Night Owl Cards

I pulled this card out of the five unopened 2010 Topps packs I won in the Play at the Plate contest. I didn't have to do anything to win them. The randomizer told Brian I won. And you must do what the randomizer says. Do not question the randomizer. This is one of those Cards Your Mother Threw Out. It's ridiculous really. It is a replica of the 2006 Topps card that was yanked out of the set. Topps was the one doing the throwing out, not anybody's mom. Nobody not named Keith Olbermann could get their hands on the card. So how could a mother throw it out (a fact even mentioned on the back of the card)? I happen to be one of the lucky collectors who was attempting to complete the 2006 Topps set. In fact, it was the first modern set I collected upon my return to the hobby. And I immediately found out how much the collecting world had changed when I saw a Topps checklist that featured the Alex Gordon card -- card No. 297 -- but knew I couldn't obtain the card....

My thoughts exactly, Catherine. It is time to put the bipping mechanism in full effect. No more holding back. Who is going to stop me? Oh, I've bipped here and there. But that was amateur stuff. There are pros out there and they're throwing off the curve. I have been bipped FIVE times. What the hell is going on? I thought everyone got bipped once, had a good laugh, and then went back to fuming about the color of the jersey swatch on their Aramis Ramirez relic card. This is like the kid who goes to kindergarten for the first time, comes home and says, "I'm glad that's over," only to be informed that he has to do it again 180 times a year for the next 18 years of his life. I've been bipped by Bonds, Willis and Hershiser. Then a package came from Matt of the aptly named Heartbreaking Cards. I knew what was inside because Matt's been bipping like rabbits. I don't think he's ever going to stop. The first thing that came out of the package wa...

I admit, I don't really know what "completist" means when it comes to our hobby. I suppose it could define anyone who collects cards in an attempt to complete something, whether that is a player set, a team set or just the set, period. But I've always associated the completist term with my first example, collecting the player. Although we have lots of player collectors in the blog community, it's never been an aspect of collecting that I've truly understood. Sets I understand. Teams I understand. Players? One specific player? Only one? Umm, no. As much as I am interested in cards of my favorite player, Ron Cey, I really don't care if I get them ALL. But if you expand that definition of "completist" to sets, I am guilty as charged, especially when it comes to one. The 2006 Topps set was the first current set I collected upon getting back into the hobby. And it remains my mission to obtain every base card, every update card, every insert card, eve...