Responding to Comments...Finally! Some Closing Thoughts on Baseball Card Day.

So I'm back blogging on a more regular basis, and it's great to know that people are still (I'm hoping) reading what I have to say. (Ego, pipe down will you??!)

Anyway, the post that I wrote last week about updating the Sports Card Blogroll got a bit of attention. To wit:

• Ernest Reyes wrote: "You should keep Bob Lemke's blog just for posterity sake. He was a legend in the hobby."
• Adam wrote: "...tough to see Lemke's blog fall off. Maybe it could fit in "Retired but Relevant?"
• San Jose Fuji then wrote: "Was bummed to see Lemke's blog removed. Definitely like Reyes' idea."

So then it hit me...why not???

For those who don't know who Bob Lemke was "the former editor and publisher of the sportscards and memorabilia periodicals and books at Krause Publications (SCD, et al). I am the former editor of the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards." He was Beckett's competition. And he definitely knew his stuff. Check out his blog to see what I mean. So I have added his blog to the Retired but Relevant section of the blogroll. It keeps his blog, and the wealth of information it contains, on the roll, even though he hasn't added anything new since last December.

Next topic of discussion: National Baseball Card Day!!!

Friend of the blog P-Town Tom wrote, regarding the number of card shops I visited: "Three card shops in under a few hours... Wow. I need to move to Chicago."

Realistically, Tom, I was trying to go to at least four shops, if not five. I could have made the fourth one had it not been for the fact I was scheduled to pick up my kids at 1 in the pm. It did take me a while to drive from place to place. Overall, I put in at least over 30 miles on the van making the three stops I did.

Before I forget, I'd like to thank Chicagoland Sports Cards & Memorabilia in Buffalo Grove, IL, The Baseball Card King in Palatine, IL, and Sport & Gaming Cards inside Golf Mill Mall in Niles, IL for the hospitality. I hope business was good throughout the day and that there were a lots of kids who turned out for the event.

Funny thing, the guy in front of me at the Buffalo Grove shop bought three boxes of 2017 Topps Chrome. He spent over six hundred bucks total, and then asked if he could get more than one pack of NTCD cards because he spent so much. The guy behind the counter said it didn't matter how much he spent, he was still going to get one pack. Kudos to you, sir. The customer understood (good sport...I probably would have asked the same thing) and should now be sorting through his boxes (if he hadn't done it already).

Speaking of breaking cards, I was too busy the rest of weekend to open what I got. I don't even know if I have any autographs (yeah...that's going to happen with my luck). I'll post updates when I can.

One last response to comments. Colbey Hopper, regarding my Dollar Tree pack from a week or so ago, wrote: "I assume Topps and Panini manufacture these smaller packs specifically for the Dollar Tree, am I correct?"

That is absolutely correct. If you have a Dollar Tree, or any other kind of dollar store in your area, you'll find that they might (some don't) carry packs of cards for sale at a $1.00 (or less...if they forgot to program their pricing database so that you can get older packs for a penny). While my store does carry them. it's a mess. Packs are everywhere, mixed in with everything else. It's not a pretty sight. I remember when you could find regular packs of cards everywhere (think late 80's-early 90's). But at least you could get 15 cards for 50 cents. Now, it's five cards for a buck. Boy, has time changed.

The mailbox is empty, and it's time for lunch. Later, job hunting.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama