Night Owl Cards

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The heat is on

It hit 90 degrees today. I'm not someone who is bothered by the heat, but once it's 90 I take notice. It's not super rare around here -- I'd say we're in the 90s about 5 times a year -- but I was still tempted to stay inside. Fortunately I didn't. I was in a yank to get to the monthly card show. I've been frustrated lately by the lagging arrival of my online card purchases the last couple of weeks. I don't know if this is a traditional July thing (sellers and postal workers on vacation), but shipments are not appearing on the days I was told. Also, I have received back-to-back postage-due slips on orders, which seems a little outrageous. So it was one of those times where I thought "I can't get anyone to send me my cards, I'm going to go get them myself ." Crank the AC, I'm coming for you, show! I had no expectations for this show. With just five 1969 Topps cards needed, and none of them available the last time I visited, ...

Less than satisfactory results

I have been snapping pictures of the cards that Johnny's Trading Spot sent me a week or so ago just about all afternoon without suitable results. I'm not sure what's going on but none of the pictures look right. Some of this may be because it's summer and there is so much light streaming into the house, but also I think it's because I never want to deal with whatever I need to get "the perfect picture." I really miss my scanner during times like these. But I can't be bothered to figure out why the heck it won't work or get yet another new one. So I guess that's my problem, huh, if I don't want to do what it takes? (And yours, I guess, since I'm going to show less than satisfactory pictures right now). Johnny has been clearing house again in that alphabetical way he has. Lucky me, he's now at the K's, which means a whole bunch of Clayton Kershaw cards came my way. Sure, I have a lot of Kershaw cards already but he was ...

One-card wonders, update 17

I was surprised to discover that the last time I updated this series was more than a year ago . I like writing this series, and it's not super work-intensive. But I also try to balance it out, so I'm not running these all the time. Apparently I balanced things out a little too much. As a refresher, this is where I pick a card year or two and find players in that set who had just one card for their whole career. They didn't appear on a multi-player rookie card or in any other major set (I discount minor league issues and sets of that nature). They are true One-Card Wonders. The last time I did this I said I wanted to wrap up the 1970s, so that's what I'm doing now. The last years to finish are 1972, 1973 and 1976. The most surprising year here is 1972. There are just four One-Card Wonders in the 1972 Topps set, which is 787 cards large. Interestingly, two are bunters. #77 - Ron Theobald, Brewers #331 - Stan Swanson, Expos #366 - Jimmy Rosa...

Doing well, thank you

I crab a lot on this blog. I know that. This is how I handle stress. Writing gets it all out. I don't drink to excess. I don't speed down the street. I don't gamble or use substances. I don't talk to a therapist. This is it. Whatever is going on my life -- whether it's mentioned specifically or as vaguely as possible -- appears in some fashion on this blog. I'm getting it all out. So I'm aware I'm turning some people off. I'm "too negative" or maybe not what someone wants to read in their down time. They want to see happy, little cards. I get it. Sometimes when I'm reading blogs, I just want to get in, see the cards, and get out, too. But other times I want to see that the people who are writing about the cards are human, too. June was a difficult month and full of grousing, when I was blogging at all. So I feel like I should write about the good times, too. Like now. Now is a good time. I started a vacation. Today. It's...