2013 National Recap - When Quality wins out over Quantity, but doesnt always mean "High" Grade

As i type this, it is nearing 4:00am here in New York. My body is still on Central Time, thinking it's 3:00am. Reason being, this years National was held in Chicago.

Well, THE Show has come to an end. The collectors have gone home, as have the dealers. It's 51 weeks until The 2014 National. Yes, i am pretty sad as i am typing this. Happened to me last year after Day Five was over, and i was back home in New York (it was in Baltimore last year).

Here is my personal 2013 National Experience.

As always, The Show runs from Wednesday through Sunday. Wednesday is "Preview Night" meaning the show runs from 4:00 until 8pm. Friday through Saturday its 10-6, and Sunday is 10-5 VIPs are given access 30 minutes prior to the listed opening times above, which comes in handy if you are into getting in line to grab the many different Promotional Proceeds going on from any number of the Corporate Sponsors.

On Wednesday i arrived early in the day due to travel plans having to work out properly. Met up with my friend and roommate for the week, got checked in, then headed to the show.

This year was different. i didnt have a SOLID Focus going in, but i had an idea of what i would have liked to have started working on. When i hit the show floor for the first time, i did not get that "punch drunk" feeling that i have gotten the last three times ive gone. it was a quiet calm, almost like something in me had changed. For the worse or for the better i suppose will only reveal it's self as time goes by.

Almost immediately i started to see people that i hadn't seen since last years show. as i would meet them, we'd talk to each other like only days had gone by, not an entire year. its kind of surreal really. We are all in a Fraternity, a Cardboard Collecting Fraternity. Its a wonderful thing. Ive met some wonderful people in this hobby over the years, and The National has only strengthened the bond that we all share.

Then it was time to look around. i have pretty much given up on the Leaf Paige, opting for the Bowman instead. Also, i wanted to see if i could pick up nearly perfectly centered graded copies of Pre-War Legends, specifically the First Five Guys that were elected into the HOF. (Cobb, Ruth, Wagner, Johnson, Mathewson), plus possibly some of the other very well know Legends. The "catch" to this Focus is that the card has to be from when they were an active MLB Player first and foremost, there is no exception to that particular rule. The other thing is that i prefer that the players card feature an action shot. When i say "Action" that pretty much means anything other then a portrait, as there are not all that many options for cards of the time. That last rule is not all that strict, and can be changed by myself at anytime, especially if the Portrait looks more like the player (literally) then the "Action" Shot. The last thing, and certainly not the least thing is that the card must have as close to dead centering as possible.

Ok, so a mixture of all the days were spent like this.... Chatting, looking, chatting, looking, meeting new people, looking, chatting, introducing new people to old people, going to Wrigley Field, looking, buying, chatting, looking, resisting the temptation to buy cards that do not fit into my new Focus, especially on the Centering aspect.

The first four days of the show were very well attended, there were a lot of people with all kinds of teams' jerseys, etc on. it was very nice to see a pretty good number of young children not only there, but interested and enjoying the hobby.

After Saturday, all but three of us in the Fraternity had headed home, back to the "real world". i really do miss those sons-of-brilliant people! ;)

Sunday was disappointing as some of the dealers didnt even bother to show up, and most others started to trickle out after a few hours. by 2pm the place was pretty much dead. Shortly thereafter i began to make my final rounds and say goodbye to my dealer friends, wish them safe travels and hope to see them again next year.

Onto my pickups (which im gathering, is the only reason that some people read these posts ;)

i did a LOT of walking around, searching for the cards that would qualify for my new focus. i was unable to find a Paige that was reasonably priced, so that hunt goes on.

Please pardon the large pictures, but i think they are better then no scans at all, eh? :)













The Gehrig is interesting as a good friend of mine was the one that found it, ON SATURDAY! i know, right? go figure. i looked and looked, and missed it each time. (Also note that it is the #160, which is known to be more "rare" then the #92)

one other thing that i forgot to add. if you are ever in that area, like steak, and are able to eat at Gibson's Steakhouse, i cannot recommend it enough. yes, it is expensive, but WOW it is simply amazing!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my recap. i hope i was able to express and share how enjoyable it was for me, and maybe convince those that have not gone to do so next year? :)

-Eric

My Pull List, as of July 2013 ...

Here is my current pull list:

Monthly Books i would buy even if released weekly:

The Walking Dead
SAGA
Mind MGMT

The rest in no particular order:

Revival
Bedlam
CHEW
Clone
East Of West
Five Ghosts
Invincible
Lazarus
Manhattan Projects
Nowhere Men
The Sixth Gun
Thief Of Thieves
Think Tank
Todd The Ugliest Kid On Earth
Rachel Rising
American Vampire

This list does not contain mini's for obvious reasons.  If you'd like to discuss any of these books, feel free to contact me.

So, you're an adult who'd like to read "Comic Books", but don't know how to go about it (or are afraid to ask).

