The element of expectation

Here's a question for you.

Would you rather receive cards in the mail that are a surprise or directly off your want list?

As usual, I like both ways. It's the reason I continue to buy packs and also post a detailed want list. I want what I want but surprise me.

You'll see a semi-surprise package soon, but right now I want to praise some cards that I received that were expected -- because they are on my want list.

I received a couple of PWE's recently from two different collectors. One is Chris from Twitter. This has to be the 4th or 5 envelope he's sent. The other is Mark from My Best Friend Collects Chipper Jones. I could tell as soon as I pulled the cards from the envelopes that people have been checking my want list.

Some cards from Mark first:

These are needs from the 1995 Topps Archives set. I've mentioned many times that my want list for this set is not correct, but these three were definite wants. One day -- probably when I think I have completed this set -- I will research it and discover I still need 12 more cards.

Here are three needs from the 1979 portion of last year's Archives set. (Frank Thomas' photo appears to be from an interleague game, since he's batting in Wrigley, with some Cubs bro-dude in the front row wearing his cap backward).

I was very happy to receive these. They mean I need only Ozzie Smith and Lou Gehrig to fill the non-stinkinsupershortprint portion of the '79 portion of the Archives set (yup, collecting in portions now).

Both cards, by the way, are on my want list!

Moving on now to the cards that Chris sent me. This Donruss Preferred card of Eric Young means I have shown a card of the member of the Eric Young family on back-to-back posts. Is that a personal Night Owl Cards blog record? I'm saying it is. I need a little excitement in my day.

Michael Watt. Who the hell is Michael Watt, you're saying? I'm right there with you. I looked him up and he was in the Padres organization by 2009, then bounced through the minors. As recently as 2015 he pitched in an independent league.

But none of that is the point. The point was this card was on my want list. Yes, believe it or not, a Tri-Star set is on my want list.

This sleek Topps Gallery card of Mike Piazza was on the big want list, my Nebulous 9 list. That's pretty funny because ..... shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I had this card already.

Yeah, I had no idea, but there it was as I was paging through cards recently. I fully expected to get this card, but I was completely surprised that I owned it already.

Final card is a card that wasn't on my want list. But Chris knows I love 1977 Topps football cards, particularly the Bills.

The photos in this set are wonderfully awful but I enjoy the old-school water bottle too much. Just don't put it up your nose, John.

I really should get a want list up for '77 Topps football, though I would rather be surprised by those cards, since baseball is my main focus. But, here, I'll compromise. I came up with a want list for the '77 Bills portion of the set:

#3, #17, #48, #100, #174, #203, #330, #416, #446, #453, #489

It is also now on the want list. It is with a tinge of regret that I type those numbers because I owned the O.J. Simpson card when I was a kid. Now it just feels weird to announce that I want O.J. Simpson cards.

So, never mind I said that. Someone just surprise me with it. And I'll act all surprised, too. "I never expected this card in a million years!"

Getting cards you didn't expect is fun. Getting cards you did expect is fun. Hell, it's all fun.