there is a difference between growing up and growing old -- unknown
(possibly a fortune cookie or a taco bell sauce packet)
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UPDATE - MAR2026
please continue to be patient with trades -- have had 2 arrive recently that took FAR longer than the 'expected' delivery time provided by USPS of 3-5 days
had one from IL that took 2 months!
had on from KS that took 3 weeks! -- could have walked to this one and back a couple of times that the PWE took to arrive!
did notice on the one from IL the stamps were not cancelled (no postmark) are PWEs not be handled correctly?
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read beyond this update if you wonder what the above refers too
UPDATE - 25SEP2025
the bulk buy cards are in my FS/T list! -- hope that all the VARs and refactors/parallels/other cards that are difficult to distinguish are enter correctly -- i've done my best when entering them -- if you NEED a specific VAR I will send scans/pictures so you can make sure it is the card you want --
ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO CRY OVER SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CORRECTED IF BOTH PARTIES REMEMBER THAT THIS IS A HOBBY - THAT MISTAKES ARE MADE SOMETIMES - THAT LIFE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A PIECE OF CARDBOARD (OR IS IT PLASTIC NOW)
stopped by the LCS to find BULK cards! on sell -- picked up some (well LOTS) and will be entering them in the next few days/weeks -- sorted by sports last night - plan is to sort within sports and start entering to FS/T list -- stay tuned! :)
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summer 2025
since it has been brought up know that this trader is a twice deployed veteran (though i do not know what that has to do with trading cards?!) -- who has lost sight in one eye and is slowly losing sight in the other (so IF VARs are the most important thing in the world to you and you are asked if you want scans/pictures sent accept the offer) -- who is a care giver to a family member -- who tries to enjoy this hobby even though some are trying to make it more difficult (do you know who you are?!?!)
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--------------- THE NEWEST READ THIS SECTION -------------
---------------- BECAUSE CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE MAKING THIS NOT A HOBBY --------------
---------------- AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE -----------------
if you are involved in a trade proposal that involves VARs and you NEED that VAR and the person in the trade proposal has informed you in the trade proposal messages that they are not 100% certain that the VAR is correct and offers to send scans/pictures you probably need to accept so that you do not receive the VAR you do not want and COMPLAIN
AND it is just as much your responsibility as the receiver of the cards as it is the sender of the cards to verify in the trade proposal what cards are being sent and notify the sender that a card is listed that YOU DO NOT WANT and NOT TO COMPLAIN when you get a card in a trade that you do not want
AND sometimes the wrong card is send so STOP COMPLAINING
AND this is a HOBBY -- do not send 2 messages in 3 days COMPLAINING about a trade -- people have lives -- sometimes that means spending time at the hospital and not able to do anything with this hobby or anything else
AND you need to learn to be patient because mistakes are made and can usually be corrected IF YOU DONT COMPLAIN
HAVE YOU FIGURED OUT WHO YOU ARE YET?!?!!?
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PLEASE ATLEAST READ THIS SECTION BEFORE MAKING A TRADE PROPOSAL
most of the cards in my FS/T list here were bought from a quarter or dime box so trade proposals NEED to be a minimum of 9 cards (ok maybe 7 cards :)
be prepared to send at least 9 cards to me if you want anything less then 9 cards -- (if you want 1 card from me I need 9 back to me -- and will need to have cards in hand before sending to you )
even if i know exactly where the one card is that you want - i still have to get some kind of plastic protection for the card and card board protection so the trade doesnt get to you mangled (and then you complain) -- this for me takes time from which i probably doing something else
this might need to be said better but this is my thinking and thus the reason for the above rant :)
when i send a trade it's in a plastic sheet wrapped in the trade sheet wrapped in cardboard -- have been watching/looking recently and for a trade that is under 1oz (which is less than 18-ish cards) is $1.47 US -- so my math goes as follows - 1 card requested - postage $1.47 + the envelope (about 5 cents (500 envelopes for $19) + paper (to print trade - about 1 cent -- toner (not even going to try :) cardboard is recycled through many trades :) -- so ZERO! -- then the card itself - 10 cent minimum (probably a little less if bought in bulk/repeat customer/dealer doesnt want to take everything back to the shop/home == so really for that 1 card it's about $1.65 -- now me i wouldnt pay $1.65 for a dime box card -- things only get better if there is more in the trade -- if we try an 18 card trade - same $1.47 postage same 5 cent envelope same 1 cent paper $1.80 for the 18 cards so we get about 19 cents a card -- much better then the $1.65 -- true i am getting cards back but the math still applies (doesnt it :)
i'll know if you dont atleast read this section because your trade proposal will be ignored
PLEASE ATLEAST READ THIS SECTION BEFORE MAKING A TRADE PROPOSAL
the above rant shouldnt be needed as it nears violating my quote! :)
it's still just a hobby--have fun!
