For the Love of Cardboard #thehobby #collecting

It happened. I never thought it would, and it didn't take long. I heard the call.

The truth is ever since I hung up the keyboard around here, I've felt the pangs of separation. The Hobby kept calling like the siren that it is. I kept ignoring it. Then, a funny thing happened. Well, a couple funny things, really.

First, I ended up in a Crackin Wax charity break (er, I think that's what it was, I'm afraid my memory fails me as I type this) in which I scored some rather nice Bowman Chrome and some Topps 2016 cards. I knew then I would have to make a post about them. I fought it as long as I could, but as you see, obviously, I gave in.

Second, this crazy blog has gained a readership I never would have expected. I am blown away by the number of folks that have come by since my retirement from writing here. Several of you have taken the time to reach out to me and I cannot tell you how much I have appreciated that over the past few months.

The past few months... Frankly, it feels like I quit several years ago. The time away from sharing cards and stories about cards has felt like several seasons have passed and yet, really, I didn't even make it to the start of the new season. The call, the pull, the siren song is just too great.

I don't know what my posting schedule will be or what the content will be. Okay, that's not true. We all know that the content will focus on Indians baseball cards. As for the other stuff (Pack-A-Daily, etc), I cannot say. Like coming back into any relationship, we're taking things slowly, cautiously.

The Hobby is a sweet, seductive songstress, whose clutches often leave the victim with much less money than when s/he started and, all too often, with that money vested in bits of cardboard worth much less than the amount spent. That's not really what it's about though. There are mutual friends, surprises, cherished memories, and the promise of memories yet to come. And, that, my friends, is why I have dusted off the keyboard and pulled the rubber band off the bits of cardboard.

Today, we start Tribecards 2.0. Welcome Home.

2010 Bowman Chrome Break Take

A little while ago, "A Cardboard Problem" held a case break (or maybe it was a box break, I can't remember)  and these are the cards I received:

First up, we have thre checklist cards.  When I was a kid, my friends and I would trade based on the names on the checklist.  If the checklist had star players, it was 'worth' more in a trade.  Looking back, it was a rather idiotic way to trade for cards, but it worked for us.  We were kids, remember, and back then we had no real perception of 'value' other than by the fame of the player listed. 

Now, here we have two great Tribers and one that could become a great Triber (assuming he's still with the club), even though he was involved with the Lee deal to Philly.  I'm not saying he had anything to do with it, just saying he was involved.

Jordan Brown has the unfortunate situation in that he shares his name with a 12-year old boy who was arrested for killing his father's finacee'. Aside from that, he played in 88 games last year and finished with a .230 average.  The card is a serially numbered Topps 100 and is oh so shiny!

There were a LOT of duplicates of these guys in the break.  That's good news for fellow Tribecards fans that will be getting a little something extra in their stockings this year from yours truly.

Everyone that took part in the break got one of the USA cards (er, so I believe).  I also managed to snag a REDEMPTION card!  I cashed it in and should be receiving my auto'd card in... 12-to-15 weeks.  Wow.  That puts it arriving roughly... February 2011.  I hope I remember where I got it when it comes then!