Just another entry in the "nothing is ever easy" category of my life.
Terri wants a Sidney Crosby Rookie card for Gage. She didn't really care what kind, just a rookie card. Being a one-time collector, I decided on Upper Deck. They now split the Upper Deck hockey cards into Series I and Series II, and they have all sorts of special cards like game worn jersey cards. So, I go to the Upper Deck site and they aren't selling Series I or Series II for that matter. Turns out that Series I is sold out and Series II hasn't started yet. I figure I'll just hit some of the stores in the area and pick up a few packs. Target, Wal-mart, Toys R Us, a hobby store, Dick's Sporting Goods, and a sports memorabilia store. One place had the cards at $5.25 a pack. Insane. So I turn to the trusty internet. A couple of sports memorabilia places are selling the cards. So I pick some up. Then I realize that I don't have anything to hold the valuable cards. So I run out to pick up some card holders. By this time I've realized that I don't even know what the valuable cards are, outside of the normally high-valued cards. So, I figure I'll turn to the trusty Beckett pricing guide. (Now, just to keep perspective, this is happening over the course of several weeks...I didn't do this all in one day) Since I work in a complex with a Barnes and Nobles, I figure my problem is easily rectified. Turns out Barnes and Noble didn't have it. So I check the beckett site online. I find out that they still publish a monthly issue and this month has Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux on the cover. I figure that accounts for the lack of them at Barnes and Noble and decide to hit a couple other stores. So, I travel out to Robinson tonight. Nothing at Toys R Us, nothing at the hobby shop, nothing at the mall (which includes Dick's sporting goods, a bookstore, and sports memorabilia shop), nothing at the Barnes and Noble out there, nothing at the Target, nothing at the Wal-Mart. I've finally given up finding this magazine in Pittsburgh. So, I call up Tom and tell him to keep an eye out. He suggests checking the Giant Eagle in Robinson since it had a larger than average magazine section. Wouldn't you know it? There it was...the last copy of Beckett Hockey Card Monthly. Of course, now that I have the cards, the holders, and the pricing guide...I realize that I don't have any space to hold the cards. So, it's back to the internet for some of these. I should have just hit one of the kiosk's in the mall and paid the $50 or whatever they wanted toward the beginning of the season.