Night Owl Cards

  I've been involved in a few of Nachos Grande's group breaks over the last few years. They come in handy for a team collector like me. I'm at the point in my collecting journey where there are more card sets that I don't want to open than I want to open. Way more. Way, way, waaaaaaay more. That's where Chris' group breaks come in. Honestly, his motto should be "Opening Product So You Don't Have To."  So, last week I received my Dodger-card spoils from the most recent group break (or last two recent -- my memory is shot). I'm happy to say that about 40 percent of the cards were needs. That's very good for me. I almost didn't sign up for the most recent break for fear I'd come away with 10 needs and pay for a bunch of dupes. I'm not going to show all the cards. I'll limit it to a top 10, though none of this is in order. And you'll see why I'm glad Chris is opening this stuff and not me.   1. 1998 Pacific Online Bob...

  The cards I am showing here are the polar opposite from the ones I showed on the last post, and that's the theme here. I'm conflicted. I've written many times how I enjoy all kinds of cards and I prefer having a somewhat-open mind toward cards. I don't want to be an old crank who shuns the shiny, and I don't want to be a modern magpie, attracted only to cards of the last 20, 30 years. I try to find things I like in most cards. However, I admit: the cards they're putting out these days? It's so much easier for me to find stuff wrong with those ones. This is the conflict. Why am I collecting cards where the flaws jump out at me? Why not collect cards that make me feel warm-and-fuzzy at all times and always? I battle with my desire to remain updated on the players on the field, especially on my favorite team, and the best way to do that for me -- it's always been this way -- is to collect their cards. So I put on a good front, but actually I'm really ...

  (5,000-card giveaway update: I have mailed out the first 7 giveaways of 250 cards each. The 8th is waiting for a post office trip, the 9th is waiting to be packaged and the 10th is being selected. I should be halfway through sending by next week!)   I bought a pack of 2022 Bowman yesterday. I'll explain. Yes, I don't like Bowman. Yes, I haven't bought a pack of it in at least four years. I find the cards as disposable as cards can get, good for maybe hitting a hot card that I can sell, but that's not ever why I buy packs. So, why'd I buy it? Uh, I was at the Target card aisle and the stockers had reloaded. But the only baseball was a lot of Series 1 and -- what's this? -- Bowman fat packs? I'm a bit discombobulated this week after losing our dog -- it's so quiet in the house -- so maybe I'll blame that for picking up one Bowman pack. I also grabbed a Series 1 fat pack if it makes you feel better about me. I knew even before opening it that none of ...

  Oh, Topps, you know me. You know us. So knocked sideways by everything that's been going on in the world the last couple of years, we're not even sure what year it is half the time. So now is the perfect time to put out a card set made one year ago -- heck, the year of production is right on the box! -- and hope we don't even notice. I was certainly in that state yesterday. I attended calling hours for my former co-worker who passed last weekend (funeral was earlier today), and I had already made sure I wouldn't be at the office much that day. It was the perfect opportunity to head to the opposite side of town for some retail therapy. The card shelf was full again. I had my picks. Flagship. Heritage. Opening Day. But the Big League jumped out at me. I saw the "2021." I knew half the players wouldn't be with the teams depicted. I still bought it.   I can't help but wonder what casual collectors think, those who don't know that Big League was pushe...