On the Eve of 2021

Hail to thee, 2020. We've heard you loud and clear. I'm kicking your nefarious butt to the curb before this night is through. 

This year has left me relatively unscathed but I know this isn't true for everyone. I have good friends who've lost family members, and I lost an elderly friend myself three days before Christmas - all to covid.  Although I was laid off in April and May, my employer survived the auto shutdown and finished the year strong. My job is secure. I've certainly missed hanging with friends, especially over the holidays but do OK with 'me' time. Being alone is fairly easy for me though I couldn't do it long term. [I'm a hugger - people and  trees.] 

Even with the additional 'free time', I haven't added more posts here. No surprise as it's taken six years to hit #199 with this one. In all fairness to myself, I did manage 44 posts this year.  I also gave more of my hobby time to Pick Pockets. When I began the PP page more than a year ago, the intent was to spread a little hobby joy and perhaps spark a few trades. Who knew 2020 would be the sheet show it's been?  I've kept up with the page, hoping to make a difference in a few lives. In a year with no retail, perhaps pick pockets has allowed a few of you to build your own packs. 

        2020 gems courtesy of Doug, Buckstore Cards:

Your response to picking has been returned with kindness, with many sending cards from my three want-list tabs and mini-collections. The cards seen throughout this post are all from blogger pals, successfully adding to the joy in my own life. Thank you for this!

        From Chris the Collector - OPC and Sunoco Dutch with a fun Klesko:

I don't expect retail to come roaring back to our shelves anytime soon, if ever. Flippers found they could make some quick and easy money on our little blasters and hanger packs. The only Topps Chrome I ever pick up is through retail so I appreciate the Tigers from Doug, shown above. My collecting has moved towards my bat-themed mini-collections: floaters, racks and multiple bats. I'm also pursuing my own Stadium Club collection filled with favorites from 1991 through today. Cards I'm seeking can be found on my TCDB want list - link found at the top of this page right here.

        A cup of black coffee from Matt:

I've never listed goals here, hobby or otherwise. Goals cause me to look back over the full year and beat myself up for not accomplishing them. I prefer to note my achievements as the year moves along saying to myself "hey there, look what you did!"  

I do have an idea for the blog however, and would love some feedback from you. I'm an avid reader, mostly non-fiction: baseball, history and personal growth.  All are in excellent condition from a non-smoking home. With no room to keep all my beloved books, I've considered adding a book tab.  Books would be available to trade for x-# of cards on my wantlist. As a rule, I don't have the latest hot cards and players so perhaps a book would be considered in lieu of cards. Please share your thoughts in a comment.

        From Kerry Cards on Cards - 2020 Stadium Cub set help, Kaline SP and Pink Velocity Posey:

Check out the story behind this photo, featuring our own Nick Vossbrink

As for 2021, it deserves a chance. I tend to have an optimistic view of life but keep reality in my back pocket. I'm grounded. My hope for each of you is a year of kindness. Be kind to yourselves. Love yourselves. You are good people. If I didn't think so, we wouldn't be connected. May you and yours be healthy and blessed.  

Thank you for supporting this little blog!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

UNEMPLOYMENT: a temporary incovenience

Last Friday,  the first lovely day of February, I walked out the door for the last time. I can't begin to share just how good that felt! Any accounting firm rolls into tax season around February 1. My absence will be an inconvenience for awhile but certainly, I can be replaced.  What makes this such a unique situation is my coworker and good friend said 'sayonora' too, with the 5th as her last day. She left for the same reasons. While she can also be replaced in time, that office is in some serious trouble from an administrative support standpoint, not to mention the lack of their only onsite tech support, which I provided. There are so many good people in this office. Unfortunately they are not among the Leadership group.

We were short-staffed already. A new 20-something gal [our savior] joined the firm in December. It only took a couple weeks before we realized she would be no help to us. In one of our first meetings, we discussed work sharing. Her response 'that isn't convenient for me.'  I knew then it was time to get the heck out of there.  In the few days since I've been gone, she's been blaming me for her ignorance. 'Julie didn't tell me that.'  Twenty minutes late everyday and wanting to change her hours already - not my problem!  Within two days of leaving there, my blood pressure dropped to 128/75.  It was averaging 135/88. I've also lost a few pounds since turning in my notice.

I'm applying for positions much closer to home, knowing the salary will be half what it was. I'm covered financially for a few months so the urgency for work isn't there yet. What I do have is time for the hobby!!! My catchers are all in two binders now! More so - I have time to catch up on some wonderful trade packages!

