So, I guess I'm collecting this now

I'm still working on the 2008 Topps Heritage set. How many times have I said that in the last five years? A dozen? Two dozen? I'm sure it's more than that.

There is one thing keeping me from completing this stupid thing (yes, if I'm still attempting to finish a modern set after five years, its official name is "THIS STUPID THING."). Of course, it's the short-prints.

I'm either 10 cards or 11 cards away from completing the set -- my want list says 10 but I just counted the binder and it says 11 -- and I have almost no incentive to find the rest of the cards because I won't spend the going rate on a 2008 Heritage SP. If I'm going to blow more than a buck on a card, it's either got to be a Dodger or something vintage. The remaining 2008 Heritage cards I need ain't either.

So, there they sit. To be completed ... someday.

Recently, Dave K. sent some needed '08 Heritages for the cause and it was greatly appreciated because I think everyone's forgotten about the set.

But then he sent a whole smackeral of '08 Heritage High Numbers, too.

How many is a smackeral?

This many:

Now what am I going to do with that?

If you weren't collecting in 2008 or don't remember, the Heritage High Numbers was the creation of one of Topps' delightful little ploys of the last five years. It packaged the Heritage High Numbers cards with 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights cards.

Like many collectors at the time, I really liked '08 Heritage but I didn't have any interest in '08 U&H at all. 2008 U&H was just an unfortunate continuation of the '08 base set that I had been bagging on for nine months already.

But here Topps was trying to force us to buy both.

I admit, I was a lot more gullible at that time and I bought a few packs that included the Heritage Highs and the U&H. I still have those U&H cards that include some of the worst things I've ever seen on artificial cardboard. But after those few packs, I finally had enough and moved on to something easier to collect, like (*ahem*) 2008 Stadium Club.

I had since long given up on trying to finish the High Numbers set and didn't care whether I finished it at all.

And then Dave stepped in.

Oh, and he knew what he was doing, too:

Apparently all of us set collectors think alike.

So, I went through the large stack of High Numbers and found 105 cards that I needed for the set.

Here are a few:

Pre-Paleolithic Era Jonny Gomes

Pre-Head & Shoulders annoyance C.J. Wilson

Crusher-of-Night-Owl-dreams Matt Stairs

The cards are the usual end-of-the-year Update assortment of rookies and hangers-on. Eric Patterson, Ivan Ochoa, Brian Buscher, Joe Inglett. Who are these guys?

But there is a nice collection of rookie stars:

And a not-so-nice collection of "rookie stars":

And so -- why not? -- there is now a want list for the Heritage High Numbers, along with the want list for the regular '08 Heritage set.

There you go.

I don't plan to pursue the High Numbers any more vigorously than I have the base set. My guess is there is a whole lot of short-prints in there and I just don't have time for that (I don't even have time to look up what's an SP and what's not).

But Dave says they dumped a whole bunch of '08 Heritage Highs in his neck of the woods so maybe I'll be able to complete this set yet. Maybe I'll actually be inspired to go online and hunt for those few remaining cards.

Don't anybody turn blue waiting.


(P.S.: If anyone is attempting to complete the High Numbers set or just has team needs from the set, I have 120 or so dupes).