITTLE DESPERATE TOWARDS THE END OF THE LAST CRATE AT THE BOOK SWAP, I HAD A RADIO BLOOPERS RECORD IN MY HANDS I WAS CONSIDERING PICKING UP BUT THEN I FOUND THIS AND I KNEW I WAS DONE. THIS WAS THE THIRD JAZZ CD I BOUGHT AFTER VINCE GUARALDI'S A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS AND MILES DAVIS' KIND OF BLUE, AND I WORE OUT THAT DISC UNTIL I FINALLY RIPPED IT TO MP3. I HAD NEVER PICKED UP THE RECORD BEFORE ALTHOUGH I DO HAVE THE FOLLOW UP TIME FURTHER OUT WITH THE JEAN MIRO COVER. SPEAKING OF COVERS, THE ART FROM S. NEIL FUJITA IS FANTASTIC AND WHILE I WILL PROBABLY STILL MOSTLY LISTEN TO MY MP3S OR STREAMING I KINDA WANT TO HANG THIS COVER UP ON MY WALL

THE NOVEL ON THE BACK EXPLAINS THE FUNKY TIME SIGNATURES GIMMICK OF THE ALBUM AS IF YOU ARE A BEATNIK FROM MARS. THE EXPLANATION OF THE SPECIFIC FUNKINESS FOR EACH SONG IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL. TIME OUT AND RONDO A LA TURK ARE THE TWO BIG HITS FROM THE ALBUM BUT IT'S WELL WORTH  YOUR TIME TO GIVE A LISTEN TO THE WHOLE THING IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO BEFORE. THERE'S ALSO A LIST OF OTHER BRUBECK ALBUMS TO BUY ON THE BACK, I'D PERSONALLY GO WITH NEWPORT 58. I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS ALBUM, IT'S LIKE TRYING TO EXPLAIN HOW GOOD WILLIE MAYS IS

THIS RECORD HAD NO SLEEVE AND THE COVER ITSELF IS BARELY HOLDING TOGETHER. HOWEVER! THAT EXTRA SLEEVE FROM THE PAUL MAURIAT ALBUM CAME IN HANDY HERE AND TIME OUT IS NOW SAFELY SNUG INSIDE AN ABC RECORDS AD SLEEVE

DAT BEAUTIFUL COLUMBIA LABEL WITH THE ALIEN DUCKS. HOW I LOVE IT SO

SO THERE'S A NICE TRADE OF ACTUAL TRASH FOR A HALL OF FAME JAZZ DISC. OVERALL I GAVE UP SPRINGSTEEN, BARRY WHITE, ROY CLARK, 101 STRINGS AND GRASSHOPPERS FOR GERSHWIN, CHEESECAKE PAUL MAURIOT, GETZ & GILBERTO, RICK WAKEMAN AND BRUBECK. OVERALL I'M HAPPY TO GREATLY UPGRADE MY JAZZ COLLECTION AND ADD SOME NEW PROG TO MY LIFE. WE'RE NOT DONE WITH RECORDS THOUGH, OH NO... JUST WAIT TILL YOU SEE WHAT I PICKED UP AT GOODWILL AND THE FLEA MARKET

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 34: WILLIAM CLAUDE DUKENFIELD

MINIS! OLD MINIS AT THAT! OLD ENGLISH CIGARETTE MINIS! AND FILMS! YEEHAW! I DON'T REMEMBER IF I SCROUNGED THIS ONE BY BEING A CHEAPSKATE OR IF IT WAS ON MY WATCHLIST FROM LAST YEAR BUT EITHER WAY I SOMEHOW GOT IT 

