Preface if you care. Skip to the end if you don't care and just want to see what I got:
I was back in my hometown today to take care of some business. My family and I moved away from there about 3 years ago. Given that I am just about done with my master's degree and I have military orders coming any day now, this is likely the last time I will be there for a long time, possibly ever.
I don't have too many friends left in the area since they all have moved away, but one place that I made a point to visit was my old local card shop that opened around 8 years ago now. In my late high school years and during my gap year and early college years during breaks, I often visited once or twice per week to pick through singles or buy a few packs of Topps or whatnot. I got to know the owner very well -- super nice guy who puts the customer first, which is so hard to find in this hobby sometimes (If you're in the Yorktown/Williamsburg, Virginia area, check out Collector's Cove. Best pack/box prices you will find and the owner really cares about the customers).
Anyways, with me being super busy with school and adulting in general, I've somewhat fallen out of the hobby for the past year and a half. I haven't even so much as bought a pack of cards in the last 18 months. (I think I'll get back into it at some point, but not for the forseeable future)
Main story:
I decided to buy a "sampler" of packs today since I haven't even seen what 2022 Topps looks like (it is now my favorite design of the past 8 years fwiw. Hated the borderless card era.), or Bowman, etc. I got $100 worth of packs, which included (all baseball):
- 2 1984 Topps wax packs ($8 each -- steal of a deal)
- 1 jumbo 2022 Topps series 1 ($16)
- 1 jumbo 2022 Topps series 2 ($16)
- 1 jumbo 2022 Bowman draft ($36!!! My gosh)
- 2 standard 4 card hobby packs of 2022 Topps Chrome ($7 each)
- A 1989 Upper Deck Randy Johnson RC ($2 thrown-in)
I decided to open them while chatting with the owner, just in case I pulled anything significant. Nothing crazy in the Bowman pack, no key stars/rookies in the '84 packs, nothing in the series 2 jumbo, I did get a nice Trout patch card in the series 1 jumbo, but nothing else of note. Nothing in the first pack of 2022 Topps Chrome, but the last pack only contained the best pull I have ever had in 15 years of collecting, bar none.


I literally stopped whatever I was saying mid-sentence as my jaw hit the floor. The owner couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it. It was a crazy moment, and I think a good send-off (for now) from the hobby I have poured so much time, effort, and money into over the years.
#COMMONCARDSMATTER
"The 0-2 pitch... SWING AND A MISS! Struck him out! The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 World Champions of baseball!"
- RIP Harry Kalas