Thursday, February 19, 2009

Stacks O' Wax from the Packs in the Back! (more free cards)

(update: As of 6:00pm on Feb 19, 2009 CST, I had forgotten that Padres are done, too!! Rays/DBacks/Rockies are all spoken for. I will update this post as needed. Thanks!)


To say I've been busy with my latest brainchild would be the same as saying the Tribe hasn't won a World Series in a while... And, much like that analogy, the end result is still a lot of fun along the way.

I still have several packages to put together, but I have to buy some more card boxes before that can happen. In the meantime, I've decided to take a step back and survey the results thus far...

First, I am not going to supply a photo of the boxes going out because I don't want to ruin the fun. Okay, maybe it wouldn't ruin the fun for you, dear reader, but rather for me. Having said that, I realize it probably makes no sense, since I am the one looking at the treasure trove right now, but in the space between my ears, it makes sense.

Second, this has been quite an amazing experience from a collector's point of view. Think of it this way: You are faced with tens of thousands of cards randomly placed in massive 5000-count boxes. Your task is to sort through them in order to pick out the teams that represent the requests that have come in. Once that task is complete, next comes the divvying up the cards for the packages to be mailed out. all the while, you see images of players present and past rush by: Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson, Pork Chop Pough, Bip Roberts, Carlton Fisk, Lou Boudreau, Randy Ready, Bo Jackson, Randy Jackson (not the Idol guy), Chase Utley, Pronk, players you know, players you don't, players you long forgot about.

Third, which is really an extension of number two, I found myself pulling out cards that appeal to very specific collectors. For example, catchers in uniform, players in midair, players signing autographs, photos of night games, etc. I have to admit, at times I was switching focus between the teams I was supposed to pulling and the 'bonus' type cards I was finding.

Fourth, the 'surprise packages' are actually harder to pull together than I had ever imagined. How is that possible? I mean, there are no guidelines, no rules, just grab and go right? Maybe for some. For me, I did that a few times while pulling packages together, but even for those few times, I would stop and rifle through the cards. I know my readers are going to get duplicates, but since I am a collector at heart, I wanted to make sure that I cut down on the number of duplicates as much as possible. I also wanted to represent the widest range of cards as possible in the surprise packages - players, years, brands, etc. Only time will tell if I was successful in that.

Fifth, which is an extension of number four, is coming to terms with duplicates. Honestly, just how many Donruss 1992 Randy Readys could there actually be in the world? I don't know the production run, but I can tell you that I must have personally handled half of the total ever made. Here is what I will say about duplicates: If you get them, it means that everyone who requested that team also got duplicates of the same cards, and in some cases I had to pull out a stack of duplicates and keep them here. I'll use them in later giveaways - perhaps as a trick-or-treat...

Sixth, and final point for today: I still have a TON of cards to give away. Seriously. Below is a list of teams that NO ONE claimed. And while many of these teams have found their way into 'surprise' packages, the simple truth is that I still have lots to give away if I am to keep my wife in a happy mood. :-)

So, if you collect these teams, feel free to ASK FOR THEM! Just send me an email with the subject "ARE YOU CRAZY!? Send me some cards!" and tell me which team (or combination) you'd like:

Astros
Giants
Royals
Rockies (as of 1:00pm 2/19/09)
Marlins
Padres
Rays (as of 9:00am CST)
Pirates
Diamondbacks (as of 1:00pm 2/19/09)
Mariners
White Sox
Brewers

The Marlins do not have as many as the other teams, but I think you'll be happy if you choose them.

And, as before, you'd like a 'surprise' package, just let me know and I'll build you a surprise.

As always, thank you for stopping by and reading!! I appreciate the time you take to come here and see what's on my mind. Giving away 'stacks of wax' is just one way I feel I can express that gratitude.

11 comments:

  1. You're the best Dave! That's a lot of work. But I have to admit, it does seem kind of fun.

    Hope you get someone to pick those other teams. I'm tempted to pick one or two but I can barely handle all the Dodgers coming in!

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  2. Well David, I wasn't going to ask for any because I have so many cards now , but since you still have some to get rid of,my oldest son , Josh , collects Astros and the younger would probably like a surprise box ( Not that I'm a proud father or anything but he's the one going to BGSU to be a sports writer - we just got an email from him. Some time ago he wrote an article for Sports Card Forum and they're going to use it in "Tuff Stuff" in April !!)

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  3. Awesome! I'll put together a couple packages for ya, BBDad. Night Owl, you got more coming in addition to the ones you've been posting about!

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  4. Sign me up for some Rockies. I'm all about starting on a Todd Helton binge.
    I went through 10 of those boxes on time in 2000 after buying them in a newspaper ad. You come across some decent cards and some doozies. But what fun it can be!

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  5. just came across your blog and offer . . . sounds like you are having way too much fun with this but certainly greatly appreciated ! I am a CUBS fan but live in Tampa Bay Rays territory. So if you have any cards left . . . CUBS then RAYS. Your generosity is out of this blogsophere. (just email me if you can)

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  6. I know someone claimed the Yankees, but I was wondering if it would be possible to get any Derek Jeter doubles.

    Thanks a lot.

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  7. Sooz, there are plenty of Yankees to go 'round! I'll keep my eyes peeled for Jeters!

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  8. David,

    You are very generous. I'll accept a handful of Diamondbacks. My dad likes the team and it would be fun to start him collecting. Heck, he's only 75. Plenty of years to go.

    I've also added you to my blog roll. Where have you been hiding these last few months?

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  9. I think I'll never catch up with all the posts and sites from my time away! If the White Sox are still not claimed, put me down for that, please.

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  10. I'll get ya some White Sox for sure!

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  11. Hi Dave,
    I just wanted to thank you for the Minor League cards you sent! They were a ton of fun to go through, and brought back memories. Thanks again for doing this!

    Ethan
    (arfmax)

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