Twenty Five Years

 “We’ve lost Dale Earnhardt.”

Those words from Mike Helton, 25 years ago today, still haunt me.  

I was late for work that day (I was a college kid working part time at Walmart), but I had to see the end of the race.  Then it happened.  I waited for word that Dale Earnhardt was okay so that I could head to word.  I was even later than I thought I’d be because those words never came.  It was at work that Don, who was the door greeter (remember those?) told me it’d been announced that he died.  I was dumbfounded.  It didn’t seem real.  

It hit me that it was real when some asshole came to check out with me, every Dale Earnhardt diecast in his cart, and said “If I can’t 10x my money on these I’m bringing them back” and then laughed about it.  If not for knowing I needed that job to get by, that dude would have received a rage-fueled ass whipping that he’d still think about from time to time. 

He wasn’t “my guy.”  When I got into NASCAR in the mid-90s, Earnhardt was the guy that all the rednecks cheered for and I was not a redneck.  So I didn’t like him.  But over the next handful of years he grew on me and had become one of my favorites, even after edging out “my guy” for the 1998 Daytona 500.  Hindsight is always 20/20 and I’m happy he got that win.

I originally wrote the lines above for an Instagram post.  As I've decided to give blogging a try again, I figured I may as well post here too.  It's funny how things work sometimes.  In Night Owl's post yesterday, he said "I'm not a natural boaster and generally feel inadequate much of the time (though I'm getting better the older I get). I always assume others have more/are better." 

After nearly 40 years collecting cards, I often feel that way about my collection.  Looking through my Earnhardt collection made me feel a bit less that way.  I know there are cards that I have that many others would love to have in their collection.  So while the purpose of going through my cards was initially for an Instagram post, it was also therapeutic in a way and put a little spring in my step.  

Anyway, on to the cards.  When I talk about them I'll be referring to numbers, in order like you'd read. 

The first two cards are 1/1s.  Earnhardt's driving career ended 25 years ago today and that before the card manufacturers threw out as many 1/1s as they could.  Off the top of my head, I only know of one 1/1, non-printing plate out there.  I believe it was a High Gear "Solo" (get it?).  It sold within the last handful of years.  I know who has it.  I also know it won't be available any time soon.  

The first 1/1 is a Press Pass, post career 1/1.  Happy to have it, but it's not from my NASCAR fandom years so I'm not as in love with it as perhaps I should be.  On the other hand, I am much more happy about the "Team Pinnacle" plate.  It's driving-era and it's Pinnacle.  I love me some Pinnacle to this day.  It blows my mind that the dufex technology they used can't seem to be duplicated today.  

The third card is a card I wanted for years.  However, only one came available before this one and they wanted a stupid price.  About a year ago, my copy came available.  One of the corners has a ding.  The signature on the card isn't very bold.  Those two "imperfections" are the reason I have it.  If not for those, I never could have afforded it.  It's serial numbered out of 50, celebrates NASCAR's 50th season and depicts Earnhardt's celebration after winning the 1998 Daytona 500.  Absolute grail card for me. 

The fourth card is easily the most sentimental card for me.  It is both the first Earnhardt autograph I obtained, and I consider it a gift from my wife.  She isn't big on buying cards for me.  When she does, it's typically blaster boxes at Christmas and I've let her know the things I'd be interested in.  She also despises gift cards as gifts.  However, she gave me an ebay gift card one Christmas and I put it toward this card.  She doesn't buy me many cards (which I'm okay with), she doesn't usually give gift cards...and combining those two things make this a special card to me.  

The final card doesn't look impressive and I acknowledge that.  However, it is an EXTREMELY scarce and desirable card.  I believe what I saw in the past was that the estimated print run is less than 25.  Be that as it may, you will rarely find a copy of this card available.  I lucked into it a few years ago in a Facebook NASCAR group.  The seller had a partial set he wanted to sell, but didn't want to separate the lot.  About a year later he relented, reached out to me and after sleeping on it overnight pulled the trigger.  I've never regretted it.  

Some of you may be familiar with the first one, as it was a part of a Classic 5-Sport set.  That set was one of the first to introduce me to racing cards and brings back all the feels of teenage collecting when I look at it.  The two relics are some of the earliest relic cards produced.  Not just in racing, but in all of sports cards.  

I love the aesthetics of the relic card.  The card design, combined with it being a red parallel and a red and white relic makes it beautiful in my eyes.  He may have been "The Man in Black" but it just wouldn't look as good if it was a black and white firesuit swatch.  

The card below it is Upper Deck, die cut, a "checkered flag" parallel and /100.  What more could you do to make the card better?  I have no clue.  

The one vertical card is a Press Pass "Golden" parallel numbered to 50.  While that makes it desirable enough, it's also copy number three - Earnhardt's (most well known) car number.  

Oil Slicks parallels have print runs of 100 and are some of my favorite cards.  Press Pass missed by not making for more than a handful of years.  

