Night Owl Cards

A little while ago, I sent this 1955 Topps Warren Spahn card to Wes at Jaybarkfan's Junk. It received the expected number of oohs and aahs, and I'm glad I was able provide something memorable to the man who has sent a whole ton of notable cardboard to me. But I hope nobody got the impression that I have cards like a 1955 Warren Spahn just sitting around. Spahnie hasn't been residing in my collection for the last dozen years, waiting for just the right occasion for me to spring it on someone. Spahnie card 10 years ago: Is it time? Me: no Spahnie card 7 years ago: Is it time? Me: nope Spahnie card 3 years ago: Is it time? Me: no sir. Spahn card: 1 year ago: Is it time? Me: Yeaaaa ... no. Spahnie card 3 weeks ago: Is it time? Me: (cackles with glee): Yes! Yes, the perfect time! I think most of you know night owl and his collection by now. I'm a collector of modest means. But I do luck out once in awhile, and I know what to do when I do. The Spa...

I said before that receiving two cards autographed by none other than Duke Snider would help right a 30-year-old wrong, and to my way of thinking it does. Some may think it doesn't, but hear my story and see if what I'm saying shakes out. This isn't a story of revenge, or even justice. It's more a story of redemption. I received this 1951 Topps Red Back Duke Snider card in a trade when I was a sophomore in high school. There were two kids in my class who seemed to have unlimited access to baseball cards like this. I don't know how they got them all -- this was long before the internet -- but they owned some sweet, old cards. I traded away a couple of nice cards for the Snider, 1969 cards of Pete Rose and Roberto Clemente. But the Snider was easily the oldest card I had seen in person, so the deal made sense to me. And the Rose and Clemente cards weren't in perfect shape. The Snider card was. The transaction was made between classes and I happily walked into the...

2009 Heritage is pushed back to Friday ! (EDIT: Uh, maybe . I don't believe anything anymore). No good, rotten, schemin', short-printin', gimmickin' bunch of back stabbers. Oh well, I have plenty to do today anyway, so that's one less thing on the list. It's hard to fit Heritage hunting into a day that already includes the start of spring training games. So that's what I'm going to do with this post: look on the bright side. First off, a thank you to the people who read my spittle. Sometimes I don't know why you do. Yesterday was a record for me in both visits and page views, and I haven't the foggiest why. But thanks. Secondly, it still boggles my mind how easily it is to obtain cards like the Hermanski card here since I've started blogging. I'll say it again: great, great people out there. And before I get too back-logged, there are people I need to thank for some recent packages. So I better get that out of the way before I have...

As some of you know, my first TTM try was a rousing success. It doesn't get any better than having your childhood favorite sign the cards you sent and return them in a week's time. So, with that victory, I have decided to give it another whirl with another player who has meaning to me, the legendary Duke Snider. Snider is a big part of the reason why I am a Dodger fan. In fact, anybody affiliated with Roger Kahn's book, "The Boys of Summer," is part of why I am a Dodger fan. And I always thought that he received third billing next to Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. Whether that was warranted or not, I don't know. I wasn't around in the 1950s. But I think he should've received a little more credit. Mantle had his 565-foot shot in Griffith Stadium. Mays had his catch off of Vic Wertz. Where was Snider's iconic moment? Surely he had a few. Anyway, with another gracious assist from Brian of 30-Year-Old Cardboard , I will be sending a single card off to...