Night Owl Cards

  I've said a time or two that I have no regrets when it comes to removing cards from my collection. Whether I trade them, sell them, whatever, it was what I meant to do at the time, and I won't use hind-sight to beat myself up over what is a hobby.   However, I do have one regret when it comes to collecting. I was reminded of it just last night when Collecting Cutch posted about collecting newspaper clippings .   I don't have any newspaper clippings in my collection. That's a bit embarrassing to say for someone who has been in the newspaper business for almost 35 years. I do have an accumulation of newspapers in my home that I have saved, but that's for professional reasons, a habit I picked up when I was building my resume and thinking about moving on (it never happened). Fortunately one of those papers is the Dodgers' clinching game of last year's World Series. But I did once accumulate newspaper clippings. I put together scrapbooks of the entire major le...

Although I far prefer cards to any other kind of collectible and generally discourage people from sending me memorabilia, I admit that memorabilia can stir a conversation like cards can't. Bring up a card with noncollectors and their first question might be "how much is it worth?" Either that or they're bored instantly by whatever you have to say. But memorabilia? It seems to naturally hold the attention of the noncollectors and even nonsports people. I don't know what it is. Maybe people can relate to clothing more than cardboard? Or using equipment? I don't get it. Because to me, a card with a photo on it tells many more stories than a hat or a glove. But it's apparent that memorabilia draws a wider interest. I received just such an example from Rod of Padrographs recently. I admit it's very cool and a definite conversation-starter. And it's one of those memorabilia items that I will hold onto forever. And there aren't many noncards...

Obviously, a lot of card collectors don't limit their collections to baseball or cards. They collect cards of football or basketball or hockey players, or of movie stars, or scientists or whatever. They also collect magazines and yearbooks and baseballs and bats and caps and bobbleheads and figurines and posters and photographs and seat cushions, and items I can't even describe. And they collect things like what's pictured above. I received this minature tractor-trailer from my sister-in-law, who seems to have no idea what I collect except that it's baseball-related and that I like the Dodgers. She also gave me a die-cast pick-up truck with similar Dodgers decorations. When I was 9 years old, these would be the coolest items I owned. I'd vroom, vroom, vroom them all around the room. But now? When I received them as a gift? I'm trying not to sound ungrateful. But I call items like this dust collectors. I have no idea what to do with this stuff. The Dodgers tract...