Of the many simple pleasures in life, few are more enjoyable than ripping open a pack of baseball cards. Whether an elementary school boy, a teenager, or a middle-aged professional, we all become kids again whenever we hold an unopened pack in our hands, contemplating what might lie inside the wrapper: the hot rookie, the sought-after insert, the elusive final card to complete a set. The possibilities seem endless; the suspense, delicious.
Until recently, my card-collecting tendencies had lain dormant since my late teens. I occasionally got on eBay to find a vintage Dodger card or two. But for all intents and purposes, my baseball card habit had long since been broken. But as my eldest son developed a greater interest in sports--and with it, a nascent desire to start accumulating cards--my passion for printed cardboard revived as well ... with a vengeance. I've once again become a full-blown baseball card junkie whose craving for a Topps tab, an Upper Deck upper, or a Fleer fix is almost constant. And, man, do I enjoy the rush!
At the same time, I've rediscovered the enjoyment that derives from being part of the community of collectors. Whether it's reading reviews about the latest released sets, receiving advice about cards I should consider acquiring, or hearing stories about successful pulls or personal connections to particular cards, there is a lot to appreciate about the information sharing that takes place among those in this hobby.
It's for this reason I decided to start a blog: to have a platform from which I can offer my two cents about the latest and greatest in the cardboard universe and tell my tales of small victories, occasional frustrations, and offbeat discoveries in my card-collecting odyssey. As a diehard Los Angeles Dodgers fan whose entry into the hobby occurred during the halcyon days of the Garvey-Cey-Lopes led teams of the mid- to late-70's, don't be surprised if a disproportionate amount of my focus is on cards of the Boys in Blue. But I'll mix in plenty of other topics as well. So Giants fans need not necessarily recoil in horror from this site.
So for those of you who've happened to stumble upon this little corner of cyberspace, go grab some packs, rip 'em open, check out your latest acquisitions, and let's talk cards!
