Cards and Life - Part 2

Last year, I talked about interviewing for the new position at work and having a chat with my interviewer about cards that were brought up during the course of the interview, well it turns out that there are more cardboarders in all parts of the woodwork at my job, and they are always cool to talk to.

For the last week, I have been training and "shadowing" for my new position, or basically learning how to do what I already know how to do. In the process of this sometimes ridiculously boring part of the new job, there was a bright ray of glorious light.

Most of the time I have my cards and stuff shipped to work because of numerous problems I have had with the apartment managers here, and yesterday was no different. I had recently spent some of the money I got from selling the Peterson rookie premiere auto and bought a 2007 base chrome auto. Normally the base chomies are not that big of a deal, but for AD, they just never come up. Its always the superfractor /10 or the refractor out of 25. Either way, one of my new coworkers catches me pulling the card out of the envelope and almost flips - in a good way.

We get to talking, and it turns out he loves collecting, hates beckett, and spends most of the day reading blogs and stuff. He mentioned that he reads SCU on a regular basis, but didnt know that I worked for the same company. He also mentioned Fielder's Choice and Wax Heaven, of course, but his main topic of conversation was the YouTube rant I posted a few days ago. He said he posted a video of him and his son opening a few packs, and had to take it down because some kid, whose only contribution to youtube was maildays and hot pack breaks, made comments about his son's appearance. I told him that it didnt surprise me, and that he would be among the majority of the people on youtube who have wanted to pull vids because of retarded 12 year olds.

Lastly, its cool to see that there are people out there that you never expect to collect, and they always have a few words to say, even in the craziest of environments. To Rick, thanks for the coolness.

2008 Was A Year That Will Not Be Vanishing Quickly

At least that is how I feel it will be happening. Tonight at midnight, 2008 will be gone, but for me, not forgotten. It was a year that brought the hobby together in new ways, but tore it apart in just as many. Its tought to believe that most of what has happened this year was just 12 months of time, it felt like it was a college lifetime. What I mean by that is that you remember stories like they happened 10 years ago, when really they only happened last month. Its a crazy phenomenon, and it happened to me a ton in college, because there was so much stuff packed into each week. Card blogging in 2008 was the exact same thing.

I think there were a lot of really awesome things that happened this year, and at the top of it, we had one of the bigger surprises in NFL history when the Giants knocked off the 16-0 Pats in the Super Bowl. It had a big hobby impact, as Tom Brady's cards, which were higher than Robert Downey Jr on a bender, came down from the stratosphere. All the weird people who thought it was a good idea to invest at $3000+, got a crash course in buy low sell high. I love the taste of vindication.

We got a great National Treasures product out of DLP, which could have been the best value in a high end break in a long, long time. For once, you could have a pretty good shot at not coming out behind 300 bucks in value. Granted its not a good idea to bust high end for value, but if you get crap cards, where is the fun in that? National Treasures packed the boxes with sweet ass cards, and even during our break on here, we did pretty good.

SPA football was great, even though collation problems made it impossible to break and do well. Even with the collation problems, the cards looked great, producing some of the best autos of the 2007 card season. It also was all completely on card, which made it the beginning of a great tradition for all UD products in 2008. We also got our first taste of the new 45 day redemption process, and for the most part, it worked out pretty well.

Moving on to Exquisite, we got a great idea of what kind of impact Peterson had on the 2007 draft class. even though most of the breaks were less than stellar, the set looked to be one of the most valuable of all time. Coming out of the gate, Peterson, Quinn, and Calvin Johnson were all over, or close to 1000 bucks on ebay, and that was enough to draw the attention of quite a few people looking to break something with that kind of awesomeness. There were major problems with the legitimacy of the set, but I will get to that later.

Later on in the year, DLP came out with its first non-RC based baseball product since 2005, and as expected people went nuts, myself included. We also got the first modern cards of Pete Rose, and the first widely produced relics of Joe Jackson. The product was a reminder to everyone how much DLP's products were missed from the Baseball realm, and I, for one, was very happy to welcome them back.

