Night Owl Cards

Eighteen years ago this very day I started Night Owl Cards. This blog is officially an adult.   This anniversary comes at an uncertain time for this blogger in particular, and maybe a few others. Google seems to be giving up on its Blogger responsibilities. Last weekend, nobody could comment on any blog and this past week, the function for updating blogs -- both on the reader list and in the sidebar blog rolls -- has stopped working.     In order to keep up to date with the newest blog posts, I've had to go to each card blog individually, and, even with only 50-60 blogs to check these days, who has time for that? Not many, judging by the lack of comments I've seen on other people's blogs. (But did you know there's a new blog bat-around happening ??)   For those who want readers to come to their blogs, I'll mention the Feedburner site again. It's worked for me around 90 percent of the time.   The web address is feedburner.google.com. I go there when I have a...

   (Note: I'm still waiting for Dana to get back to me with an address so I can mail the winnings from the 6,000th post contest. I'll give it another week for an answer. If I don't hear by then, the No. 2 person on the contest list gets the prize (I'll need his address, too)).   ----------------------------------------------------------------    One of my all-time favorite "impossibles" when it comes to card sets is the 1967 Topps Giant Stand-Ups , a 24-card proof set that wasn't released.   I love the look -- the floating heads on the dark background -- but I'll never land any, which is why I still have the 2009 REA Auctions book that includes pictures of the set.   The next-best thing, I guess, is the 2016 Heritage insert set, a tribute to that test set. They're not the same thing -- it's 15 cards instead of 24 (neither fits nicely in a 9-pocket page), and the cards are smaller as they're standard 2 1/2-by-3 1/2. Finally, unlike the origi...

   Car problems again, guys. Same car, too. This is the third time I've had my vehicle in the shop this year and the timing, while never good, sucks for the hobby side of things.   This weekend I was facing the exhausting-but-fun prospect of card shows on back-to-back days. But now the Sunday show is out because I don't have a vehicle to drive that distance. That leaves the local show, which I appreciate -- especially in times like this -- but it's not as good, not nearly.   To illustrate, I have some cards that I received from Jeff of Cardboard Catastrophes . I can safely say that I will find none of these cards at the show a couple miles away this weekend. In fact, all of these are from my want lists -- my blog want lists, which may or may not be accurate as we will soon see.         First, three 1970 Kellogg's cards. All three of these were needs, well, still are needs. The cracks mean they stay on the want list. I was going to compare this Bil...

  Well, I get up at seven, yeah And I go to work at nine I got no time for livin' Yes, I'm workin' all the time       It seems to me I could live my life A lot better than I think I am I guess that's why they call me They call me the workin' man       They call me the workin' man I guess that's what I am     'Cause I get home at five o'clock And I take myself out an ice cold beer Always seem to be wonderin' Why there's nothin' goin' down here       It seems to me I could live my life A lot better than I think I am I guess that's why they call me The workin' man       Well, they call me the workin' man I guess that's what I am        Well, they call me the workin' man I guess that's what I am   (*Alex Lifeson 2-plus minute guitar solo*)         Well, I get up at seven, yeah And I'll go to work at nine I got no time for livin' Yes, I'm workin' all the time   ...