Night Owl Cards

The 1982 Topps Kmart set soared through my collecting world like a comet. A, bright, shining boxed set that you could purchase only at Kmart. For the first time in my life, I had a reason to go to Kmart that didn't involve record albums. I remember the boxes being stacked up at the individual checkout counters. They were right next to the register, and if I remember correctly, you would have to ask the checkout person for a box, and they'd put it on the counter for you. The boxes sold for $2 or $3, I believe. But even that seemed like a large sum of money. I recall appealing to my brother, who worked at Kmart, to grab us a couple boxes. Come on, an entirely new set from a store just a couple miles away? This opportunity didn't come along every day. We were used to getting our cards from packs, wax, rack or cello. We knew how to fish through a box to get a card or cut a card off a box. But a box all to itself of just cards? This -- this was new. An entire set in a...