thought #1
I love the symbols scattered around the border of the card. Word on the street is that these are Parallel cards, but that does not really deter me from thinking we can gather these cards up, as they still should fall frequently enough to collect them in a reasonable amount of time. If you have been reading my blog lately then you know of the grassroots effort to gather these cards and try to group solve and split the reward. Please consider taking part in this project and I will do everything in my puzzle-solving power to crack the code for you all!
I do have one question about these cards, and if you receive on if you could please verify...since this is a parallel card, are the backs of the card the same as the base card? Is there ANYTHING different that you can see?
Issue #2
Speaking of Ginter Code cards on Ebay...what is the deal with people hawking everything on Ebay? I eluded to this last night. Does somebody truly believe that they are going to get $250 bucks for a Michael Jordan 2007 UD Masterpiece? Seriously? And just how many people out there are shelling out hundreds of dollars to buy cases of hobby boxes, just to slap them up on Ebay and make a quick buck?
I really wonder about small hobby shop owners doing this as well. I was a bit surprised (but not terribly so) when last night when I visited the cranky hobby shop owner, I had mentioned possibly trading one of my 1-660 topps 2009 base sets to him "have no need, I already put together about five of these, we opened quite a few boxes". Oh really now? That right there pretty much solidified only buying hobby boxes from warehouses. I guess these businesses need to pay the bills, but I guess it is just a bit of a disappointment to see people "collecting" only for financial gain.
I have watched a few box breaks on youtube and find it ridiculous how some guys just tear through 24 packs of cards in 10 minutes and barely glance at the base cards as they race for the "hit". Next thing you know it is up on Ebay. I guess you could say that it s a method of getting the product on the market so the right collector can own it, but isnt that what trading is for?
Don't get me wrong, Ebay has helped me find bits and pieces that I need and I am not above using Ebay to offer the same services to others trying to complete sets, etc, but I will never overinflate values or purchase cases of cards for the quick flip...just would feel empty to me. My goal is to collect what I like, and make sure the rest find the right homes.
Issue #3
On a lighter and more fun note, as my blog continues to grow and find it's niche in blogosphere, I find it ridiculous the types of spam email that I am suddenly receiving...
British Info Service - Congratulations, I just won the British Lottery!
Irish News Center - Won there lottery as well!
Easy Loans - Apparently the go to source for a new mortgage!
Leicester Members -Apparently my British membership is out of date and they need updated info on me to re-establish my membership. I better hurry!
Sgt Don Patrick - Urgent! it says. Apparently my country needs me. Seriously though, if I am too lazy to open the email, does my country REALLY need me?
Hakim Jafar - Gotta wire that money out of Africa!
Mr Song Lile - Or wire the money out of Japan
I received two comforting emails that there will no longer be an issue with being a REAL man or a STUD.
Oh looky here, I also won the YAHOO lottery! How fortuitous!
Also received an email to assure me that my "lovestick" won't get tired. Now thats a relief!
Well, enough for now. Gotta start engraning those Ginter symbols in my head!
I was that guy for a couple of years...the one ripping open packs, only looking for the hits. I ended up many thousands of dollars in debt and had literally a ton of unsorted, practically unsearched product from 98 to 02 that I sold for almost nothing last year to avoid the wrath of the wife. That is a story I'm saving for my own blog....if I get it started. I missed out on the real joy of collecting by not actually "collecting". That sound you hear is me kicking my own butt.
ReplyDeleteI completely share most of your thoughts - especially with regards to tearing through boxes. Hey, ebayer: you just spend over $100 on a box, ENJOY THE FREAKIN' CARDS!
ReplyDeleteI don't understand it. How many people have ever actually been able to turn a profit on their collecting? It's not an investment, it's a hobby!! Whenever I buy a box I seriously let it sit for a week or two, only opening a couple packs a day. It stretches my money further and is way more enjoyable. Because what fun is there, really, in ripping an entire cheap box in one sitting?
Sometimes I feel like such an "outsider" by enforcing a budget and sticking to it!! I've "saved up" for a couple weeks now and may purchase something "big" this week - but by that I mean UD Masterpieces, or something with a guaranteed hit or two under $50 that also wouldn't be hard to complete a set of that ALSO is available in retail packs to complete the set cheaper. I work and have plenty of money to spend on cards if I want, but I don't. I've been there, and it's not fun to have a ton of product laying around that you really don't care about.
Rant over, I'll save the rest for an entry of my own!