LOOKING BACK PRE-INTERNET WAYS

 

*Impersonates Sophia of the Golden Girls* Picture this Michigan 1997                        
             Last week Wednesday I found my old 3 Subject notebook that I would take with me whenever I would attend a show or I was going out of my area for a card shop or show. Allow me to translate what you're looking at on this page here I would give it a title this one says "Baseball Card Checklist & Beckett Baseball." 

                    I normally would use black or blue ink hopefully I didn't make any mistakes otherwise would have to start all over on the lists. Then if I get the fine pointed Red Sharpie to tell me I didn't need to find it anymore & I would cross out the box & eventually write canceled so it would tell me I didn't need anymore of that set. I eventually would get a rubber stamp that said canceled on it so I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. The scribbled out one that you're not able to read was the 1993 Topps at the time I needed card #382 Tim Belcher.  

It was the last card I needed to complete my 1993 Topps set at the time I am glad it wasn't like the Jeter RC. 

                   The next set was the 1994 Select at the time one of my local shops was able to get only a couple Series II boxes so I didn't want to put 1 Through 210 in square boxes so I wrote Series I in hopes I was able to locate a complete set of them or a box then eventually I would update the list had I found one. I was lucky to know via checklists to know names if needed if not I would've left it blank. After that was the 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes set they had a parallel card in each pack & I was doing that set cause I already did the regular set & thought it wouldn't been that hard to get them .  Unfortunately none my local shops had any of them but I was able to find a shop outside my area that had some.  After that was the 1995 Pinnacle set then we get the 1997 Score. Then you say why does the title include Beckett Baseball on it simply that's what's listed after the 1997 Score set cause I collected every single Beckett Monthly & til this date I still do.  I guess this entry had it where I got the 1995 SP Upper Deck set & I didn't want to start all over with the list. 

                     I would then ask if I could get a ride to the closest Kinkos Copiers since it was the only place that would be opened 24/7 for all your printing needs. So I could make multiple copies of the lists due to the fact I was a subscriber to Sports Collectors Digest & I would read sometimes the classified ads to see to find potential traders. My philosophy on trading then as is kinda now meaning say our first trade consist of you sending me about 10 cards I then in return send you 30 cards but you say well obviously I win cause I am getting more cards then you gotten from me well......that's where your wrong cause who's to say in the next deal I only can locate 15 from your list & you sent me 75 cards so I win this round WRONG!!!!!! we both win were both getting closer to completing something for me its a set need or a small PC need as for you it depends on how ya view what I sent ya I don't like it when I have to send you the same amount cause I am not rich nor do I think you are either. Now we do this back n forth until one of us can no longer make deals hopefully now ya can see why I don't mind helping you out cause maybe down the road you'll find me something. Another reason I would ask for a copy of my lists is again I would send my lists to you that would be a master list for you to work on until I sent you an updated version much like the internet does for me now. but it would take 6-8 weeks before ya got an updated version so yeah I know I would get dupes but who's to say when I ever got the card & who's to say you got the card I found from your list of needs. 

                            Eventually I would be able to type up my lists on websites thinking it would be easier to send ya the link to my lists & hope that the place where the lists were wasn't going away well.......after starting off on the Beckett site they removed it who knows when then I moved to freewebs that went from a free site to oh please send us $$$$$$ now site. Then 2 years ago I am very thankful that I have a site (Fingers crossed they don't do anything drastic) that I can Blog from & as well have links to lists I thank my friend Greg without his help none of you would read about it & I wouldn't have made so many new friends meaning you the readers of my blog to trade with & judging from all the people whom I have sent packages to that your amazed when I find something that you've practically thought you never would find & am I glad to always read what you thought of what I sent ya from my area & I am the same way I am always greatful when I get a package from anyone who sends me things off my lists cause I usually say "So that's where that Applesauce of thing on my lists was located (fill in your best description of your area where ya from here)" 

            Now some of you yes I know I have your contact information on my phone & the reason for that is if I am at a show or shop or someplace where I can pull the trigger on something you've been looking for I want your feedback about it cause then know ya can expect something special from me soon, or ya can be like I mention when ya find me something. Other times I like to say your a friend when I can call you & talk cards with you reason is sometimes get a general idea what is hot in the hobby in your area & let you know what its going on in my area or get some ideas for my blog as well get ideas what I should with my collection in such since I am my worst critic on things example I reached out the other day by having a reader of my blog a Mr. RJ Stahl call me cause I wanted to get a general idea plus talk baseball with him on his beloved Twins & everything else in Minnesota now this was our first conversation of what I hope to be more down the road because he was impressed on what I talked about plus I was still feeling depressed about losing that card shop job & talking to someone out of state I wanted reassurance that everything was alright so thank you for lifting my spirits there RJ.

           Now that's my look back at what I went through in my lists before I found the internet I am posting this post on the last day of the 2026 National Sports Card Convention. The reason why I am doing on this day is normally if I was at the National I would have had multi-posts about what all I saw,picked up,traded for,etc..... well there's always next year & well I hope to continue to share with you my insights on what I think the hobby means to me. until then I am reminded of what Rogers Hornsby once said about signing autographs for little kids "Any Ballplayer who doesn't sign autographs for little kids ain't an American, He's a Communist."