I've been waiting twelve years for this

It's been a great week.

A couple days ago, I purchased 170 cards from a member of my trading forum who was looking to clear some space. I absolutely love going through gigantic lists of someone's extra cards, hoping to find some gems for myself.

It took me about an hour to come up with a final list, as I hand-picked every single one of the cards I purchased. The cards themselves were priced at 15 for $1, the very definition of "bargain-basement".

Factoring in the shipping costs, each card came out to about a dime a piece delivered.

Try finding something like that on Ebay.

I don't know that I've ever bought a better lot of cards online, so I'll be sure to share the contents once it comes in the mail, whenever that may be.

As great as that buy was, it ranks second in my baseball card purchases for the week.

I rarely buy cards online anymore, but I've been on a roll lately. That "roll" started this past weekend. Some of you might remember me alluding to a "great pickup" off of Sportlots in one of my recent posts.

It arrived today, as I'm extremely happy to report.

It's a card I've wanted as far back as I can remember. Probably since I started collecting about a dozen years ago.

The idea for the card is what I've been after, anyways.

It's not some snazzy vintage card. It's not some high-dollar insert. It's not a memorabilia card.

You see, it's one of those "unfamiliar uniform" cards I love to collect. One which I thought no one had produced until last weekend.

No, it's not the "Sym-Phony Band" card at the top of the post. (Although that one is one of my personal favorites.)

I imagined some type of symphony music in my head as I ripped open the envelope that contained my treasured card.

Okay, I've strung you along for long enough by now. So here it is.

The card I've been waiting for.

Ta-da!

All my life, I've longed for a card of Dizzy Dean in a Chicago Cub uniform. Dean has always been one of my favorite players, and the hometown Cubs are my favorite team in sports, by a longshot.

It's a match made in heaven.

Dean pitched for the Cubs from 1938 to 1941, although he didn't appear in more than 19 games during any of those seasons. (He pitched just one game in '41.)

It might not seem like a huge deal to other collectors, but this has been a card I've needed for years. ("Needed" doesn't begin to describe it, though.)

I have searched, and searched, and searched for a card of Dean as a Cub. After coming up empty each time, I gave up hope that there were any out there.

Unbeknownst to me, Topps snuck one out in 2010. It's a Wal-Mart exclusive Blue Back insert from 2010 Topps Update.

It's understandable as to how I missed this card. In my life, I've only stepped foot into a Wal-Mart about five times. But still, I really should've known about this card earlier.

So, what does Beckett have to say about this card? What's it worth, according to the "almighty magazine"?

One dollar.

Apparently, a card I've wanted ever since I was a little kid is only worth one dollar to Beckett. Oh, well. I learned a long time ago not to get worked up over things like this.

In my view, it's worth a whole lot more than a buck. That's all that should matter, and that's all that ever will matter to me.

If I had my own personal "magazine", this card would have the term "Priceless" next to it.

Yes, fellow collectors, I'm the proud new owner of a card that pictures Dizzy Dean as a Chicago Cub.

I've been waiting twelve years to say that.