Monday, February 13, 2012

I'm slowly convincing myself...

I've talked at length about my new 'strategy' towards set building. Well, towards buying cards really. It's summed up as "Wax is for suckers". And it is. We all know it is. But it's hard for someone like me who enjoys busting wax. I know you feel my pain.
Normally a new baseball season means new boxes to bust. We've all bashed Topps to death lately, and deservedly so, so I'll refrain from more of it here.
When I saw the bright shiny purple wrapper of 2012 Topps, I of course had to buy a pack. Just one. Just to see. I plopped down my $2.75 and ripped it open right there on the counter. Ten cards. And the only name I recognized was card #7, Mickey Mantle.
Cue the Price is Right fail music....

But that's okay. After the initial let down, I was over it because I had to buy a pack. I just didn't end up with a good one. But that's life. Right? No biggie. The sun will rise again tomorrow, and eventually that GroundHog will learn how to drive. Just hopefully not angrily.

Fast forward a couple of days, and I hit up the weekend card show. This is the one more in the north end of the city from me. Which also means it has the guy who sells baseball and football cards.
He already had a few cards set aside for me....
Seven insert cards from the new Topps release.

Fabulous Freddie. (no sophmore jinx, no sophmore jinx, no whammy, no whammy....)
 Arodys Vizcaino - nice looking cards I guess. This is about the best use of gold as they could do. It does look like a Bowman insert though, not Topps.
 A couple different Henry's....
 Looks like Hank is squinting trying to see through the impending duststorm.
CHIPPAH!!!! This card is begging for an auto....
 Dan Uggla on the 'talent' side of this dual card.
 Big Mac sharing space with some scrub with weird looking equipment.
All seven of these cards cost me just under what I paid for that hobby pack.

So um..... yeah. I guess no more packs for me of this product.
But that's okay. I got to open one. And one is all I needed.

3 comments:

Kbrewster/90 said...

Terrific post. I completely agree with you. Open a couple, pick up the ones you want from another source, and move on.

Paul Hadsall said...

I bought one of those $10 hanging box things & got a few Mets and about 10 rookies/new guys that I could try to use for autographs (along with the standard assortment of useless Yankees/Phillies/Red Sox stars).

I bought another $5 rack pack the next time I was in Target. A few more Mets, and already some doubles.

I spent $3 to get the other Mets and no-name guys I wanted at the local card show yesterday, and I think I'm done until Series II comes out.

Collective Troll said...

I feel yer pain Captain and I agree... But for me - I NEED to rip at least a little... Retail Topps is 2 bucks or 5 for a 36 card hanger... If I have an extra 5 spot, its worth it for me for the cheap thrill... I know I can buy 2 Rays team sets for that price and I really don't care about the inserts, but I can't resist a little rippin'
Cheers bud, spring training is just days away!