Since I've become one of those people who never has any cash on them because actual money is -- ewwwww, dirty, get it away from me, ewwwwwww -- I had to perform one of those epic transactions that only makes sense in the world of debit cards.
I needed a couple of dollars for a bake sale going on at work. So I drove to the ATM, snagged a 20 because the ATM laughs at you if you ask for anything less than that, then went to the drug store to whittle that 20 down to bake-sale size numbers.
I picked up a couple necessities and then looked at the very modest card selection at Rite-Aid. They're hanging from a small display in front of the miles and miles of gum and candy at the checkout counter. I spied some dust-covered 2014 Topps packs and rack packs, and a couple football items. Next to those was what I needed: the always welcome repack rack pack.
I will always love these things. They never disappoint. I'll never stop buying them.
I walked out of the drug store and drove to work, leaving the cards in the car for when I got home. I was giddy the whole shift thinking about the cards in that repack.
I've shown so many of these here that everyone knows the deal with them. 100 cards for $4.99 or $5.99, depending on the store. This one promised at least 10 Hall of Famers or something or other. Whatever. Just give me cards that I need.
I scanned a few highlights, but just in case any newbies run out and buy their first repack, find nothing but junk wax and accuse me of being an accomplice for Fairfield, here is the rundown of junk wax found in this repack:
1993 Upper Deck: 3
1992 Score: 5
1992 Fleer: 1
1992 Upper Deck: 1
1992 Donruss (bleah): 1
1992 Stadium Club: 1
1991 Score: 1
1991 Fleer: 1
1990 Score: 2
1990 Fleer: 1
1990 Donruss: 1
1990 Topps: 2
1989 Upper Deck: 4
1989 Topps: 4
1988 Score: 1
1988 Topps: 5
1987 Topps: 3
Every repack is about one-third to one-half junk wax. But I'm buying this thing for what else is in there.
I enjoy little surprises like seeing 2013 Topps Update in repacks, or the random '80s Leaf card, or a run of Devil Rays (Travis Lee, Aubrey Huff). OK, I didn't enjoy that last part so much.
And there's other goodies, too:
If repacks promise to put a 1985 Donruss card in every pack, I will buy them from the grave. Even if it's a Dick Perez special.
How do people who buy factory sets and the exclusives that show up with them feel when factory set cards pop up in repacks?
If they only knew how much we valued Traded cards in the early-to-mid '80s. These would be under a glass case, not enclosed in a dusty repack.
I lived through this decade! I watched games where players wore these caps! I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS!
I was ecstatic when three 1993 Select cards came out of the repack. I love this set. I established that a long time ago.
These three cards came out of the pack consecutively, so I take back that thing I said about not caring about Hall of Famers. I was having a wicked good time by the time I saw these.
The Robinson is from the 2006 Topps Rookie of the Week set, which is a sore point with me, since I'm supposed to be collecting everything 2006 Topps and this might be only the second card I have from this 25-card set. Stupid hobby shop exclusives.
I saved this card for last in the rack pack, because it was an abnormal shape and I thought it was a relic.
It turns out it wasn't. It's some super glossy Topps card from a couple years ago of Mays in a Minneapolis Millers uniform. It's the same size as an actual 1952 Topps card.
Putting something like this in with a bunch of regular size cards is risky, but it survived relatively unscathed except for a slight curl in the lower left corner.
Those cards and the rest may not seem like much. But I was totally happy after opening them. Happier than I usually am when opening whatever is currently on store shelves.
And I also got a couple of goodies at the bake sale, too.
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