One of those collectors

I owned my first baseball card 44 years ago. I've been collecting off and on ever since, and for about 35 of those years, I'd consider myself a baseball card collector.

I've also been trading through the mail for almost 10 years.

Given all of that, I still don't think I have a lot of cards. I don't consider myself one of those collectors who has "everything" and is "difficult to buy for." I see cards I need every day! That's just not possible.

But just recently I've realized that, yes, I do have a lot of cards and, yes, I am a difficult to buy for. How can you guys stand it?

Dime Box Nick recently sent me some cards and you know how well he does unearthing obscure items from the past and present from the many dime boxes that sprout out of the ground out there.

Well, all of these, plus the fantastic gold Pizzazz Nomo ...

... are dupes.

The glorious Endless Summer Jackie, the smiling Jackie, the mini Kemp, the Dem Bums, the wonderful Laughlin 1971 World Series cards, one of the only licensed Max Muncy cards ever created. All dupes.

I'm always on the look out for Dodger card collectors because, lordy, all the dupes. I'm giving gcrl first crack because I owe him some cards anyway, but I have plenty to go around.

However, the best thing about variety-filled packages like these is that there's something in there that I need. Nick made sure of that.

Like 1982 TCMA needs. Send me all the TCMA cards you want. Something will stick.

Nick is the only person who has sent me one of these Historic Autographs cards. This is Al Lopez.

1990s needs. It's even difficult to crack some of my 1990s wants lists these days. Ten years of discovering what the '90s were all about took care of that. But I sure do appreciate erasing the above three wants.

A&G minis. Two of the six that Nick sent make the A&G frankenset binder. The Teheran finally knocks out the Brian Wilson mini that's been there for six years!

Your best chance for finding Dodgers I need are going right for whatever cards are on the shelves now. Yes, I really do need a prospect that may never make the majors, a guy with 11 total MLB at-bats but at least that many cards in Topps sets this year, and the red-letter version of Austin Barnes' stadium club card (to go with the black-letter version, still looking for that base card).

A bunch of welcome Big League Baseball needs. The NL saves stat kings card is the one pointed out by gcrl as unfairly placing Kenley Jansen in second place even though he finished with the same number of saves as Greg Holland. This all because Topps couldn't be bothered with a slight redesign.

This is my first 2018 Bowman Platinum card. I haven't heard much talk about Platinum this year (and it's not on my store shelves), which is odd because the redesign is quite striking. It is easily the most interesting Platinum design since it became a baseball product. Why, I might even buy multiple packs of the stuff if I found it.

Lastly, if you don't know what to get me, throw in a minor league card or two. If you're lucky, it will be a card of famed Sandy Koufax batterymate Norm Sherry, from back when he was a Fort Worth Cat and I will feature  it last on my blog post, which means, I really, really like it.

There is always something I need.

There is always something I want.

Even if I'm one of those collectors.

(P.S.: Turns out I DO need the fantastic gold Pizzazz Nomo!)