Staying in Baseball, Allen and Ginter returned with its critically acclaimed 3 offering, this time with many more reasons to bust a shitload of it. Hair relics from some of the country's greatest heroes, as well as the first fossil ever to be put into a card, were huge highlights to the already mammothly (pun intended) popular set.

We also got our first taste of Razor baseball prospects, and for many people it was quite a thorn in their chrome first tendencies that have been building over the last 10 years. They managed to sign most of the first round of the 2007 draft to exclusive contracts, which meant that for many people who made their living on Bowman Chrome, it would be a new experience in 2008.

Exclusive draftee contracts were not the only contract problem to hit 2008, as the rights to many of Baseball's most valuable HOFers went over to the topps brand. A lot of people were very happy, especially now that products like Triple Threads and Sterling would have a MUCH better checklist. I voiced my opinion pretty often that exclusive contracts were one of the main reasons that the hobby was going downhill, and this was a prime example. Legendary cuts, as a response, faced numerous issues.

Also during the course of this year, we saw youtube become one of the most popular expressions of a collector's stash. In the years prior, Doctor Wax Battle had originated the video box break, but it took YouTube to make it huge. After 12 months of people catching onto the phenomenon, though, it has become almost impossible to find an entertaining person to watch. Look at my breaks, for instance, they suck.

Even though my youtube skills are minimal, 2008 was probably the best year for me, as it marked the beginning of this blog as well as the beginnings of a major internet presence in the community the blogs established. As of today there are hundreds of card blogs, all with a unique view of the hobby. The blog bat around that I put together showcased all the talent that was available to new people on the card based internet, and it was really awesome to see how many people cared enough about everything that was going on in the hobby to use a blog as an outlet. We saw the power of the internet, time and time again, as people sounded off on issues ranging from sponsorship to Beckett's awful displays of immorality.

When it comes to Beckett, they made 2008 a year to remember for all the wrong reasons. First, they gave birth to this blog by busting loaded boxes on video, and continuing to showcase the conflicts of interest that plague their magazine. This includes selling graded cards on ebay, crying to manufacturers about not getting certain exclusives that had been given to the newly empowered blogs, and eventually antagonizing bloggers by posting response graphics and stealing articles that had been written by people on the numerous blogs.

They also dismantled the Message boards that thousands of users went to every day to discuss things that were important to them. What is left of that community is still trying to survive on Beckett.com 2.0, but we can see it is no longer what it used to be. I thanked them for destroying the one thing that made them relevant anymore.

Thanks to crooked manufacturers sending them loaded boxes as discussed above, here is a list of their pulls in 2008:

1/1 Adrian Peterson RC Patch Auto
1/1 Walter Payton/ Brian Piccolo Dual Cut
1/1 Brady Quinn National Treasures Logo Patch Auto
1/1 LaDanian Tomlinson Exquisite Base Card
1/1 Ryan Howard Triple Threads Letter Fold Out
1/1 Joe Dimaggio Topps Sterling Cut Auto Jersey
1/1 Lucille Ball Razor Cut Sig
Charlton Heston Razor Cut Sig
Alex Rodriguez Topps Sterling Jersey Auto
Brian Brohm/Matt Ryan/Andre Woodson Rookie Progression Triple Auto
Shoeless Joe Jackson Prime Cuts Dual Bat
National Treasures Dual auto featuring Dan Marino

You may think that anyone who busts thousands of dollars worth of boxes could pull this kind of stuff, but if you look back, all of this is only out of 30-40 different boxes.

Before 2008 is up, I want to thank all the SCUites who have made this blog so awesome to run, and awesome to participate in. Special thanks to Holy Hitter, Will Noetling, and Charlie, who all pitched in to help me out. To all the people who donated to the walk to cure Diabetes, you guys are the true heroes of this b-sphere, thank you for giving up your hard earned cash to help others.

I also want to thank all the idiots who have provided me with so much shit to write about here, seemingly on a daily basis. It was a ton of fun to write about all the numerous blunders.

