Going cardboard steady

"Going steady" is a rather antiquated term. Does anyone say that anymore? Does anyone DO that anymore?

I don't know. I'm out of touch. I checked out right around the time everyone started using the phrase "knocking boots." I heard that and figured, "Oooookayyyyy, time for me to stop listening to that."

But I'm resurrecting the "steady" term to apply it to cardboard.

Yesterday, I was attempting to work out a trade that may still be happening. But I immediately got a sinking feeling when I found out the person I am attempting to trade with is a Cardinals fan. "Crap," I thought. "I don't have any Cardinals."

I don't have any because they all go to Cards On Cards. They've been flying in that direction for 4-plus years now. Out of all of the people I have traded with online, I have not traded with anyone more consistently or more often than Kerry, a.k.a., madding, from Cards On Cards. I've counted 23 separate trades. There could be more.

This works out very well because he always seems to have cards that I want. So I sacrifice trading with other Cardinals fans to keep a good thing going. Sometimes, it's painful though, because another Cardinals fan might have something that I really want and the thought pops up in my head, "maybe I could trade with that person ... just once."

If this hasn't all begun to sound like when you're regularly dating someone and then someone else you really like enters your field of vision, then maybe you should get out more often. Or get on one of those online dating sites. But to me, it sounds like going steady -- in cardboard form. You know you've got a good thing going, but ... damn that other cardboard looks fine.

But don't you worry. I haven't strayed yet. That doesn't mean the other trade has died. I'm just trying to find some loopholes in my Cardinals cardboard commitment.

But just to keep Cards On Cards happy, he should know I packaged up some cards for him today. And I'm featuring the cards he sent me right now!

I will start with one of those Topps Archives inserts from last year that are duplicates of the original version of the card -- printed on crap card stock, because that's what collectors have dreamed about for years.

I would like to formally request that Topps stop repeating cards that have already been produced. You're confusing the hell out of me and many other collectors with multiple versions of the '52 Robinson, the '55 Clemente, the '69 Seaver, the '70 Bench and many, many other cards. I know "overkill" is the thing you do best, Topps, but gain some expertise in something else, please.

This is the alternate photo version -- I think -- of the 2009 Topps 206 mini card. I had to go rummaging through my binders to figure out whether I had the card already. I did not, and that's why you're seeing it here. Everybody happy?

More collecting "first world" problems. And it's not that late '90s shiny scans like garbage. This '98 Bowman International card made me realize that I did not have the regular version of Piazza's '98 Bowman card. I went back to my want list, realized I thought I had finished off '98 Bowman base, added the Piazza card back to the list, and, in the process, found another '98 Bowman Dodger I needed. So discouraging. I cried in the corner for a few minutes.

Looking forward to the day when I have all the Kevin Brown Dodger cards, and I never have to show one again.

The "Z Team." That's funny. That sounds like the worst team imaginable. "You're not on the 'A Team' or the "B Team.' You're on the 'Z Team.'"

Actually, this card is phenomenal. Much better in person.

And, I'm sorry if I sounded cranky going through those cards. I actually like all of them a lot.

It's just that I've been trading with the same Cardinals fan for almost 5 years and that other Cardinals fan has something that looks really, really good ...