Many pots to boil

As trading among fellow bloggers has dwindled, I've had to get a little creative.

 

I can't afford to buy all the cards I want, although I do buy plenty, so I still rely on trading. Trading also diversifies my collection. I can't be aware of everything that's out there, and since everyone is different, they often will find things that interest me that I would never think to get myself.

 

So my trading has expanded into other areas. Twitter has been a key one. I haven't gotten to TCDB, but I will someday, probably in a limited fashion. And I've relied on readers and, in this particular case, a fellow blogger's collecting buddy.

 

Stuart, who runs around card shops with the operator of The Collective Mind, has corresponded with me through email a few times, and he's been an occasional commenter.

 

We've just started a trading connection that I hope will last for awhile, although Stuart's wants are, shall I say, challenging. Yet that's canceled out by the fact that he has that old-school blogging-and-trading spirit: we can swap one card or one thousand -- or one card for one thousand -- it doesn't matter, as long as we fill someone's collection need. I like that.

 

I found a small smattering of cards for him several weeks ago and about a week or so ago, I received a sizable response. Lots of stuff from my wants, almost all of it Dodgers.

 

Look at that. Current-card needs. I'm really lacking in this area, just because I don't open as much modern stuff anymore, and neither does anyone else judging by what used to get sent to me.

I've told myself recently that I'm not going to seek out parallels anymore -- I don't know how successful I'll be there, because I really like some of the colorful ones. But there's no reason I should be buying the rainbow foil stuff. I'll still take it, but I won't miss it.

Goldies, though, get me every time. As long as there's a border.

Some more needs from today and 20 years ago or so. Stuart did a good job scouring my wants. There's no way I could've told him what Topps Fusion cards I need or if I needed any gray backs from 2005 Fleer (which are also gray fronts). But I don't have to be aware of those cards in a trade. The other guy knows this stuff.

 

 

More examples of why I need traders -- they will find things I need that I forgot existed!

1994 Sportflics had an update set? Well, apparently I knew that at one time because these two cards completed the five-card Dodgers team set. But I could've gone the rest of time not knowing I needed these.

'90s needs. The Pinnacle Museum parallels I knew, you couldn't blog in 2009 without someone yelling "Dufex!" somewhere. The two Score inserts? Not a clue. It's amazing how many of those '90s inserts I am still discovering. It's also amazing how I'll look up some '90s insert I just learned existed and see the price they're going for.

 

The crazy late '90s Circa Thunder sets. Each of these were the last card I needed to finish the '98 and '99 team sets. Sure, there are still inserts (but screw you, parallels). That'll have to wait for another trade -- because I won't be pursuing them.

 

Stuart even sent a couple of these commemorative Topps coin things (Topps' phrase, not mine). Weirdly, I had the Mookie Betts already. I've said many times how I don't know what to do with these things -- I've recently started putting them in eight-pocket pages but I don't know if I should.

 

The package even mixed in a few Sabres cards. These arrived before my post announcing I'm cutting back on Bills and Sabres cards. They demonstrate what I will still collect and what I won't. The pretty blue shiny cards? I am not collecting those. The boring Danny Gare card that looks like Topps put the back on the front? I am collecting that. Yes, I'm an enigma.

 

FATHEADS! Did you know that TCDB lists these as part of your collection? Hell, that fact and that I have pages to house these things means I NEEDED 'EM!!

 

 

Stuart also sent a couple of 1967s. He's much further along on this chase than I am, but finding it just as vexing. I have both of these cards already but I'm pretty sure at least one of them is an upgrade.

What's left over I will save for a future trader. Maybe it will even be a blogger.

I haven't given up on blog trades. In fact, I'll be going to the post office today or tomorrow to mail one out and there are still "to be sent" stacks for fellow bloggers still in my card room just like there's been for over a dozen years.

It's just like everything else in life now: many pots to boil for something that used to take just one pot.