Collecting the Sox: K Cards

I was lucky enough to go to Fenway yesterday. If you have any sort of social media presence, you already know that they handed out posters as you walked into the park declaring that “Today We Run as One.” As usual, I happily took the card, and made sure to keep it in good shape during the game. It was a great addition to my “K Cards” collection.

Even though it didn’t have a “K” on it.

I’m sure you know what I’m referring to, though. The K Cards that people hand out before a game are as common as Fenway Franks. You can even see them littering the floor inside the park after the game. I’m not sure why anyone would get rid of them. After all, I’m the one who takes the extras from on top of the recycling bins so that I have even more.

They are a great Red Sox collectable.

One of the best parts about them? They’re free. That’s a pretty good start.

They’re also, apparently, disposable. That makes a collection of them a bit unique. Lots of people have a collection of ticket stubs, although fewer than I’d think. But, not many have a stack of K Cards.

There’s also variety. Sure, a vast majority of them have a giant K on them. But, even that’s usually only on one side. The other side often has some clever slogan. Or, at least a slogan. I’m not sure “Trash the Tribe” qualifies as “clever.”

But that variety also adds to one of my favorite parts of any collection. Being able to walk though time. Since each slogan tends to be “in the moment” looking at them can bring you back. “Trash the Tribe” for instance, is from the Red Sox – Indians matchup in the late nineties. I have one that declares “Nomar’s Back!” from when he returned from injury in 2001. Several of them shout “Pedro Power!” Naturally, some say the Sox should “Cowboy Up!” in 2003 or “Dump the Umps” in 1999. One of my favorites has “Welcome Back Carl” on one side, and “#2 We Need You” on the other. Can you imagine that someone actually printed up cards celebrating the return of Carl Everett?

Really the only downfall to the cards is the displaying of them. Sure, you can just stack them in a pile and flip through them every once in a while. But, they are really meant to be seen. I hang them on the ceiling, since it’s where I have the most open space. That does present a problem with the double-sided ones like the one for Carl. Naturally, that means I need to have two of them. For the ones with a K on one side and a slogan on the other, I usually try to get two as well. But I don’t mind hiding the K side if need be. It makes a great display to look at and remember the games I’ve been to. Which is, of course, the point of any collection.

Anyone else have a K Card collection?