Long time no write.  Yea, i know, nobody cares :)

its not from lack of wanting to, its from lack of time.  been really busy with work.  i do have some down time, but not enough to sit at a computer and write
up a proper blog.  i spend a lot of time on Twitter.  i highly recommend it.  it really is like how AOL chat rooms were back in the 90's (for those of you that
were around then, that is lol).  Its a nice challenge to try to say what youve got to say in 140 or (usually) less characters.  its also a great way to talk to
comic book industry people.  the format is really good for that type of thing.  Look me up on there (if you dare! hah), ThoseBackPages .

I've been trying to come up with a way to "spread the word" when it comes to reading comic books, especially for those of us that are adults.

when i started reading comics again last year for the first time since the mid 80s, i kind of found my way around on my own.  not that there is anything
wrong with that, but i wish i would have had someone to point me in more of a direction that i am in now, if that makes any sense. 

"Comic Books"

most people hear that term and think .... Superman, Spiderman, Batman, XMen and the like.  Maybe thats because that's what the media pushes as
the main idea what a comic book is.  Marvel and DC Comics are "The Big Two" as far as comic book publishers go.
Maybe its time for that to change.  The only way that can change is through spreading the word.  The internet is a great way to do that.

Look, the "Big Two" are not going to go away, maybe not ever, but certainly not anytime soon. 

i am here to tell you that there ARE alternatives, if that is something that you might be interested in.  Not EVERYONE wants to read superhero books,
AND THAT IS "OK".  Hell, *I* am one of those people.  There is only one "capes" book that i read.  ive blogged about it before (it's called Invincible),
so no need to go over all that again.

im here today to tell you that there are comic books to read and enjoy (and "collect" as well, if you so choose) that are not "superhero" books, and not
released by the BIG TWO.

There are a LOT of "independent" comic book publishers.  they rely heavily on sales of comics, because they dont have tons of movies or Disney
backing them up financially.

But enough negativity.  i want this blog post to be about how i can help spread the word.  would it be easy enough for me to type out what i currently
read monthly, give you a synopsis of what each is about? sure, that would be easy enough, but there's not much fun in that.  hell, you can google any
title i list, and boom! instant "reviews" from many sources.

What id like to do is offer to either send you some reader copies of select books i feel that you would like to read, or offer you some sort of paypal deal
if you pick them up yourself and do not care for them, to the point that you tell me "Eric, what is this shit? i HATE it!" ive done this one other time (last year)
and it went over well with people.  Even the creators thanked me for doing so (not that that was the point of it, but it was nice to hear them say it)

Here are the Genre's that i like to read

Horror/Drama
Horror/Violent
Horror/Comedy
Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Sci-Fi
Nior

Pretty vague list now that i look at it, but it is what it is.

In closing .... There are some great comic books out there that are not all about flying men punching buildings, with unlimited special abilities, kicking the
shit out of each other. There are comics that the characters die, and STAY DEAD permanently.  There are books that are emotional, that are funny, that
are "real" (as real as can be, as these ARE comic books afterall, but you know what i mean). 

There are comic books out there for adults, and when i say "adult" i dont mean porn. not that theres anything wrong with that either (and there ARE comics
for that purpose as well).  What i mean is that there are comics out there that people over the age of 30 can (AND DO) enjoy. 

THEY ARE OUT THERE PEOPLE, and with my help, i really hope i can help you discover and enjoy them! 

Its time to put the stereotype that comics are for kids to bed once and for all!

So there it is.  i want to get the word out there for the books that i love.

Let me know what you think.

Hit me up on Twitter (@ThoseBackPages) if you'd like to talk about this some more, shoot some ideas back and forth and such.

As Always,

ThoseBackPages

Twice the "legal" limit.

Today is my 42nd birthday.  im really not sure where this blog post is going to go.  like always, i had some ideas in my head, but theyve come and gone.
To be honest, i never thought that i would make it to this age.  at the same time, i generally do not FEEL my age, and most of the time i do not act it.

Life has gotten harder the last few months.  i am changing.  Maybe its the diabetes, maybe its just getting old.  i dont heal like i used to, and i feel tired a
lot of the time.  not much interests me anymore.  i still love my job, but even that has changed.  i still love baseball cards, but i feel as if they no longer feel
the same.  my passion for comics is still there, but has cooled off a bit as well.   2012 was just so good overall as a year of collecting for me.  2013 is
bound to be a letdown in that department. For the most part, that has held true.

im tired of the foods that i am able to eat.  i wouldnt say that i "miss" the "bad" foods, but i just cant bring myself to eat them, no matter how much in my
mind that i want to.  it's been nearly 40 months now with this disease.  i guess i can admit that it has me, i dont have it.  in the beginning i was an active
member of a few of the diabetic message boards, three i think it was.  now i barely belong to one.  the changeover rate is so high, the people that were
also new when i signed up there about three years ago are no longer there, not at least when i pop myself in to say hello. sucks, but thats how it is
with this disease.  People come and go. People start out strong, then give in and say "fuck it", fall off the eating/exercising wagon.  ive seen it happen.
Hasnt happened to me yet though.  i still follow the as-low-as-possible daily carb intake diet, and still get in my exercise daily, weather permitting.

