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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

In This Season of Giving…

I felt I should give away some cards.

Get your attention?

But, first, I’m going to make you sit through a long boring explanation of my collecting habits and how they relate to this post. Hey, I have to make you earn them somehow, right? I decided years ago that I needed to somehow refocus and reallocate my collecting habits. I had, frankly, too many cards. I had too many cards I had no use for. I needed to do something. What formed the basis of my new collecting habits? Juan Gonzalez, and Phil Plantier. I was a huge fan of both these players. Gonzalez was, obviously, an MVP from the Texas Rangers. Plantier was an up and coming star of my beloved Boston Red Sox. I had nice sized collections of both these players. Then, they both fell off the face of the earth. Gonzalez “somehow” lost all his talents and became a washed up former MVP bouncing from team to team. Plantier never reached his stardom, and also bounced around a bit before calling it a career. I was left with stacks of cards of both these players. I realized that I didn’t have any attachment to the Gonzalez cards. Even though I was a fan, they didn’t do anything for me anymore. The Plantier cards, though, I still enjoyed. As a Red Sox fan, I remember watching him play. I remember the goofy batting stance. I enjoyed having the cards, even if Plantier was no longer with the team. Presto. A Red Sox collector was born. But, what about all the other cards I still had, or would still get by opening packs. Enter eBay.

EBay was the plan to both get rid of unwanted cards I would get in packs, and to limit my spending. I came up with a plan to try out. I would open packs of cards. I keep the Red Sox cards. Any cards of stars would be grouped together and sold on the bay. The money I got from those cards would be used to purchase new packs of cards. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. That way, the hobby would be self-funding. And, believe it or not, it’s worked. I had to cut down on my buying…say a blaster a month…but it’s been working out just fine.

But, what about the other non-Sox non-star cards I would get, or already had. When I started this reorganization, I had around 120,000 cards in boxes that weren’t stars and really had no appeal to me. They were really dumpster fodder. Rather then actually throw them out, I gave them away. How did I decide which cards I could get rid of? What about late bloomers? I’d hate to give away a stack of Josh Hamilton rookies just because he was out of baseball for a few years. I decided on a ten-year cutoff. If a player hadn’t become worth keeping in ten years, he was given away. Schools loved them. A high school physics teacher took about 25,000 of them. He used them as building materials for in-class projects. How high of a tower can the kids build using only tape and baseball cards? A middle school math teacher took 10,000 or so. She has the kids use the stats on the back as math lessons. How many at-bats did so and so have in the 80’s? An elementary school guidance counselor took 5,000 or so. When the kids flip through cards, they don’t realize they’re spilling their guts. It’s worked pretty well. The collection dwindled. I have limited myself to ten years worth of commons, in addition to my Red Sox collection. Plus, the hobby has been self funded for years. What could be better?

So, every year when the new cards are coming out, I give away the cards from ten years ago. With the 2011 releases coming out in short order, it’s time to clear out the 2001 cards. But, I’m starting to run out of places to give the cards away to. That’s where you all come in. If you’re a reader of The Phillies Room, you know that I’ve already sent the 2001 Phillies Jim’s way. That leaves me with 2001 cards of most of the other teams in the league. Obviously, the stars are gone. They’re some pretty poor players. They cover several brands. I seem to have somewhere between 15-50 cards of each team. Obviously, the fewer stars a team had in 2001, the more cards still left. Do you want them? Here is a list of teams available:

Reds
Angels

If you’d like a team, simply leave me a comment on the post claiming a team. Then send me an e-mail (section36 at gmail dot com) telling me where to send them. We’ll start with one team per person…and see where it goes from there.

What do I want in return? When Ron Popeil sold his pasta makers on TV, he had one requirement to get a great deal. You had to tell at least one person about the pasta maker. So, I’ll go with that. Just tell at least one person about this fine blog and the cards you got, and the cards are yours. (of course, I wouldn't object if you kept me in mind next time you had Sox cards lying about)

31 comments:

  1. Nice offer...could i claim the Marlins?

    Thanks, email coming your way soon.

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  2. Wow. Must be my Northeast bias. Never would have picked the Marlins as first to be claimed. they're yours.

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  3. Sign me up for my loveable losing Mariners.
    I will shoot you an e-mail. Thanks for your generosity!

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  4. Hording all of the Yanks for yourself I see!

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  5. Adam, to be fair, he did say, no stars. And since those guys in 2001 won 4 world series by then, I am guessing he feels they have "worth" or he sold them all on e-Bay!!

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  6. Since the Marlins were first to go and I totally surprised you...does that mean you will throw in some inserts and parallels maybe a GU or auto, perhaps?

    Anyways, did you get my email about the cards I offered in return?

    Got any 'high-end' Marlins cards to trade? I have some Red Sox I could throw in as trade bait... hit me with an email if you are interested and I will scan the cards I have for you.

    Thanks.

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  7. Adam, Josh is close. While they're not stars, I can actually sell them. So, they are a special case. Welcome back to the blog, btw.

    PhaLe, I should have something. Pretty sure I at least have a Josh Johnson Jersey. I'll look around.

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  8. Is this still going on? If no one else wants them, I'll claim the Pirates. I figure as the worst team in baseball that year they must have had the fewest stars.

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  9. Sure, the Pirates are yours. I lost the e-mail you sent me though, please send me another with your address and I'll get them to you.

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  10. I added the Giants to fill out the box since you said you'd like another team as well.

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  11. If you're still doing this, I'd like to claim the Brewers, please.

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  12. If you're doing this: Twins, Rockies, A's, and anything else. Thanks!

    smedindy@gmail.com

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  13. I would love the Cardinals if they're still up for grabs.

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  14. I would like the Padres if they are available.

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  15. Cubsfan371 - Brewers (not cubs?)
    Smedcards- Twins, Rockies, A's
    madding-Cardinals
    Padrographs-Padres

    They're all yours. Send me your addresses and I'll get them on their way to you.

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  16. Wow, this is so cool, I'd love the Jays if they're still available :)

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  17. Nathan- The Jays are yours. Send me your address.

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  18. I'd be up for the artist formerly known as the Devil Rays, if they're still available.

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  19. You're doing what my wife wants me to do.

    I'd like to lay claim to the Diamondbacks for my father, please.

    Email is coming your way.

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  20. Rangers please! Emal to follow and some pub too. Thanks!

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  21. Very cool. Since they are available, I would like the Baltimore Orioles. There is an emial coming your way, and I am about to post your generosity on my blog, Drinking The Orange Kool-Aid

    http://dgreen1899.blogspot.com/

    I will be emailing you shortly as well. Thanks!

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  22. I'll take the Royals off your hands.
    I'll send an email tomorrow. Thanks a lot!

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  23. Phew. That was quite a run there. Everyone who has already commented, those teams are yours. If you haven't sent a e-mail yet with your address, please do so.

    Where are the Reds and Angels fans out there?

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  24. Hey Ho,
    How is it I've never come across this blog? Got sent here by Blue Heaven and I'll post on my blog as well. Hey if Cubsfan is going to take the cubs after all and not the Brewers I'd like the Brewers and if not I'll take the A's and if not I'll take the Twins or the White Sox.

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  25. All I have left are the Angels and Reds. The rest are claimed. If you want one of those two, take your pick.

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  26. Ok. That looks like all the teams have been claimed! Thanks for reading, everyone. I'll get all the packages out ASAP.

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