Can't get my mind off the card show

I have a card show in my sights at the end of what I am certain will be a very long week. Since I don't live in a place where there are "weekly" or "monthly" card shows, spotting a card show on the horizon colors everything I do for days and days beforehand.

Every activity will be the "third-last," "second-last," and then "last" until the card show. Every new day will be T minus 3, minus 2, minus 1 until the card show.

And every card package that I receive until then will be framed in terms of card show objectives. After I open each one, will I still go after this set? Will I go after it more vigorously? Will I ignore those cards now? Will I seek out some different cards? Will I go crazy and buy super-sick patch cards for my super-sick patch card-loving fellow traders? (Fortunately, I don't trade with many of those).

These are the things I thought about when I received a terrific package from David. You saw the 1948 Pete Reiser from him a couple days ago.

Here is some of the stuff that I received and how I think it'll affect my card show mission this weekend.

Nebulous 9 need, Mike Scioscia, 1990 Topps glossy send-in.

How this will affect my card show mission: It's not going to affect it at all. Most of my Nebulous 9 needs are geared toward things I think I might obtain in trades or online. Those are also items that I rarely see at card shows. Late 1980s oddball needs. Random sets from eight years ago. None of that apparently makes dealers any money.

1977 Topps set, Johnny Bench.

How this will affect my card show mission: I've completed the 1977 Topps set. A tribute post coming eventually. Except for one upgrade that I'll likely grab at the card show, I won't look twice at a 1977 card. That will be weird, but satisfying.

1972 Topps set, Thurman Munson and Johnny Bench.

How this will affect my card show mission: Well, this bad-ass pair will certainly get me to the 1972 Topps binder, which I have avoided for card show after card show after card show. My #1 set quest at card shows is officially 1972 Topps, so I can't wait to do some damage. I am very glad that these two are out of the way.

1975 Topps minis.

How this will affect my card show mission: Well, gee golly, I wish it would affect it one of these days. But outside of a stray discount-box find, '75 minis have been nonexistent at every card show I attend.

That's what makes card packages like these the best ever. And I'm still getting a kick out of showing them in my two or three '75 mini-style pages.

More minnnnnnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Somebody please bring them to the card show.

2013 Topps Hall of Fame plaque card, Sandy Koufax.

How this will affect my card show mission: Anytime I hover over a hit/mojo table for more than 60 seconds, I start shaking, but not in a good way. It's more in a "oh, god, the car salesman spotted me and he's coming THIS WAY!" way. I quickly hurry from the table before someone hands me a line.

So, it's very nice of David to send me this card so I don't have to go through that.

This card is not as thick as those retired rings cards that Topps put out last year. But it's a pretty heavy card. Sandy's plaque doesn't look as ghoulish in person, but it's still pretty weird.

Nice. But weird.

I'd like to think that this card -- if I stumbled across it at a show and recklessly purchased it -- will save me a few pennies that I can spend on for another trader. Yup, there are 3 or 4 people that I hope to find things for at this show (I usually turn up stuff for even more people).

Anyway, I hope that all of the rest of my posts this week won't be about this weekend's show.

But I assure you, it's all I'll be thinking about no matter what I write.