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The dog days of blogging


Each year I notice a malaise that settles over the blogging community during late August.

I'm not sure why that is. My guess is vacations come into play. In some areas of the country school has started up (which still strikes me as bizarre). Perhaps some folks are a little tired of baseball -- their teams are fading, the NL playoff contenders are a collection of gross -- and they can't get interested in cards.

This is usually the time of year when everyone fails to comment on one of my posts, a rarity as a post earlier this week was the first in almost two years without a comment. And yesterday I kind of opened my heart and the clicks were, well ... weak.

But I knew all this. That is why I had planned to start The Greatest 100 Cards of the '80s countdown in August, specifically the end of August. Maybe I could generate some interest among bored collectors.

However, life has conspired all summer to prevent that from happening and with everyone apparently too busy to read blogs why start it now? The countdown is now moved to September, which is when I started my Greatest 100 Cards of the '70s countdown last year. Seems like the right time for it.

Instead, today, you lucky few readers, I have a few cards from Marc at Remember the Astrodome.

Marc was able to do something that few people have the last couple of months:


FILL MY SERIES 2 DODGERS BASE CARD NEEDS, DAMMIT!!!!!!!!

Why is this so hard? When I tell you I'm done buying packs of Series 2, this means send me all the Dodgers left on my want list!!!!

I'm down to a lowly Kyle Farmer card to finish this thing off. Who's going to earn my undying gratitude by sending me that card?



Marc also contributed to my progress on the Big League Baseball Dodgers team set. Still a few guys to land from this one. Not too concerned though. It's not the travesty that is Series 2.



Marc also threw in a couple of parallels. The blue Turner is my first look at this parallel. It's very 2005 Bazooka.



Moving on to this year's Stadium Club. This Matt Kemp card was a need. The image shows signs of photoshopping. Helmet color is off. The red number is too small. Dodgers script looks ironed on. Kemp is too fat. This obviously is a Braves photo.


Marc also sent one of those First Edition parallels that '90s fans get all worked up over. It means little to me, it's just a dumb stamp, but I do admit it's the first time I've seen one of these since the Stadium Club reboot began in 2014.


Here are a few stickers. The first two are from 2016, I think I have the Jansen already. The Turner is from 2018, probably my first Dodger sticker from this year. (Can you tell I don't pay much attention to these?)



Finally, Marc added what he called a "double-bipping" into the envelope. I admit I never realized that Bip Roberts was getting retired at second base on two Dodger card in the '91 Fleer set (the Padres stink). I can't believe I've missed this completely (But I tend to squint when viewing '91 Fleer for some reason).

Well, that's about it for today (and probably tomorrow).

I have to admit, writing for no one isn't as interesting as it once was. But I know that once August is done, readership will pick up a bit again. It always does. (Then there's usually another dip in November).

Thanks to those of you who are reading. Stay tuned for the Greatest 100 Cards of the '80s.

Comments

EP said…
Can't wait for the countdown.
Shot a who with a what? I probably have that Farmer sitting in the stacks of cards to be sorted out for bloggers (apx. 2500 cards). I might sort through them this week to see. :)
Thanks for the cards you sent. I have been reading and lurking. I have some cards for you.
Billy Kingsley said…
I don't write about baseball, and I've had a lull since about mid-April, even though the sports I do write about were going strong at that point.

I thought about commenting on yesterday's post, realized that with no children of my own I really couldn't relate, and that essentially nullified anything I had to say.
Nick Vossbrink said…
I suspect that the same things that caused high number cards to not be purchased in as high numbers as the other series 45+ years ago are still at play. August has always been a grind of a baseball month. Contenders just have to make it to September when the pennant race heats up. Everyone else falls off the pace and starts looking forward to next year. It's not like I want the season to end, it's just that this is the month of truth for most of us.

Cardwise, what I *have* been thinking about (though not writing about) is who I'd like to see in Update this year for the Giants. I'm no longer going to build that set but I hope Topps gets a few of the key new players into it (yes it will amuse me when McCutchen gets traded before Update releases). I'm sure you have a few Dodgers you'd like to see make it in too.
Anonymous said…
Greatest 100 cards of the '80s, woo-hoo!
Fuji said…
3rd Week of August = 1st Week of School This morning was the first time I opened up my reading list since early last week. Now that I'm up and running... I should be back to reading everyone's blogs on a semi-regular basis. I'm really looking forward to seeing your Greatest Cards of the '80s posts.
shoeboxlegends said…
Looking forward to the countdown! I don’t always comment, but I read every single one of your posts.
kcjays said…
I've read nearly every post in the last 18 months, but seldom comment. I guess I'll have to chime in more often.
Thanks for the blog.
GCA said…
Dang! Is that what it is? Like Fuji, I work in the local schools system, and we're being bombarded right now since the teachers came back. But I thought it was just a lack of inspiration on my part. I missed like two post intervals off my normal pace. Feel a little vindicated, but still have to get myself back to regular posting.
My two local teams are .500 all year and worst in the league respectively, but actual baseball has little to do with my enthusiasm for cards. I haven't watched much of either Nats or O's, but cards have been strong all year. I do get burned out a little from the annual binge of either the National or several shows/shops over a single week around this time of year. Still putting stuff away from late June. That should inspire ponderings of all the different stuff I got, but it hasn't. I need to find a way to develop the skill you have in the deeper meanings and feelings generated by the hobby.
Anonymous said…
I always like it when you link to the Getty image that was used for the card. Quite a hoot it's from a different team.
Bru said…
Hooray! I’m always happy when I can find a few new Dodgers that fit your needs. I figured you already had the bippings, but I had to send them when I noticed it while going through a big stack of 91 Fleer.
Can’t wait for the 80s countdown.
SumoMenkoMan said…
Where does one send Dodgers cards? I have some boxes of cards that need to start shrinking and I am sure I have some random Dodgers for you.
AdamE said…
Weird that kids are starting school already in August? Mine started at the end of July! We are already a month in. (the difference is the kids here will get a 2 week fall break, a week for Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, and a 2 week spring break)
Matt said…
Even on a slow day for you, you still manage 15 comments. I can’t even get 3. Trying to fix that in September
Defenders50 said…
See, now I want to know who batted behind Bip in 1990.
Alan Deakins said…
Love your blog...usually stop in a couple of times a week...got me back collecting again in 2016....looking forward to the 80s countdown....even if 1987 Topps isnt included...LOL