Coming Back Around...

Not that you would have had any reason to notice, but I've been away from the blog, and from the hobby, for about a week now.  Early last week my wife and I had to put our 11-year-old pug, Eli, to rest.  It was one of the hardest decisions/experiences I've had to endure so far in my 32 years, and affected me much more than I ever envisioned it would.  For a few days afterwards there, I just didn't feel like doing much of anything at all.

I knew that, like anything else, time would help make things easier to digest, and that at some point soon I'd start to become enthused and excited about my hobbies and interests again.  Well, for the first time tonight I actually felt like looking at some cards, so let's cover some positive ground in the form of some recent pick-ups from the one and only local hobby shop I frequent, Central Sports Cards in Pawtucket, RI...

I was really excited to see a small stack of '73-74 Topps hockey stars on the counter-top during a trip a couple of months ago, and even more excited when I stumbled across the last really big name I need for my set.  It may not be perfect, but this Ken Dryden is in better shape than many of the other cards in my set, and most importantly is well-centered.  I couldn't say "sold" fast enough when the owner, John, said I could take it home for $4.50.

Nabbed a couple more from this set cheap on COMC, and am down to half a dozen or less to finish it off now.  Hopefully I'll be knocking this one out before the summer is through.

John keeps some well-stocked quarter boxes, which have not only improved my collection on the cheap, but have been a goldmine for cards I've sent to many bloggers and collectors all around the country the past couple of years.  I recently grabbed a whole bunch of Vlad cards from one, knowing that two people I trade with all the time collect him.  Most will be making their way out in PWEs, but I'll be keeping this one for myself.  Can't part with this photo.

How could you collect baseball cards and not like this one?  Another quarter box score.

At what worked out to probably 10 cents per card I hand picked quite a bit of 2015 Bowman.

Including some Chrome Prospects cards.  Killed a good chunk of the Red Sox from the set on the cheap.

Since the price was right I grabbed a lot of the bigger stars from the base set as well.

One of the things I love about this shop is that the owner constantly has new stuff coming in.  He's buying cards and collections on the regular, so there's almost always something new to look at whenever you can make it by.  There must have been a recent purchase of a bunch of '90s inserts because I found some junk wax gems that are welcome additions to my collection, like this Hammer Team Jeff Bagwell from 1995 Sportflix..

Any of these inserts would have been prized cards in my childhood shoebox.  In the days before game-used and autographed cards for the most part, a good insert was basically the pinnacle of what you could potentially pull from a pack.  I would have spent hours combing through my Beckett or Tuff Stuff (remember those?) and totaling up the "value" of these.  Nowadays, for mere pocket change, they are just the kind of nostalgic, frugal purchase that I'm all about.

Pro-Vision!

I've mentioned it a few times, but the 1994 and 1995 Pinnacle Museum Collection parallels might be my favorite parallels of the '90s.  When I found a small stack of stars from the '95 set at the shop I had to make an offer.

In closing, as proof that you never know what you're going to find at this shop, here's a freebie that I found on my way out the door.  Yup...I have nothing further to add.

Still miss my pal, but that was a welcome distraction.  If I've been delayed in getting back to you, or posting a thanks for cards you mailed me, I will be getting to you within the next week.  Thanks for reading as always.  I think I'm coming back around...