Night Owl Cards

If things went right, I'm at the ballpark tonight. But I haven't forgotten about you, dear readers. I'm here virtually to talk about a nasty habit that I've gotten into lately. It's tormented me for much longer actually, but it seems to have cropped up in a much more frequent and frustrating manner. It's the assumption that I've already completed a team set, when I actually haven't. Of course this is easy to do, what with all the inserts and super short-prints that litter sets these days. But I'm not even talking about that. I'm talking about the plain, old base team set. Some of you might remember my horror over last year's Topps Dodgers base set when I realized long after I thought I had finished it that I was missing the Mark Ellis card. Well, guess which card I needed to complete this year's base set? Yup. Mark Ellis again. Fortunately, it emerged from the pile of 2013 Topps Series 2 that Dave sent me. And I realized...

One thing that boggles my mind repeatedly in my various blog readings across our hobby is how readily available cards are in other parts of the country. I often lament my lack of a decent card shop and the relative lateness at which new product arrives in my area. There are many sets that I never see in person because of where I live. But I thought I was doing pretty good as far as card shows. No, there isn't one a week or one a month like there is in several places, but the few that I do get to go to are good-sized shows with a large variety of cards. You'd have to be awfully picky not to find something you like at shows like that. Still, even with all that bounty before me, there is one thing I've never seen at those shows in more than five years of going. '75 minis. Once in awhile I'll discover one in a discount box. But I can count those times on the paw of a three-toed sloth. And I have never, ever, ever seen a box or a binder full or even half ful...

I was quite pleased when we all turned the calendar over from 2012 to 2013. As I've mentioned a few times, 2012 was rather difficult for me. Yes, I'm grateful for the lessons learned during that year, but I don't think I want to go through anything like that again. It nearly killed me. So I deserve everything I get for returning to that year. But I had a good excuse. I wanted to finally update my Dodger team set needs for 2012. As often happens, I get a little bored during the second half of the card season -- especially if I don't like the designs -- and I fail to add the new sets onto my want list. I went back and added Bowman Chrome and Panini Cooperstown and was pleased that it was so brief. I figured, "what the hell, I'll add some of the many parallels from 2012 Topps to the want list, too." Big mistake N.O., big mistake. Totally oblivious to the horror before me, I dutifully went through the Walmart blues, Target reds and Toys R Us purpl...