---- JUNE2025 update
have added 'new' cards to FS/T collection -- hadnt really had any trades in a few months (the life of a (mostly) team collector :) -- traded my entire FS/T collection to a local shop for even more cards for my collection and even more for the FS/T collection (my 'old' FS/T collection was about 2500 (maybe 3000) now it's a little over 9000! -- took 3 nights of sorting and 1 night of entering all the new cards but it's done (well have to verify a few of the 2024 UNO quantities which were the bulk of the new cards but even if no one is interested i can always trade it back to the shop :)
a note about VAR cards -- i cant see the Upper Deck hologram variations and kinda gave up trying to figure out any of the variations after entering the Upper Deck cards so if you are a VAR collector I will do my best to make sure you get what you want -- can email pictures if want!
anyway just remember -- it's still just a hobby--have fun!
---- MAY2025 update
PLEASE verify that you have cards that are in a trade proposal
DO NOT ACCEPT then send a message that you can't find cards
would rather wait a few days so cards can be verified then to get a message that you dont have them
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if it matters - I get to the post office once a week on Monday (usually -- i'll let you know if that changes for some reason
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------------ TLDR -------------
have fun this is a hobby! enjoy it!
---- JAN2025 update
just found out through a trade that some cards with the same production number are actually from different sets!?!?
ie the 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft and the 2014 Bowman Chrome Draft Refractors
i THINK i have corrected all -- if not and i send a wrong card i really dont mean to :)
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PLEASE NOTE --- i am not trying to TAKE ADVANTAGE of you when i send you a trade proposal -- i am trying to get cards that i would like in exchange for cards that you would like -- if you THINK the 'VALUE' isnt 'EQUAL' that is what the COUNTER option is for -- use the COUNTER option!!
---- NOV2024 update
looks like a year ago i said that i didnt want to enter 6000 new cards everyday and it took a year but i've done something similar -- bought 2000 cards - one lot of 1000 each of Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates (yep a team collector) -- inserts/parallels/rookies duplicates possible (which is good since those duplicates are now trade bait! -- so how long does it take (well how long did it take me YMMV :) to sort and enter 2000 cards?
sort went fairly quickly once i worked out a method to sort -- started by just making stacks of same cards (year/brand/etc) but quickly filled the table and thought this is not going to work - so scrapped that method -- new method sorted horizontal and vertical / then cards that started with numbers and non-numbers (BC, BCP, BCPP, etc) putting all the like non-numbers in their own stacks -- in this way ended up with about 25 of so stacks -- then sorted within those stacks -- that took about 6 hours!