1936 GALLAHER FILM EPISODES - THE MEMORY EXPERT

I LOVE OLD COMEDIES AND W.C. FIELDS IS ONE OF THE ABSOLUTE BEST. HE'S GOT SUCH A TIMELESS CHARACTER AND AMAZING COMEDIC TIMING THAT HIS STUFF IS STILL HILARIOUS TODAY. AND SOMETIMES A LITTLE SHOCKING, CHECK OUT THE SCENE FROM THE DENTIST WHERE HE'S TRYING TO EXTRACT A LADY'S TOOTH. I REALLY WANTED A FIELDS CARD AND TARGETED HIS DAVID COPPERFIELD CARD BUT FOUND THIS ONE FOR A RIDICULOUS FIFTY-FIVE CENTS AND SNAGGED IT INSTANTLY. I TRIED TO BUY IT TWICE! I ACCIDENTALLY HAD TWO TABS OPEN FOR THE CARD AND BOUGHT IT THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE BINGE, THEN GOT REALLY SAD WHEN I REFRESHED THE OTHER TAB THE NEXT MORNING AND SAW IT HAD SOLD. I EVEN COMPLAINED ON TWITTER ABOUT THE JERK WHO TOOK IT AWAY FROM ME UNTIL I REALISED THAT I WAS, IN FACT, THE JERK. I GOT THE CARD I WANTED SO I'M FINE WITH BEING A CARD-THIEVING JERK

I HAD A HECK OF A TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT MOVIE THIS WAS AS A GOOGLE SEARCH ONLY CAME UP WITH THIS TRADING CARD. I EVENTUALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THE MEMORY EXPERT IS THE BRITISH TITLE FOR W.C.'S FILM MAN ON THE FLYING TRAPEZE. THEN I HAD JUST AS MUCH TROUBLE FINDING A COPY, BUT I SCROUNGED ONE UP. THE FILM STILL HOLDS UP, FIELDS TRIES TO TAKE OFF AN AFTERNOON OF WORK TO WATCH A WRESTLING MATCH AND EVERYTHING THAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG DOES. THERE'S SOME GREAT SLAPSTICK BUT MOST OF THE HUMOR IS IN WATCHING POOR FIELDS SQUIRM. IT'S ALMOST CRINGE COMEDY - A BIT WHERE W.C. IS HASSLED BY COPS FOR FIVE STRAIGHT MINUTES IS ANXIETY INDUCING - BUT FIELDS' GOOD NATURED DEMEANOR WHERE HE KEEPS ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES KEEPS IT FUNNY. IT'S ALL WORTH IT AS THE ULTIMATE HAPPY ENDING IS VERY CATHARTIC. A GOOD MOVIE AND A GOOD TRADING CARD

FIFTY CENT GIFT CARD BINGE - PART 3: STAR WARS RAINBOW

THE THIRD AND FINAL POST OF CARDS I GOT ON MY FIFTY CENT BOX BINGE. FOURTH COUNTING THE REGGIE POST. A SOLID TWO-FIFTHS OF MY PURCHASE WAS OF BEAT TO HELL 1977 TOPPS STAR WARS CARDS. I GOT A RAINBOW OF ALL THE BORDER COLORS THEY HAD, FIVE CARDS EACH FROM SERIES TWO TO FIVE. NO FIRST SERIES BLUE CARDS SADLY, BUT I GOT THE ROY G. HALF OF THE RAINBOW AT LEAST

ALMOST ALL THE VINTAGE STAR WARS CARDS THEY HAVE ARE IN WELL LOVED CONDITION WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE WITH ME. I ALREADY CLEANED OUT THEIR TEN CENT CARDS AND EVEN AFTER THIS BINGE THERE ARE STILL A FEW FIFTY CENT AND DOLLAR CARDS I CAN PICK UP OFF MY WANTLIST. THE MORE SPENDY CARDS USUALLY FEATURE THE HIGHER PROFILE CHARACTERS SO NO RANDOM CANTINA DENIZENS HERE. THE MOST OBSCURE CHARACTER YOU'LL SEE TODAY IS GENERAL DODONNA 

THIS IS THE ONLY FIFTY CENT VADER IN THE PILE MAINLY BECAUSE I ALREADY BOUGHT UP ALL THE FIFTY CENT VADERS I COULD FIND MONTHS AGO. THIS ONE EVADED ME SOMEHOW. FUN STORY ABOUT THIS CARD, WHEN I GOT IT I POSTED IT ON TWITTER CALLING IT 'KINDA MURDERY'. I THEN GOT A REPLY FROM A PODCAST CALLED KINDA MURDERY AND I TRIED IT OUT AND IT'S PRETTY GOOD! IT'S A REAL CRIME PODCAST THAT DISCUSSES CRAZY MURDERS IN CALIFORNIA USUALLY FROM A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. IT'S A FUN LISTEN IF YOU LIKE THAT KIND OF THING. PRETTY WILD THAT DARTH VADER INTRODUCED ME TO A NEW PODCAST