So, from the bottom of my heart, HAVE A GREAT FUCKING 2009, may you all be safe, healthy and happy.

I Owe A Few People A Few Things

First off, there will be two breaks here on the 19th, and there will be giveaways from the break for the numerous people who have participated in SCU Breaks and the Blog Bat Arounds over the last 6 months, so make sure to check in on Friday for your chance to get some hits from the boxes.

Secondly, I owe Cardboard Addiction a Marino letter, and I havent forgot. With the wedding and money, I havent been able to send it. I can now, this is my fault. Send me your address again, and ill have it out today. Sorry again.

Thirdly, articles are due tonight at midnight - and this time I KNOW I am right.

Fourthly, Dave is breaking a box for the 'sphere, that is amazing.

Lastly, I may have to cancel the Secret Holiday Gift Giver. There are just too many things going on. I havent decided yet, but I am sorry none-the-less.

The Inaugural Blog Bat Around

Gents, this type of gathering of the minds has never really been attempted in our line of Blogging, and thanks to everyone, I definitely consider it a success. Blogs have always been the defacto source of opinion and commentary on the net, and just recently have they caught on with sports cards. Im happy they have.

When I first saw this idea on some of the other blogs I frequent, I was intrigued to get it going for the sports card community, mainly because its very tough to find eloquent and insightful commentary on a single topic without tons of "ur a homo" and "stop being an idiot" posts that you would get with the spurts of topics on a message board.

Also, with an open forum of commentary, we tend to get a lot of different perspectives from people who we may not encounter very often. Mario, Dayf and I may get tons of hits every day (Mario in particular), but for everyone of us, there are 10 who dont. Hopefully they will finally have a "mainstream" outlet here and on the future hosts of this tribal council.

Without further adieu, I will get on to the posts themselves. For those of you who have submitted, thank you, for those of you still working, please email me to get your link added as soon as possible. Remember, this is not a contest, and there is no winner, just a way to hear more voices in the fray. Please do your best to visit every link, I guarantee you it will be worth your while. I have not organized the links at any order, so please do not send me hate mail that yours is at the bottom, I just threw it together. Thanks, and lets begin.

Sports Cards Uncensored - Im not going to paraphrase my own post. Check out the others.

The Easy Life - Steve is a set collector who likes to build his babies from the packs he buys at local retail outlets, he has written a pretty good piece, and I would say I have to applaud him for sticking with it, mainly because of how difficult it is to build a set the way he does.

White Sox Cards - Most of you know this blog because he is a great promoter, but also because he has amassed a huge collection of a team that he loves. Check out his post to get a glimpse into the way that a White Sox collector can actually live with himself (just kidding, Twins still rule!).

Skating in Sand - Mr. Awkward Moment describes a lot of what new collectors go through when they come to/come back to the hobby, or what he likes to call "Overwhelmed." I think that is a perfect way to look at it.

Dinged Corners - Patricia has an awesome and unique blog and has an even more unique tag she has used for her habits: National Collector. Her, lucy and company have some really cool examples of their Asian player collection, Im sure that everyone will enjoy their explanation of a guy known for using a hankercheif on the mound. Weird in a cool way.


West Virginia Cards - Billy Suter talks about being a small town collector in his post, and I think that is a pretty tough existence in this hobby. Without a shop near him, its cool to see he has built up a gigantic 28K+ collection.

Paul's Random Stuff - Paul is a mets collector and an autograph collector, and I think he crosses over two spots that a lot of us are in, mainly collecting actual autographs and collecting one specific team, and then combining that into a nice collection. Its been a long time since the amazins and I feel his pain.

Cougar Cards - This post details one of the toughest types of collectors out there, someone who collects a college, rather than a certain pro team or pro player. What this means is a lot of prospecting and a lot of cross sport collecting. I give him props for pulling that off as well as he has.

Waxaholic - Captain Canuck is a newer type of set collector that has developed over the last few years, or the guy who gets tired with all the crap they put in a set to make sure that its an accomplishment when you are done. He is trying to live a non short print life in a short print world, good luck buddy.


