Get to know Dime Box Nick

Hey, everyone.

First off, I'd like to thank all of you who left warm comments after Buddy's passing on Monday. They really did mean a lot, and helped me get through what has been a real pit of a week.

But, I'm happy to say that I'm starting to cope with everything. I've even started to play with my baseball cards again over these past couple days, and I'm excited to finally be writing again on the blog here tonight.

As sad as Buddy's passing was, it's comforting to know that I can share some non-baseball card-related parts of my life with all of you. After more than three years in the blogging business, I feel like I have a good relationship with the entire blogosphere, one that goes beyond these two-by-three pieces of cardboard.

No matter how long you've been reading this blog, I hope my writing has allowed you to know me better than "that dime box guy that collects baseball cards."

If it hasn't, then his post is just what the doctor ordered.

I got my hands on a fabled "trade stack" from Chris of the great blog "Nachos Grande" fairly recently. I think there were about five or six cards from the lot I claimed, but the only one I really wanted was the Collector's Choice Shigetoshi Hasegawa you see above.

I half-heartedly collect the former Angel (and Mariner), and chain-link photos are always a plus. And, unbeknownst to me, the back included a shot of him at the plate.

Chris was nice enough to throw in a bunch of terrific randoms in with the Hasegawa, which you'll see below. But, although this is a trade post, I won't be talking about most of them.

Instead, I thought I'd do something similar to the awesome "Better Know A Blogger" series Chris has been hosting on his blog lately. I think sign-ups came during my crazy finals weeks last semester, which explains how I missed out on it.

After reading this post, I hope you'll get to know Dime Box Nick a little better than you did about an hour ago. Some of the questions will come from Chris's series, while others will be of my own whimsy.

Ready?

What kind of collector do you consider yourself? Why do you collect that way?

I don't know if there's a word in the English language that can accurately describe the way I collect. My binders are about as scattered as you can imagine. I guess I've always had problems latching on to one concrete way of doing things, and my collection is an extension of that.

Most of us have a favorite song that we like for no good reason -- heck, it might even be embarrassing. Do you have a favorite baseball card that might fit that bill?

Not really. I suppose the fact that I still have Manny Ramirez cards on my want list might be a bit embarrassing. I was a little afraid to profess my love for 1995 Fleer at first, but I've found that I'm not alone in that department, which has made me feel a lot better.

Oh, and I'm a little sheepish about admitting that I have a couple songs by the Mamas and the Papas on my MP3 player.

Do you have any other hobbies besides card collecting?

I used to have a lot more, but card collecting is basically it these days. I do play the guitar and bass and try to write songs occasionally, but I'm not all that good. I'll never be the next Mozart.

What is your profession? How did you end up there? If you are in school, what do you plan to major in and/or what job do you hope to get after graduating?

I am currently an English major at Northeastern Illinois University. It's a smaller, quieter campus, which fits perfectly with my personality. I was originally an education major, but I changed to English about a year ago. I received a scholarship from my school's English department for this current semester, so I'm thinking I made the right choice by switching.

Like about 95 percent of college students these days, I'm hoping to get any job I can after graduating.

How would you describe your personality?

Quiet, shy, introverted. You certainly won't see me wearing any kind of flashy accessories. I dislike pretty much any and all loud public places (see: clubs, bars on days of big sporting events, parties) and much prefer a quiet night in with my closest friends.

If you were forced to part with your entire collection except for one card, which would you keep?

Definitely not that Mike Lowell. That thing freaks me out.

What's your biggest irrational fear?

Probably roller coasters. Okay, definitely roller coasters. Seriously, don't get me anywhere near Six Flags. I get vertigo just looking at this card.

Many of us have favorite foods or customs that are somewhat local to where we live. Do you have any such things that you particularly love? A website link to specific products would be spectacular.

I'm usually not a big hot dog guy, but there's a local joint called Gene and Jude's a couple miles from where I love that has mouth-watering dogs. I can almost guarantee they're better than pretty much any you've ever tasted. Yes, even better than ballpark hot dogs.

Now that's saying something.

What are your all-time, top five, desert island movies?

The Sandlot, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Big Lebowski, Dazed and Confused, Superbad, in that order. The list changes from time to time, but those are pretty much the standard five. (No Spiderman, sorry.)

What is your favorite place that you've ever visited? Why?

Probably Memphis, Tennessee. My family took a trip there when I was around ten. I was a little young to appreciate it at the time, but we got to see Sun Studio, Graceland, Beale Street, and a whole lot of other music history. Oh, and there was a killer card shop a few blocks away from our hotel. My dad says it's still open.

Anyone want to take a trip to Memphis?

Tell us something interesting about yourself that we haven't already covered.

I had a short story published recently by my school's literary journal. I don't want to give too much away, but it does involve baseball. I hope to share it on the blog once I get a copy of the journal in hand.

I'm also in the process of writing a novel, though I don't spend as much time on it as I probably should.

Who sent you all these awesome baseball cards?

That would, again, be Chris, the generous man who autographed the sweet custom you see above.

Blogging should be a personal experience. While it's easy to hide behind your baseball cards a lot of the time, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and allow us to get to know you better. I hope you got to know your buddy Dime Box Nick a little more here tonight.

With that in mind, the floor is open if any of you have any other questions that I didn't cover in this post.

No, I won't give you my credit card number.