Some online rummages - the deeper cuts

Maybe I have not dwelled too much on doing a round up for a bigger order of cards that comes from online purchase - but it's kind of a thought exercise and maybe I don't get the same joy if I do not pore over my assorted claims.

2007 Upper Deck 1989 Reprints Roy Campanella #89UD-RC - I'll make keepers of cards I find loose in the wild since there is lingering sentiment over the 1989 Upper Deck set design.

2003 Topps Postseason Highlights Gold Troy Glaus #721 - Serial #’d 1128/2003 - Angels Top 100 fuel; now I might need the regular card to pair this with.

1998 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr's Hot List Roger Clemens #17 - I wanted this card at some point, actually picked up a copy but that might be MIA or counted in my cheat sheet leaderboards for my decade / binder stars collections.

1998 Topps Jeff Montgomery #184 - not as showy as his 1995 Topps Stadium Club card #266, where he is posed in front of a fire truck, the one-time closer from the 1990s is posed with a fire extinguisher.

1998 Topps Jim Edmonds #75 - I have the Minted in Cooperstown version in my Angels all-time Top 100 cheap-azz keepers collection, so I figured I'd pair it with the base card, even though the Minted in Cooperstown is really separate set and not a parallel.

1989 Score Paul Gibson (Hand on Crotch in Background) #595 - x2 - I made claims on a couple of copies posted and I actually got both cards; I found the MIA copy I once lost years ago and put in one of my all-time Top 100 cheap-azz keepers collection, but the copy I got from a last year [from the same seller go figure] might still be bundled with an MIA purchase I have not sorted further.

1998 Fleer Tradition Golden Memories Hideki Irabu #316 - this was a freebie claim, but ends up being subset rather than a real insert; it's hard to think not to dwell on the idea that Irabu was a sore disappointment, but he was a human interest story as well, where he might not have gotten resolution in his life.

2023 Topps Finest Flashbacks Finest Phenoms Masataka Yoshida #55 - I grabbed this rookie year card, where it teases a retro design.

1996 Upper Deck Juan Guzman #474 - I don't know whether I had a copy of this card, but claimed it because it's a big glove card.

1998 Fleer Tradition '63 Vintage '63 Jay Buhner #54 - a game face Buhner with a wad in his cheeks looks a little dejected as he throws his batting gloves to someone; maybe he just ended an inning like he struck out.

1998 Upper Deck Jamey Wright #82 - Pitchers hitting

1998 Upper Deck Armando Reynoso #167 - I'm not sure whether this goes into my men at work collection, where the pitcher working on laying down a bunt or in my pitchers hitting collection; this would not count as a bunt card since it's not a game action card.

2003 Topps Chrome Scott Spiezio #407 - I might be looking to make the random Angels card keepers, where maybe I want to come up with enough cards for certain guys to make a page for or to use as needed for a regional loose card project.

2005 Topps Total Adrian Gonzalez #249 - Stadium card

2023 Choice Portland Sea Dogs Niko Kavadas Card #14 - he made his MLB debut a day after I claimed this minor league team set card.

1998 Upper Deck Todd Worrell #113 - I'm not sure what to do with a card like this where Lee Smith makes a cameo; the two may have been junk wax era contemporaries, they might have been teammates at one point.

Smith is the one eventually inducted in the Hall of Fame so maybe it's a bonus baby card - even if it could be a star-on-star cameo card.

1988 Mother's Cookies Oakland Athletics Stadium Giveaway Matt Young #21 of 28 - he is a lefty, but he is having fun with a righthander's glove, posted in a fielding position.

1996 Fleer Jim Edmonds #46 - the random Angels bulk card for my player collection.

2003 Topps Bazooka Bobby Kielty #137 - Hats-off; National anthem

2003 Upper Deck MVP Mike Lieberthal #304 - Retro uniform

2003 Upper Deck Victory Bobby Abreu #68 - Retro uniform

2012 Topps Adron Chambers RC #90 - this has a cut on the surface

1998 Fleer Tradition Jay Bell #121 - a fun card where it looks like he is pictured with presumably his son.

1998 Fleer Tradition Kevin Brown #27 - the same image was used for his 1998 Fleer Tradition '63 Vintage '63 insert; this looks like the uncropped, horizontal image of Brown sliding headfirst into a base.

1998 Fleer Tradition Jay Buhner #68 - the same image was used for his 1998 Fleer Tradition '63 Vintage '63 insert.

1999 Pacific Crown Collection Orlando Palmeiro #8 - a dependable, fourth outfielder type from the mid 1990s through the early 2000s, I want to be able to add a card of his to an Angels all-time Top 100 cheap-azz keepers collection.

1998 Fleer Tradition Alan Benes #141 - Pitchers hitting

1999 Pacific Crown Collection Norberto Martin #6 - needed a card of Martin for my Angels Opening Day starters collection.

1998 Fleer Tradition '63 Vintage '63 Jason Dickson #1 - Pitchers hitting

1976 SSPC Brian Downing #141 - this is an 'old school '70s cool' card of a player who would eventually be a consistent bat for the Angels through the 1980s.

1981 TCMA The 1960's Billy Martin (Black Back; No MLB logo) #1981-364 - just an old-timey looking card from a retro, tribute set from the early 1980s.

1999 Topps Stadium Club Bruce Smith #89 - this might be UV era bulk fodder from a long time ago, but I grabbed this NFL card because of the great action shot of Smith taking quarterback Steve Young to the ground.

2021 Super Products Pieces of the Past George Washington #3 - I may bite on cards of no-context non-sport subjects on a whim.

