Night Owl Cards

It's November, so I've begun transitioning 2019 cards to their ... um ... final resting place. That means taking them from the stacks of 2019 cards that have built up on my card desk since last winter and moving them to boxes or binders. Spoiler alert: only sets that I particularly enjoy get the binder treatment and none of the 2019 cards will see the inside of a binder. I always start with 2019 cards that I know I will not purchase again in a moment of weakness in the retail aisle. And, sadly, because I do love the brand, Heritage is getting that box treatment right now. While inventorying what I have of '19 Heritage, I discovered something that I hadn't noticed, nor had read anyone mentioning: 2019 Heritage marks the return of full names on the backs of Heritage cards. Topps has displayed the full names of players on the backs of their cards during two distinct periods: 1952-57 and then the early 1970s -- 1970, and after a two-year break, 1973-75. That me...

I just got back from a few days off in which I went out of town. These days, one of the requirements of an out-of-town trip is checking out the card display at the nearest Target or Walmart. You can have your cheap knicknacks from the generic tourist trinket shack, I'll take my cards, please. This time it was Target in a very frenzied plaza that I know well. Each time I'm there, I feel like I take my life in my hands. Once, at this plaza, I was honked at, cursed at and nearly mowed over by the cutest, youngest blonde in the cutest, reddest car that you have ever seen, and I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. I can't even tell you what other stores are in the plaza because I'm forever watching for runaway, self-righteous vehicles. What we do for cards. The card aisle at this Target is not as large as the one near me. But I can count on it for different items. For example, Gypsy Queen had made its way to this Target (it's not at my hometown Target). You could buy loose ...