In the Mail

I've received a few cards via email over the past few weeks that I'd like to showoff. 

The top left card is a 2008 Bowman Chrome Blue Refractor which is serial numbered 38/150.  This card is the seventh parallel card of the 2008 Bowman set that I have, which is notable because it is the first set of cards that I have that fills up more than one row of my card display.

The bottom card is a 2006 TriStar Farm Hands autographed card.  This is the earliest autograph card I have so far.  This card has a "book value" of $50.00 and I bought it for just $0.50.  I almost felt bad getting it for so cheap.  Almost.

The top right card is a 2010 Allen & Ginter Blank Back 1/1 card.  As you can see from the picture below, this card has nothing but a Topps halogram and a 1/1 label on the back.  This is a unique card that the Topps Vault was selling in their eBay store.  Every day the Topps Vault puts out dozens of 1/1 cards that have "blank backs".  They also dig into the archives and put up for sale old photos (which were used to make their cards), "proof" cards which were used early in each card's production, and original pieces of art that were commissioned from various artists to be used to make cards.  It is my favorite eBay store to look through.

My card collecting has slowed down quite a bit since most of the cards that I now need for my collection are the more expensive autograph cards and the harder to find lower numbered serial numbered cards.  But, the chase continues.

However, I have come upon a novel idea.  One of my favorite card collecting blogs is Hey, That's Mine!  The interesting (to me) aspect of this blog is that its author has a side hobby of creating his own, home-made cards.  The ones that I've seen are fabulous.  So, I contacted him earlier this week and asked him if he'd make me a custom Hochevar card using a picture that I personally took.  He said he would.  (You can see some of his other creations HERE.)  I can barely contain my excitement at the prospect of owning a card that was created from one of my pictures.

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SONG:  "Spanish Flea" by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass  --  Who knew a trumpet could be so fun? 

LOOKING FORWARD TO:  playing in the two-day, stroke-play Omaha Metro Golf Championship this weekend.  While my goal is to win my flight, I could live with a top three finish.  I also have some smaller goals this tournament which I hope will contribute to my winning my flight. 
1)  No 3 putts.
2)  Shoot between 82 and 86 each day.  With my 12 handicap, I should shoot an 84 (so I'll +/- 2 strokes).  Last year, I went into the tournament not worrying about shooting the course par, but instead focused on shooting my "handicap par", which allowed me to accept the inevitable bogies and (hopefully less inevitable) double bogies.  That mindset was very successful for me, so I'll do it again.
3)  To help me keep my composure during play, I am going into each day "knowing" that I'll probably have one blowup hole, and if/when it happens, I will not lose my temper. 
4)  I will go into each round with a game plan and will not "press" myself if things do not go as planned.
5)  No matter what my Saturday score, I will attempt to shoot a lower score on Sunday (even if it is only a one stroke improvement).

LOOKING FORWARD TO (part 2):  the 1-year anniversary of my blog.  It will be a great time to reflect on what has (to me) been worth writing about over the past year.