Straight Dimes

Some cards from a fellow dime box bargain hunter.

Nick from Dime Boxes and I share similar collecting interests, in that we both enjoy a good bargain. Were my collecting interests a little more broad, I could see myself even naming my blog after something similar. I think we both know the pain of being hunched over cardboard boxes full of stuff all afternoon at a card show... either that, or I am just getting old and should probably get my back checked out.

Nick sent over a variety of cards in exchange for a pile of Adam Wainwright cards featured on one of my Cardinalpalooza trade bait posts. (There are still plenty of those Cardinals extras available, by the way.) He hit on a bunch of oddball type cards that I didn't have a lot of, including some of the recent unlicensed Panini stuff and a small stack of 1992 O-Pee-Chee. I'm a huge fan of O-Pee-Chee stuff, but never had occasion to open any packs from the 1992 set. I seem to remember card shops around here not carrying plain old OPC anymore after O-Pee-Chee Premier was launched.

This isn't an oddball, but it's a mini and I can always use lots of those. One for me (the binders) and one for the set (just, uh, one binder.)

My scanner is doing funny things to borders of cards these days. I've owned it for 5 years now (not quite as long as the blog) and it probably should get replaced someday. I don't think I can afford that kind of expense for awhile, though. I tend to run technology into the ground before I get something new. Speaking of run into the ground, Tim McCarver completed his final game as lead FOX MLB analyst at the conclusion of the World Series. It's not accurate to say that he retired from broadcasting, however. If you're a fan of his work in the booth (I'm not) then you might be happy to hear that he's joined up with FOX Sports Midwest to be an analyst for a number of Cardinals broadcasts. I guess I'm never going to be rid of the guy. I'm guessing it won't be quite so bad, though, as Joe Buck used to do play by play for Cardinals broadcasts and was actually quite hilarious. The national broadcasts can be painful to listen to, though.

Here's another one of those recent Panini products in the form of 2013 Cooperstown.

And this looks like it must be the 2012 Panini Cooperstown set. I do really like it when people send me these kinds of cards because there's no way I'm ever going out and buying them myself.

It's a little known fact, but Fernando Valenzuela went out on top -- in St. Louis! I completely missed out on this little slice of Fernandomania in an odd year for the Cardinals. Phil Plantier came over in the trade that brought Fernando to town. (Phil Plantier was a Cardinal? That's something I'm never going to remember unless someone has a baseball card showing him as one.) It was also the year that Big Mac came to town.

Nick was kind enough to also send over some set needs. I'm doing well on the 2003 Topps set now, having completed all of Series 2. I do need 21 more cards from Series 1 and a whole slew of Traded cards. I should buy myself a box of the traded stuff, but I think they included Chrome cards which drives the price up.

Finally, I also received some cards for Erin's PCs. I don't imagine there are a ton of Figgy collectors out there considering how his career turned up post-Anaheim, but his cards are welcome here.