Another favorite parallel is the early years of "MPH."  Look at that holofoil shine!  Press pass did a disservice in later years, really removing the shine from them, though keeping them numbered.  

I like these because I don't know much about them.  They are 24KT Artist Proof parallels.  Obviously enough is known about them for PSA to grade them, but I never had any luck figuring out the distribution on them.  Were they pack issued?  Were they backdoored when Pinnacle was shuttered?  In a way, not knowing everything about them adds to the appeal for me.  

This one isn't a card, but instead a ticket stub from the 1998 Daytona 500, which Earnhardt won on his 20th attempt.  This was a gift from my friend Logan.  He was at the race, held onto it for all those years and had it graded all before he gifted it to me.  Having cards (or ticket stubs) is great, but it's even better when there is a story behind it.  

If you made it this far, thanks for checking it out and reading all my rambling!  

A Trip Down the Blogging Memory Lane

I've been thinking recently about blogging again.  I still follow some bloggers on social media (mostly bluesky) that I used to read daily like Night Owl Cards, Baseball Cards Fan and Not Another Baseball Card Blog.  At times, I believe I've seen The Chronicles of Fuji and some others on Twitter, not that I'm there much these days.  

It's sad to see so many bloggers have stopped posting.  I hope they've just stopped the posting and not collecting.  I hope they are still with us.  I know Shoebox Legends is still collecting, evolving his collection and adding some great cards because I watch his YouTube videos.  

I can't blame anyone for leaving.  I did it.  I did a different blog/website that I am no longer paying for but for some reason is still there.  I didn't enjoy it anymore.  I thought it would be easy to put together a website and post that could bring in some money for revenue.  I was wrong.  I discovered that when money becomes a part of what you're doing and you feel obligated to post regularly, it takes the fun out of it.  Sounds kinda like worrying about selling cards, no?  

Then I did YouTube for awhile.  I ran into the same feeling after awhile that I had felt with the website.  I felt obligated to post videos regularly.  It felt like a job that I was doing for free.  One of the things I was looking for was interaction and I just didn't feel I was getting the interaction I was hoping for.  Collecting is fun, but it's more fun when you're sharing with others and talking about the cards and hobby.  

I've been on Instagram for years and ran into the same thing.  I felt somewhat obligated to post and didn't receive the interaction I was hoping for.  

Which brings me back to this blog.  Should I make a return?  Would it be the same?  Are there people still in the blogosphere that want to interact with me?  Are there new blogs?  So many questions.  

What I do know is that I've spent the last couple hours looking through this blog.  There are so many stories I told that I've forgotten about.  I've seen a couple posts from the weeks before I got married (we're at seven years and still going strong) and it was fun to remember those days, some of the details and how I was feeling.  

Tonight, I learned what I'm sure many others have known for years...our blogs are part of our collecting history and journey.  They are a time capsule.  They likely don't chronicle the whole journey, but they certainly chronicle large chunks.  

As I get closer to 50, I need these trips down memory lane and these happy memories.  It's good for me.  I haven't made a decision on whether I should start writing again but at the same time, maybe I have.  

Back, With Buybacks

It's been awhile, so who knows if anyone will even see this.  I'd been posting everything on my other site, Bean's Ballcard Blog, for awhile.  Then there was no posting anywhere.  My plan is to post my PC stuff here and more high level things there.  I'd be extremely grateful if you'd just sub to the BBB blog by just entering your email.  It's on the right side of the page up top.  You'll get notified any time I post.  

Anyway, on to yesterday's mail.  I received a PWE from Jon of A Penny Sleeve For Your Thoughts.  I knew it was coming and knew what was inside, kind of.  He messaged me that he had some buybacks for me, if I was still collecting them.  I haven't done much with them in awhile, but hope to again soon.  Hopefully I'll be getting back to being a collector again soon.  

Thanks for the well wishes, Jon.  I'm doing much better after my minor health scare a couple months ago.  Guys, make sure that you're consistently seeing your doctor(s) and taking care of yourself.  Not doing so hits you suddenly and it sucks!  

If you know me, you know that 1987 Topps will always be one of my favorite sets.  That was the first year I collected and I built multiple Topps and Donruss sets.  I was new to baseball but was a Braves fan because my southern family (who gifted my my first cards) were all Braves fans.  I thought his last name was weird so this card is memorable.  To this day, I've never met another "Olwine."

Ron Hassey will always be an Oakland Athletic to me.  Sorry, not sorry.  I love all of the 1980s White Sox uniforms, though.  

The 1980s was the best decade of Topps designs and 1984 is one of my favorites.  I can't explain why, but I've been drawn to it since I was a kid collector.  Not sure what year these 65th Anniversary cards were inserted into packs, so I'll have to do some sleuthing.  

This Doyle Alexander was the final card in the envelope, and my favorite.  Living in Arlington now (I can be the to stadium in ten minutes) has made me fall in love with some of the Rangers old logos. I may not be into baseball anymore, but I do have a healthy respect for the past.  

