Later is better

 

 

It's no surprise that I would subscribe to that theory. Night owls wouldn't be caught dead spouting sayings about worms and early birds. Later has always worked for me, in dozens of scenarios.

The latest one was the monthly card show this afternoon.

The show doesn't start in the afternoon. Like most weekend shows, it's open bright and early, when I'm still sleeping. I'll get up early Saturday for a long road trip but otherwise, wake me up at 11. 

That doesn't stop me from going into a mild panic that all the card goodies will be gone by the time I get there. So sometimes I roust myself up earlier than I want to. I did that last month, and when I got there, the place was so packed that I ended up not buying anything because I couldn't breathe.

So this time I traveled through Saturday at my usual leisurely pace. I arrived at the show at around 1 (this is also the approximate time that I arrive at the big show at the state fairgrounds, and it's always worked).

Right away I noticed it would be easier to navigate. The room was busy but not every aisle filled like the last time. I really have to search at this show because there are so many tables of graded cards and basketball and Magic/Pokemon/whatever. Finding what I want takes some sifting.

But with no one breathing on me, I casually found a dollar box sorted by team and grabbed a few current needs.

Those '88 All-Stars from last year's set have been elusive, I don't know why, so I'm happiest with those. The Gavin Stone turned out to be a dupe, but with the way he's pitching I don't mind an extra one.

In the same aisle, I found someone selling vintage -- not graded vintage (there was plenty of that) -- but off-condition vintage, for the most part. He was also selling vintage in fancier shape but I can't resist a discount box.

It's been months since I've done anything with my 1979 Topps football chase. The vast majority of the cards I still need from the set are Steelers, Giants, Patriots or unchecked checklists. Beyond that, it's the running back trio of Payton-Campbell-Dorsett. 

 

Having not collected a lot of vintage football, I'm experiencing the Payton tax for the first time. It's real. So it's nice to add these especially the leaders card.

 

Those cards are in really good shape. The baseball ones I picked up at the same table are a little more worn, but I don't mind.

 

 

Although I'd like my 1969 Topps cards to be as nice as possible, I'm realizing that I'm going to have to enjoy adding off-condition cards for the 1967 set if I have any hope of completing it. There's no way I can pay those high-number prices.

Here are a couple cards from the 500s that I found in pretty decent shape. I actually did not expect to find any 1967 needs at this show and it turns out I got more from that set than any other one.

I paid up for that lot and then looped around to the other aisle and saw a bunch of '50s, '60s and '70s vintage under glass cases. Immediately I eyed a couple more '67s that I could use and the prices were just inside of what I had left to spend at the show.

I picked out one card and I'm happy it's mine -- I've wanted this card since 1975, although I probably didn't know it at the time.

There he is. I've known that image since I was still riding a Big Wheel. Yaz is finally in the collection, fuzzy corners and all, but perfect because I don't need to be throwing 50 dollars at every card.

I first saw this card in 1975 when I pulled the '75 Topps 1967 MVPs card out of one of the first packs I ever bought myself. It became an instant favorite (I believe I was attracted to the '67 design right away). I do have favorite cards from the '75 MVP subset and the '67 one is in the top three.

 

 

 

If I was ever to find a project to wrap up my collection -- complete that project and never collect cards again -- I think it might be to find all the cards featured in the '75 MVP subset (the ones that are actually cards anyway) and present them in some way next to the '75 MVP card.

I have a lot of the cards shown in the subset already but there are several Mantles, Mays and Aarons I'd have to get. But for now, I'm happy with the latest MVP year completed.

 

That's pretty cool. And it connects me to my first year of collecting once again.

I'm quite pleased that I showed up late.