(Hello on National Cheesesteak Day. There are certain foods when you get older and health becomes a larger priority, that you just cross off the list and never think about them again. Cheesesteak is a good example. I used to eat them. But I can't remember the last time I had one now. I'm sure if I lived in Philadelphia, I probably still would be eating them, and getting stern looks from my doctor. Time for Cardboard Appreciation: This is the 336th in a series):
I never give my brain enough credit when it comes to hunting down cards.
This happens most often during card show visits. I'll shuffle through a bunch of cards in a discount bin or look through a binder and pull cards along the way. During the process, my brain will pipe up, almost imperceptibly, singing "you haaaaaavve that one."
Often I'll ignore it, or not even hear it. I know better, I know what's in my collection. I need that card. And, no, I don't have to check a want list.
Then I'll get home and my brain goes in full "I told you so" mode. I'm staring at like a dozen dupes that I just bought.
The brain knows. The brain knows my collection better than I do. I must listen to the brain.
I did listen recently. It involved a different scenario. I was on ebay and stumbled across a 1980 Burger King card of Bake McBride. I instantly threw it into my cart as a definite need. My brain told me so. Was yelling at me. DEFINITE NEED. So it was in the cart and then purchased soon afterward.
I don't jump after any Burger King or O-Pee-Chee card. Sure I want them all, but to get me to practically lunge at the BIN button, it has to be different in some way than the Topps card. Different team, colors, photo, something different. My brain told me the Bake McBride Burger King card was different than the Topps card.
So when the BK McBride arrived, I went to my Topps binder and pulled out the Topps McBride card.
Well, gee, brain, the cards kind of look the same.
But my brain scoffed.
Here they are side-by-side:
The Burger King card is darker -- almost like it's the Topps card's evil twin. But the Burger King card image is also more-centered than the Topps image, features more space at the top of the photo and shows off more of McBride's afro.
My brain knew all that -- in less than a second -- when I viewed it on ebay. Yet if you came up to me and asked me what the 1980 Topps Bake McBride card looked like, I probably couldn't have told you before this little encounter.
The brain knows.
I should listen to it more often. And not for just card stuff either.
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