Cards someone wants

There is no 2017 Stadium Club at my neighborhood big box outlets. There is no Bowman of any kind. There is no Archives, for crying out loud, which appeared and disappeared in a month (or less) without me seeing anything except rack packs.

At Target, the same stale offerings have been available for weeks -- Series 1 and 2, a smattering of Heritage and Bunt (plus all the non-baseball products you could ever hope for).

At Walmart, there is the same, plus large gaping holes where product should go.

I've stopped at the card aisle to soothe my periodic ripping fix three or four times now and left empty-handed each time. These are not cards I want.

Today, we're holding a yard sale. I quickly boxed up some sports cards that I'm sure none of you would want and added them to the sale. Usually cards vanish at yard sales instantly. But the boxes are still sitting in the yard untouched. These are not cards anybody wants.

What's going on?

Can't we find a card match? Cards I can receive that I like? Cards I can give that they like?

Well, maybe we can't in real life.

But that's why there is the internet.

For years I have been receiving cards that I like through the wonders of the webs and providing cards that others like (at least I think they do) via the same instrument. It's the perfect way to conquer the frustration of the retail stores and old grannies who don't know a good deal on cards (OK, there's some 1990 Donruss in those shoeboxes).

Recently, I received an envelope of cards from Nick of Dime Boxes and, wonder of wonders, there were cards there that I wanted!

OK, someone beat him to sending this card. And the wonderful Seager up top (where he seems to be mentally dismissing the Giants fans behind him).

But you know Nick, he's going to find something that fills the void!

Here is another Seager that I had yet to accumulate. Now, forever, I will know the very disorienting sight of a Dodger blue uniform adorned in pink.

And, yes, even though Frankie Montas is long gone from the Dodgers (and never pitched for them anyway), I still wanted this card of him.

Anybody remember Yimi Garcia? Anyone? I have like a half dozen autograph cards of him. But I didn't have this sparkly ice thing until Nick sent it. The want is gone.

One of those cards I didn't even know I wanted (there is also an Upper Deck version of this same Jeff Weaver configuration). Thank goodness Nick saved me from that distant day in the future when I'd stumble across this on some online site and start grumbling to myself.

OK, I have both of these already. But this was enough to add the '04 Timeless Teams Dodgers needs to my want list because I waaaaaaaaaaaant to complete this team set now.

Finally, this beautiful thing. Leaf decided to make an insert set in the style of the fantastic Sportscaster cards of my youth, but shrink them down to typical card size. Then it did a cruel and vicious thing by serial-numbering them to tiny numbers. I have another Gagne from this that is numbered to /20. What the heck?

This one isn't quite that bad, but still numbered to /45. My goodness, why are all the great ideas serial numbered????

But, to look at the positive, it is a card want satisfied.

I'll put out those shoeboxes of cards in the garage sale again tomorrow as hopeful as ever that someone who wants them will come along.

And next week, I'll probably check out the card aisle again, hopeful that the prospectors haven't snapped up every damn box with the potential to contain a Judge or Bellinger.

Hmmmmm ... maybe I should write "JUDGE INSIDE?" on one of the yard sale shoeboxes.

Because the only thing stronger than card want is card hope.