Night Owl Cards

In the category of baseball history, I probably know more than most fans. But I am forever coming across basic facts that I never knew. And then I question whether I really do know anything about baseball history at all. For example, it took me about 30 years of being a fan until I knew that the Mets came up with their team colors based on the two teams that had vacated New York less than five years prior. The Mets wear blue for the Dodgers, and orange for the Giants. When I first learned that, I thought it was kind of cool. I'm fascinated with color and history and baseball, so this brought a smile to my face, that a team would pay tribute to the city's past and baseball's past through color. And then it hit me: The colors selected for the Mets also represented the product of combining the Dodgers and the Giants. If the Dodgers and Giants were to marry and give birth, the result of that unholy union would be the Mets! (**** shiver *****) Suddenly, my many...

It's not about being first. It's about having something to say. At least that's what I kept telling myself the more I scrolled through Archives posts today. (Thirteen today alone, so far). Even before I bought a rack pack and a loose pack of this stuff, I wondered what the hell I was going to say about it. I basically already said my thoughts before I had even touched any of the cards. And after opening these, nothing has changed. It's Lineage 2.0. And it's Fan Favorites minus 20.0. I've seen a wide range of opinions on these cards and I'm more in the "what's the big deal" camp. I can't believe people are praising the wrapper. It's a wrapper. Besides, in the '80s I was sick to death of seeing the baseball with the streak on the front. "WILL YOU PLEASE CHANGE YOUR WRAPPER TO SOMETHING OTHER THAN A GIANT BASEBALL GLOWING LIKE THE SUN????" I believe were my thoughts back then. Since I'm so (*yawn*) about thi...

A while ago, Thorzul Will Rule featured one of those card war podcasts, and I actually made it through the entire thing. (Don't get offended. I merely have no time to watch entire videos or listen to entire podcasts. It's not the content. It's the format). On the podcast, Thorzul made a comment about the 1972 Topps set containing a lot of players featuring one particular character trait. He called it "freaky blue eyes." I knew immediately what he was talking about because I had noticed this, too. I also noticed it because I, in fact, possess "freaky blue eyes." It's OK. I'm all right with it. Chicks happen to dig them. Isn't that right, Jim? But, it's true, they can be viewed as "freaky," in that vacant, soul-less, stare-right-through-you-so-they-can-absorb-your-life-essence sort of way. Kind of like Dennis here. Don't look directly at him. I don't know why this aspect seems so noticeable on 1972 T...

As you may be aware, 1984 Donruss holds a huge lead over any other Donruss set in the polls on the sidebar, which are gauging the biggest improvement and biggest bust in the history of pre-Panini. I'm pleased by that because a handful of people disparaged the good name of '84 Donruss, the greatest set ever created by the Weiner brothers. And although others said they liked '84 Donruss, I prefer to dwell on the negative, because I'm not too big to admit that I want everyone to think like me and act like me and be like me so that there can be an epic army of night owls that can RULE THE UNIVERSE! Anyway ... It looks like '84 Donruss will be named the biggest improvement with just under a day left in the voting. And to celebrate, you're going to see a few more '84 Donruss cards. These came from garveyceyrusselllopes . With these few additions, I now need just 23 cards to complete the set. Great gracious. I crossed five more cards off my list, inclu...

(About a year ago, I made a grand announcement that my hours were changing. That, for the first time in decades, I would have weekends off. Well, the grand experiment is over. My hours are going back to how they were, and I'm working weekends again, starting this week. Oh well. Fun while it lasted. Weird, but fun. Cardboard appreciation time. This is the 143rd in a series): OK, it's "Explain The Card To Night Owl" time. (I haven't done one of these for awhile ). I received this card from Max . Some sort of Upper Deck retro tribute card from 2002. While staring a hole through it trying to come up with a post idea, I noticed that the number on his uniform was backward. Then I noticed that his helmet seemed to be airbrushed. Then the uniform sleeves looked more Blue Jay blue than Dodger blue to me. And, then it occurred to me: I know absolutely nothing about this card. Not only do I not know the set from whence it came, but I can't even make any factua...

I am seeing 2012 Topps Archives posts everywhere. I suppose, as a lover of everything that features even a hint of vintage cardboard, I should weigh in on the newest card product in, oh, what's it been ... two whole weeks? So, here it comes. My opinion on 2012 Topps Archives. Prepare to be thought-provoked, tickled, angered, bemused, changed in every way. Ready? Here it is: ... ... ... (*sigh*) ... Yeah, really. That's all. I really wanted to be interested in this product when I first heard the news that Archives was coming back. But after seeing it -- on the blogs anyway, who has time to go to a store in the middle of the week? -- I'm not that intrigued. I've come to the conclusion that I'm just not very interested in new cards this year. I still like to buy a pack or two to see what's out there. But I'm not like I was four years ago. The chances of me attempting to complete a set of new product has declined immensely in the last c...

OK, contest results time. It isn't pretty. My main reason for giving away some cards here was because I am in downsizing mode. I'm not really a pack rat, but if I didn't watch myself, I would be. In fact, I get a periodic rush from throwing things away once in awhile. It's enjoyable. I threw out some cards to prove to myself that I could do it and the world wouldn't be sucked into a black hole. My holding onto 1990 Donruss doubles was the height of pointlessness. I didn't have a use for them. I couldn't trade them. I couldn't sell them. I had no attachment to this set or many other sets like it. So, they're gone now, and somehow I feel lighter. To those of you who said in the comments that they could use certain junk wax sets, I'll do my best to send some cards your way. Where were you when stacks and stacks of '89 Fleer were piling to ceiling? But, first, I have a winner upon which to bestow 200 appropriately selected doubles. I as...