Hawk to the Hall - Charlie has disappeared for a while, but comes back strong with his post on being a player collector of a retired star and being a team collector. Hopefully after this post, he can come back full strength.

Night Owl Cards - Night Owl is also a set collector and I got the anti-SP whiff from him too, he built his love off of Lou Thornton, and im sure Sweet Lou (I dont care if he isnt sweet, all Lou's are forever "Sweet Lous" to me), is proud. Night Owl is a guy I would love to sit down with and talk shop because he uses cards as a way to get in deep with the game. Learning is always key, especially in baseball.

Voice of the Collector - Two words: MAN CAVE. Awesome. Rob is a player collector with two kids, and Im sure a lot of you out there are in a similar position. He has to make choices that many make, and it was cool to see what his decisions have led to.

The Nennth Inning - This blog is really well designed and didnt hurt my eyes. Keep that in mind people. Either way, he is a player and team collector, and I know he has recently come into some money now that Lincecum has become Captain Firetosser for the NL. I identify with him quite a bit because my habits of collecting Twins and Mauer are similar to his with the Giants and Lincecum and company.

Need Mo' Morneau - The Morneau Monster needs more collectors and I was happy to see this blog come about. As the title of the blog suggests, he is not just a player collector, but a unique one. He is one of the collectors that collects a player that is chosen because he is a beast rather than because he is from the guy's hometown team. I was interested to read this.

Cardboard Addiction - Joe is something I thought I would see more of, but really didnt. He is more of a general collector with a tinge of Red Sox nation running through his blood. I think he has taken on a tough task in trying to put together the 52 Topps Set with the Mantle, but I wish him the best of luck.

Tribe Cards - Another central division rival, another awesome post. We all know he is a team collector first and foremost, but damn, he is also pretty damn organized. That was cool to see, we definitely need more shelf pictures around the sphere. I know there are some crazy people out there when designing their display.

The Fleer Sticker Project - Im not really sure how to describe this post, but he collects comics and therefore he is cool in my book. I want to say that oddballs are the focus here, but really there is much more that I cant really put into better words than he did. I really like the Wacky Package thing though, very cool.

BoxBusters - Team collecting is the name of the game, and he was inspired by one of the best to start collecting cardinals. This site is very nicely put together, so please check out the cool posts on team collecting, and of course, box busting.

Sports. Cards. Life. - Paul is the chief graphic designer for SCU and he finally started up his own blog. He posts about being quality over quantity collector just like myself, and I think its pretty cool that people are using this topic as a jumping off point for their blog's beginnings.

Garvey Cey Russell Lopes - My man GCRL has documented his life as a collector of Steve Garvey, the Dodgers, and more specifically the infield of the Dodger team he grew up with. He has explained something that I love, mainly that he aint gonna be givin up any time soon, and that is awesome.

Stats On The Back - mmosley goes over his collection in a way that was very easy to read. He first describes what he was and then what he is, and even goes into a list of what he collects. He gives himself a C+, I think that is modest.

Green Monster - Star is a man who collects sets and dabbles in team collecting, and I think he does a very good job of laying out his habits. I think he is part of a good chunk of the blogosphere that does the same thing, and I am starting to wonder why the manufacturers dont cater to them more often if there are this many. Good post.

Cardboard Junkie - Dayf labels his post as 'silliness' and I dont really know what else to say. He has been around longer than most, and is a self proclaimed collector of everything there is, so I have to give it up for that. He also posts some weird dragon images, and other stuff, so yeah, wow on this one.


Achiever Card Blog - Motherscratcher and his little urban achievers have a post about turning into a set collector after originally being a second worlder. He talks about a dilemma that a lot of people have with cleaning out old cards, I know my dad had to do the same thing.

MLB Collector - SBJ is a set collector with a death wish - just messing with you - he busts blaster and boxes trying to build sets of stuff he likes. Another Mets fan too, I found that interesting that he was. What happens when you mix a blaster with a Pedro game used? A trip to target for underoos and another blaster. Thats what.

