Plans for expansion. But that's all they are, just plans

The only time I worry about whether I am running out of room for all my cards is when I turn my focus toward set-collecting. There is something about concentrating on a particular set that sets off alarms and makes me think, "Man, where am I going to put this?"

I think it's because unlike collecting cards of players, or even a team, it is readily apparent that you are going to need a binder to display your set. I know team collectors use plenty of binders, too -- I have enough of them for my Dodgers -- but it just seems more obvious with a set.

And then the thought process turns to -- I'm running out of room! There's no more room for another binder! We're going to have to move! My wife is going to laugh when she hears why we have to move! But this is serious business!

Most of my cards are in a single room. It's not even really a room; it's more of a side room. There's not a lot of space for my growing stable of binders. As it is, I have to store some of the binders with my less-desirable cards (1989 Fleer I'm looking at you) in the basement. And basements and cards do not get along. I would love to expand and take over a spare room that we have upstairs, but that's never going to fly. First, there aren't many rooms in the house as it is. Secondly, "card rooms" don't fit in with the decor, if you know what I mean.

So that means I have to somehow squeeze my newly acquired 1988 Score and 1993 Upper Deck into that sideroom. Right now they are in boxes or stacked on a desk. But one day they will be in binders, with the rest of my sets, and I'm going to have to suspend them from the ceiling with string or something. Won't that be lovely.

I have The Average Joe to blame for my quandary. He sent a bunch of both '88 Score and '93 Upper Deck to help me in my set quest. I'll show just a few because these cards are very familiar to a lot of you. But 1993 Upper Deck, especially, is just so cool that it'd be a crime to ignore them all.

Like, how are we going to show our grandchildren that once all the world was carpeted in teal? 1993 was the year of teal and Chuck Carr wasn't it?

I remember watching everyone buy clothing with teal in it. Marlins caps were everywhere. And I thought, "Man, I hate this color. I can't wait until it disappears." For awhile, it didn't. And eventually I came over to the dark side and bought my own Marlins cap. There are incriminating photos of me wearing it. If you look closely, you can see people in the background shielding their eyes from the radioactive rays emanating from the hat.

I do not remember Frank Tanana pitching for the Mets at all. Probably because he had one forgettable 1993 for them.

These two cards are here to demonstrate exactly how inept I was at fantasy baseball. I played it for about 4 or 5 years in the 1990s. I did nothing during that entire time. My best finish was fourth in an eight-team league. Believe me, I was ecstatic that year. I was like a Detroit Lion celebrating a sack -- it's not going to get any better than that, so you might as well make it your Super Bowl.

These two players -- Rene Arocha and Rey Sanchez -- were on my fantasy teams. And they weren't bit players. They were KEY players, probably for more than one year. And I would desperately try to keep up with my more astute fantasy leaguers by drafting up-and-coming players (because you'd keep select players for the following year), and I'd end up with people like Midre Cummings. 1993 Upper Deck is an 800-plus card reminder of my fantasy ineptness.

Just another little demonstration of the fineness of '93 Upper Deck. The Smoltz card actually isn't from Joe. It's from Tim of the Great Sports Name Hall of Fame. Thanks Tim!

Just a brief tour through 1988 Score here. Seeing photos of Francona without the chaw is odd.

Is Greenwell still campaigning for the 1988 AL MVP award, saying Jose Canseco should give it up since he admitted to steroid use? In a perfect world, Mike. Otherwise, let it go.

One of Mike Schmidt's final cards during his playing days. Nothing else to say. Just have to show a card of Schmidt.

Joe also sent some other cards, too. I'll show the best of the lot first.

It's an autographed card by a reliever from the 1988 World Champions, Alejandro Pena. Awesome. I'm guessing this is a TTMer, since I know Joe does that. The Dodgers could use Pena in the pen right now.

I have an issue with this card. It's a 1992 Triple Play card of Brett Butler in his Little League uniform. Butler played for the Dodgers in 1992 and it mentions that in the write-up on the back. But he's wearing a jersey that says "Braves," and I have no desire to see the word "Braves" in my Dodger binders. So I don't know where this card is going at the moment.

Back to the set needs. One of the few non-short prints I had left on my want list for 2008 Heritage. This is especially appreciated because I already have a binder for this set AND a spot in the side room for it.

The other cards will just have to wait until we build an extension onto the house.