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We still have a couple close races in this region's "Gems of Junk Wax" polling! Voting ends at 11:59 PM tonight, so be sure to get your tallies in before then!

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I can't stress this enough.

Whether you're a first-time visitor of this blog or a long-time "Dime Boxes" enthusiast, I'd just like to thank you for your readership. I like to take time out every now and then to say that, because I really do mean it.

I know I usually write about quite an eclectic mix of topics around here. Still, I'm glad to see that I still have a steady following.

And, of course, I'd also like to say thanks to anyone who has ever sent me a trade package. My incoming mail has been through the roof these past couple months.

Lately, I've felt bad because I haven't had the time nor budget to send an appropriate amount of return packages out to the gracious souls who have sent me cards as of late.

The most recent batch of cardboard from Douglas, author of the fantastic blog "Sportscards from the Dollar Store", is the third consecutive package he's sent my way without any return.

Now that I'm finally off of school, I'm certainly planning to send something back his way.

Given the amount of awesome cardboard Douglas continues to find for me, it's long overdue.

In addition to sending random, quirky cards like the "0-and-1" Yount at the top of the post, Douglas has proved to be one of the more consistent "hitmen" for my mini-collections.

And, yes, while I haven't officially declared it as a focus of mine, I've had quite a few people send me "bespectacled ballplayer" nominees lately.

Douglas included a whole stack of 'em in this package.

The "Oil Can" centerpiece is one of my new favorites in that department.

Due to his love for hockey, Douglas usually includes a few of the sport's cards in with each package he sends my way.

These, as he noted, are a couple hockey variations on a couple of my mini-collections. Much like my "broken bat" cards, the Boychuk is a similarly-themed "broken stick" piece.

I actually remember that '91 UD Gretzky from my brief hockey collecting adolescent days. If anyone deserves a "multiple-exposure" piece, it's "The Great One".

To top it off, the back even features a shot of him signing autographs.

It's the best of both worlds.

Let's get back to baseball for now, though.

And, yes, we'll be riding the mini-collection bandwagon for the remainder of this post. As I said, Douglas is a true "hitman" when it comes to these things.

This Steve Finley/Gary Carter "play at the plate" is one of the better action shots I've ever seen.

While the front is preferred, shots for my mini-collections can also extend to the back of cards.

This one of former Dodgers hurler Kevin Gross is a new addition to my "pitchers at the plate" theme.

It'd also fit nicely into a "funny name" collection, if I ever decide to start one of those down the road.

Had Douglas not specifically labeled it as such, I would've probably let a new "zero-year" card slip right through my fingertips.

After all, that's exactly what we have with Jack Savage's 1989 Donruss issue. Savage didn't even play in the big leagues during the '89 season. He'd pitch in his final games for the Twins the very next year.

Best I can tell, the Morandini is actually a "combo" mini-collection piece. As you can probably tell, it's one of my treasured "double dip" cards.

But, looking at the old-style Phillies cap he's sporting, I'm led to believe that the Morandini is actually a "throwback" shot as well.

Too cool.

Here's a couple fun pieces for my bat-themed collections.

Although I can't say I've heard of either Reyes or Cooper before, these are certainly prime additions to both my "broken bat" and "bat barrel" mini-collections.

In the case of the Cooper, it's all thanks to the underrated greatness of 1991 Fleer.

Speaking of which...

This was my absolute favorite card that Douglas sent.

As I've found, there aren't a whole lot of "argument" shots in existence. To tell you the truth, I didn't think there were any more to discover.

But, as I've learned time and time again, never assume anything when it comes to this hobby.

Unbeknownst to me, a prime "argument" piece was sitting in one of my favorite checklists all this time. I'd always thought '91 Fleer featured some fine photography, but I'd never seen this one before.

While perhaps a little more peaceful than the other "arguments" I've seen on cardboard, this is quite the foreshadowing shot.

After all, Mike Scioscia is currently the longest-tenured manager in the big leagues. He's had disputes with umpires on many different occasions during his managerial career.

See, without people like Douglas, I'd still be in the dark about so many of the gems this hobby has to offer.

And, without all of your support, I'm not sure I'd even be in the blogging business to begin with.

Needless to say, it's scary to think how that timeline would've played out.