FIRST TRIP TO THE CARD SHOP IN LIKE TWO YEARS

IN THE SUMMER OF 2020 WHEN WE ALL THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA DROP DEAD ANY MOMENT I DREAMED ABOUT DOING A HANDFUL OF FUN THINGS THAT I TOOK FOR GRANTED A FEW MONTHS EARLIER. GO TO THE FLEA MARKET. GO TO THE BOOK STORE. GO TO THE OTHER BOOK STORE. GO TO THE OTHER OTHER BOOK STORE. GET TO A CARD SHOW. GO TO THE LOCAL CARD SHOP. SEE THE NEW JAMES BOND IN AN ACTUAL GODDAMN THEATER. HOPE ALL THESE THINGS EVEN SURVIVE THE APOCALYPSE 

BY THE END OF LAST YEAR I HAD ACHIEVED ALL THOSE GOALS SAVE THE LCS. I WOULD HAVE GONE MONTHS EARLIER BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEIR OFF DAYS ARE MY OFF DAYS AND THE FEW TIMES I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE SHOP I HAD LITTLE OR NO FUNDS TO BUY ANYTHING. IT'S NOT WORTH GOING TO YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT JUST TO GET A SIDE SALAD AND A GLASS OF WATER SO I HELD OFF WAITING FOR THAT FAR-OFF DAY IN THE FUTURE I HAD SOME CASH IN MY POCKET

 THEN CHRISTMAS HAPPENED. I GOT ONE OF THOSE VISA PRE-PAID GIFT CARDS THAT YOU CAN'T USE ONLINE ANYMORE BECAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE USED THEM FOR SCAMS SO I TURNED IT INTO A DEFACTO GIFT CERTIFICATE FROM MY LOCAL CARD SHOP. USED EVERY CENT ON THAT CARD AND PAID THE TAX WITH POCKET CHANGE. HERE'S A SAMPLE OF MY LONG OVERDUE CARD BINGE

 

I NEEDN'T HAVE WORRIED ABOUT THE SHOP'S FINANCIAL HEALTH, THEY APPARENTLY THRIVED SINCE I WAS LAST THERE IN 2020. THERE WERE FIVE TIMES AS MANY CARDS IN THE DIME/50 CENT/DOLLAR/UNDER TEN BUCKS BOXES AS THERE WERE BEFORE. THE NUMBER OF SHELVES HOLDING THEM DOUBLED, ADDED A LEVEL ON TOP AND WERE ALMOST COMPLETELY FILLED. AN ABSOLUTE HEAVEN FOR A CHEAPSKATE COLLECTOR LIKE ME. THEY ALSO STILL HAD THE SHELF FULL OF BINDERS OF RANDOM STUFF THEY GOT IN COLLECTIONS FOR SALE. I GOT THE CHEAP ONE WITH THE HAWKS LOGO CARD IN THE POCKET

 

THINGS WEREN'T *EXACTLY* THE SAME AS BEFORE, THE NEW JUNK BINDERS THEY GOT IN NOW COST LIKE 40-50 BUCKS BUT THEY STILL HAD A FEW OF THE JUNKY ONES IN STOCK. THIS ONE HAD A FEW PAGES OF TRASHED JUNK WAX STUFF IN THE FRONT AND THE LAST 2/3RDS OF THE BINDER WAS JUNK WAX BASKETBALL CARDS IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE. NOT MUCH  OF VALUE WAS FOUND IN THE BASEBALL SECTION BUT I GOT 25 CARDS OFF MY FLEER AND TOPPS BASKETBALL WANTLIST, ANOTHER 45 CARDS OF ULTRA, STADIUM CLUB AND COLLECTOR'S CHOICE I DON'T HAVE WANTLISTED AND A HANDFUL OF HAWKS. SINCE I MAINLY BOUGHT THE THING FOR THE PLASTIC SHEETS TO PUT SOME MADDUX CARDS IN I CONSIDER ANY DECENT CARDS I NEEDED IN THERE TO BE A BONUS

