Night Owl Cards

I bought another rack pack of Topps Update last weekend just because the usual panic over not yet owning any Dodgers from this set kicked in again. A few cards through the rip, I came across this Derek Jeter All-Star card, and my first thought was, "oh, this is the card Sooz made." Think how about how unique that thought was. That was the first time in more than 40 years of collecting cards that I have ever thought that. I actually now know someone who works at Topps. I realize that I'm exaggerating somewhat here. I've never actually met Sooz in person. I've interacted with her on Twitter many times and on her blog A Cardboard Problem back in its heyday. I've entered a group break of hers and traded cards and notes through the mail a couple times. Some emails, too. I know her as well as anyone can collecting cards through the internet. I also know that she didn't actually "make" that card. Like she says in her post about it, she had ...

So, when your blog hits a million views, that's a good time to take a break, right? Or when you've worked 12 straight days, that's a good time for a breather, huh? Or when you don't feel like much of a collector because trades aren't being transacted as much as before and purchases have shrunk to almost nothing, that's when to give it a rest, hmmmm? Or when you don't have any time to formulate a decent post, or when the ones that are thought-out get little reaction, or when you're grown so cynical that you even bother to notice either of those things, that's the time to step back, correct? Or when baseball's about to end, basketball (bluuuh) is about to begin, and the team you like the least is about to celebrate a World Series title for the third time in five years, that's when to call timeout, you know? You know? Yet, here I am. Disillusioned and dedicated, I'm pressing forward. What has me blogging for another day is a p...

I've almost gone the whole World Series without showing a World Series card. Where are my manners? This card recounts the first World Series that I remember wanting to see. As I've said before, I faintly recall seeing highlights of Carlton Fisk's foul-pole home run during the 1975 World Series. But as far as actively being interested in viewing the World Series, that wouldn't come until 1976. I remember a little about the '76 World Series. The first game took place during the day, on a Saturday (Series from 1969-76 started on Saturday). But my remembrances are from night games, particularly Game 4, the final game, in which I probably viewed the first three innings and then was scooted off to bed. I wasn't around to view the scene above, relief pitcher Will McEnaney beginning the celebration on the mound, as first baseman Tony Perez runs in to great the teammates charging out of the dugout. But I remember seeing Johnny Bench's home run in the t...

File this under the "why did I buy this" category. I was even warned . I bought one anyway. Wacky Packages were one of the first "card" sets I ever bought. I was buying them at the same time I was buying my very first baseball card set, in 1975. The 2014 Wacky Packages Chrome set is based on the original series of Wacky's that came out in 1967 and 1973. Even though I didn't buy Wacky's until 1975, I do remember some of the original stickers from 1973. They must have been floating around from some of the older kids. Anyway, the Wacky's that both me and my brother purchased then are long gone, stuck on many forgotten objects in various forgotten ways. But the thrill of seeing one of those original Wacky stickers from '73 is still there. And I can still remember some of the first ones I saw: Boo Hoo Drink, Hawaiian Punks Juice and Rice A Phoni. I almost crave those old stickers like a 1975 Topps mini or a 1977 Topps football card. It'...

The pursuit of 1956 Topps is a slow one for me. I wouldn't even call it "deliberate". It's more like "plodding". If I stumble across a '56 card that I need, then I will be happy to add it to the collection. But since '56 Topps cards never pop up during my daily errands, nor do I think to search them out during my very sporadic bouts of online shopping, I often must rely on the kindness of semi-strangers. Robert of $30 a Week Habit recently sent three '56s my way. They are all very interesting, as each '56 Topps card tells a story that modern day cards can't. One of my favorite stories from the Bobby Hofman card here is that although it's intriguing that Hofman appears to be washing the baserunner's face with the ball, Hofman didn't have a lot of experience behind the plate. In fact, out of the 341 games he played in the majors, only 26 can be documented with Hofman catching. He was mostly a second baseman. Th...

(When I was a kid I begged to stay up for the World Series and wished it would last forever. Now I'm required to stay up for the World Series and can't wait for it to end. Life plays tricks, man. Welcome to Cardboard Appreciation. This is the 214th in a series): This has been one of my favorite cards from the 1976 Topps set since I first saw it in 1976. I'm sure that if you asked me then, "why do you like this card so much?" I wouldn't have been able to explain it. I still don't know if I can explain it. But I'm going to make an attempt. I think the reason why I like/liked it is because it was so unusual for its time and that made it stand out to me. Even in 1976, almost four decades ago, the photograph on this card was old-fashioned the moment people pulled the card. Pretending to field a fly ball? Wasn't that something they did on cards from the '60s? In the years since, the old "pretend" poses have gradually been fazed o...

Several bloggers recently received what turned out to be "farewell" packages from our buddy Jaybarkerfan (I still don't know what that means). Wes said that he's stepping away from his blog , but still plans to bestow surprise cards on people, which is really his forte anyway. But I know him for something else. He's the guy who crowned me "Blog of the Year" the last three years. Not that I expect it or anything -- I'm taking a much cavalier approach to blogging than in previous years -- but who's going to hand me crown No. 4? How am I supposed to brag and boast and do touchdown dances at the deli counter like Ickey Woods? There is serious gloating left to be done. I don't think Wes thought this through. But I will take my mind off of that fact by opening my own farewell package from Wes. As usual, I don't know how he's sending out all these cards -- didn't he just send me one of these? I'm starting with the be...