What I am about to write would receive a stern lecture from my mom. But I've got to be honest with myself, and I'm sure many a card blogger has done the same thing that I've done:
I tend to rank the cards that I receive from fellow collectors.
It's nothing I do consciously. I don't get out charts and graphs and start making lists (well, until now). But there's a definite hierarchy when I pull cards of variety from a package.
Recently, Jim from cards as I see them, checked out my partially intact want list and sent Dodgers and other items my way in a bid to get me closer to 20,000 total Dodger cards. I separated the needs from the dupes and then instinctively ranked the needs.
(Quiet down, mom. It's just something I have to do.)
The excellent Adam LaRoche Donruss Studio night card from 2004 would land somewhere in the middle of my rankings in this package. But since it's the star of this post, I'll save it from this demeaning process.
So, let's begin: from mildly pleased to very pleased:
8. Needed prospects and other Dodger also-rans that are past their prime in terms of collectability for a Dodger fan.
The window for accumulating all the DeLeon/Garcia/Holmes/Valentin cards was very narrow if you were a Dodger fan. It's long closed and, I'm forced to admit I still need these cards, but the overriding question is: Why?
7. Panini needs
There are levels of desirability in terms of Panini products (none of them will make my heart pitter-pat, though). Diamond Kings are better than Donruss or Prizm, but it's still Panini. This is the best it will do.
6. Colored parallels of the past
If it's the right kind of parallel, it will jump much higher in my mental rankings than where it is here. Gold just doesn't do it for me. But I do like them, and certainly much better than what they're doing with colored parallels these days.
5. Team set needs from the year just passed
Whenever the season's new cards have hit, there is this panic inside me that says -- but what about all those team set needs that you still don't have? It takes a good six months for me to stop panicking as I just throw up my hands and forget the whole thing. But now? I am so happy I have these two 2017 Chrome Dodger needs.
4. Colorful inserts of legends from that period when I wasn't collecting
American Pie is a key set from when I couldn't identify a baseball card if you ran me over with it. I still don't have a good handle on the inserts. But I know I've needed this American Sluggers Snider for awhile. It's the blue version. There are a few other colors, too. Ain't insert parallels the best?
3. Minor League team sets!
Oh, boy, oh boy!
There isn't much that makes me happier than seeing what I believe is a full Dodgers minor league team set wrapped in cellophane. (The best part of this 2014 Chattanooga Lookouts set is Razor Shines is the cover boy).
I would trade in all my Bowman cards for some minor league sets if I could.
Here is a sampling of some of the highlights from that set. It's not big on stars (the previous year's Chattanooga set features Yasiel Puig). But any Lookouts set is cool simply because of the logo.
2. Cool sets from the past that dodge my collection
Retired Signatures -- specifically 2005 Retired Signatures -- wants no part of my collection. I don't understand why. I should make an effort to trap and catch them because they're not showing up willingly. This Johnny Podres card is very welcome.
1. A star from a vintage set I'm currently trying to complete
The 1973 Yaz is one of the last Yazes from the '70s that I need. It's been absent for a long time.
This card is legendary among Simpsons watchers as it's the card that Millhouse wanted to buy from Comic Book Guy. I've always been a 76-78 Yaz card lover myself, but the key point is it fills a significant collecting hole and that's why it's ranked first!
So, yeah, I kind of rank your card packages from worst to best. Again, it's not a conscious thing.
Sorry, again, mom.
Yes, I know, it's the thought that counts.
Yes, I'll get right on those thank you notes.
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Awesome Night Card binder candidate: Adam LaRoche, 2004 Donruss Studio, #16
Does it make the binder?: Yup!
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