ANOTHER CHANGE IS THE FIVE DOLLAR BOXES OF CRAP ARE NOW TEN DOLLAR BOXES OF CRAP. YOU STILL GET THE SAME NUMBER AMOUNT OF 400-500 COMMONS WITH A FEW STARS AND INSERTS PURGED FROM THE 50 CENT BOX MIXED IN, BUT NOW YOU ALSO GET AN AUTOGRAPH AND RELIC CARD FOR THAT EXTRA FIVE BUCKS. I AM PLEASED WITH THIS ARRANGEMENT AS I ENJOY GETTING SURPRISE RANDOM BEEG MOJO HITTZZZ AS MUCH AS ANY FOOL. I PICKED UP A BASKETBALL BOX AND GOT A NICE MIX OF RECENT HOOPS AND PRIZM STUFF THAT CAME OUT DURING LOCKDOWN AND GOT A NUMBERED SHELDEN WILLIAMS, FRANCISCO GARCIA JERSEY AND TJ FORD AUTORELIC IN A FANCY SEALED CASE

 99% OF THE STORE IS THE BIG SPORTS - BASEBALL, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF HOCKEY AND SOCCER. BUT THERE IS ONE BOX OF 10-50 CENT NON SPORTS CARDS AND I ALWAYS CHECK FOR GOODIES. THERE WAS A LOT OF NEW STUFF IN THERE INCLUDING SEVERAL PROMO CARDS. I ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT PASS UP ON THIS PROMO FOR THE SKYBOX SUPER MARIO BROS SET. I HAVE NEVER EVER SEEN ONE OF THE ACTUAL CARDS FROM THE SET ANYWHERE AND IT INCLUDES WHAT I ASSUME IS MOJO NIXON'S ROOKIE CARD. SADLY THERE IS A CARD OF THE MONKEY BUT NOT A CARD OF DENNIS HOPPER SAYING MONKEY. MAYBE THAT ONE'S AN INSERT. YEAH, I KNOW THE MOVIE SUCKS BUT IT IS FUN WHICH IS BETTER THAN BEING GOOD 

 I ALSO FOUND A PROMO FOR COMIC IMAGES' CONAN CHROMIUM SET. CONAN IS FIGHTING OFF HARPY BIRDMAN HERE AND IT LOOKS NICE WITH ALL THE ETCHING. THE COPYRIGHT ON THE BACK IS CREDITED TO HASBRO WHICH CONFUSED ME. I KNOW CONAN FROM PULP NOVELS AND THE MARVEL COMIC MAGAZINES. IT APPEARS HASBRO PUT OUT A CONAN TOY LINE IN THE EARLY 90S THAT I'D NEVER HEARD OF TIL NOW. NOT A HUGE FAN OF BARBARIAN STUFF* BUT THOSE OLD MARVEL MAGS WERE WHERE I DISCOVERED THAT MARVEL WAS SNEAKY AND PUT ALL THE SEX AND VIOLENCE THEY COULDN'T GET AWAY WITH IN SPIDER-MAN INTO THEIR ODDBALL MAGAZINE TITLES LIKE CONAN AND EPIC AND MARVEL PREVIEW. IF YOU EVER STUMBLE ACROSS AN EPIC ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE I RECOMMEND PICKING IT UP. IT WAS A RIP-OFF OF HEAVY METAL AND HAD SOME INTERESTING SHIT IN THERE 

 I'M ALWAYS HUNTING FOR CHEAP BASKETBALL CARDS AND HIT THE DIME BOX REALLY HARD. I STILL LOVE AL HORFORD AND THANKS TO HIM BOPPING OUT TO THE CELTICS A FEW YEARS AGO HIS CARDS ARE DIIIIRRRRT CHEAP IN THE ATL NOW. FOUND WHAT I THINK IS MY FIRST CARD OF HIM IN A SIXERS UNI ON THIS MOSAIC CARD 

 ALSO FOUND A TON OF HORFORDS IN A HOX UNI. I ALREADY HAD A FEW OF THESE BUT I BOUGHT 'EM ALL ANYWAY. CAN'T HAVE TOO MANY HORFORDS. AND I KNOW HE'S HATED IN ATLANTA NOW BUT AN AL HORFORD ROOKIE CARD IN A DIME BOX IS AN INSULT. HE'S ONE OF THOSE GUYS WHO GETS ELECTED TO THE HALL OF FAME LIKE 15 YEARS AFTER HE RETIRES AND EVERYONE IS LIKE WAIT, WHAT? BUT THEN THEY THINK ABOUT AND IT AND ARE LIKE YEAH I GET IT. I REALLY REALLY REALLY NEED TO FIND ONE OF HIS CARDS IN AN OKC UNI, I HOPE THEY EXIST 

