Sometime I'm Unimpressed

So a lot has happened in 4 months. Recently on the card from Bipping has become the new "oh my god my daughter has a webcam" moment each time a package is opened (and per usual the rest of us are the only ones who can derive any enjoyment from said happening) and it seems Upper Deck has sent a big ole Fuck You to the powers that be - we will have hats and all!

Anyway - When I signed off a little more than 4 months ago, I had the following goals.

1) Spend time with another hobby
2) Get my collection fully sorted
3) Pay a bunch of shit off.
4) Get some tattoos.

So how have I done?

1) I've been playing my guitar about an hour a day and can say with a good amount of certainty I've gotten back into the playing shape I was in from about 1999-2002 when I was consistently playing shows and writing tunes. I still can't find my writing sea legs yet, but who knows, maybe someday that will come back and I can bring more mediocrity to the world!

2) Collection is about 65% sorted. Getting there - 30 minutes a day about - slow and steady other than gettin burned out.

3) Car loan - Paid
Student Loans - Paid

You have no idea how good if feels to know that I don't have those loans anymore - Of course I still have the wife's car and student loans, but baby steps. The plan was to pay off wifey's car with taxes, but both cars need about $2500 worth of work between them, so that's not happening.

4) Got the Mount Friendmore tatoo started - This thing is a beast - across my formidable back - 2 more sessions to go. Story and pics will show up once its all complete.

So yeah - that's whats been happening. 24 has been setting new limits of suckitude so far as every story line where Jack is not involved has eaten rotten assholes. We can just hope that Lost can bring it all together.

I've bought 2 boxes of cards since I went away - 09 Updates and Highlights and 09 Heritage high Numbers. Both sucked.

I did also get 5 packs of the 2010 Topps from Target - and that is why I am writing today - and unimpressed.

I really think that the photography has taken a step back this year - too many shots of asses and really not a fan of the franchise history cards. I want manager cards! (for the record I never once thought that I would say that).

Below are some of the base cards of stars I pulled. I'm glad I got the Wright card, but really, I don't want to look at a baseball card and feel like I need to put a jacket on. This must the coldest dingiest day recorded on a baseball card from last season. These cards are supposed to break the doldrums of winter, not remind you what April in NY is really like.


Here we have some of this years inserts. The only ones of these that I like are the Peak Performance and Cards Your Mom Threw Out. The thing with the CTMYO is that haven't they been a bit overdone in the last few years? Yea, granted they were using new players on a bunch of old designs, but I don't know, the idea no longer seems fresh - I don't want shiny glossy vintage. These History and Tales inserts are ugly, and while a nice idea - poorly executed. The when they were young set is I think 58 cards? really? Gimme a break - hate these, remind me of the old Donruss Triple play cards.

Topps Town is Topps Town - good enough I guess.

I hate minis. Who wants em?

And finally a question for those of you who have busted a bit more of this stuff. This your Pujols MVP card - you will see everything makes sense - Listed as 1B - nothing really of note here except the best player of our era.

But how come on the back is he listed as a outfielder? Are they all like this? Please let me know.



So yeah - I will not be buying anymore packs or boxes of this garbage this year - I will go on the bay and but a complete set of the base and the 2 subsets that I care about for less than 2 blasters and then move on to hopefully better things.

I haven't done so yet, but once everything in my collection is collated I will get all my want lists in order and in turn really start looking at all of yours.

I wanted to give a shout out to Steve @ White Sox Cards who sent me an awesome package just as I shut my doors - about 25 sweet Robin Ventura cards, a lot from eras when I was not collecting. So Steve - Thank you very much!

I am not ready to come back here on a day to day basis, but until everything is sorted I might show up from time to time so you don't forget about me. Thanks for leaving me on your blog rolls, and here's hoping to a good collecting year for all of us.

I Think I'm Done - yeah I'm done

I started this blog a little more than a year ago, just before Halloween, actually looking back, it was on Halloween. I've had a great time, I've loved reading all of the blogs, I've loved trading, loved the stories and the friendship - the kind words and the inspiration.

Just don't think I'm really all that into it anymore. Now who knows - maybe in a few months I'll be inspired again. I think I am still going to collect, but its going to slow down quite a bit. I made a humbling trip through the bill drawer this weekend, and really, its getting hard for my justify even $20 a week on this hobby when I still have a lot of bad decisions from college to make up for.

I've got a few posts that are in the queue - they'll pump it out for a few more days and then I'm out. If I get inspired, or greedy I may throw a want list up here or there, but I really don't think that will be happining any time soon.

Thanks for the inspiration Dayf, Chris, Ben, and Steve From WSC

Thanks for the constant reminders of what great blogging is Night Owl

Thanks for the new voices and the fun Beardy, Troll, Travis @ PRP

I'll still be reading, lingering in the comments of all of you, and like I said, hopefully sometime sooner or later - I'll be able to rededicate myself to this hobby. Maybe I did too much to soon and burnt myself out. I'm not going to do a crazy card purge or anything, just put them all in the closet for the time being and hope that I find that I miss it too much, and am able to rediscover my collection again.

I hope that you were all able to get something out of reading this and that in some way some time I was able to make you laugh or kill 5 minutes of work. It was a pleasure writing this for this last year and I thank you for all the comments and hits (over 1k a month, not so bad).

