Night Owl Cards

My Allen & Ginter mini frankenset features 27 empty slots. You'd think that even in a 350-card frankenset with 323 slots filled that it would not be extremely difficult to fill up the remaining spaces. You'd think that even if a mini wasn't going to fill an empty slot, it could still crack the frankenset. Look at the above page. It's filled with players like Ryan McMahon and Yunel Escobar, guys dying to be knocked out of the club. Just about every other page is like that, too. But I find that time and again, minis are trying and failing to make the binder. Some of this, I believe, is because Topps earmarks certain numbers for certain "types" in its A&G set. And if I like that "type" -- perhaps it's a baseball legend or a notable off-beat nonsports card -- then a card at that number may be continuously denied. You could be a card of Ryne Sandberg but there is only one Rod Carew, son. But still, I get hopeful when I come into a c...

As you know, there are quite a few Dodger collectors on the blogs (when I started there were two). They show all their Dodger card acquisitions, and I'm fine with that, except for the part of me that cries in the night, "those should be MIIIIIINNNNNE! " Also from time to time, I see someone boasting about something that they acquired that is right smack in the middle of my collecting interests. A Kellogg's 3-D card, or a '75 mini, or a shiny Kershaw insert. Those collectors have the right to those cards. But we all know where they really belong. Unfortunately, this is life and things never work out as they should. Not even in card collecting. There is no world peace. Coffee smells great and tastes like tires. Pee Wee's Playhouse hasn't been on my TV for years. But every once in awhile, the stars align, people of all races and creeds put aside their petty differences, and cards that have night owl written all over them do meet their destiny. Su...

I found out yesterday that Topps was delaying Allen & Ginter from its mid-July release date (I remember when it released in late June) until early August. The news hit me like I had just driven up to my favorite ice cream stand and saw a sign that said "CLOSED FOR THE SUMMER." And that's basically what I said yesterday: I admit that I overreacted a little. But August is not a good time for me buying cards. It never has been. August is historically known in my home as "The Broke Month." There is very little cash for anything, let alone frivolous things like trading cards. It is also the month in which work starts to ramp up again and cards get pushed aside. So how could Topps do this to me? I received a few suggestions as to how I could still pursue Allen & Ginter at such a late date in the summer without selling everything I own at the pawn shop. I could budget. I could pre-order a box when I had the cash. You know, sensible stuff. But...