 ALL TRASH AND DIME BOX CARDS SO FAR BUT I WAS A BIG SPENDER AND HIT THE 50 CENT BOXES PRETTY HARD AS WELL. FOUND A COUPLE ALL-TIME FAVORITES OUT OF THE 2011 TOPPS AMERICAN PIE WALK OF FAME INSERT SET. CARY GRANT IS IN A WHOLE BUNCH OF MOVIES I LOVE, BUT ESPECIALLY BRINGING UP BABY, ARSENIC & OLD LACE AND NORTH BY NORTHWEST. I'M ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF A MARX BROTHERS OBSESSION AT THE MOMENT AND AM RE-WATCHING ALL THEIR PICTURES. IF I'M BEING HONEST, CHICO IS ACTUALLY MY FAVORITE BUT IT'S WAY HARDER TO FIND TRADING CARDS OF HIM 

 PICKED UP A FEW CARDS OF NON-ATLANTA PLAYERS I COLLECT WHILE SCROUNGING THE 50 CENT BOXES. JULIUS AND REGGIE HAVE BEEN FAVORITES SINCE I WAS A TINY LITTLE KID, ARTIS I BECAME A FAN OF IN HIGH SCHOOL. THE DR. J CARD IS AN INSERT FROM 1999-00 TOPPS. 90S BASKETBALL INSERTS ARE UNDERRATED. I DON'T KNOW IF THE GILMORE CARD IS AN INSERT OR BASE CARD AS I DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO OPTIC ALL THAT MUCH. IT'S SHINY, THAT'S ALL I CARE ABOUT. SAME FOR THE REGGIE ELITE CARD, NO IDEA IF IT'S AN INSERT. I THINK IT IS MY FIRST ARIZONA STATE JACKSON CARD THOUGH. 

 MOARER 90S BASKETBALL INSERTS! SO GLAD THE UNHEALTHY JORDAN OBSESSION THIS HOBBY HAS DEVALUES EVERYONE ELSE'S CARDS. THAT SCORING KING INSERT IS A TOUGH 94-95 FLEER ULTRA INSERT. CRAZY-ASS ETCHED FOIL AND I'M PRETTY SURE ODDS WERE LESS THAN 1 PER BOX. JUST A SHAME NIQUE IS IN A CLIPPERS UNI. THE 93-94 FLEER TOWER OF POWER INSERT WASN'T EASY TO FIND EITHER. PLUS A NEW BASE CARD FROM MOSAIC. THAT IS A NICE LITTLE SET, I WOULDN'T MIND COLLECTING IT IF I WASN'T BROKE-ASS-BROKE

 HERE'S SOME CARDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY PLAYING. I TRIED TO FIND THE CARD WITH THE MOST EYE-BLEEDING DESIGN FOR HUERTER AND COLLINS AND I THINK I DID WELL. THE TRAE WAS NOT IN THE 50 CENT BOX AND I WAS FRANKLY LUCKY TO FIND A PLAIN OL' HOOPS CARD FOR A BUCK AND A HALF. THIS HAWKS TEAM HAS A GREAT YOUNG CORE AND I REALLY HOPE I'M ABLE TO FIND SOME DE'ANDRE HUNTER AND ONYEKA OKONGWU CARDS SOON 

 GOT SOME GUYS ON THE BENCH TOO. LEMON PEPPER LOU HAS TAKEN OVER THE VETERAN PRESENTS ROLE LEFT BY VINCE CARTER WELL. DANILO IS ALSO KICKING ASS AS THE GIGANTIC THREE POINT CHUCKING CENTER TYPE. IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARD THE DALINO GALINARI SONG YET YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF TO DO SO BUT BE WARNED IT IS A WEAPONS-GRADE EARWORM AND OUT OF NOWHERE YOU WILL BE HUMMING IT TO YOURSELF THREE WEEKS FROM NOW WHEN HE'S PLAYING FOR THE RAPTORS

 

