Night Owl Cards

Nick from Dime Boxes sent me some cards a few days ago. He always seems to have one of those Topps Scratch-Offs to throw into the pile. I like these oddballs, particularly since I'm starting to collect the 1970 Topps set (EDIT: This is a '71 Scratch-Off). And when you open one up and find this ... ... it's a bonus. Yes, I'm one of those finicky collectors who likes my cards unscratched. You take what you can get when it comes to scratch-offs, because the urge is STRONG and also because many scratch-offs appeared back in the vintage days (think the 1964 Topps cartoons) when absolutely no one on the planet could resist scratching. So I like that my 1970 1971 Tony Perez scratch-off is unscratched. I also like this: These are 48 scratch-offs from the 1981 Topps Scratch-Off set (or multiplied by three it is 144 scratch-offs). Nick came into a surplus of these and I happily volunteered to take them. I've never seen so many of the '81 Scratch-Off...

I haven't had much time for card stuff lately and during a brief break in the action yesterday (i.e. someone I needed to interview stiffed me), I decided to stop by Target and buy some cards just to prove I still could. I wound up with a blaster of last year's Archives, which ideally would be fun. But I've finished off almost all the Dodgers and I'm not trying to complete the set so this was purely a mad money purchase. Also, when I opened the blaster it occurred to me why I avoided Archives blasters last year: 1. Those blasted Sandlot cards. I'm about 1 of 2 bloggers who doesn't appreciate that movie and there is no reason for me to have the cards. I ended up with one of the cards -- don't ask me who it was, it wasn't the girl or the guy in the Dodgers hat. 2. Coins The coins are an exclusive to the blasters. I've never gotten into collectible coins. I have several of the '60s ones but that's because they're from the '...

The latest blogging sensation is trying to write a post in five minutes or less. I never put a time limit on writing my posts, and I would think you know by the length of some of them, my feeling is the longer you spend on them, the better they are. However ... In these time-crunch days, drastic measures must be taken. So I'm giving it a try. Here is what I have to say in 5 minutes or less: I am expecting my 10th anniversary giveaway to kick off next Thursday. I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, which is the main reason why I can't get to this giveaway or post with the frequency I have in the past, but hopefully I'll be able to cram it into my schedule at the end of this week. I'm feeling positive about this because for the first time in a month I actually mailed out some packages!!! ... OK, so it was only three of them, but you got to get back on the horse anyway you can, whether it's butt first or over the snout or whatever, right? Sendin...

A few days ago I started seeing collectors showing off their redemption arrivals from 2018 Archives. I began to wonder when my Jim Perry redemption autograph would show up. But I needn't have worried. Just yesterday I received a friendly announcement from Topps saying that my 2018 Fan Favorites Autograph 1971 Silver Parallel Jim Perry (boy, that's a mouthful) was on its way. Keep an eye out! This afternoon it showed up in the mailbox. I admit it's rather pretty. It resembles 1971 Topps about as much as I resemble a mountain man, but let's not quibble with a card that shows a scoreboard listing the Mets vs. the Padres and the Pirates vs. the Reds! I also appreciate the action picture, as '71 Topps was known for that. There is the back in all its 1971-like splendor. The stamping is difficult to read but it's numbered 68/99. As I mentioned when I pulled the redemption card, Jim Perry is a little before my time. His last card issued during his care...

Let me tell you, the Walmart closest to me is STOCKED UP this year in the card department. I don't know what came over it. For years -- as long as this blog has been around -- Target has beaten Walmart senseless when it comes to card stocking. It's been no contest. But this year is different. Out of habit, I go to Target first, because it's the big box with the latest cards. But more often than not this year, I leave with nothing, which used to be the pattern at Walmart. Now, I'm going to Walmart, and finding what I need! Around 6:30 p.m. Friday (a terrific time to be at Walmart when you want to avoid crowds, by the way), I found a card shelf filled with 2018 product. Boxes and boxes of Allen and Ginter and Series 2 everywhere. To a lesser degree, Stadium Club and Big League and Opening Day. Some monster boxes of Chrome for $39.99. I almost missed the Archives rack packs stashed over to the side on the middle shelf. I grabbed four of them and headed for the c...