i like to think im a nice person.  i have flaws like everyone else.  im self admittedly VERY stubborn.  i still think i have knowledge to offer others, especially
when it comes to collecting cards and more with each passing day, comics.  i like good conversation, but hardly find it anymore.  i dont physically talk to
very many people, everything is online nowadays.

well, this has been a rant of some sort i suppose.  just wanted to type something.  im not the type of person that wants the "birthday attention" and dont
seek it out.  hey, at least i thought up a catchy subject lol

Rest Easy Brother, RIP Jason Molina

i learned today that one of my favorite musicians died over the weekend.  His name was Jason Molina and he was an alcoholic.  He was just 39 years old.  His organs seemed to have given out and he died of "natural" causes.

He wasnt a "famous rock star" to the masses, but he was to me.

i discovered his music about 10 years ago.  After my fiance died in the summer of 2003, i spent the better part of 6 weeks not leaving the house.  i returned to working at the record shop.  it was there that a co-worker, after prodding him about wanting to listen to "something different", turned me on to Jason Molina's (and some other bands as well) music.

i fell immediately in love with the music.  i was in a very dark place, and could relate totally to what Jason was singing.  it was like he was speaking directly to me.  it was that good.

i got to see the band play twice.  i would have seen them more times,  but they didnt get to New York City all that often.  Each time, after the show (and once before one) i was able to have coversations with Jason (and Pete (the bassist)).  it was just small chat, i told him how he helped me through the dark times after my fiance died, he was very humble and thankful that i was a fan of his.  he came off as an everyday type of fellow that made music and was on the road for a living.  the last time we spoke he had to cut it short because it was time for him to pack up the van and head to the next town.

for the better part of this year, ive been listening to his album "Didn't It Rain" as my music of choice to fall asleep to each night.  if it wasnt Animals, it was Didnt It Rain.  its been that way pretty much for the last six months or so.  

i am absolutely shattered about this.  maybe i shouldnt be, but i am.

You can't always git what you waaaant

Thanks Mick!

but yea, you really have to sometimes step back and take a look at what you've already got.  cant spend all your time looking ahead to what you do not have yet.  it just isnt the right way to go about things.

Having a Tight Collecting Focus can lead to "dry times" when things you want just arent available.
it's during those times that you have to STAY FOCUSED and wait it out.  the thing to keep in mind is that there is always SOMETHING to collect, but keeping that Focus helps you maintain a level head (i suppose lol)

i guess i am writing because i am trying to talk myself out of something.  theres a recently available WD cgc that i would like to own, but i feel is a bit overpriced.  now, ive semi-imposed a tighter WD CGC Focus, unless the pricing is just too good to pass on.  this book is not crazy priced, and it's relatively new.  the thing is, the "print run" on it is 2000.  that may seem like a lot, but it is, and it isnt.  its somewhere in the middle.

im trying to finish 1 - 99 with the Keys and Variants in CGC Slabs.  ive made good headway, but am not quite there yet.  You'll notice i did not include #100.  that is intentional.  as of now, there are a crazy amount of variants to chase down.  i am going to play the waiting game with these.  the naysayers are saying that the comic "bubble" is going to bust.  the sooner the better for me! :)  thats when i'll pick those up.  sooner of course, if a deal is available.

As always, thanks for reading my crap :)

2013 Topps Heritage Is Here, and i am sad :(

It is with a heavy heart that i am writing this.

i just opened a Target Blaster of 2013 Topps Heritage Baseball. 

you know when you hate being "right", because being right means that it's not a good thing?  well, that is what has happened.

While sorting 2012 Topps Heritage MiLB cards, i noticed that Topps had "changed" the card stock used for the base cards.  They felt a little glossy, and had lost that "old time" feel that releases prior had felt.

Then there was the 2012 Topps Heritage High Number debacle.  The Card stock was the same as the MiLB, making it difficult to enjoy the base cards

Now after those two releases i pleaded with Topps to not use the same paper stock for 2013.  We were assured that the 2013 Paper Stock would be like the past years.

Didnt happen.  Sadly, this years card stock is bad.  not all that much different then 2012 HH#

My blaster did not contain any "hits" worth mentioning.  That doesnt matter, in all of the thousands of packs ive opened, ive never pulled a card more then $50 anyway.  That was never the point of me ripping Heritage. 

i loved ripping heritage because it was the closest thing to "old" cards that were on the market.  Todays players portrayed in classic old Topps designs.

In an age when people are all about the "shiny" and the "MOJO HITS", Topps Heritage Base Cards could be counted on for those of us that used to open packs when it was all about the gum, friends, and memories tied to the game we loved.

Sadly, now Topps Heritage has lost it's luster.

i know, i know.  Topps "added more" to the packs as far as "hits" go, but some of us (and i freely admit that the number of us is VERY small) don't care about those things.