Alive and kicking (thanks to COMC)

I haven't been anything near a proficient blogger lately, but don't mistake that for an ebb in my collecting.

I still have a lot of cards coming in, the most I've had in a while - only problem is that my time to file them away has dwindled, which explains why there's a big box full of un-bindered cards sitting on the living room table right now. These days, instead of near-monthly card shows and constant trades, I'm getting most of my cards online, since I can buy them from the seat of my pants at home, or even during downtime at work (but don't tell my bosses that).

It's no accident that I've had a steady stream of COMC orders coming in to Dime Box HQ over the past year or two, and not surprisingly the latest one showed up on my doorstep a couple weeks ago.

One of my favorite things about COMC is that I can decide when to have my cards shipped - meaning I can build up my backlog until it basically amounts to a card show in a box.

Even better is that I've usually forgotten about a lot of the stuff I've bought until it actually gets to me, which makes the cards in my order a second surprise. I unearthed a nice little TCMA trove that made me smile all over again as I was sorting through this latest batch.

All Short Term Stops are welcome here, but for some reason I find myself chasing anything of Duke Snider on the Mets with just a little more vigor than usual.

I've pretty much cleared out all the cheap Permagraphics on COMC, so I had to resort to buying ones in the next-highest price bracket this time around (right around $2 a piece).

Still a small price to pay for such plastic greatness.

COMC is a treasure chest of affordable SPs and/or variations - never thought I'd love a card of Ty Cobb golfing as much as I do.

I'm a big fan of regional oddballs, and one of the beauties of this technological age is that I don't even have to live in said regions to find them.

I think these Emerald Nuts cards were giveaways at Giants games a while back - they feature a lot of alternate-universe Topps cards with different photos, and even guys like Guillermo Mota who Topps straight up ignored for the entirety of his Giants tenure.

A few minor league gems here - Millar and Hinske are favorites of mine, and the bottom two cards ended up in my cart for the photos (obviously).

I still can't believe how cheap BBM cards can be considering they have to cross an ocean to get here.

That's my first Japanese card of Cubs favorite Seiya Suzuki, and my first card at all of new Mets sensation Kodai Senga.

Milestone unlocked: my first Calbee Ichiros!

(Liked the first one I bought so much that I decided it needed a friend.)

I found one COMC seller who was blowing out his Throwback Thursday inventory - all great cards, but man is that Bob Gibson a beauty.

I say it with each passing COMC order, but I've yet to find a better place to find online exclusives on the cheap.

It's kinda sad that a lot of this stuff gets relegated to the internet, because I know I'd be all over a set of SI covers if they were issued in packs.

A few random cards that didn't fit anywhere else in this post - including a blue Vida Blue and Bartolo Colon flanking a foggy Chicago skyline.

Also, I'm just now learning that Topps issued a commemorative box set for the inaugural 2005 Nationals, a team that, for whatever reason, featured a plethora of Obscure Guys I Collect like Jamey Carroll.

Mini madness!

(Dig the rare Bert Campaneris Yankees sighting.)

A few other oddballs for your viewing pleasure - the blank-front Red Sox great is George Kell, and I still have a hard time believing Stouffer's made baseball cards.

I don't think I'll ever have a firm grasp on COMC's prices - that nifty Bellinger action variation was cheaper than his regular Heritage SP(?).

I have a small collection of cards featuring dogs, but that Topps Now card (that I probably overpaid for) is my first that shows a cat - which certainly makes me happy, since I'm admittedly much more of a Cat Person.

Just in case you thought I forgot about the shiny stuff.

(I need more Fan Favorites refractors in my life.)

I realize this COMC order skewed heavily towards the newer stuff, but be assured I did throw in a few older gems from the likes of Squirt and SSPC for good measure.

I treat most vintage OPC as a kind of bonus in my collection: they're nice to have, but I don't often seek them out - Luis Tiant is one of the rare exceptions to that rule, because of course I want all of his OPCs!

My biggest purchase from this order - a '57 Topps Zimmer! - was also an educational one.

I'll sheepishly admit that until now I didn't know there was a scarce middle series in '57 Topps, which explains why I'd never seen this card before, and why it was noticeably pricier (a shade under $10) than most other vintage Zims I'd bought. Even with the hefty price tag, though, any day with a new Don Zimmer is a good one for this collector.

You may not hear from me as often, but as long as places like COMC keep deepening the goldmines, rest assured my collection will always be alive and kicking.