Thursday, May 22, 2014

bdj610's Topps Baseball Card Blog...At 6 Years Old!!!

On May 8, 2008, I made the leap into what was back then a very small community of bloggers who shared a common love of a Hobby...of baseball card collecting.

And in the six years that this humble, little blog has been online, the Hobby Blogging Community has evolved. Many of the writers who were around when I started have moved on to other endeavors. Others have made their presences known in other social media outlets. A few went on year-long sabbaticals. Some have left the Hobby for good.

Those who have stuck around through the good times and the bad times in the Hobby Blogging Community have seen a lot of changes. It is inevitable. Change is a constant. And all the stubborn Sheldons in the world can not stop change.


This blog, as well, has been through a lot of changes as well. What started out as a blog to share my collection with the world became one of information, sharing the Hobby news that was relevant to me and my collection. I shared the cards that I had acquired through trades, through shows, and through the kindness of random strangers who somehow stumbled into my little world and helped grow my collection. The blog, in a way, has become my way to communicate with those who shared my passion for the Hobby, whether they were down the street or around the world.

I have noticed that my activity here has been lessened by work and by outside commitments. The Hobby has taken a back seat as my children have gotten older and are now (gasp) moving on to high school and middle school. Their lives have gotten busier with their activities, and as such, our lives (meaning my wife's and mine) have been busy as well.

This post is by no means an announcement that I am ending the blog, nor am I leaving the Hobby Blogging Community. It is quite the contrary. But as I have posted less and less here, the number of readers have dropped as well, to the point that my relevance here may be gone.

The blog will go on. When I can get here.

On a happier note, I looked back at the first post of this blog. I can't believe that in six years that my collection has grown to the where it is now. On May 8, 2008, I had 38,749 cards in my official collection. Six years later, that number has increased by 60 percent. My collection now consists of 62,043 cards. Almost all are in binders that sit on a shelf in my basement. This total does not include the thousands upon thousands of cards that sit in boxes in a closet.

I have my 2014 Topps Series 1 set, the Gypsy Queen set, and pretty soon, the 32 team sets. I am looking forward to add the Archives set, the Allen & Ginter set, and more importantly, Series 2 and the Update Series to my growing collection.

I do realize that all things will come to an end. I have mentioned before that the players I grew up idolizing are no longer in the game, some already earning their way to legendary stature in Cooperstown. Other than an ever shrinking number of players, almost everyone playing in the MLB are younger than I am...and soon, kids my children's age will be making their journeys to the big leagues. When that happens, I will have to decide if I should continue, or just call it a career.

But until then, Happy Anniversary to bdj610's Topps Baseball Card Blog!!!


(the words to the song for those who either can't access the video, or for those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing)

(Gioacchino Rossini; arr. William Hanna / Joseph Barbera)
Practically a restaurant standard, most people don't realize that these lyrics, to the tune of "The William Tell Overture", were written by Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera for the episode titled "The Hot Piano".

Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Haaappy Anniversary

Pour a cheerful toast and fill it
Happy Anniversary
But be careful you don't spill it
Happy Anniversary

Ooooo Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Haaappy Anniversary

(Fred and Wilma Talking)

Ooooo Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Haaappy Anniversary

(Fred Talking)

Happy she and happy he
They're both as happy as can be
Celebrating merrily
their happy anniversary

(Fred and Wilma Talking)

Ooooo Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Haaappy Anniversary

(Fred Talking)

Ooooo Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Haaappy Anniversary

We now state emphatically
its happy anniversary
Not another day could be
a happy anniversary

Ooooo Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy (slow)
Happy (slow)
Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy (fast) Anniversary!!!

And may our collections grow today, tomorrow, and forever more!!!

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama