Night Owl Cards

OK, ever since 2012 I've made a lot of noise about never attempting to complete another modern set again. This is still my general feeling and I am reminded that it's a good feeling when I read things like how Opening Day has variations again . But then how do I explain -- mr. smarty pants -- me trying to complete 2013 Allen and Ginter? Huh? Huh? Huuuuuuuuuuuuuh???? Well, you got me there. The only thing I can say is -- and this is a rationalization -- is that there are certain sets that rise above. They rise above all the nonsense that hovers around card sets these days. Short-prints, variations, online exclusives, etc. Sure, those "rise above" sets may include some of the very things that caused me to put on the breaks and go in reverse about 30 years, but I don't notice them as much because the set is too awesome. I suppose this is the way to still get me to collect a modern set. Don't make it crap. Make it interesting enough that I don't...

I intentionally used that post title because I hate the phrase. There are many phrases that activate the skin-crawling mechanism for me, and not all of them are uttered by Chris Berman. Here's another one: "the next level." This is used by hack local sports broadcasters to refer to area high school athletes who sign NCAA Division I scholarships. I recently saw a broadcast about some girls signing to play DI lacrosse, and the on-air idiot didn't say "Division I" a single time. He just uttered "the next level" over and over. Apparently, the girls are signing to play lacrosse on the second floor of their high school. Anyway, this is a housekeeping post in which I regurgitate some random thoughts such as the one above. Follow along, won't you? You may have heard that the Dodgers re-signed Hiroki Kuroda yesterday. You also may not care, but I do. This means the Dodgers have four reliable starters in the rotation and can work on what is really...

The Collective Troll sent me this card a couple of weeks back. Here is my thought process when I saw the card: "Wow! A 1961 card! Is that a real '61? (Turns over the back of the card). Yup, a real '61! Awesome." "It's a Brave. Bob Buhl. Look at those freaky eyes! That's great!" "Wait. Why did he send me this card? I don't collect Braves." (Searches card stack for note. Finds note). Owlie, Bug-Eyed Buhl is coming to get you! Hope these aren't all dupes, enjoy! Troll (smiley-face). "Hmmm, Bug-Eyed Buhl. That seems familiar. I think that card might've been on one of his blogs." (Searches Collective Troll ... um, Side of Bacon Card Blog. Can't find it. Searches Nitty Gritty Card Blog. Finds it . Reads post on Buhl. Suddenly recalls commenting on post. Clicks on comments. Reads the first comment). "night owl said: That Buhl card is GREAT! I'm going to have to acquire it, as it gives me an inst...

There are a lot of things wrong with the Dodgers these days. But one of them hasn't been the starting pitching. In fact, since the addition of Ted Lilly to the rotation, I haven't worried about my team's starters in the least. Well, I do worry that they will go into the bullpen with an Uzi after a useless reliever puked on their victory for the bazillionth time. But other than that I am pretty happy with Kershaw, Billingsley, Kuroda, Lilly and Padilla. I wouldn't mind seeing them all back again next year. Plus, lately I've been blessed with some great cards of one particular member of the starting rotation. In fact, I didn't even notice the connection between the three cards until about 10 minutes ago. All within the last couple of weeks someone has sent me: Billingsley as a solo act. Billingsley as part of a duo. And Billingsley as part of a group. Rock on! Aren't those great? The solo Billingsley came from Shoebox Legends . The Bil...

I received a package from The Collective Troll a week or two ago. And while my posting of its contents isn't terribly timely, the cards I received are -- especially this one. I burst with pride when a player on my favorite team leads the league in offense. I don't care if it is only the third day in May. It's been that way ever since Ron Cey set a then major league record of 29 RBIs in April of 1977. I remember back then mentioning Cey's feat in music class to a couple of my Yankee-brainwashed classmates and them looking at me in complete incomprehension. Dumb-asses. Knowledge is power muchachos. Anyway, I burst with pride because unlike the Yankees and Red Sox and a few other teams, the Dodgers don't get the chance to lead everybody in offensive categories very often. I mentioned that once long ago . The Dodgers have and always will be about pitching (the 2010 mess aside). Ethier, right now, is leading the National League in just about every power category:...

The world is a terrible place. You don't need me to tell you that. Every day there is yet another reminder that either punches you in the gut or makes you cry. The story of someone stealing personal possessions out of an unlocked car doesn't horrify me like an earthquake or a missing child. But in a world in which it seems like there must be at least one news item a day that makes my mouth drop, Troll's account of the heisting of some of his most precious cards was Friday's shake-my-head-moment. Sure, they're just cards. But we collectors know better and feel deeply for Troll's loss. I know I do. Ever since I read his post, I have put myself in his situation a half-dozen times. And each time I come away from it almost as devastated. If that happened to me, not only would I not be able to write about what just happened, I wouldn't even be able to speak coherently. Or breath properly. Cards are not just cards. They are history and memo...

I don't think I've done a trade post that hasn't mentioned "bipping" in some shape or form since the whole nastiness started. I do believe unearthing the art of bipping on us innocents was Thorzul's way to tarnish trade posts forever more, since they seem to irk him so. And although I'll give him a hearty "well-played" if that was his intention, this is one trade post he's not going to ruin. No bippings in this post. No siree. And best of all, this post is going to be looooooooooooonggggg. I'm wedging four different packages into one. But there's a lot of variety here. So, think of hit as a four-course meal. It's long, but it's all good stuff. And your card appetite will be satisfied in the end. Plenty of belching, but no bipping. I will start off with someone who has bipped me already. And that means I wasn't crazy about opening this package. But it turns out Wicked Ortega was back to his usual giving mood. He h...