Night Owl Cards

  I finally ordered a blaster of 2022 Topps with a Christmas gift card, and I felt the way I feel when somebody buys me socks -- glad I didn't have to use my own money on THAT. So, you'll see some 2022 Topps in March. I know you're excited. But in order to find cards I could actually open right now, I had to go to the flea market in town, where I found that 1970 Roberto Clemente a couple of months ago . There was nothing like that there -- the glass case mostly contained Yankees I can't afford nor care about, or cards I had already -- but around the corner were some sealed packs, and not the usual stuff I see either. Welcome back, 1992 Topps! It's been 30 years since I've opened you! I don't know why I don't see '92 Topps out the wild as often as I see 1988-92 Donruss, or 1990-91 Fleer, late '80s Score or 1991 Upper Deck. Perhaps it's because it's just plain better than all those other sets. It really is one of the best main sets from the...

  I've hit the next milestone in my collection of Clayton Kershaw cards. I'll never consider myself a player collector, but once I hit four figures on cards for a single player I'll have a difficult time convincing anyone of that. It's true, he's my favorite current player and I do chase his cards, although he has to share time with my other pursuits. I received this 2021 Topps Gallery card from reader Rich a couple of weeks ago. This is the 899th Kershaw card in my collection. That meant I actually had to take some time to search out something special for my 900th Kershaw card. The trouble is "special Kershaw cards" go for prices I could not justify paying in a court of law. Even sort-of-special Kershaw cards hold loopy price tags. I miss 2011 so much. So my 900th Kershaw card is reasonably priced, a little bit goofy, and perfect for me: This is from the 2018-19 Montgomery Club set. It's supposed to be a sticker, but it doesn't stick, so I conside...

This is that weird week where school and some government people are off but I'm not -- which gets even more awkward when members of the same household are off but I am not.   In other words, my time is not my own this week. Let's see if I can pound out a post before I'm swept off somewhere.   I finally completed the 2021 Update Dodgers team set the other day. The Corey Knebel card did not arrive when I ordered the team set online (a Royals card arrived in its place). When I alerted the seller, he said he'd get Knebel right out. He never did. Or the postal system ate it.   I put the card on my Nebulous 9 and reader Rich came to the rescue. What a relief. Very frustrating to have dupes of a parallel of this card but not the actual base card. More from Rich in a later post. Good stuff, too.     This card also completed a team set. I discovered that the Don Drysdale card was missing from what I thought was a completed team for the 1978 TCMA set, the 1960s. That had ...

  I went out looking for 2022 Topps on Monday, a few days after release date. It was the earliest I could do something like that. I don't know how people are in stores that very moment it's released. Maybe I used to be able to do that? Probably not. But anyway, I struck out. I didn't have the energy to look every place, not that there's a lot of places to check around here. I checked the closest Target and the closest Walmart. Target looked like it hadn't even thought about 2022 Topps. I had more hopes for Walmart, but there was no sign of cards there either. Ever since The Great Disappearance Of Cards Off Retail Shelves, I've been confused by what my closest Walmart's decision on cards is. It scrapped the card aisle and created a kiosk of various items where cards would go , if there were cards. But they're never there. It's possible they're only available at the service desk, but there's no sign directing customers there, which I think is o...

(I have finally reached the 64th Cardboard Appreciation card since the last time we voted a card into the Cardboard Appreciation Hall of Fame. Way back in 2017! That means after this card, it's time to vote one card from the most recent 64 into the the C.A Hall with the fifth version of the Cardboard Appreciation Hall of Fame Tournament! I'm not sure how to do this since Blogger has removed the polling option. I could look around for another poll to upload. So, it'll take me time to research that. Any suggestions are welcome. Meanwhile, it's time for Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 312th in a series):   You guys have been holding out on me. This is the final base card Dodger that I needed to complete the 1997 Pinnacle Inside team set. It wasn't Piazza or Nomo, as it traditionally is for this time period. It was Park and his wacky head band strolling through the dugout.   I didn't discover the card was the lone one missing until I was recently filing my late ...