I had to go to the Big City on Friday, so I stopped at a Target on the way with the specific hopes of picking up some Target throwback Topps cards.
I march over to the card aisle, and what do I see but a pair of dudes pack searching. One was old and sort of scruffy, the other probably mid-to-late 20s.
I said "oh, pack searchers!" and they turned and looked at me. The old guy mumbled something. I watched them for a minute. The older guy was pulling packs of Topps '11 out of the gravity feeder and squeezing the top corners of the pack. He would search a few and then set them down wherever. There were stacks of Topps '11 packs in boxes of Bowman and football, neat piles of 5 or 6 packs.
"Seriously." I said. "What are you searching for?"
The older guy said he was looking for Diamonds, and asked what I was searching for. I told him a blaster of Topps '10 series II. (for a Jon Lester throwback, I hoped.) He went on to say that the gravity feeders were fair game and you have to get there early.
I let him go. What could I say? Fuck you and die? What about the kids? What about ME?
They left, with a couple of packs. I wanted to follow them out and find out if they got a diamond cut card, but I didn't. The younger guy didn't say a word the whole time.
So I picked up a blaster of '11 and a few single packs in hopes of proving the searchers wrong.
Well, there were no diamond die cuts in the five packs (maybe six, I can't remember) that I picked, but I don't know what the odds for the die cuts are anyway. But I did pull a Halladay and Robinson not die cut Target diamond cards. These are for trade, if anyone wants them. I think I know a "fun" collector who might want that Halladay. I will have to ask.
There were a pair of Kimballs though, which I would have thought would have been easier to find than diamonds, and maybe even set off a false positive, so to speak. I don't remember which two, the other two came from the blaster.
The first throwback pack was disappointing, as there was no Jon Lester. I didn't really expect there to be, but still.
But the first card of the second pack... Oh Joy! Jon Lester Target Throwback! Hooray! The throwbacks are way cooler than Wal Marts black cards.
Other cards of interest in the throwback packs: Ryan Braun, NL rbi leaders.
The cards in the throwbacks: 1, 11, 14, 23, 44, 54, 69, 138, 162, 182
All available.
The Manu "throwback" Patch: Jason Heyward. Very nice. And very available. If someone doesn't snatch it up soon, I will put it on eBay.
I'd tell those pack searchers to go DIAF. They're squeezing the fun out of the hobby.
ReplyDeleteI think it was the NL RBI throwback that I sold for almost 10 bucks on eBay a few weeks ago (I'd have to look, but I know it was an NL leaders with Pujols and Votto).
ReplyDeleteI hate pack searchers. I knew a guy in Georgia who worked for the company who stocked WalMart with their packs and boxes (and probably other stores too). He also set up a table at shows full of hot packs. Yeah. Not that I bought individual packs in WalMart, but it really made me think twice about picking up anything there.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in the Heyward and one of the throwbacks (I don't care which), if there's something (some things) I have from '11 Topps you need. I just posted the list. I don't have much else with me for trade (most of my stuff's across the country). I run thiscardiscool.blogspot.com.
I don't think I've ever run across a packsearcher. There have been a couple shady-looking guys but I've never stayed around long enough to review what they're doing.
ReplyDeleteI'll take the Robinson off your hands.
I wish Topps would lose the negative of Hunter and his stupid looking mug. I can't believe they used that idiotic shot of him in the Kimball set. Lazy asses.
ReplyDeleteI would really like to know win-loss percentage of pack searchers.Is it really worth it ?! They're just like the guys who go to autograph sessions just to sell them on ebay !
ReplyDeleteI would like the Santana Kimball and the throw backs, if any are Tribe Players.( Too lazy to look up all the #'s !) I live up in the little village of New London. Half way between Mansfield and Sandusky!