Night Owl Cards

  I started collecting cards 46 years ago, and as a veteran collector I find myself spinning my wheels a lot. I think other veteran collectors can relate. Usually the new cards aren't interesting enough, but the old cards are too expensive. If I am to obtain cards I truly want, I have to wait -- until the money is around. But I don't like waiting. Often while I'm waiting, I browse and, "well, that looks interesting" and "hmm, maybe I'll try that" and suddenly my horizons have broadened and I like a whole lot more than just the old cards.   Or, I'm collecting some sort of spin-off on the old cards, like so:   These are the latest two cards for my 1975 Topps buyback pursuit. They are cards number 446 and 447, which means I have 68 percent of the 660 cards in buyback form. These were part of my COMC Black Friday order and I am especially amused by the Mets team buyback. That buyback, which is beat to snot -- I don't know why Topps thought somebo...

  On Thanksgiving break, in 1986, I came home from college with four albums that I had just purchased. I was buying cassettes at the time -- they were easier to store and transport as a college student -- and only one of the tapes was a new release, "Get Close," by The Pretenders. In an example of how long new music lasted in people's consciousness compared with what is released today, the other three cassettes had been released nearly a year prior, more than a year prior and three years prior.   Those other three were "The Hurting," by Tears For Fears, "Promise," by Sadé and "Hounds Of Love" by Kate Bush.   The Pretenders, I knew, having purchased LPs of theirs while still living at home. I also bought Sade's "Diamond Life" and Tears For Fears' "Songs From The Big Chair" while at home, too, the year before, the year each were released, both big sellers, propelled by videos on MTV.   Kate Bush, I didn't know. A...