Night Owl Cards

I'm sure the phrase "legends of cardboard" has been used previously. It probably came up in one of those nostalgia pieces that you see every once in awhile. Someone recalling the joys of his old collection, leafing through the cards in a bubble gum haze, writing those cliched words and ideas we longtime collectors have all read before. In these articles, "legends of cardboard" are always players like Mickey Mantle or Stan Musial. Roberto Clemente or Pete Rose. Tony Gywnn or Frank Thomas. But to me, those players aren't "legends of cardboard." They're "legends of the game." Their legendary status came on the ballfield, not on a piece of cardboard. I don't think players like Oscar Gamble or Mark Fidrych are legends of cardboard either. They made an impact on the field, too, no matter how brief or no matter how impressive their cardboard picture. I'd consider those players "Cult Figures of Cardboard." For me,...

So I've been babbling about a card package from Greg at Nearly Mint for two posts now, heading into a third. But so far all I've shown from it are a bunch of cards of ballplaying hippies from the '70s. Who cares about that ratty, old cardboard with the dated designs and the pitiful haircuts, right? Can't I modern it up a bit? Why, yes. Yes, I can "modern it up" a bit. Because I love cards of all kinds. As it happens, Greg sent me some cards direct from the '90s, a decade that some of you love so well. The cards included some Dodger parallels of the time period -- which, of course, means they are dressed in silver and gold. Up there is a silver signature Tom Candiotti from '96 Collector's Choice. And down here are gold-lettered items of Brett Butler and Todd Worrell. These looked so much better when Greg was showing off his 1994 Topps box busting skills on Twitter. Maybe it was because I was staring at them while I was at work (s...