Let's take a quick trip to 1975 Baseball Cards to look over a fat pwe from Steve:

Yes, the postmark is from June. Put your judgements back in your pocket. Focus instead, on these phenomenal Legends of Baseball stamps issued in 2000 by the good old postal service!  I was excited to find the cancellation missing old Ty so added this stamp to his pc. Back in the day, I purchased a full sheet of MLB's All Century Team:

Inside the envelope was a nice grouping of Tigers, including my first Fielder 'glow backs' from 1991 Topps!  Check out the link for details. Lacking a blacklight for testing, I take Steve's word for this.  He included the A&G Gaea mini for a feminine spin on my envelope! A nice touch, bringing all that testosterone down a notch! A thoughtful grouping of cards, Steve! Thanks again - and I'm so sorry it's taken so long to properly thank you!

In July, I participated in a Cards on Cards 10th Anniversary group break. Kerry was busting 1998 and 1999 Team Best, 2000 Team Best Extended, 1999 Stadium Club and extras, which had me pouncing on the Tigers slot!  It was a generous thank you to his readers and trade partners! Here's a sampling of the cards I received:

Not long ago, he dropped a few more cards on me. We helped one another with our 2018 Heritage set build. Kerry included other cards from my wantlist too along with a surprise auto!

AUTHENTICALLY REALMUTO

THANK YOU AGAIN!  Check out Kerry's blog and follow him on Twitter: Voodoo DeGlide.

One more late acknowledgement and thank you to GCRL at the  Cards As I Seem Them.  This Dodger collector send a couple of nice packages in 2018. He may think I've forgotten  - and who could blame him? There were some beautiful cards included:

2012 Fister, 2015 Farmer and Price; 2018 Fulmer

2012 

2014

Among the new, there are some handsome vintage catchers - 76 Fosse, 79 Oates and a 78 Biff!  Jim, please forgive the time it's taken to share these cards!

It's taken two hours to upload pics to this post. One of the nice perks I had with the firm was a new laptop every two years. I'm back to my 2010 Dell with Windows 7. Oh the agony!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm already looking for a new machine. At least this old Dell still works - as long as it's plugged directly into power.

Boxes, Binders and Trades...

A new week!  One free of any tax deadlines!  I usually go into hiding during those last two weeks around the filing day.  Now I can press onward with purging and sorting, enjoying the hobby at least til Mid-August.   I took a break from unboxing to clean a little more from the study closet - broke the wrap on and dismantled a 2002 Topps Factory set, keeping maybe 50 cards.  The rest are up for adoption.  Cards like Griffey, Thomas and Bonds are still in the box.   

  [Well minus one.  It was lost in a fire.]

I also found a couple of Studio Boxes from the 90s.  The cards are probably stuck together by now but duty prevails.  I'll have these opened by the end of the week, hoping to pull a Heritage Collection insert or two.

94 Studio Heritage Collection

I came across a binder for 1998 Leaf Rookies and Stars.  I loved this release at the time for the full bleed shots and inserts.  While packing up for the Michigan move in 2015, I looked the binder over but wasn't ready to let go of it.  I had 195 cards all paged with slots empty, waiting for those that never made the binder.  I will never complete this set, one with too many sp rookie cards, mostly players with rather brief careers.  I sorted through these and chose ten cards to keep. That leaves a stack of cards for trading, possibly a few for the next discard giveaway which is just around the corner.

KEEPERS

KEEPERS

Binder Mates, say goodbye to Paulie and the boys.

I want to acknowledge more trades,  received only a few months ago. Only.   A.J of  The Lost Collector sent a nice lot of cards.  My favorite of the group is the Marquee Ty Cobb from 2011.  I like these cards and missed out on the release, a bit like a high end version of Stadium Club with four cards to a  box.  I'll take a Marquee in trade any day!

Douglas Corti - Sportscards from the Dollar Store sent a nice group of paper Tigers:

Douglas included a GQ relic and Bowman auto but I have to say, my favorites are the Sportsdisc and 1989 Schedule. Awesomeness right there!

Cards on Cards' Kerry Biggs sent a batch of 100 or so.  An assortment of Poseys,  Miggy refractor/99, GQ framed Tigers, and Heritage Rainbow Foil Kinsler were among the highlights. Hard to choose a favorite among these cards.

Thanks guys for the fantastic surprises.  Now that I'm sorting and arranging binders, these cards will be enjoyed all the more!   I have just a few more trades to share before lifting the ban. More discards will be given away.   Anyone out there collect back issues of Beckett???