Night Owl Cards

I'm sure you've seen many posts over the last few weeks from collectors featuring what they bought on COMC on Black Friday weekend. COMC hosts its best deals of the year that weekend, from what I hear anyway. And lots of people -- who are very on top of the latest "thing to do" -- pounce. It's actually very smart, lots of money to save, free shipping, etc. But I'm not nearly that together. I am never in any shape to buy cards on COMC on Black Friday. It's usually a day for some family activity or recuperation. Two years ago, I was in a bowling alley with lots of babbling nieces and nephews (OK, one of them was my own kid). Last year I was dealing with the final days of my mother-in-law. Today, I was driving home in a haze very desperate to get some sleep. The sales -- again -- passed me by. However, I love cards and I love COMC. So about two weeks ago, I placed a small order with some money I had budgeted for Christmas purchases that it turns out I ...

Topps always gets me with its annual release date of the flagship set. By releasing it in late January, it's still fresh on the shelves during what I call the "second gift-buying season." The first gift-buying season, of course, is Christmas. The second (or actually I guess it's the first if you're going by the calendar) is early February to the end of March. That season includes the holiday that we are celebrating (or dismissing) today and quite a number of birthdays. I always find myself in stores at this time and some of those stores have card aisles. It's inevitable. I drift toward the cards as a reward for suffering through whatever section of the store that is overrun with hearts or crafts or clothes or that makeup/jewelry/purses, bags and scarves blackhole where I suddenly can't breathe. At this time, flagship is still a little interesting, even for someone who isn't trying to complete the set. So, last night, I grabbed a rack pack an...