Fielders Choice - Dave has been a favorite blogger of mine for a while, mainly because he is one of the only second and first worlders out there. As he puts it, he loves Heritage and Goudey, but also Ballpark Collection and Sweet Spot. Good read here, found out some stuff I didnt know.

Treasure Never Buried - JV is known for being a very good writer and I agree. He says he doesnt know what type of collector he is because he collects too many different types of things, all tied to memories from his life. I say he is a memory lane collector, and its really cool to read about.

Trader's Cracks - Ryan is one of the only non sport collectors in the Bat Around, and although he isnt exclusively non sport, he has a pretty good collection of awesome stuff. If you dont have an A-Team card, you arent cool.

Olagato House - Nichole collects all sorts of paper related stuff, and after reading this, Im not sure what kind of card collector is described in this post but I do know that a pretty avid collector is the name of the game here. I think its pretty cool what this blog is all about.

Padrographs - Rod collects everything Padres including a busty collection of in person style and TTM autos. He even hints at an A-Z type collection, and that is really an awesome feat. I like reading about people who get in on the IP/TTM auto stuff because its something we can all have fun with, and we all appreciate.

Thoughts and Sox - Another sawks team collector, and I gotta say, it even looks like a region collector too because it seems like he has a big collection of everything New England. Its always cool to see the way people get into this biz, and I guess we can all thank different people for it. I liked his story, check it out.

Awesomely Bad Wax - Mike's site is the place to go for TTM autos and prospect reports and his post is great. I dont have enough time to post a paragraph on it, so go check it out.

Bdj610's Topps Card Blog - its cool that Jay Bee gets to close this beast out for now, because he is the only "brand collector" in this thing. I loved reading about how he got into things, and man 42,072 is quite robust and quite down to the single! Wow. Be sure to go read this and finish up your Bat Around.

I think thats about it, and I must say it was a marathon of awesomosity. You guys came through bigger than I ever thought possible, and what we have is a great thing here. I would also like to thank all of you who gave me a new site to read, I have to admit, I hadnt been to every blog on this list. After, however, I wish I had.

There were so many responses, Im sure I missed at least one. If I did, please let me know.

Who's up for hosting next? Haha.

Parallels In a Different Sense Of The Word

When Obama started his campaign just short of two years ago, we were NOT expecting it to go this far. Personally, Im glad it did for a few reasons that dont involve the devil woman. First off, it shows that anyone can really accomplish whatever they want as long as they dont give up, something that before last night was a hyperbolic and cliche saying that helped parents try to inspire apathetic children. Secondly, it shows what a grassroots internet campaign combined with a normal campaign can accomplish. Its those two things I want to focus on.

Before I start, I want to let you know that in no way am I meaning to belittlie this historic win by drawing parallels to this blog. Trust me, im just using it to make a point.

I think that the internet has long since become the way that people get their news, and that print media is dying a long and painful death. It only goes to show that when blogs like the ones we read take over the blogosphere, things actually can happen towards a change for the better. When I started writing this blog, I was just a person that thought change was needed in a hobby I loved to be a part of. Those awful things I was fighting to change prevented a lot of good things from happening, and it disgusted me to no end. Frankly, they still do. But, unlike 5 years ago, the internet has given me a vehicle for change, and I am not the only one jumping on board - and that is a very good thing. The better thing is that Barack Obama showed on a national scale that the youth electorate was not going to stand idly by while the same ole same ole drove this country into the ground, and used the internet to rally his young supporters on a number of occasions. He did that with a lot of help from the emails, blogs, and iReporters, and I have a feeling that in 2012, it will be an even bigger part of things. In fact, punditry blogs and other sites that focused on the campaign gained national attention as well, showing that blogmedia is actually a reliable news source for the public.

Now, I know that this blog will never receive any national attention, and my crusades will never reach the level that forces drastic change. However, I think that as hobby blogs become more plentiful, we will have the ability to influence a part of the hobby that people like Beckett refuse to acknowledge as more than just a "few scattered people." As a person who uses the internet as a news source myself, I know that will be the downfall of their influence in the hobby.

