An often repeated conversation. Only the name of the set changes:
Night owl: Look at that card. 1995 Topps is a great-looking set, don't you think?
Little voice inside Night owl's head: Here we go.
Night owl: What? You don't think it's a great set?
LVINOH: Sure, it's a great set. You just think every set is a great set.
Night owl: No, I don't. Besides, what if I did? What's wrong with that?
LVINOH: You can't collect every set.
Night owl: I know. I don't try to.
LVINOH: Yes, you do.
Night owl: No, I don't
LVINOH: Yes, you do. Tell me, have you finished off that 1993 Upper Deck set yet?
Night owl: No, but I'm super close. Less than 10 cards.
LVINOH: Uh-huh. And what about '88 Score? Finished with that?
Night owl: No, I kind of got distracted. But I'm close on that, too.
LVINOH: And what about 2006 Allen & Ginter, why'd you start onto that?
Night owl: A nice collector sent me some cards. Besides, it's a cool set. One of the best retro sets ever.
LVINOH: Yeah, yeah. Your collector friends are always nice. Finished with it?
Night owl: No, there's a bunch of short-prints in that one.
LVINOH: Ah, short-prints. Speaking of which, done with that 2008 Heritage set?
Night owl: No. But someone is sending me some cards for that. I just talked to him yesterday.
LVINOH: Right. And then how close will you be?
Night owl (muttering): About 40 cards, most of them short-prints.
LVINOH: Exactly. And where are all these sets going to go? If you ever complete them.
Night owl: What do you mean? They go in binders, idiot.
LVINOH: Uh-huh. Where are the binders?
Night owl: Well, I need to buy some.
LVINOH: I know. You always need to buy some binders. You always need to buy some pages, too. Do you ever buy them?
Night owl: No.
LVINOH: Right. What do you buy instead?
Night owl: Cards.
LVINOH: Exactly. Cards. And where do those cards go?
Night owl: On my desk. Or downstairs on another desk.
LVINOH: Umm, hmm, have you seen those desks lately?
Night owl: Yeah.
LVINOH: Running out of room aren't you?
Night owl: Yeah.
LVINOH: So buy a frickin' binder already.
Night owl: I can't! It's so boring. I feel like I'm shopping for socks.
LVINOH: Stop it. That's childish.
Night owl: But look at how awesome the '95 cards are. Isn't this a great card?
LVINOH: I see a giant elbow.Night owl: I'm not talking about that. I mean the design. The border looks like the edge of a painting. It's a classic design. The best Topps design of the 1990s.
LVINOH: I don't care. You're collecting too many sets. I haven't even mentioned Timeline, or 1972 Topps, or finishing off the '76 Topps set already. Don't forget, you're going to have to save up money to complete that 1971 set someday.
Night owl: Damn, you're no fun.
LVINOH: I'm only looking out for your own good.
Night owl: So, you don't think I should collect the '95 set?
LVINOH: Not right now.
Night owl: Not even after looking at this card? It's awesome:
LVINOH: Sorry. You have plenty of awesome cards to look at already. You could look at a different awesome card each day until you walked into the retirement home.Night owl: Well, gcrl thinks I should collect the set. He wants me to start a want list.
LVINOH: He's an enabler.
Night owl: Hey! You don't talk about a fellow Dodger fan like that!
LVINOH: Fine. Sorry. I take it back. I still don't think you should collect it.
Night owl: But he sent me these cool '95 cards, along with a bunch of other great stuff.
LVINOH: I don't care.
Night owl: OK, what about this card:
LVINOH: What about it? It's a bunch of mug shots.Night owl: Look at the guy on the bottom right! His name is Bucky Buckles! BUCKY BUCKLES! Isn't that a fantastic name? I've GOT to collect a set with someone named Bucky Buckles in it!
LVINOH: That's not his real name.
Night owl: What do you mean?
LVINOH: His real first name is Brandall. And he never made the majors.
Night owl: So?
LVINOH: You're just grasping at straws here to get me to sign off on you collecting this set. I'm not going to do it. Every time you walk past that desk of yours, the card stacks sway. You have boxes and boxes of incomplete sets stacked on top of each other. You have to close the door behind you so no one notices the disarray. Sorry, you're not going to do it. Focus on a task and complete it.
Night owl: I just completed the 2009 A&G set.
LVINOH: You have a binder for that already. Buy a binder and then complete another set.
Night owl: So, can I still post a want list?
LVINOH: No!
Night owl: (*sigh*) OK. No want list for now.
Night owl: It's still a great set.
Comments
I was about 30 cards from finishing this set in my initial run at card collecting (this, 89 topps, and 92 topps were my collections of choice).
Sadly, I am pretttty sure that I sold my blue binder of 95 Topps cards at a yard sale for like $4. The boxes of 89 Topps and 92 Topps? Still sitting pretty in my closet.
Moral(s) of the story: People buy binders over boxes at yard sales when they don't know much about the cards themselves. Also, never sell your cards!
Needless to say, after I go home and dig through my doubles, I will be putting a 95 topps want list up. Someone's got to collect it..right?
Medication can shush that little voice. Then you'd be free!
My verification word is mathsac. That's what someone who is good at math carries around when they're walking in dark alleys.
What's not to like?