I hope you enjoyed the quick look inside the PWE.  I'm hoping to post more soon, though some (or most) may be videos.  Hopefully you'll watch.  

Happy collecting, y'all! 

-kin

HOBBY FAMILY – HELP OUT MILITARY MISSIONS IN ACTION

Yes, I'm still alive and kicking.  It's been a busy start to 2019 and I don't see the rest of the year being any different. 

I've written three posts on Bean's Ballcard Blog in the last few days and that's where most of my writing will happen.  Please subscribe, add to your blogroll or whatever it is you do if you'd like to read my ramblings. 

If you're on Twitter and don't already follow me, please do!  That's where I spend the bulk of my hobby time.  My handle is @beansbcardblog.

The point of this post, though, was to direct you to a post I just wrote.  Some in the community are running eBay auctions to benefit Military Missions in Action.  Please take a look at the post and if you can, help out! 

Oh, if you're interested, I now have a monthly segment on the Fat Packs Podcast.  I say segment but for the first two, I've been the color commentator (co-host) for the entire show.  If you're interested in listening to the first episode of INSERTED, you can click here! 

I hope that everyone is well!

-kin

Better Than a Blaster at the LCS

I know that I'm stealing the "Better Than a Blaster" from another blogger.  In this case, imitation should be considered flattery.  It's a great title and I couldn't say it better myself.

I went to a "card shop" near my office on lunch today.  I put card shop in quotations because it's actually a business in an industrial park and the owner had put three display cases and a table into the front of his "real" business.

I walked out spending exactly $20 and I'm confident it was better than any blaster I'll ever buy.  Take a look and leave some comments with what you think!




Alright, have at it!  Happy collecting y'all!

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out on free money.  There are times you can use it and get cash back on eBay purchases.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $300 in two years.  FREE CARDS!  I promise you it's legit and easy to use.

Would You Rather...?

It would be impossible to put together a complete list of the way that collecting vintage cards is different that modern.  One of the most fascinating to me is how differently vintage collectors can view the same card.  If the card is highly graded, most collectors will want to add it to their collection, if the price is right. 

If it's a low grade copy, opinions vary much more.  Some will want one that is perfectly centered and will sacrifice other aspects.  Some are more interested in the color and how it pops.  Some care more about size.  Some won't take a card that has ANY paper loss or writing. 

None of the above are serious concerns for modern collectors.  It doesn't matter how shiny your card is, there's likely another ten thousand of them available.  If it's a card of manufactured scarcity, your options are limited and maybe you elect to purchase something you otherwise wouldn't just so you can complete that rainbow! 

I've seen copies of some T206 cards that I own up for sale, in somewhat similar shape and also at different prices than I paid for my copies.  So, that got me thinking...am I happier with my copy or would I prefer one of the copies for sale. 

However, I'm bringing the question to you...which copy would you prefer if the cost was the same?  Any of course...why?  Please leave comments, I'm interested to know what y'all thing! 

Below are two copies of the T206 Christy Mathewson portrait.  Which one would you rather have in your collection?

The second card I'd like to hear your thoughts on gives you THREE options.  Which T206 Tris Speaker would you prefer to own?

Alright, have at it!  Happy collecting y'all! 

If you shop online and haven't signed up and used ebates yet, you're missing out on free money.  There are times you can use it and get cash back on eBay purchases.  Between referrals and cash back, I've gotten over $300 in two years.  FREE CARDS!  I promise you it's legit and easy to use.

My First Card...and it's a 1/1

Many of you already know, but in less than 48 hours I will both turn 40 years old and become a married man.  Why would we get married on a Tuesday?  Because my beautiful bride-to-be and I share the same birthday.

She had a girls' day yesterday with some friends and afterwards we all met up for dinner.  Much to my surprise, Miss Crystal had a gift for me.

Now, she has told me repeatedly that she doesn't think she is a good gift-giver.  I completely disagree.  I posted about her gift from Christmas 2017 and how it was the most thoughtful gift I'd ever received.  This past Christmas we decided to give each other just one gift and she gave me a watch that is partly made of wood (I love me some 1987 Topps, y'all).  Needless to say, I disagree with her on her gift giving.

What was the gift she gave me yesterday?

It's an sketch card, drawn by Ken Karl.  I didn't realize it until I opened it that this is Miss Crystal's favorite of our engagement photos.  She said she loves the way that I look in it.  I'm happy that she is happy.

Obviously the card is a one-of-one and is priceless.  I honestly can't even put into words how much I love it.  Thank you to my lovely bride-to-be, my good friend Eric (who put her into contact with him), and Mr. Karl himself.  I know the timeline was short, as we just had our photos done in November. 

You can find Ken Karl multiple places, including his website, Facebook and Twitter.  Miss Crystal told me that he was great to work with and gives him nothing but praise. 

Not that I expect it, but if anyone's interested in watching the live stream of our little wedding, it's 1pm (central) on Tuesday and you can find all the info on our wedding website.

Happy collecting, y'all!