Hell, even manufacturers have seen the grassroots people forming effective campaigns, and they have recognized the wonderful voices that have emerged from the fray. Whether its diamond vision, youtube, or even blog sponsorship, they realize that before long, people like Mario, Dayf and Dave will be more of a resource than douchebags like Hackler in the general hobby. To me, its funny that Beckett has tried to demolish their internet following rather than embrace it. Its no surprise that they are too stupid to fix the broken parts of their business that have been rusting with the corosion of outdated paradigms, because if they do, they might as well cease everything associated with the company. Let me put it this way, 20 years ago, they created the sources they still use today. 20 years is a long, long time in todays world.

Back to more important themes of this election, mainly all those children who are given a renewed source of "Yes We Can!" when it comes to reaching for those stars that seem out of reach, as last night a man born during a time when Blacks were separate but "equal" is now president. If he can do it, so can we, and I think I have never given up that naive hope that with a little elbow grease, anything can be accomplished.

I think that 6 months ago, many people in the hobby werent sure what to expect after a March month to remember. However, over the next half year, they were shown that a voice is nothing to discount. I do not, under any circumstances, believe that I had any effect on the hobby's change, but I will say that I helped to bring a PA system to some of those voices that were having trouble being heard.

The lesson is this: Dont let your voice be silenced, its worth more than anyone could ever imagine. Barack Obama took this to heart, and he is now a "President for Change," something I can identify with. With that, I ask you today to believe that with the voices we have assembled here in the 'sphere, we can change things too.

A Comment On Sponsorship

Lazy Saturday it ain't! Holy fuck. I get up this morning and I immediately get a message from a few people that Mario at Wax Heaven has gone Upper Deck. That, as they put it, it is now "Upper Deck Wax Heaven." I had no idea what was going on, but after I started reading the 10 or so letters I had from people after my chats were done, I saw what they were talking about.

To the chagrin of most of the bloggers out there, Mario is now going to be busting some boxes that are being sent by the PR department at UD. He says that he had been waiting quite a while, and now he is on board as a net reviewer for the baseball products. People are quite angry because Mario's objectivity has been compromised in their minds, though I don't think they quite understand a few things.

First off, I deplore the sending out of free boxes to any non customer and public face by any manufacturer, as that is completely against what I stand for and I have acted accordingly. Two things come from this mantra, first Mario is not me, and he has the choice to do what he thinks is best for his site. As one of the faces of the blogging world to the public, I am against this, but that isn't the whole story. Unlike Beckett and other hobby sources, Mario does everything he does on his own time, much like I do. He has built his site from the ground up and has refused all ad revenue and everything that could make his site profitable. I think it would be nice to pay him back a bit for what he has done.

Secondly, he already has busted quite a few Upper Deck products that he himself paid for and given them objective reviews, or at least as objective as one can be. Will that goal of objectivity be undermined by this deal? Im not sure. However, if there is one person in the 'shpere who deserves this, its him. He also is a very accessible guy, so if you dont like what he does with this, let him know.

Lastly, many other bloggers who may or may not deserve this have asked for a similar deal on a number of occasions. I know this for a fact, and some even posted on his announcement. Thats fine, it is their decision, not mine. If Upper Deck starts painting the net with their logo, I wont comment on it because I know how hard it is to maintain a blog. Dont expect to see a sponsorship logo here though, I dont roll like that. However, that doesnt mean I will chastise others for making a different decision.

The Real Focus Of This Day

Today is one of those days you never forget. I was walking distance from the Pentagon when it all went down, so it is just as vivid to me as anyone. But rather than write some mock patriotic post about how we should never forget what happened, I would rather let this letter speak to what the true focus of this day should be.

