Ten years(?!)

Today is the ten-year anniversary of "Dime Boxes."

The first thing that comes to mind is, well, how in the heck has it been ten years already?! Didn't I just start this blog yesterday? Wasn't it just the other evening I scanned a few cards and decided to start a blog - just one of the many whims I pursued as a 19-year-old? Is this still the very same blog being written by me, a now-veteran blogger a mere two months away from turning 30 who wrenched his back at work last night?

The answer to all those questions is, for better or worse, YES! Somehow, more than 2,000 posts and many more thousands of scans later, I'm still here. Not with the consistency and vigor of ten years ago, perhaps, but here nonetheless. Because blogging, no matter how much it's changed for me over the last decade, is still plain and pure fun for me. I love writing my blog, I love reading your blogs. Always have. You can trace the crooked line of my 20s and see baseball cards there at each and every point, going straight through. I like to think at least a little of that (and probably a lot more) was due to the fact that I had this blog. 

I can go on and on about how appreciative I am of what this blog has given me, but I've said a lot of that already over the past ten years - so, instead, why don't I just show you?

Page 1

(Claimed: #s 1, 4, 6, 8)

And what other way to do that than to GIVE AWAY FREE CARDS?!

My tenth year of blogging has probably been my most miserable as far as mailing stuff out - I feel like a stranger at the post office these days. I'd like to change that by doing something akin to the Free Card Friday giveaways (remember those?) that I briefly did last year. I'll be posting 12 pages of cards tonight, and all you have to do is comment saying which card(s) you want from the slots from each individual page, with the slots going from 1-9 starting from the top-left corner of the page.

If, for example, you wanted the Jimmy Piersall from this page (who wouldn't?), simply reply with Page 1 - #4 (Piersall) or something along those lines. These'll go first come, first serve, and I'll do my best to update each page with claimed cards as time permits. Feel free to grab as many as your conscience allows (just don't be the dude who buys the entire dime box and leaves everyone else stranded). I'm planning on doing more of these giveaways semi-weekly through the next month or two, so I'll start building stacks for whoever comments as the posts & comments roll on.

There's some current stuff, some weird stuff, some (mostly far from mint-condition) vintage - but for now I'll zip my lid and let you see (and pick!) for yourself.

Page 2

(Claimed: #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9)

Page 3

(Claimed: #s 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

Page 4

(Claimed: #s 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)

Page 5

(Claimed: #s 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8)

Page 6

(Entire page has been claimed!)

Page 7

(Claimed: #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)

Page 8

(Entire page has been claimed!)

Page 9

(Entire page has been claimed!)

Page 10

(Claimed: #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 7)

Page 11

(Claimed: #s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9)

Page 12

(Entire page has been claimed!)

That's it for now, so by all means, claim away!

And once again, I offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to everyone who's ever clicked on this strange little blog - a few free cards are a drop in the bucket compared to the joy you've given me over the last ten fantastic years.