Collection Announcement and a Contest!

A few years back when I re-entered the hobby I purged a lot of my cards to start fresh with a Cubs-centric collection. This helped me contain my enthusiasm for the hobby which, with my personality, could have quickly spiraled out of control to an “I want them all!” mentality. This limited collecting also appeased the wife. Along the way, I've completed a few base sets too, mostly Topps flagship product, as they have been a constant throughout my collecting days.

I enjoy reading about others’ “niche collections”, a phrase I use quite a bit on my other blog.  Going through the 2014 Topps set card by card and tagging them with these various mini collections (even a few I made up) has been a fun experience. Enough so that I have decided to branch out from my Cubs collection and start my own.

I don’t want to take bunting or double play cards away from Jeff of 2x3 Heroes fame, or plays at the plate cards from, ahem, Plays at the Plate or any of the numerous mini collections that Nick from Dime Boxes collects. So I tried to find one of the mini collections that I tag in my other blog, but really hadn't seen anywhere else.

I hereby announce that as of today, I am collecting all horizontally oriented cards. I've mentioned before, quite often actually, that they're some of my favorite looking cards. Previously, if they weren't Cubs, I’d appreciate them and send them on to someone else.

But some of you complain that you don’t like the way they look in binders or they don’t fit right in your hand when you’re shuffling through a stack. So I am the new answer to that complaint. Send them to me!  Any team, any player. They can be from sets where the whole thing is sideways or one of the handfuls that populate the vertically dominant sets.

For the time being, assume I have nothing because if they’re Cubs, they’re tied to that collection separately. And if they’re Topps base cards, they’re probably among my complete sets, again, separately. I am literally starting this collection from scratch the moment this posts.

I busted a lot of packs and repacks last year that need sorting and traded away so I can return the favor with team lots or perhaps your own niche collections. If I don’t have something to even up the trade, I've got a decent sized card show within the month as well. I only plan to add to this collection through trades and any I pull from packs myself that aren't going towards a set. No buying, not even from dime boxes!

As for the contest, leave a comment below with your favorite team and any/all of your niche collection(s).

Don't tell anyone but I'm really selfishly building a secret database that I’ll use to pass off my extras in the future, too.

I'll randomly select a winner from the comments at the end of next week and try to tailor a prize package suited to that collector through my trade stash and/or the upcoming card show. And for the record, I'm pretty sure we're all PSA 10 Hall of Fame rookie and pre-war era collectors, so no need to put that, wise guys! 

Two Birds with One Stone?

Well, one Byrd and one Peacock anyway. And one stone is more like 5 songs. Semantics, I tell you.

I tend not to enter a lot of the contests around the blogosphere. While "random drawing" is probably the fairest way to distribute prizes, there's something to be said for trivia contests, where first one with the right answer gets the prize. And not just silly trivia where a google search provides the right answer within seconds.

Jeff from over at 2x3 Heroes was doing just that last week with a couple of giveaways. Some lucky winners guessed the closest serial number to win some boxes of cards. I, however, put my random musical knowledge to use deciphering the 5 songs in a 45-second mashup clip. I saw the original post while I was at work (where I couldn't listen to the audio clip) and forgot about it until he posted some hints the next day.

After I gave it a listen, I knew 3 of the 5 immediately. I knew the artist of another one but had to bust out my own ipod to pin down the song title. I must have played through one of the songs 10 times before my wife comes in and says, "Are you trying to make the Ramones your ringtone or something? Why do you keep playing KKK Took My Baby Away?"

Bingo!

I mistyped 'Baby' with 'Body' in my answer but Jeff was nice enough to give me credit anyway. Good thing he's not Alex Trebek. I would have gotten the condescending head shake/grimace.

Anyway, the prizes came yesterday. A card I couldn't bring myself to actually purchase after being traded away last season was this Marlon Byrd Golden Moments Autograph card. Now that it is here though, I'm very happy to have it as part of my collection! Thanks Jeff!

 

Byrd's "Golden Moment" was throwing out Big Papi at second base in the 2010 All-Star game. He also scored from 1st on a bases loaded double by Brian McCann but since he was neither the tying or winning run, that doesn't qualify as "Golden" enough. I guess the headline that reads "Byrd Wings It" counts as punny word play.

The Brad Peacock card will have to wait another day but I was very interested in acquiring that one too. Now there's something to ponder. Why would a Cubs fan be interested in acquiring an autographed card by someone who hasn't played for them or one of their minor league affiliates??? Hmmm....

And speaking of prizes and contests, don't forget to vote on my poll in the upper right hand corner of the blog. This poll determines the name of my newest custom design with the winner getting some cards from their favorite teams and some custom cards as well! Help someone ring in the new year with some great additions to their collection by voting now!

Name That Set Contest - Last Call

Like the title says, this is a last call for a chance to Name That Set. Check out the link to last Saturday's post and leave your own submission. There are some good ones already but still room for more!

Remember the winner will get a small lot from their favorite team including "real*" cards and some of my customs.

I will be away for the weekend for a wrestling tournament for my sons but hope to have the final poll posted sometime on Sunday.


*Real cards limited to baseball as that's all I have but I'll do my best to make customs of any sports team.