Sometimes, we only learn by doing

I've read the horror stories of folks busting open packs and boxes of American Pie or Americana.  I've read how badly these products suck.  I've seen the pack-breaking videos that resulted in a pile of cardboard being lit aflame - okay, slight exaggeration there.

Did those things stop me from buying a pack of each of these products?  No.  How bad was it?  Well, since I was driving, my wife actually opened the packs for me while we cruised down the road between shop stops.  When she had opened both packs, rattling off the titles/names of each card, she said, "Wow. You got ripped off."  Yes. Yes, I did.

Does it even matter which cards came from which packs?  No.  But, here we have Topps American Pie "Marciano Retires Undefeated," Miles Davis," and "Catch-22" to start things off.  Okay, I admit, the Miles Davis is pretty cool.  And, if you thought things couldn't get worse, you'd be wrong.

The other three cards in the pack (Yes, you get a whopping six cards for $2.99 or $1.99 or $56.75, whatever it cost. No matter what it cost, it was too much to pay for this crap) are: "Fads and Fashions: Troll Dolls," American Top 40 Debuts," and "The Simpsons Premieres."  Look, I don't give a rip about Trolls Dolls.  Top 40 is all well and good for the sake of music and long distance dedications, I suppose.  I have never been a fan of The Simpsons. In fact, I would venture to say that I have never watched a complete episode.  So, anybody want some junk wax? Free for the asking.

As if that weren't bad enough, I also bought Panini Americana.  Why?  i don't know, I guess I was feeling rather patriotic. I shouldn't have. I won't ever again.  My wife read off the names with a severe disdain tone to her voice (or maybe it was bewilderment): "Lorna Luft" - My wife turned the card over to read that she is the daughter of Judy Garland.  "Stephen Baldwin," she said, followed by, "Seriously?"  The third one is "Selma Blair."  No comments were made on that one. It wasn't worth a comment.

She read the next two flatly, "George Kennedy and Eric Roberts."  That was when she rifled through all the cards again, saying, "You got ripped off.  That's it?" (Or something along those lines)

Save your money, people.  Don't buy this junk.  I was hoping to score the elusive Frank Zappa card sought out by several collectors.  Instead, I would have done better with a pencil and some 'insert filler' cards to draw on myself.

Seriously, if anybody wants any of these, they are yours for the asking.  But, really, who would even admit to wanting them?

The Great Junk Wax Giveaway

One of the blogs that I've been a contributor to for quite a while is "A Pack to be Named Later."  The site's goal is to open at least one pack of cards ever made.  Not just baseball cards.  We are talking baseball, football, Power Rangers, Zorro, Saved by the Bell, soccer, hockey, anything and everything!

Well, in celebration of the one-year birthday of the site, there's a contest!
http://apacktobenamedlater.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-junk-wax-giveaway-contest.html

Guess how many cards there are and how many packs are from 1990.  What do you win?  Well, all the junk wax pictured, of course!

Hurry, though! Contest ends Tuesday, July 13, 2010!

Cards My Mom Threw Out!?

I have been, er, fortunate enough to pull two "Cards Your Mom Threw Out" code cards from 2010 Topps packs so far.  What you see above are the two cards I have been alotted.  Are these cards my mom threw out?  Heck no, these are cards *I* probably threw out - though, in my world "threw out" means "gave away."

I have not been following which cards have made it into collector's hands with this promotion, so I have no idea what other junk Topps is trying to "give back" to its customers.  Oh, sure, their splash page boasts of Strasburg and a couple other high-profile cards, but one has to wonder how many people are simply throwing out the code cards themselves. 

By the way, if you want either (or both for that matter) of these cards, create a trade in which you offer up some Indians card(s) and these beauties are all yours.  Just let me know about the trade so I can find it.  I have a feeling many of these cards our "mothers threw out" will end up "the cards Topps vault threw out."