IN HINDSIGHT, THE BACK OF THIS CARD ABSOLUTELY READS LIKE A THREAT. I DON'T CARE IF ANDOR IS GOOD, I DON'T WANNA EVEN THINK ABOUT ANYTHING STAR WARS MADE IN THE PAST FORTY YEARS. IF I DIDN'T LOVE 70'S TOPPS CARDS SO MUCH I MIGHT BE ABLE TO QUIT THE WHOLE SERIES COLD TURKEY

THAT'S NOT TRUE, I WILL ALWAYS WATCH A PETER CUSHING MOVIE

PRINCESS LEIA IS THE FRANK ROBINSON OF STAR WARS, KICKS ASS AND COMPLETELY UNDERRATE BECAUSE EVERYONE'S ALL 'LUKE THIS' AND 'ANAKIN THAT'. THIS PHOTO IS ICONIC TOO, HOW'D IT TAKE UNTIL SERIES TWO TO GET IN THE SET

DROIDS ARE PREMIUM CARDS IN THIS SET BUT HONESTLY THEY AREN'T MY FAVORITES ANYMORE. WELL, ARTOO IS COOL BUT I'M A LITTLE DONE WITH THREEPIO. YES, I KNOW HE'S GOT THE BEST CARD IN THE SET BUT THAT ONE IS GOING TO BE IN THE CASE NOT THE 50 CENT BOX

MULTI-PLAYER STAR COMBO CARD. THIS ONE REMINDS ME A LITTLE OF THE 1966 '65 RBI LEADERS CARD WITH WILLIE MAYS, FRANK ROBINSON AND DERON JOHNSON, WAIT, NO. LEIA IS FRANK ROBINSON. OBI-WAN SEEMS MORE TO ME TO BE A WILLIE MCCOVEY TYPE

AWW YEAH, HAN SOLO BEING A BADASS. TAKE NOTE OF THIS SCENE CUZ YOU'RE GONNA BE SEEING IT AGAIN

SERIES THREE! THE 1991 FLEER SERIES. HAN IS ONCE AGAIN BLASTING STORMTROOPS ON THE GANGPLANK OF THE MILLENIUM FALCON BUT THIS TIME WE HAVE A FRANK ROBINSON CAMEO

I WAS OBSESSED WITH THE TRASH COMPACTOR SCENE AS A KID MAYBE BECAUSE IT WAS SUCH A WEIRD CHOICE FOR A SCI-FI FLICK TO HAVE A KEY SET PIECE IN A GARBAGE DUMP. IN A FILM FULL OF PEW PEW BLASTERS AND VOOM VOOM LASER SWORDS HAVING A SCENE WHERE THE DANGER IS GETTING MUNCHED BY A SWAMP MONSTER, CRUSHED LIKE A BUG OR JUST PLAIN STINKED TO DEATH WAS A NICE CHANCE OF PACE. TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT CHEWIE HIDING IN THE BACK BECAUSE YOU'RE UNFORTUNATELY NOT GOING TO SEE MUCH OF HIM IN THIS POST

YET ANOTHER HAN SOLO TAKING POTSHOTS AT STORMTROOPERS IN FRONT OF THE FALCON CARD. THIS IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE BUNCH, HAN AIN'T FUCKING AROUND ON THIS CARD

HELL YEAH PETER CUSHING!!! GRAND MOFF TARKIN IS MY MAIN GUY FROM STAR WARS AND I'M BUILDING UP A NICE LITTLE COLLECTION OF HIS CARDS. IT'S GREAT, HE'S A HORROR FILM LEGEND BUT IN STAR WARS HE DOES NOT REACH THE STAR POWER OF VADER, LUKE, LEIA AND HAN SO YOU CAN SNAG HIS CARDS CHEAP. I ALREADY HAD THIS CARD BUT I USED IT AS THE FIRST CARD IN MY COOL BINDER VOL. 2. AND TRUST ME, IF I SEE ANOTHER ONE I WILL BUY ANOTHER ONE. I SHOULD MAYBE THINK ABOUT MIGRATING THAT THREAD INTO A POST ON HERE BEFORE TWITTER FINALLY PUKES AND DIES

