I don't write success as well as I do failure.
Failure has a back story. Failure is epic. Failure is comedy and shared human experience.
Success is ... well ... every other blog post out there.
Look around the card blogs. It's one success after another. "I added this card. I added these cards. Look, it's shiny! Look, it's vintagey!"
It's nice. But with everyone doing it, how do I make my success stand out? It's tricky.
Making failure stand out is easy. A lot of people are uncomfortable addressing their failures, but I'm not. So by simply writing about it, it stands out. But success? I have to jump through a lot of hoops for success. And I just don't have time most days to jump through hoops.
Plus, by virtue of having a card blog and being part of such a generous community like card collectors where crazy good deeds happen daily, success is ... um ... kind of boring.
A lot of times there's no story to success. "I emailed this guy. He emailed me back. Cards arrived in my mailbox. Yay."
There's no back story. There's no epic. Just someone droning on about email and cards. Unless there's some sort of twist, not a lot of people are interested.
It's kind of a shame. We need a story with dinosaurs and spaceships to get us excited about acquiring cards.
For instance, yesterday. I wrote about my abysmal attempt to acquire a discounted Allen & Ginter blaster to add to my A&G minis frankenset binder. It was a tale about shopping at Walmart and dumb decisions and, yes, that's redundant. But people can relate and it got reaction.
Today, though, I have some Allen & Ginter minis again. But it's nothing but success this time. And there's no twist. Nothing lost in the mail. No half ripped envelope. No pterodactyl swooping in to deliver my cards.
They arrived simply in a PWE from Duane at Democratic Roadkill. He is the source for Allen & Ginter minis. And these minis get me within an Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett card of having all the Dodger minis from 2013 A&G.
This also arrived from Duane. It is a former Nebulous 9 need and the last 2012 A&G mini I needed to complete the Dodgers in that set.
It's a notable moment because I completed 2008 and 2009 A&G Dodger mini sets fairly easily ... and haven't completed another one until 2012.
But that's not interesting to you. Because it's crisp and clean success. Nothing messy. No complaints. Just cards received effortlessly (well, I still do have to figure out something to send back to Duane).
I also received the last two 2013 A&G base Dodgers that I needed.
And Duane sent some other base cards that were off my want list.
But are you even reading this far?
Have you zoned out yet?
All this success, it puts people to sleep.
Sorry, folks, that's all I've got for you today.
No failure.
Just boring old success.
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