For now I'm going to enjoy being responsible, taking care of myself and my wife, learning a few sweet riffs, and reading all of those books that I've been meaning to. The blog will remain up for posterity and maybe be revisited from time to time.

Thanks everyone...It's been fun.

Take it easy now

The Last of the Goodwins (Until Next Week)

And onto the last pack -

First off a few cards I can do without - neither of these really grab me as cards that should be in this set - Samaradiza (I'm not going to check how to really spell it) pretty much blows and if you are going to use a champion basketball player - where is Bird, or David Robinson - Beasley - meh.

This card has already been discussed at length on other blogs. It's a fuckin' sweet card. Thats all the analysis you will be getting from me!

Now this is a neat if not very Ginter-like subset - the citizens of the day w/ Mr Cap Anson. I was hoping that the back would tell some wonderful tales of civic duty but it just says he was a good hitter. I no longer thing that this is neat.

Mini Snore

Scene.

Goodwins Hobby 3 out of 4

So this was my favorite pack of the 4 that I got - I really do like the legends cards that are put in.

Here we have Carlton Fisk and Nick Markakis -

The original "Pudge" I remember that he was one of my favorite players as a kid when I was partial to the White Sox as my AL team. I also remember just waiting for Ron Karkovice to carry on the legacy - I guess we can't win them all. I really like seeing Fisk in Red Sox gear as due to my age, I really do remember him as a White Sock.

Nick Markakis - I've got a feeling that this guy has a Mattingley-esque career in front of him - where he will always be good, occasionally great, but never really be the guy and never hit those HOF numbers - hopefully I am wrong, because I do enjoy watching him play - I just dont see that next level from him.

Next up we have Curtis Granderson and Ryne Sandberg -

Now Ryno has a world class moustache here - Thats really the most noticeable aspect of this card - I hope i get a double at some point to send this out for an auto - I know its a darker card so probably won't come out great if at all - but I still want what I want.

Curtis is a nice player - not the savior of a franchise though.

Peggy Flemming - I'd much prefer this to be Peggy Bundy

For the record - she is great in Sons of Anarchy and still looking pretty hot.

Goodwins Champions Pack 2 of 4

So I decided that I do like this set very much - I will be getting a hobby box in a few weeks although I do not have the money. My wife wants jewelry, I want cardboard - we all have our vices.

I've decided that I will never acknowlege the UD 20th century cards any longer - they all go into a pile that will one day be on its way to Rob VOTC - probably after my box is ripped - those cards are the definition of sucky.

Anyway, we've got Fausto Carmona and Miguel Cabrebra hanging out with us below. I am really excited to take a look at how this set looks in a binder all together - I really think it will pretty. I mean, I think it will look bad-ass and cool.

Now the minis - Got the normal Jordan - I'm wearing his underwear! No, I'm not, I wish I was Wayne Brady though - that would have to be fun at a bar. The Posada is the Gypsy Queen back - anytime I hear Sterling say "Jorge Juiced ONE! I cannot help thinking that Jorge just had sex with a very large woman - I should have never left college.

2 more packs on the way

2009 UD Goodwin's Champions Pack Rip

Now there have been a few times where I mentioned how stoked I was for this product, unfortunately now that it is out - I'm way broke. I was able to grab a few packs which I will be showing off over the next few posts. I may be getting a box next week, we will see how the cash flows.

While I am not as impressed by these cards in person, I still really like them, they remind me of a bad blow j - it can't REALLY be bad - so thats what these are, not the best I've had, but you will never find me complaining.

Roy White and Todd Helton - Yesterday I mentioned about Pujols and the decade triple crown - for Helton to meet him in batting average he would have to go 30/60 in his next at bats and Pujols would have to go 10/60 - yeah - not happening - good on you though Todd

Now the minis - Bailey black border Gypsey Queen back - cool I guess and Ryan Ludwick

I'm just not a mini guy - don't really know why - I am going to eventually collect the whole set of this that is normal size - no interest in the minis - that makes the minis available for any of you who are working on them - let me know

Thats that - more tomorrow

A 2nd Retail Pack Of UD Icons

Here is the last pack of 2009 UD Icons that I will probably ever be purchasing - making this almost an important mile stone in my life, but not at all really. In this pack we have a lot people who are better at baseball than I am (better than you too probably).

Roy Oswalt - Dude got a bulldozer as part of his contract - thats a manly fucking gift. Speaking of manly - anyone here see the newest Rambo that came out a few years ago? the first 20 minutes is him just doing to manliest shit you've ever seen. Catching snakes barehanded, fishing with a bow and arrow, blacksmithing, I bet the dude just builds traintracks for leisure.

Maggio Ordonez - I would kill for this haircut for just one week. Or one of his paychecks

Jon Lester - the reason you cannot read this card is that its all extra chromey/shiny - is this an insert or parallel? There are no other markings or indications that this is anything special - but I think it just might be.

John Lackey - Memo to NY Mets - Please do not sign an injury prone ace. Ie... John Lackey

The best hitter in the American League, Ichiro.

Speaking of best hitters - did anyone else see the article on ESPN showing that Pujols is about to win the decade triple crown? Yeah, first guy since TED WILLIAMS! We truly are blessed to be able to witness what he is doing. Don't take it for granted.