Some of you guys buy a lot of cards

 

When I first started blogging way back when, I was amazed not just by the size of my new blogging buddies' collections, but also their ability to continue acquiring cards and also distributing those cards at will to fellow collectors.

I knew only my tiny card world, which mostly remained the same since I was a child. I never had that much money to spend on cards. At first, it was whatever I could save up from my allowance, then it was whatever I could save up from my newspaper route, later it was spill-over cash from part-time jobs. I then took on a career that is renowned for paying squat and that's how I've survived in the hobby, carefully budgeting what I can spend on cards.

I perhaps have more money now than ever to spend on cards at this stage of my life. But I behave as if I'm still counting quarters before biking to the drug store a couple miles away.

And I remain amazed at what other collectors seem to have available. Without being able to view their collections, I can only deduce from what I receive that some of you buy a lot of cards. How else to explain it?

Take this recent send from Jeremy of Topps Cards That Never Were. Actually they were two separate sends a couple weeks apart.

I mentioned during a blog post a little bit ago that Royals infielder Michael Massey was born the exact day, the exact year as my daughter and I hadn't gotten his 2024 Topps card yet and wouldn't mind having it. From out of nowhere Jeremy produced this:

Those aren't just regular base cards of Michael Massey but fancy parallels. I don't know how anyone is able to call up a discussed card, in parallel form, on cue. I feel lucky if I have a card that someone is looking for three times a year -- and it's probably a base card.

I can only surmise that Jeremy is a secret Michael Massey super-collector, knows a Michael Massey super-collector or just has a lot of cards. I mean a lot, a lot, because I have a lot of cards, but I can't do something like this.

Staying in the theme of baseball players whose last names start with M and make an "S" sound, Jeremy nicely saved this green Prism parallel of Max Muncy for me. Prism color parallels are almost always sharp. Can't say the same about the base cards.

A few weeks pass and another envelope shows up from way down south. I knew Jeremy also was saving some 2024 Heritage for me, very cool of him. So I was expecting something at some point.

Here are six of the cards, most of them needs. For the most part -- except for all the rookies -- I've gotten over the weird differences in 2024 Heritage as compared to the 1975 Topps set. But the Blue Jays lettering is always going to make me look at the card sideways.

Oh, and here are six short-prints, too. SIX! I bought a whole hobby box and I think I got only four of them. How do you get six, my budget is asking?

Super grateful for these and it will make things easier when I get down to the stage of the set chase when all there is are SP's to find.

 

Jeremy also threw in three cards from Big League -- all needs. I don't know what to think about that Mookie Betts card, that is one childish design. The Ohtani is awesome.

My collection has grown infinitely over the last two decades thanks to other collectors who obviously don't have the budget that I do. I've been appreciative the whole time. And it's always given me a goal to shoot for.

Will I ever get to the stage where I can produce cards for people on command?