Night Owl Cards

  It was the summer of 1986. I was working for my college's food services. I had gotten the key job of grilling hot dogs outside. It was just me and Kathy D., who would cash out customers, three times a week from 11 am.-2 p.m., serving up dogs under the sunshine. I was interested in Kathy D., the way I was interested in any college girl who said two words to me. But Talking Heads concert movie fan, Jason S., was interested in her, too. While we were working, he would stop by just to yammer at her. He'd riff on lyrics from the "Stop Making Sense" movie. I hadn't seen the movie, but I had the album that went along with it (the cassette actually). I mentioned that, and Jason S. said, "you need to watch the movie." I finally did and I'm glad I did. I've always been a music guy over being a movie guy. But this was a perfect blend of both. It's considered one of the greatest concert movies of all-time and so groundbreaking that the 40th anniversary

  Father's Day ended in pretty sucky fashion yesterday. Right in the middle of a dinner prepared to my specific requests, I heard hushed voices coming from my laptop over in the living room. I ignored it for a little bit -- I really like burgers and deviled eggs -- but it kept hushing and I had to go and check it out. There I saw people hunched over Mookie Betts, who was having difficulty getting up. I couldn't see the number so I couldn't tell who it was, I just knew it was a Black man. It didn't seem like Jason Heyward, not large enough. It didn't seem like Teoscar Hernandez, not enough beard. Finally I saw the name and, well, that's how you ruin Father's Day. Thanks a lot, Dan Altavilla, who I had never heard of until yesterday. I used to write about the Dodgers as a fan quite a bit on this blog. A lot of rah-rah rooting stuff. I moved away from it because I never felt comfortable with it and focusing more on cards seemed more natural. But I am still a Do

  I often think that I like too many card things and I need to rein it in. But here's a list of items often sold at card shows that will make me ignore your table: -- Unopened, sealed product -- Pokemon, Magic the Gathering or any fantasy or modern movie cards -- Basketball cards -- Non-vintage football or hockey cards -- Anything slabbed, especially rows and rows and rows of slabbed cards -- Big displays of relic cards or autographed cards or patch cards -- Discount boxes that contain mostly cards from the '90s -- Bowman anything -- Card supplies (unless I am specifically in the need for something)   Presented that way there are actually many more card things that I don't like.   What I just listed was probably 80-90 percent of inventory at the monthly card show that I attended yesterday. It's getting to be a pattern and I've mentioned it a few times in past posts. And it's not just this show, this show is a microcosm of the current hobby and card show scene.

  I didn't mean to duck out on you and turn what I speculated about at the end of Monday's post into something immediate. But that's what work can do to you these days and why I wrote what I did Monday. Yesterday I drove nearly 200 miles so I could interview someone for a story. You're asking why. Well, the reasons are: 1) Our newspaper coverage area is insane for being east of the Mississippi; 2) Young people don't like to talk on the phone anymore; 3) People no longer want to get their information from professionals. Hey, you asked. I've been driving and writing and then interviewing some more and writing some more, and that's why I wasn't writing here. But I am now.  On long trips I like to see if I can find some cards anywhere. I stopped by a Walmart in the sticks. And, lo, I found some blasters of Series 2, a day or two after release even! Normally I wouldn't be that interested in Series 2 -- there are plenty of posts of me bagging on it in yea

  I like the way that the 1975 Topps countdown is coinciding with 2024 Heritage's representation of the 1975 set (notice I didn't say "tribute," it ain't a tribute anymore). It could be the last great '75 Topps moment of my lifetime. Sure, there are still '75 buybacks to chase and maybe I'll come up with another '75 Topps-centric series of blog posts, but this right here is probably the final big bonanza. Aren't you lucky you're here for it? While I continue to count down, I'm gathering 2024 Heritage cards with that familiar wild design. I landed a biggie a week or so ago.   This is one of the ONE HUNDRED short-prints in the set. As soon as I saw Mike Trout was involved with the SPs, I knew I'd have to get it early so it wouldn't be hanging over me like pricey cards like to do. It wasn't that pricey at all, but I'm glad it's out of the way.   I recently received a nice selection of 2024 Heritage needs from Johnny'