Some online scavenging - the gimmes

I don't want to say I'm paying some kind of premium to fuel the illusion of engaging with someone else on social media in a more meaningful way - but it's been a thing where there are individuals who have these sale marathons where they spit out so many f/s posts.

Even if the low end material ends up stale at times, such posts gives me something to look at - where I end up making another run of odds and ends claims that starts up another tab.

My feed gets lonely at times where there isn't anything apparently going on - but then it gets busier, when there are three or four sales going on at the same time.

These end up being part one of my claims resulting in a purchase - maybe I can spend an hour or two rummaging around in a dollar and under box in-person and have better results perhaps, quality and quantity wise.

At times maybe it's a favor for sellers to be digging out bulk material that cater to odds and ends interests - where your mileage may vary depending on number cards claimed within a purchase.

2021 Topps Stadium Club Chrome David Ortiz #278 - since he's a decade / binder stars guy, he ends up a 'gimme player,' where it's easier to bite on a random card that catches my eye.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Darryl Kile #102 - Pitchers hitting; occasionally sellers will throw out a freebie post with cards to claim and I jumped on this one.

This card was curled but maybe I can attempt to flatten it out.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Covers Harmon Killebrew #3 of 12 C - within these social media sales, maybe I’ve tried to claim cards outright if it catches my eye off the bat.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Covers Eddie Mathews #4 of 12 C - within these social media sales, maybe I’ve tried to claim cards outright if it catches my eye off the bat.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Covers Willie Mays #5 of 12 C - within these social media sales, maybe I’ve tried to claim cards outright if it catches my eye off the bat.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Tony Gwynn #90 - I might still be trying to make keepers out of nicer, if dated base cards as binder material for decade / binder stars guys.

1998 Upper Deck 10th Anniversary Preview Retail Eddie Murray #60 of 60 - I have no lingering sentiment for Murray cards in his odd-team stint with the Angels that didn't last a season, but there might be a little novelty.

1998 Fleer Tradition Chipper Jones #10 - hats-off; it might be a case where I decide to divert a binder material card as a mini-collections card.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Scott Rolen #128 - I might still be trying to make keepers out of nicer, if dated base cards as binder material for decade / binder stars guys.

1998 Donruss Elite Scott Rolen #81- I might impulsively key in on a player like Rolen and make claims if I see at least two or three different cards posted.

1998 Score Barry Bonds #5 - within these social media sales, maybe I’ve tried to claim cards outright if it catches my eye off the bat.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Jim Thome #135 - I might still be trying to make keepers out of nicer, if dated base cards as binder material for decade / binder stars guys.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Frank Thomas #134 - I might still be trying to make keepers out of nicer, if dated base cards as binder material for decade / binder stars guys.

1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now Tim Salmon #129 - Angels material

1998 Fleer Tradition '63 Vintage '63 Tim Salmon #2 - Angels material

1998 Fleer Tradition Tony Gwynn #250 - inking it up; it might be a case where I decide to divert a binder material card as a mini-collections card.

1998 Fleer Tradition '63 Vintage '63 Kevin Brown #25 - pitchers hitting; Baserunning

2000 Topps Stars Spotlights Vladimir Guerrero #152 - with other collectors kind of making him their guy, maybe it ends up being a cliche where Vlad is the 'gimme player' for me, where I'll make one more random card I may or may not have keepers.

2019 Topps Finest Aaron Judge #51 - he's a 'here and now' superstar, where it's easy to bite on a random base card I may or may not have.

1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes Ted Williams #50 - he's a GOAT level 'gimme player' for me, where it's easy to bite on one more random retro card I may or may not have.

2004 Upper Deck Alex Rodriguez #541 - there is lingering sentiment, where I've resigned myself to bite on one more random card I may or may not have.

2005 Upper Deck Alex Rodriguez #134 - it might still be fun to make the occasional scattered base cards keepers.

2021 Super Products Pieces of the Past Babe Ruth #SP1 - he's a GOAT level 'gimme player' for me, where it's easy to bite on one more random retro card I may or may not have.

An evolution - finding and buying up cardboard on the Internet

While I've used online sources as my personal swap meet over the last 15 years - it has gotten to the point where I don't even bother leaving the house to see if I'd be able to go find the cards I need in-person at a card shop / card show.

I can lazily lounge around with my laptop, browsing and making purchases left and right - when before I HAD to get out of the house, maybe go 30-40 miles somewhere to spend some fruitless hours at a card shop/card show.

I usually wouldn't be able to find what I want but still be compelled to spend $20 on something - just to say my trip wasn't a waste, when I'd mostly end up with redundant extra cards I already had but nothing like 'unique' cards [i.e. minor league cards or parallels from the mainstream sets] that I was really looking for.

When I'm on a 'shiny card' kick, there are more options online for me to find a card - like a 2013 Bowman Silver Ice parallel of Gregory Polanco.

Or perhaps an obscure 2012 Bowman Chrome Blue Wave parallel of Cam Maron - a catcher in the New York Mets system ticketed for the Arizona Fall League.

Besides the variety of cards I can find online, maybe the reason I'm more active was learning how to finally work a Paypal account - for several years my online purchases were slowed down because I'm a luddite who had Paypal but still tried to pay for cards using money orders or even cash.

I had to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I exactly had to do such as link my bank account, so I would be able to use Paypal as a payment option - over the last year, I've been ramping up purchases using Paypal, not having to worry about not following through on purchases made.

Stuff does cost actual money and at times, I maybe I have to slow down - to make sure I'm not going overboard with any online purchases.