WENT NUTSO AND DROPPED 5% OF MY TOTAL ON ONE SINGLE CARD. PRETTY SURE ACUNA CARDS ARE GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE FOREVER SO IF I CAN FIND A NICE LOOKING ONE AT A DECENT PRICE I JUST NEED TO STOP BEING CHEAP AND GO GET IT. EVERYONE DECRIES PANINI'S LACK OF TEAM LOGOS BUT LOOK AT THIS. BIG PURPLE NIGHTMARE WITH A GIGANTIC PETROGLYPH ON IT FOR SOME REASON AND MYTHICAL RIGHT ON TOP LIKE RONALD IS THE GREAT GREAT GRANDSON OF ZEUS. WHICH HE MIGHT BE, YOU DON'T KNOW. YOU CAN SNEAK THIS CARD INTO A PILE OF INSANE 90S INSERTS AND NOT EVEN NOTICE AND I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC

 HAD TO PICK UP SOME BRAVES OUT OF THE 50 CENT BOX AS WELL. MAINLY BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE ANY 10 CENT BRAVES HARDLY EVER AROUND HERE AND YOU HAVE TO DIG THROUGH TWO BOXES FULL OF COMMONS TO FIND THEM. I MEAN, THEY JUST WON THE GODDAMN WORLD SERIES, I NEED SOME NEW BRAVES CARDS. I CHOSE THE QYPSY GUEEN CHARLIE MORTON CARD BECAUSE OF IT'S INTERESTINGLY UGLY DESIGN. THE ALLEN & GINTER FRIED LOOKS WONDERFUL, IT SUCKS I DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO THROW AWAY TO COLLECT THE SET ANYMORE. COULDN'T RESIST THE 72 DESIGN LITTLE LEAGUE CARD OF AUSTIN RILEY. I GOT A HORRIBLE LOOKING CONTENDERS CARD FOR OZZIE BECAUSE I STILL FLINCH AT BUYING TOPPS BASE CARDS AT A MARKUP WHEN I KNOW FOR A FACT I'LL FIND IT IN A DIME BOX ONE OF THESE DAYS. THE OTHER TWO ARE A TOPPS VARIATION OF EDDIE MATHEWS AND A TOUGH CARD FROM 2005 UPPER DECK MINI JERSEY COLLECTION OF ANDRUW JONES IN A THROWBACK UNI 

 HERE'S THE BIG BIG BIG FIND OF THE DAY. THE SHOP HAS A SMALL PILE OF VINTAGE 70S STAR WARS CARDS IN THE 10-50 CENT BOX NOW. ALL IN CRUMMY CONDITION, JUST HOW I LIKE IT. I SNAGGED EVERY PETER CUSHING CARD OUT OF THE 50 CENT BOX EVEN THOUGH I KNEW I HAD 2 OR 3 OF THEM ALREADY. PETER CUSHING IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE OF THE HAMMER-ERA MONSTER MOVIE ACTORS AND I AM WELL ON MY WAY TO COLLECTING ALL HIS VINTAGE STAR WARS CARDS 

I ALSO SNAGGED ABOUT 80 VINTAGE CARDS FROM STAR WARS AND A FEW EMPIRE STRIKES BACK CARDS OUT OF THE DIME BOX. THIS ABOUT QUINTUPLED THE NUMBER OF VINTAGE CARDS I HAVE. DESPITE HAVING NO LIST TO WORK OFF OF I ONLY ENDED UP WITH SIX DOUBLES, ALL FROM THE YELLOW SERIES. SADLY THERE WERE NO FIRST SERIES BLUE CARDS AS I ONLY HAVE TWO OF THEM TOTAL BUT I AM THANKFUL TO HAVE EVEN FOUND THESE AT ALL.I HAVE NO ILLUSIONS THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD THIS SET ANY TIME SOON BUT IF I STUMBLE UPON ANY MORE OF THEM YOU BET I'LL BE GRABBING THEM

DUE TO MY CHEAPO BOX FREAKOUT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO RAID THE VINTAGE BOXES FOR SOME SET FILLER COMMONS. GOTTA SAVE THEM FOR THE NEXT GIFT CARD. IT WAS SO NICE TO GET BACK TO DIGGING IN BOXES FOR TREASURES AGAIN. NOW IF ONLY THE FUCKING PANDEMIC WOULD COOPERATE AND END ALREADY. OH WELL, MASK UP AND GET YOUR SHOTS FOLKS. GOTTA STAY SAFE FOR MANY LCS VISITS TO COME

*GROO THE WANDERER EXCEPTED OF COURSE