Cards NOT from the National

I love seeing the posts of scores from this year's National Card Show. This marked another year I was not able to attend. Oh, I had plans, but nothing worked out. I took off the Thursday and Friday of the weekend a-way back in January. I didn't think I would do 4 days of the National, but hey - use the time or lose the time, right? Well, come April or so, hitting the National was not going to happen. Lack of money pretty much put the nail in that coffin.

Come June, though, there was life from the grave and I had an outside chance to attend. As the weeks passed, it got a little stronger, so I started feeling better. July hits and there was a minor setback, but attending the National was still possible. A week before the actual convention, Thursday, Friday and Saturday were not days I could attend, but Sunday was a real possibility. While my finances were a big goose egg, Uber driving on those three days would secure me funds for Sunday.

And then Thursday came, and while it started as a good night on the road, other unseen issues caused the entire convention to be a permanent skip Friday morning. No way even Sunday was an option, because all my work was needed for other financial considerations. Oh well - that's how it goes.

In a nice bit of irony, when I started driving Sunday afternoon, my first pickup was about 2 miles from my house, and I dropped the riders off at the O'Hare departure terminal. For a frame a reference, O'Hare is a driver, 3 wood and a decent 4 iron from the Stephens Convention Center, if you hit that sucker juuuuuuuuuuust right.

It's in the hole!

Not sure if next year's National will be an option, but I am hoping for the year after, as it appears Rosemont gets the show every odd year. I should be able to sock away money in preparation for the 2019 show, so I got that going for me.

Gunga gunga-lagunga.

The mailbox has been kind to me, even if I haven't been kind on the outgoing side. I promise - I have stacks of cards with names upon them, as well as a couple Canadian packages that are FAR TOO OLD, but they will all leave my abode soon. But let's look at some scores from my mailbox National.

A while back, John from Johnny's Trading Spot had a little fun game of picking and stealing. I was able to steal that Ken Hubbs for my '64 build, and John dropped a couple bonus cards in the PWE. Both needed for the respective binders. Thanks John.

Peter over at Baseball Every Night ripped a box of series 2 and offered team sets up for $3. Hey - I'll get in on that. Peter pulled all but on card of the Sox from series 2 (missing Zach Putnam). Plus, Topps went insane with the Sunday alts, which means I need dang near a 2nd set for the throwback binder. But all in all, well worth it. Thanks Peter.

Dime Box Nick did he semi regular dump on me of cards that probably cost him less that $2. You won't hear my complaining, as my semi regular return package costs about the same. Nick dropped a few miscuts, like that fine Mike Paul, an odd Mike Cameron (maybe from a team issue), and a '17 Rangers card that confused me at first, until a closer look at the caps made me realize this is a throwback.

Bunting well represented. Love that Boudreau, and the Patek is a Kellogg's that has been on my want list for a couple years. Nice to delete and put a new card in the same position.

One for the broken bat binder. Cards for there are literally found by chance, so I like when Nick finds them by chance. Couple Moncada's for the Sox box. Please don't be a bust, Yoan. Appreciate the cards, Nick.

Last up was a random mailer from Brian from....well, Brian doesn't blog (YET! hint hint). For those that know, or maybe don't, I rarely buy anything that is prospect heavy. I just don't. So when people send me minor league releases or pre-MLB cards, that makes me smile. I never think to try and pick them up, so I eagerly accept any and all. Kopech may get a call up this year, but should be ready to be in the rotation in 2018. Holmberg works the pen for the Sox in 2017. Jason had 28 games in the bigs in 2016. Got picked up off waivers by the Rays, released a week later, and then signed by the Rays 6 weeks after being released. Baseball.....

Michael Ynoa, aka the 2016 White Sox version of 2017 Cub Rob Zastryzny, made a welcome appearance, as did that ever so slight, and completely sweet, Wong miscut. You can see the bleed of white in the upper right. Brian, thanks, and just blog already.

So that recaps my stay at home 2017 National. Maybe not the plan eight months ago, but I'm alright.