Yay! I'm a sucker again!

I always feel guilty about my blog at this time of year. Sure, I like Night Owl Cards to be more about cards than "look what I got," but we all know that one of the basic, underlying definitions of a card blog is "look what I got." It's at least part of the reason card blogs exist.

But it's been a month since I've purchased any cards and after awhile I think "how long is this ruse going to go on? When are they going to discover that these are just plain old cards from my collection?" Even though I have a pretty good imagination when it comes to cards and have all sorts of ideas floating around in my brain (in fact, I'm working on one now), when you don't show new stuff when everyone else is, you start to feel a little inadequate.

So -- yay -- today, I finally could do what others do. I went down to the store and bought some cards. You know, I became a sucker again! Because ripping wax is for suckers. But I don't mind. I'm quite happy to be a sucker. Accumulating cards is what I do. I can accumulate again!

I used my Topps coupon book -- 10 days before all of it expired -- and bought a Series 2 blaster, because I had vowed to complete the 2015 flagship set and I've dropped the Series 2 ball shamefully. So I felt rather proud of myself paying just $14.99. I may be a sucker, but I'm a cost-conscious sucker.

And then I grabbed some of this:

Four cards for 63 cents per card. That's the opposite of cost-conscious.

Still, I enjoy Chrome. Not as much as I once did -- and I don't think this year's design really lends itself to Chrome -- but I like it enough to give it at least one try. I snagged a Value Pack, because I like the way the pink parallels look and got to ripping.

I think you'll find my 63 cents-per-card purchase paid off.


PACK 1

#26 - Madison Bumgarner, Giants

All right, it hasn't paid off yet, but you know what? This doesn't even bother me. The Giants just got swept, and the very tightly-wound Bumgarner got beat and the Dodgers' lead is 6 1/2 games, which could set themselves up for an epic collapse, but right now I feel no pain, and can just laugh and laugh and laugh.

#133 - Sonny Gray, A's

It's not a Night Owl Chrome pack without an A's card.

#49 - Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees (you will see in the comments that I had no clue this is a photo variation).

#112 - Kris Bryant, Cubs

It's cover boy himself. I'm sure I could put this on ebay right now and get more than I should.


PACK 2

#11 - Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies

#175 - Josh Reddick, A's

This is one of the new prism parallels. I think they replace xrefractors or refractors or something. I'm not really up on it or impressed, and it's an Oakland A again.

#145 - Erik Cordier, Giants

Swept. Can't hurt me. Plus I need cards to add to ARPSmith's stack.

#73 - Carlos Gomez, Brewers

I don't know where this guy gets the energy.


PACK 3

#90 - Carlos Rodon, White Sox

AR-ST - Samuel Tuivailala, Cardinals, autograph

Wooooo! An autographed card of that guy whose name I'll never be able to pronounce! I don't have a lot of use for Cardinals, but madding just sent me a few cards with an autograph in the middle of them, so now I know what to send back! This sure is pretty though. And Tui signed most of his letters -- I think.

#64 - Lisalverto Bonilla, Rangers

#52 - Yasiel Puig, Dodgers

Yup. This pack was completely worth it.

Let's see the pinkies.

These look a lot better than the orange or purple retail refractor exclusives from recent years.

Unfortunately, I see better homes for all three of them, so I won't be able to hold on to a pinkie.

That's OK. If I just focus on the fact that they remind me of Pepto-Bismol, suddenly I don't like them anymore.

Anyway, that pack was worth the gamble.

And worth the wait.

It's nice to be a sucker again.