Skip to main content

I miss Christmas


Well, not really, but ain't that purty?

"I miss Christmas" is another way of saying I miss the way things were in the first couple of years of blogging.

I miss getting 5 packages a day. I miss discovering new collectors and new blogs and the excitement of a whole new world that made my old world suddenly vibrant and gave me a reason to get up in the morning. It was "Christmas" every day back then.

Sometimes it seems like it's not that way anymore.

I feel like that most often when I notice another frequent blogger not blogging much anymore. Some of my favorite blogs are either on a really long break or are never coming back. Others are dwindling down to sporadic posting. Remember Dinged Corners? Collective Troll? Those were the days.

Others, like Cardboard Junkie, The Cardboard Don and Play At The Plate, have backed off, hinted at quitting, quit and then come back, or a mixture of all of the above. I sit and wait for them to return with the vigor of a couple years ago.

This is not a criticism.You gotta do what you wanna/gotta do, of course. I'm just saying I miss those days sometimes.

But wallowing in the past is not productive of me and this is really the point that I'd like to address. The bigger, more weighty post on "wallowing" is coming in a day or so. The lesser, breezy aspect is what I'm pointing out now.

And that is: Some people may not be blogging as much anymore, but a lot of other people have moved in to take their place. And the folks who have moved in and the folks who aren't blogging as much ARE ALL STILL TRADING.

There seems to be more trades than ever. What's to lament? Isn't that great?

To illustrate, look again at the two Kershaws at the top. The red one came from Play At The Plate. He's still blogging, but not as much. The green one came from a new trader. He doesn't have a blog, I don't think. But he is on Twitter, and that's where I did the trade. So "old" way or "new" way, I'm still gettin' cards.

I'll mix these two card packages up some more.

Here are some other cards from PATP:


A couple of gold sparklies from last season's Update. They don't hold up as well now that the green/emerald sparklies are out. But we had a hunch that they weren't all that great anyway. Or at least I did.


This guy again. Mini-style. Any chance we see him catching for the Dodgers in another game?


And a gold frame for the best Dodger card of 2012.

Now, here's another card from my new Twitter trading bud, William, aka, @wrudart. It's a pretty good one:



Ain't that snazzy? It's Tier One, something that never ever travels in my neighborhood.

I know the swatch is likely a piece of material from some industry bigwig's ski-lodge sweater. But it's still a nice-looking card and well worth the trade.

Even though I miss the way things were on the blogs, this whole card scene really is as good as ever -- possibly better than ever.

And with that, I will take this general theme to a larger scale with my next post.

Get read to nod your head ... or shake your fist.

Comments

Spiegel83 said…
Some solid new blogs have popped up in just over the past couple months. I still find a new trade partner every now and then.

Has the age of the blog world been getting younger since you first started? Do you think card collecting has risen in popularity over the life span of Night Owl Cards?
Nachos Grande said…
Would a second company issuing what I'd call "real" baseball cards revive the blogs? I'm wondering if the stagnant sets have contributed (or even caused) the decline of many bloggers. I know that I've been less and less enthused lately for one.
Matt Runyon said…
The economy got me. I hung in there for a while, but it's a lot harder for me to get cards than it used to be. Hopefully things will change soon.
Well I can tell you that reading the blogs and finding out about other collectors experiences has made me enjoy the hobby more. Although I haven't started a blog yet (I will eventually) nor have I traded with anyone yet (part of that has to do with my complete lack of organization...I'm sure I've got some cards people need but I have to find what monster box they are in), but I'm sure I'm not the only one who is enjoying reading about yours (and everyone elses) experiences.
steelehere said…
My wife and I had a baby girl last year. Any free time I had for posting is now set aside for changing diapers. One thing I didn't give up is reading the blogs I follow. It's great to have that as an escape.
Community Gum said…
Can we blame it on the off-season? I selfishly hope some people eased off because baseball was gone.

Personally, I go in spurts and jump back and forth between hobbies/passions. Some days I'm all about video games. Some it's all about movies/reviewing. Some it's about the comic or comedy writing, and sometimes I get in that mood to do nothing. Maybe I'm "doing it wrong" by having multiple hobbies/projects, but I can't devote all of my attention to just one.
--Jon
Those look great side by side. I feel like my blog is the car from the old gas commercial. You know the one where the car is knocking and pinging because of the poor quality gasoline. That's my problem...gas. Or something else. I'm trying to get back to an even keel with things and mailing out that last round of packages seems to have helped.
Anonymous said…
Those Kershaw cards definitely look great side-by-side. It's pairings like this that have me thinking there aren't enough walls around here for shelves to display such card pairings (mental note: remedy that).

Interesting that you should mention this, as I've definitely been enjoying this, my Christmas year. This year I shifted from blog reader, to making very occasional comments on blogs, now to posting on my own blog. What I've found is it isn't the cards that have inspired me quite as much (nearly as much, frankly) as the interaction. Sharing the excitement of cards with others is what has really seemed to fuel my passion for the hobby.

Don't get me wrong, building my collection after so many years away has been a thrilling and joy-filled ride, but where have all my childhood friends gone that I traded with? As it turns out, that crew has nearly immediately been replaced with you all, the others in the card-filled blogosphere.

And, what a crew this is! I haven't met a one of you, and yet there's a camaraderie that few get to share today, I venture.

Cards seem to be the glue, but the passion for collecting the gas.

Yes, I can see the intensity lagging at a certain point, but hopefully, Night Owl, those of us newer to the gang, can help carry through during the ebb. Ha! That said, you best email me your address. I can't get you 5 packages a day, but I can help top off the tank.

Lastly, I'm clearly agreeing with all of you above, Spiegel83, Swing And A Pop-up, and Community Gum. But, I also fear the probable shared reality with Steelehere. For me it may just be a matter of time, but after 20+ years away I can say with some certainty: it's better to collect and trade cards than not. Not as much fun collecting is better than no fun while not collecting.

Cheers!