Going back in time

One thing that's great about being a baseball card collector these days is that the card companies are more than prepared to squeeze every last cent out of you.

Let me explain.

Not so long ago, card companies would ackowledge something called a "collecting season." The season would run approximately from the end of January to the end of September. There was no such thing as multiple sets or the staggering of release dates.

Collectors were required to get their cards during that designated season or be doomed to three months of cardless hell. Because from October through most of January there were no baseball cards on store shelves. Everyone understood this. Sure there might be a few pristine (re: untouched) packs of football or basketball cards, but who wanted those? It was like three months of Lent. You went 12 weeks without baseball cards, but it was your penance for those nine months of cardboard avarice. It was sacrifice. It was good for you. Or at least that's what the grown-ups kept telling us.

These days there is none of that. Baseball cards smile back at me in the dead of winter. Shiny packs featuring Ryan Howard and bright blue packs depicting a screaming Joba Chamberlain beckon every day of the week. There is no sacrifice. There is no detox. You can get your fix anytime you want. The dealer-junkie collecting metaphor has been beaten to death, but I can't think of anything more appropriate in this situation.

So that was the scenario yesterday when I was in Target and stuck my hand in the 2009 Topps gerbil feeder and came up with nothing. I stretched to take a careful peek. Nada. Not even a stray "Camp Rock" pack.

Fortunately, 2008 Updates & Highlights were still there. 2008 Heritage was still there. 2008 Chrome was still there. Old Upper Deck was still there. Some Bowman crap was still there. Documentary looked like it hadn't been touched. This was the same garbage that I completely dismissed a week ago when I was looking for the first '09 Topps cards. But suddenly it didn't look so bad. I was like a starving dog at the dump.

Has this happened to others? Tell me it has. I snagged a pack of Heritage (because the dream isn't over) and two packs of Chrome (because I have magpie syndrome). I know these cards are soooo OLD, dad (what? I'm not quoting anybody), but I'm showing the parts that interest me anyway.

Albert Pujols, Cardinals HTCP mini. I already checked to see if someone has it. She does.

Javier Vazquez, White Sox. I'm required to collect this card because it's a black-back that I don't have. Vazquez reminds me that I'll soon be following spring training games and I'll forget which players have changed teams. I knew Vazquez was sent somewhere, but I had to look it up to find out it was the Braves. Then I looked at the back of the card and saw that he played for Arizona for a year. Totally don't remember that.

Rick Ankiel, Cardinals. Super shiny card. Figures. I just sent some cards to madding.

I don't know if it's a refractor or just a chrome card. I also know some of these cards are numberd to 1959 and others are numbered to 599 or something like that. I don't know what the difference is. I really don't care anymore. I don't understand why others care.

Instead, I will bask in its shininess.

Prince Fielder, Brewers, Xfractor. Fielder looks entirely too glum for someone who has been Xfractored. Come on, Prince! It's an honor to be Xfractored!

Todd Helton, Rockies, Blue refractor. Remember how I said I was an Eric Chavez/Lance Berkman magnet? Scratch that. I am a certified Todd Helton magnet. How do I get so many cards of this guy? And a blue refractor at that. When do I get a blue refractor of a Dodger? That's the team that's meant to be on blue refractors.

Paul Konerko, White Sox. Another shiny Heritage card, but one that came in the Chrome pack, since Topps is wild and crazy and likes to mix and match their card brands.

So there you go. A fun little jaunt all the way back to 2008. I suppose some day the 2009 Heritage will be on the shelves and that's when the 2008 cards will be relegated to the junk repack boxes. That will be a sad day. So I might as well enjoy the '08s while I can.