Night Owl Cards

I received some cards from Joe of The Sandlot a week or so ago. It's always good to see a blogger who's been away pop up again. I was able to find three in the dozen or so cards that he sent that were new to my collection. Also, sadly, it appears they will have something else in common. See if you can figure out what it is: If you said "a beloved Dodger great who was eventually dealt away only after much consternation from a certain night owl" then you are correct. And this is where you say, "wait a minute, Matt Kemp is still a Dodger!" It looks like it's only a matter of time. The chatter has been especially strong today, particularly concerning a deal with the Padres. In those hours of pouring through reports searching for any kind of logic, I realized that, yes, Kemp probably is on his way out and there are probably good reasons behind it. I don't like writing that because even though Kemp has never been THE favorite of mine,...

I think we can all admit that we've screwed up at a card show. There was the time when we brought home a semi-high-priced need only to realize it was a duplicate. From eureka to shame in a matter of hours. There was the time when we walked out of the building, into our car, up the highway, and 20 minutes later realized we didn't look for the card we specifically set out to find. Facepalms all the way home. Or there was the time when we saw a card we wanted, left it because we wanted to check out another table, and then came back only to find it gone. If the dealer blew on you, he could've knocked you over. I know all these well. But the one blunder that I always remember and probably will never forget is one I've mentioned in passing on a few blog posts over the years. It was my opportunity to get that 1954 Bowman Billy Loes card that you see there (well, not THAT exact card -- it's in far too nice a shape for my budget). Isn't it beautiful? That ...

The other day I saw that Spiegel received a record number of Hideo Nomo cards in one package. It was like 70 cards or something. I don't ever get that many Nomo cards at once. But then I don't have the guy's name in my blog title. Just imagine if there's ever a player named "Night Owl." I'll set the record for having the most cards of that guy. Fortunately, I do know some Mets collectors. And they always seem to have great Nomo cards. I'm not sure why. Possibly because Nomo spent a stray year in New York. That 4.82 ERA got all of New York fired up and there was a run on Nomo cards. Anyway, I was contacted by ... Joe at The Sandlot about a fancy Nomo insert that he pulled, which you see here. Isn't it great? I have to figure out how to store this card with a light shining behind it at all times. I also received these other two cards from Topps Gallery. The first one is Nomo's regular base card from the set -- I think, one never ...

I have a rare card show coming up this weekend. The week has been pretty wild on the homefront, so if my shot at attending this show gets scrapped, I won't be surprised at all. But like a third-string quarterback working out for a game he'll never play, I'm preparing as if I'm going. I've dug up a print version of my abbreviated want list and will be adding some updates to it on Friday. I've got my card show flyer ready. I'm on it. A recent addition to my card show prep work is clearing out some incoming trade packages so I can further update want lists and get a better idea of what to look for when I'm out on the floor. I tend to wander around in a giddy haze at card shows and this helps me sharpen my focus somewhat. But I never expect the haze to disappear completely. So this is what I don't need to pursue, come this weekend. If I go: Cards from: Robert at $30 A Week Habit You know that saying, "always go with your first instinct...

Hey, don't complain. I could be tracking down an image of a bizarre Triple Threads card off of ebay and putting it up here. You don't want that do you? Mercy, those things are awful. I refuse to acknowledge something that craves our attention so desperately. Meanwhile, in my continuing pursuit of Topps Lineage '75 minis, some generous folks have checked the want list and gifted me with wonderful cards. Chris of Nachos Grande , Julie of Things Are Funner Here , Joe of The Sandlot and Spiff of Texas Rangers Cards have all sent Lineage minis recently. I'll show you the cards and you can guess who sent what. One person sent this card. It's very weird to see Morgan in a '75 design without the yellow-red All-Star border with the giant white star. One person set this card. Have you ever wondered what the 19th century Cleveland Spiders would look like on a '75 design? I know I have. Yours and my dream has finally come true. One person sent this card. ...

I know what you are thinking: "Is this the kind of trade post history that will affect me? Or is this only some sort of personal milestone for Night Owl that I don't care about in the least?" Ah, my dear reader, that is something I won't reveal until the end of the post. But first you must get through a rather hefty trade post in which I regale you with the tale of multiple transactions. No fair scrolling to the bottom. That's the tactic of weenie blog readers. And you're not a weenie are you? Besides, Santa is watching. So be good. I have several stacks of cards that have been waiting patiently to show their faces on the blog. So, let's get to it: CARDS FROM: Dan of It's Like Having My Own Card Shop FAVORITE CARD FROM PACKAGE: Ted Lilly gold card I received some cards out of the blue from Dan. Well, actually, they weren't out of the blue. Once upon a time I had expressed interest in the Lilly gold card and then promptly forgot abou...