Night Owl Trade #48

I probably haven't actually received 44 separate packages from Night Owl Cards, but I may as well have. Meanwhile, I've used just about every cheesy post title I could come up with. I've referenced Harry Potter, even. Most recently, I name-checked something slightly owl-related that was popularized in an Outkast song. Somehow Night Owl has managed to keep tabs on how many packages I've sent his way, while I can't even figure out how to get Blogger's search box to work in any sort of useful way.

It's a shiny, bedazzled wounded warrior. I believe this is from a wrapper redemption of some sort. It makes me wonder if Night Owl received this in his own redemption or if he stumbled onto it in one of those group breaks I rarely get the chance to participate in. In either case, I almost never get redemption goodies (let alone hobby packs.) I think the last time I successfully redeemed anything aside from the virtual code things Topps does was when I got a Shaquille O'Neal Upper Deck rookie card in the mail, only to find out that the card that was returned to me with a hole punch in it (and eventually discarded) would have probably made a pretty fun conversation piece if I ever started a blog someday.

I think Heritage 3-pack blisters have disappeared from the shelves for good, which is too bad. I really do want to collect the entire Black parallel set because I really like the way it looks. It's far more interesting than those black back variations from the 2008 Heritage set.

Ladies and gentlemen, here's your new #3 hitter - at least through the All-Star Break. Someday I may be able to resume posting about the Cardinals first baseman, but I don't think I can do it until he's back on the field. Thanks, Wilson Betemit, for ruining the back of a perfect baseball card. (Actually, I don't really blame any singular person or event for what happened yesterday. It was a perfect storm of crappiness.)

Not everything sent was full of Birds. I've been hearing the name Eduardo Nunez quite a bit lately as he's been filling in for some guy who claims he's the Yankees captain. I still have to double take, because for some reason I instantly mistake his name for Eduardo Perez, the former Cardinal turned ESPN studio analyst turned Marlins hitting coach.

Yes, junk wax hoarders, there is still a very affordable set out there from the mid-'80s that someone on the internet is trying to collect. Actually, the fundamental problem for me in collecting this set will be that eventually I will have to spend actual money on a Roger Clemens rookie card. That will make me sad.

These cards are terrible looking! I'm sorry, because I know I cannot even draw a stick figure to save my life and I know someone spent a lot of painstaking moments on these. They're just really uncomfortable to look at. Thankfully, Night Owl put me three steps closer to never having to think about these guys again.

And finally, because I always like to go out with a bang, here's an honest-to-goodness vintage Bill White card. I love it! Sure, I'm a huge sucker for Topps Heritage, but there's no substitution for the real thing.

Thanks again to Night Owl, who will be receiving Eric Gagne cards from me for several years to come.