entering all those cards took FAR longer! :) -- almost 15 hours! -- but it is done now -- hope all are correct -- added 290 new Kansas City Royals and 258 new Pittsburgh Pirates to the collection [looks like there were actually 1097 Kansas City Royals and 1082 Pittsburgh Pirates cards -- so i think it was a good purchase -- look forward to trading the duplicates away! :)
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========== not buying at this time ==========
some things that i have learned at the USPS recently -- keep the package FLAT -- have used the same post office to mail package so see the same clerks (almost) every week -- had 2 packages to mail - they were PWEs but were THICK so they became packages - ($42 to mail both) - i asked if there was an cheaper way to mail them and was told keep the package flat because thick makes it a package which costs more - so i repackaged using manila (or vanilla as those of us who refuse to grow up like to call them) envelope - cards are still in plastic sheets with cardboard around in the envelope -- now postage was $9 for both instead of $42 -- YMMV
also on another note but still USPS -- USPS is kinda messed up right now (may never not be again) -- had a package that took 18 days to get from NJ to MO (it had a tracking number or i would never have known anything about it) -- had another package that arrived from FL in 2 days -- no one will ever be able to explain that one to me :)
POSTAGE -- my list of trades that are arriving with postage due is increasing so please if you are uncertain about how much postage is needed go to the post office
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update 2024 - it is still VERY RUDE to just decline a trade proposal without saying anything or countering -- does it really take that long to say 'really busy right now, maybe in a few weeks'? or counter something? - are you really that BUSY!??!!?
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update November 2023 -
the approximately 6000 cards have been added to my FS/T list - that's not something i want to do everyday!
a note on card condition - the baseball cards (the football and basketball cards are in MUCH better condition! at least Ex-Mt, some look like they just came out of the pack! ) from the 70s are at least VG some are actually Ex-MT -- the 80s are mostly Ex - the 90s are mostly Ex-Mt -- NONE are Mint right out of the pack - i will NOT be listing the condition of each and every card but will let you know when they are in a transaction -- variations were not always checked - if you need a specific variation be sure that is communicated in the transaction :)
REMEMBER THIS IS A HOBBY!
HAVE FUN!
MAKE TRADES!
-- when i make a trade proposal i am trying to get cards that are in my wantlist and trying to get you cards that are in your wantlist - if i offer a 'valued' 5 cent card for your 'valued' $5 card i am not trying to take advantage of you (dont take advantage of me either :) - MAKE A COUNTER - why are you declining? - I spent time trying to put together a trade propsal based on our wants - why have cards in your want list if you really dont want them? it is RUDE to say nothing - this is a hobby after all, isnt it? MAKE A COUNTER dont be RUDE!
++++++++++++++++++++
- my (current) favorite quote -
'Yes, why? Why does anyone make any sort of collection? ... Some of us are born collectors and have to collect something for peace of mind. ... As a child .. was encouraged to collect for, ... educational reasons ... eggs, dried flowers, butterflies and geological specimens ... none of these were very satisfying. So, finally, I have come to collect a "far, far, better thing": Cigarette Cards' - LADY MARGARET MACRAE, O.B.E., J.P. - The Cigarette Card News No. 1, Vol. 1 October, 1933
Cigarette Card News and other publications are available here - https://prewarcards.com/resources/
++++++++++++++++++
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new to this site but not to collecting (have been collecting something since the late 70s
mostly a Kansas City Royals team collector
starting to get some Kansas City Kings, Kansas City Blades, Kansas City Scouts, Kansas City Wiz and Kansas City Wizards cards (guess you could say that I am actively collecting all teams Kansas City, except the Chiefs.....
do have some Kansas City Chiefs (?!) cards but am actually a Pittsburgh Steelers fan
also collecting Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Condors cards
Indianapolis Pacers from the late 1970's (because we lived close even to attend a few games, but I dont know the exact ones, no saved ticket stubs or programs
will be trying to trade away some of those duplicate Kansas City Royals cards, probably going to need to find some cards other the Kansas City Royals because not everyone wants Kansas City Royals cards!
collect Jim Kaat cards - (dad still had a few 1960 Topps that he collected including Kaat's rookie card and when I started collecting in 1981, I pulled a Kaat card and my journey down the card collecting lane began) - piecing together that 1960 Topps set that I inherited
and of course there are the "just 'cause cards' that I'll just find and put in a want list! (space ships, sci-fi, goalies, kickers
