Milestones

I'm happy to report that this blog has hit yet another milestone.

Sometime this morning, "Dime Boxes" received its 50,000th page view.

When I started this blog, it was purely on an experimental basis. I'd already been reading other blogs for a few months, so I figured I'd try it for a while. Honestly, I didn't think it would last more than a week or so.

Long story short, that week has nearly turned into a year. And the milestones keep on coming.

For all my loyal readers, I thank you. You're the reason this blog is still going.

To "celebrate", I thought I'd show off some recent pickups from one of those loyal readers, none other than Mark, author of the blog "This Way to the Clubhouse...".

Mark's blog is definitely one of the best "newer" ones out there. Plus, he's the only blogger I know of who actually took a shot with this year's Heritage High Numbers release.

While I wasn't a fan of the route Topps took with the set, I do wish you the best of luck with your purchase, Mark. I'll be excited to see what you pull!

As one of the "friends of the blog", it wasn't long until Mark and I struck up a trade.

Since I'm pretty much done with the trading forums at this point, I'll have to rely on the blogosphere to fill all my newer "set needs" from now on.

Mark definitely succeeded in that realm, helping me secure a few of the final Update base cards I needed, one of which was the above R.A. Dickey "Record Breakers" card.

I'll be one unhappy camper if Dickey doesn't take home the Cy Young award this year.

Mark also sent me a couple A's, past and present.

With Moneyball and all, I've always had a slight interest in the Athletics, but their run this year has transformed me into a devoted fan of the franchise.

From what I've seen, they've got a bright future. Mr. Cespedes is right in the middle of that.

Next to Rollie Fingers, "Catfish" Hunter is probably my favorite player to have worn the green and gold A's jersey.

That Archives reprint takes its place next to my actual copy of Hunter's '68 Topps issue in my binders. I still get excited every time I manage to obtain a real/reprint combo.

Ah, the simple joys of collecting.

In this hobby, some things tend to "grow" on you.

At first, I wasn't a huge fan of last year's "liquorfractors". Nowadays, I can't get enough of them.

I have a feeling it will be the same way with these gold sparkles. Up to this point, I've only taken a casual interest in them.

Come January, I might be singing a whole different tune.

Mark absolutely flooded me with Target and Wal-Mart parallels in the cards he sent.

Because of how great they look in nine-pocket pages, I'll always be a sucker for these.

Over the years, I've accumulated a nice amount of those Wal-Mart parallels. Ironically, I've only bought cards from Wal-Mart on one occasion in my collecting life. (A couple blasters of 2011 Heritage, for what it's worth.)

That Fukudome is especially neat, considering that he only spent about a month on the South Side of Chicago.

An instant favorite for the "unfamiliar uniform" collection!

As far as I'm concerned, any Clemente card I receive is an "instant favorite".

Much less an awesome '87 mini of his. When Mark let me know that this one was coming my way, I got a little giddy.

Wouldn't you?

Still, I'm not even sure that it was the best card in the package.

Before they actually arrived, Mark hinted that he'd included a "surprise" for me, a parallel of a '90s card I'd recently shown on the blog.

However, he didn't say which card it was, which resulted in even more anticipation on my part.

That "surprise" turned out to be the very last card in the package...

A gold parallel of one of the best cards I've picked up this year.

The famous "Three Russians" of 1993 Topps.

After I received the package, Mark told me that he picked this one up in a swap with one of his "boyhood buddies back in the day", a card that has a "nice history to it" as far as his collecting career goes.

I wholeheartedly appreciate the fact that you passed it on to me, Mark.

You definitely gave it a good home!

A huge thanks goes out to Mark for this awesome trade package.

That "thanks" also goes out to anyone who I've ever traded with, or anyone who has ever read, commented on, or even complimented this blog.

You're the reason these milestones keep on coming.

It's been an honor.