Dear Gellman,

I am actually writing you from my base in Iraq, where Im sure you never expected to be reaching with your blog (there are collectors here, too). Today is pretty weird around here, as you can imagine all the people with ties to the WTC and the Pentagon. One of the guys in my unit actually had a family member on flight 93, so this day is always tough for him. Either way, I wanted to write this email to you so that you can have something worthwhile to post today. I have spent most of the day reading a bunch of crap on the news sites and watching some streaming video of newscasts from back home. None of them seem to focus on the outcome of what happened this day, they only focus on the day itself. Please tell your readers to think of the troops who are giving their lives, giving the youth of their children, and giving everything to their country to fight the war that stemmed from this awful day. That should be the focus. Focus on my best friend here who has three kids and mother who may not see 2009. He is here, fighting. Focus on a woman I patrol with, who has a brother she left behind with a bunch of issues. She is here fighting. These people need your prayers, I need your prayers. But most of all, tell your readers to focus on living the lives we die everyday to defend.

Thank you very much,
Robert
US Army

Robert, good luck, our thoughts are with you and your family.

How Do You Feel About It?

Every so often, I get cool emails from readers with interesting points. I want to highlight this one, because he was nice and made some great points:

Gellman,

Thank you so much for organizing the group breaks over the last few weeks. They are really cool to see in addition to the ones I see on YouTube. A lot of these products only get busted around the time they are released, so its cool to revisit the ones like NT and Exquisite BB/FB. I would like to join, but unfortunately my funds are limited. Its for a good reason, as my wife just had a baby, so we are spending most of our cash there.

Your blog is unbelievable though, I read it most days before the news. Says a lot dont it? I would read a lot of the other hobby stuff online, but one can only take so many posts on retail blasters and retail packs. Most of the time I just ignore them, and come here for everything. Thank you for focusing on the "second world" as you put it, because the "first world" is more than boring.

Keep up the good work,
Rick [Last Name Omitted For Privacy]

Well guys, I do agree with a lot of what Rick here says. Some products just dont get busted after release. With that, do you guys like the group breaks and want to see more? Are there certain other products you want us to break? Im sure Holy Hitter would love to hear suggestions.

Also, congrats on the rugrat, buddy. Best of luck to you and your new addition.

Why We Do What We Do

I got in to work today very flustered and not happy. We have a new dog on the way and things are going to get PRETTY crazy. I sat down and started reading through the tons of emails I had, most of them telling me that bills were coming as well as our new addition. Great.

Then I get to this email from Matt, who is a photographer living in Baton Rouge. Obviously, its been a really tough few weeks for that area, and the area Matt's home was no stranger to the effects of the Hurricane. Anyways, here is what he had to say:

Hey man,

I just wanted to send you a tremendous thank you for the blog that you have. I live in Baton Rouge, LA, and we were hit very very hard by hurricane Gustav. I am going on 5 days without electricity and needless to say, it's very very hot. All of the houses around mine were crushed by trees, thankfully except for mine. The entire city is in chaos it seems. We waited an hour yesterday just to get some gas, and some people are waiting for 3-4 hours just to get food at grocery stores. Apparently this isnt being shown on tv, but it's happening. I don't know when we will get power again. This is my first access to electricity in a week. The only connection I have with the outside world, pretty much, is my iphone. It doesnt load very fast, so I am limited to pretty much two sites. The news and your blog. The only thing that I have to look forward to, throughout each day, is reading the updates that you have on here. I have no way of purchasing cards or going to the local card shop to hangout right now. I don't even know if the card shop is still standing. But for 15 minutes a day, I get to read about the hobby that I love and in a humorous way, that is the way you write. I don't want to say that a baseball card blog is keeping me going right now, but it sure as hell is helping me keep my sanity. You are the man, and I appreciate your site so much more now. Thank you for keeping up with it the way you do. You work is not going unnoticed.

Thanks so much,

Matt Lange
www.mattlange.com

Matt, thank you for making my day, and for sure making my seven months since I started writing here. You never think you make a difference with an insignificant blog that rants about card collecting, but emails like this and others I have received show me that maybe SCU isnt that insignificant.

Either way, since Matt hasnt been able to get in on any of the action going on, I am going to put him in the FB Exquisite Break as a pick-me-up from the horror that has probably made Baton Rouge look like a warzone.

Good luck to you man, our prayers are with you...