SOLO LUKE CARDS ARE USUALLY IN THE DOLLAR + PILE BUT THIS ONE WHERE HE'S HANGING OUT BY THE VAPORATORS LIKE A VAGRANT ISN'T THE GREATEST POSE SO IT DROPPED TO THE 50 CENT PILE WHICH IS GOOD FOR ME

SERIES THREE - GREEN BORDERS. THE SECOND TRASH COMPACTOR CARD FEATURES ALL FOUR STINKY HEROES THIS TIME. POOR CHEWIE IS STILL WAY IN THE BACK IN AN EVEN WORSE POSE AS BEFORE. I REALLY LOVED THE LITTLE SWAMP CRITTER THAT MENACED LUKE IN THIS SCENE. EQUAL PARTS HORRIFYING MAN-EATING SEA MONSTER AND GOOFY LIL BUG-EYED DUDE. I KINDA FEEL SAD HE GOT BLOWED UP

THE AFOREMENTIONED GENERAL DODONNA'S CARD. HE SHARES IT WITH PRINCESS LEIA SO IT'S NOT IN THE DIME BOX. THAT REBEL WAR ROOM WITH THE CLEAR WALLS AND LINES GOING EVERYWHERE WAS SUPER COOL AND FUTURISTIC WHEN I WAS EIGHT

HAN SOLO WAVING HIS GUN AROUND AGAIN. AT LEAST THIS ONE'S ON TATTOOINE INSTEAD OF THE DEATH STAR

LUKE AND BEN AT THE SANDCRAWLER. GREAT COMBO CARD

SOLO LUKE CARD FOR FIFTY CENTS!!! HELL YEAH. HE'S NOT LOOKING PARTICULARLY HEROIC AND THE CORNERS ARE COMPLETELY ROUND BUT IT'S STILL A LUKE CARD FOR CHEAP, TALK ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE ODDS

FINISHING UP WITH THE ORANGE FIFTH SERIES. I HAD TO CHOOSE MY FAVORITE FIVE FOR THE REST OF THE SERIES BUT THESE WERE THE ONLY ONES I NEEDED FOR THE ORANGES. STARTING OFF GOOD WITH YET ANOTHER SLIGHT VARIATION ON HAN POINTING A GUN IN FRONT OF THE FALCON

BACK TO THE DROIDS. THIS WAS PROBABLY FIFTY CENTS INSTEAD OF A BUCK BECAUSE IT IS TWO-THIRDS THREEPIO AND ONLY ONE-THIRD ARTOO. STILL A PRETTY GOOD LOOKING CARD

HERE'S A SADLY BONERLESS THREEPIO CARD. STILL PRETTY FUNNY THOUGH

MORE FRIGGIN DROIDS. YOU DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE ARTOO FROM THE FRONT. NO DECENT CHEWY CARDS BUT DROIDS OUT THE GAZOO. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ENOUGH CHEWY CARDS OR IF I ALREADY BOUGHT THE CHEWY CARDS

GOOD GRAVY THIS REALLY IS THE ORANGE SET. SO MANY THREEPIO CARDS AND NOT ONE WITH A BIG HONKIN ROBOBONER. TWO NOTABLE THINGS ABOUT THIS CARD: IT IS THE LAST CARD IN THE ORIGINAL SET, AND IT WAS MAYBE THE ONLY BEHIND THE SCENES CARD THAT WAS NOT IN THE TEN CENT BOX OTHER THAN THE ONE WITH GEORGE LUCAS. IT'S A NEAT LOOKING CARD BUT A BIT OF AN INDICATION OF HOW MUCH TOPPS WAS SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AFTER FIVE SERIES

THIS BINGE TOOK A NICE CHUNK OFF MY STAR WARS WANTLISTS AND THERE'S STILL A FEW CARDS I NEED IN THE BOX FOR MY NEXT TRIP TO THE LCS. I WISH I COULD FIND SOME DANG BLUE SERIES CARDS FOR CHEAP THOUGH! I MIGHT BE TEN YEARS TOO LATE FOR THAT NOW

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 33: ANOTHER OLD GUNNER

COMC IS LITERALLY THE ONLY PLACE I CAN FIND ANCIENT ARSENAL FOOTBALL CARDS SO IT'S A GIVEN I'M GOING TO ADD ONE TO THE COLLECTION EACH BINGE FROM HERE ON OUT

