October is one of the busiest months on the calendar. But unlike some of those other always-busy-months (*cough* "March"), October features fun busy stuff that interests me.
Last night, for example, both of my teams were playing: The Bills (yuck) and the Dodgers (yay!). It was a lot, and I saw almost none of it because I was working. Probably for the best. But then I got home and I wanted to see the Dodgers highlights and that "fly out into a double play" that everyone was discussing online. I waited and waited. It got to be 2 a.m. and still no youtube highlights. I went to bed. Fifteen minutes later the highlights were up.
It's just a lot this month and it's been that way for quite awhile. I do miss the younger days when I didn't have as much on my schedule -- or at least that's the way I remember it. I miss many of the elements of those days, which is why I want cards from back then.
Diamond Jesters' Time Travel Trading is a great way to get those older cards. I picked up four more recently. By my blog's count, this is the 21st TTT I have participated in, but it's probably more than that. I don't have time to do research on it.
Let's look at the cards in reverse chronological order and I'll tell you how busy I was with each yearly example.
1990 (Topps football Thurman Thomas)
I'll focus on the fall of 1990 as that's when these football cards were out. This was actually a busy time for me. I was still in my first year as a full-time sportswriter in a new job in a new place. Also I was a month or two away from getting married so there were a bunch of preparations in progress. But I had already taken care of interviewing Thurman Thomas! I did that a couple years earlier in my old job.
I should have all the 1990 Topps Buffalo Bills by now, but there's still work to do.
1986 (Topps glossy send-in Gorman Thomas)
I think these were found in rack packs at this point -- I wasn't collecting then. I was in college. We'll say these came out in the summer, which means I was taking a couple of summer classes and working part-time outside cooking hot dogs at the college's food services. Everything was very relaxed at this time. When I had class, before it started, I'd sit at one of those big, cushioned lounge chairs in the student union. I knew this girl Cyndi would be there, too. We talked about life each time. I liked her a lot.
As for the glossy send-ins, I like these a lot, too. 1983 is my favorite (the yellows) but I sure would like all of the '80s ones. Also, it's GORMAN THOMAS. AMIDST BATS!
1979 (TCMA Tidewater Tides Kelvin Chapman)
TCMA minor league sets were mostly issued through mail-order catalogs as far as I know so there was no known release date. Again I'll say it's the summer-time when this card was available. In the summer of '79 I was all about collecting 1979 Topps, playing baseball and listening to the pop charts on WMRV. As I've mentioned before, this is the summer my grandfather passed away. We took a 2-week vacation in Buffalo because of it (well, vacation for me and my brothers, probably not for my mom). There was a lot of time to kill.
I love, love minor league cards from the 1970s, specifically the late 1970s. And I have an advantage over people who only want the minor league cards of the superstars. I get just as much of a kick about someone like Kelvin Chapman, who I remember and who had major league cards. Cards of those guys come cheaper.
1961 (Topps Don Gile)
In 1961, I had all the time in the world ... ahead of me. I wasn't born! Can't say I know Don Gile, but the '61 set is one of my new favorites when I'm looking at random '60s Topps cards to grab, right up there with '65 and '67. It's one of my biggest reversals in terms of cards that appeal to me. I used to think 1961 was duller than dust.
So that was my latest trip back in time, when the days were easier. It's getting a little tricky finding an older card to send back now in the Time Travel Trade routine when I select '50s or early '60s cards. But I have my return envelope ready to send, so no problem this time.
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