A card show trip recap - biding my time

I guess I’ll try to get somewhere at a reasonable time for me, even if I never really end up one of the early bird pickers - I usually just can't stake things out to be the first through the doors at a show date, to pounce at some of the 'go-to' tables I'm familiar with.

I was anticipating seeing the dollar boxes of doom table at the monthly show I go to make an appearance at the weekly show, but there are the pros who may have a more familiar relationship with the sellers and basically have a rundown of the boxes - I feel like I’m just some Joe Schmoe, looking to crash the party.

Maybe it’s just weird thing, but what makes these boxes attractive is the relative diversity at times - where the main seller [and not his muse] ends up harvesting thousands of cards from collections, presumably from buying sojourns from at least couple of different states.

I get to the weekly card show and when I finally see the table with the muse on standby, it’s clogged up by all these heads and I don’t know what my expectations are, but this is kind of reality and it sucks to be on the outside looking in - there was no real way to start and worm myself into the mix where I don’t know where these people are in their digs and don’t want to offend anyone by grabbing cards off a box.

Instead of rummaging through the glorious dollar cards with supposedly some easter eggs surprises seeded in, I ended up meandering towards another table as the sharks continued to feast - I hope the neighboring table wasn’t thinking I was giving them the side eye, but I had my eyes past them, dumbfounded by the action happening at the tables I wanted to be at.

The guy whose table I was stuck at seemed pretty nice where he’d move things around to make my browsing experience easier and would say something occasionally - his cheap-o boxes maybe priced at a dollar each, where I can’t freestyle like I do with $.50 or less boxes, even though there might have been cards I would have gone to town with if they were a quarter or less.

I ended up with 23 random cards which I was compelled to pick up because I spent 45 minutes at this guy’s table - the seller flipped through the cards I don’t think he ever would sell and charged me $15, which was tolerable since the per card price didn’t actually end up creeping past the dollar mark or more.

The fugazzi 1994 Topps Alex Rodriguez insert caught my eye - maybe I like to pretend it's the late 1990s and chase ARod's Seattle Mariners cards like he is still the most sought after young superstar in Major League Baseball.

Some mini-collection miscellany including a Steve Young football card picturing him blowing a bubble on the reverse - the 1989 Score subset card commemorating the first night game at Wrigley Field is not a card I'd be looking for at all, but it might the type of 'oddball' card I should be making a keeper.

I grabbed a 1998 Bowman rookie card of Jeremy Giambi because it looks a little 'quaint' and 'old school' now, but also as a reminder of a one-time big leaguer who may have passed way too soon [R.I.P.] - I arranged the card next to one of the Derek Jeter cards I found and everyone knows the story there, though the Jeter also has Jeremy's older brother Jason making a 'lil cameo.

Panini creates and prints too many NBA cards where most products it may appear like junk once it hits the shelves - not knowing any better about collecting other sports, I picked up Larry Bird and a Lebron James where it looks the chrome finish was meant to have a greenish hint, where it looks a little funky than other cards.