Direct from the discount box

OK, so when I wrote about how 1984 Donruss was the only Donruss set that mattered, you were all just humoring me?

I know some of you like the set. I read the comments on that post. As for overrated sets, I consider well-loved sets like 1953 Topps, 1989 Upper Deck and 2011-12 Gypsy Queen absolutely overhyped. But I'm going to soften my inner crank (why do you think I abandoned Twitter?) and go with something more pleasant.

Someone shopped for me at a card show!

OK, he went directly to the discount boxes, but I wouldn't expect anyone to do anything else. Besides, carlsonjok from Cardboard Catastrophes sure knows how to pick the right cards out of those boxes.

A 1962 Tommy Davis out of a discount box? Do you know what Tommy Davis did in 1962? He only accumulated 230 hits and set a Dodger record that still stands with 153 RBIs. This card is indisputable greatness.

Al Ferrara seems mighty disturbed that John Purdin is not a real person, but (*gasp*) a PAINTING.

This might be the answer to my question that I raised here. Like the card at the top of that post, this card is number HP94, but it is obviously shiny, unlike the other card. It's also numbered on the back and says "refractor," while the other card does not. I'm thinking the other card is some sort of error.

I've wanted this card for awhile. It has a good shot of making the Best Dodger Card Ever Made countdown. I still don't know why the Dodgers logo is weirdly superimposed on the building wall.

Nomar's no longer a big deal, unless you're still paying attention to ESPN (is he still on ESPN? I have no idea). But black-bordered Nomars are ALWAYS a big deal!

There were more Dukes in this package than anything else. I know these Ballpark Classics were diecut in 2003 Authentix, but this is from 2002. Perhaps they were diecut parallels in 2002, as well. I was too busy dealing with a 3-year-old -- both the one at home and the one at work.

A shortprint in liquorfractor form!!! And the back features Snider's complete stats. It even counts the year he spent with the Mets and the year with the Giants as actual seasons! Topps didn't have to do that. We all know those years were somebody's active imagination.

This bat card from last year's Allen & Ginter is phenomenal, especially because of the awesome game that Loney had against the Diamondbacks tonight.

Ha! Made you look!

Lastly, a genuine 1954 Topps card of one of the Boys of Summer, Ben Wade. So awesome.

One of the best parts of '54 Topps are the story cartoons on the back. The middle panel on this card says:

"At Nashville in '48, his pitching arm suddenly went dead!"

The suspense! The intrigue!

As you probably suspected, everything turned out fine.

I sure do enjoy being the subject of a shopping spree. It's much appreciated, even though ol' Catastrophe enjoys slipping a Brian Wilson card into his packages every time.

But that can't hurt me. Wilson's out for the year, and that Heritage card I've pulled like four times already. The shock value is long gone.

Now, I'm off to find me a discount box with '50s and '60s cards in it.