1974-75 A&BC FOOTBALLERS JOHN RADFORD

IF YOU'RE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE A&BC COMPANY, CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS POST FOR SOME INFO. TL;DC: ENGLISH BUBBLE GUM COMPANY WHO LICENSED SOME SETS FROM TOPPS AND RELEASED SETS OF FOOTBALLERS UNTIL 1975. THIS IS THEIR FINAL SET BEFORE TOPPS YANKED THE LICENSE AND TOOK OVER. IT'S A COOL LOOKING ONE TO GO OUT ON WITH A DESIGN THAT BORROWS A LITTLE FROM THE 1972 TOPPS SET. THE CARD IS NOT THE STANDARD 2 1/2 BY 3 1/2 INCHES AND IS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS THE 1975 MINI SET. THIS CARD IS BEAT ALL TO CRAP WITH SCUFFS AND STAINS AND CREASES AND DOG EARED CORNERS BUT I DON'T GIVE A CRAP, I JUST WANTED A CARD OF AN ARSENAL PLAYER

I HAVE NO IDEA WHO ANY ARSENAL PLAYER WHO PLAYED BEFORE WENGER IS. I AM AN EXTREMELY CASUAL SOCCER FAN AND HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO DIG INTO THE 136 YEAR HISTORY OF THE CLUB. IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT JOHN IS THE FOURTH HIGHEST GOAL SCORER IN ARSENAL'S HISTORY WITH 149. HELL YEAH! WON THE FA CUP AND THE LEAGUE IN 1970-71 AS WELL. I ALREADY LIKES THE CARD ENOUGH, THE FACT IT'S OF A TEAM LEGEND IS A BONUS. THIS IS A REALLY SWEET LOOKING SET, I WISH THEY WERE AS EASY TO FIND AS '75 BASEBALL CARDS. OR EVEN HOCKEY CARDS. I WAS TOO CHICKEN TO SCRATCH THE BACK FOR THE TRIVIA ANSWER BUT IF YOU LOOK AT IT CAREFULLY IN THE LIGHT YOU CAN SEE THE ANSWER IS BRADFORD CITY. MAYBE I SHOULD DO A LITTLE RESEARCH BEFORE MY NEXT VINTAGE ARSENAL PURCHASE?

BLACK FRIDAY COMC PICKUPS - PART 32: KITTY!!! PART 1

 HAD TO MAKE A TOUGH CHOICE WITH TODAY'S CARD. NO REGRETS

1979 TOPPS ALIEN - INTRODUCING 'JONES'

KITTY! THIS CARD FALLS UNDER THE 'SNAG SOME COOL THINGS I HAD TO PASS UP THE YEAR BEFORE' CATEGORY. I HAD A COUPLE ALIENS CARDS BOOKMARKED TO ADD TO MY HORROR COLLECTION. THE PLAN WAS TO BUY WHICHEVER ONE WAS CHEAPEST BUT WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO IT I COULDN'T PASS UP THE KITTY CAT. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY FOUR CARDS I BOUGHT THAT COST MORE THAN A BUCK, COMING IN AT $1.05. CAT ASIDE, THIS CARD LOOKS GREAT, I LOVE THE DESIGN AND COLOR SCHEME. IT'S REALLY AMAZING SOME OF THE TRADING CARD SETS TOPPS RELEASED AFTER STAR WARS BLOWED THE FUCK UP

THIS SET IS QUITE FRANKLY LOADED WITH ASS KICKING CHARACTER ACTORS AND HONESTLY THERE ARE A HALF DOZEN OTHER CARDS I'D LIKE TO PICK UP AT SOME POINT. THE ENTIRE CAST IS MADE UP OF LEGENDS, BUT THE OTHER CARD I PASSED UP WAS HARRY DEAN STANTON. HE'S ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES JUST FOR REPO MAN AND TWIN PEAKS BUT HIS ENTIRE CAREER IS AMAZING. HE DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF CARDS UNLESS THERE'S A NEW TWIN PEAKS CARD OUT THERE I HAVEN'T SEEN YET, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL IN THIS SET. HE'S STILL BOOKMARKED FOR MY NEXT BINGE AND HARRY HAS SOMETHING THAT JONESY DOES NOT: A STICKER