My Rant

So normally I don't get too overworked up about things. I kinda let everything come to me and analyze the situation before I react one way or the other. Tonight is one of those situations that I needed to think about. My emotions never get too high or too low cause I learned a long time ago that life is not fair, no one ever said it was going to be.

HOWEVER, I SAY GO TO HELL TOPPS

I read a post over at A Carboard Problem that got me steamed. Apparently Topps is going to give people who crack packs at the National a chance to get a Strasburg Heritage card. I guess this card will be numbered to 999. Thank you Topps for basically giving the finger to those who put time and effort into putting a set together that they like.

I'm one of those guys that likes Topps Heritage. 2010 was the first year I didn't just buy singles here and there of the guys I collect, rather, I bought 5 hobby boxes, countless blasters and rack packs trying to finish a Heritage Set for the first time. After busting these boxes when the product was released I still was close to 200 cards short of just the base set. I have a 300 count box sitting here full of the doubles and triples I pulled from those boxes.

I wasn't put off by that even though 5 boxes from the same case should not have been that badly put together. Instead I hunkered down and bought more retail, I bought lots off of ebay, drove around the state of Wisconsin looking for card shops that had common boxes that included Heritage. I hunted down the short prints, paid through the ass for dice back and other variations. Bought the "Yankee" short print cards of the set. I wanted a COMPLETE set of 2010 Topps Heritage...and now....Topps gave me the finger.

Sure, this "new" Strasburg addition to the set will hit the bay and we all will have a chance to bid on one. However, as a recent college grad I'm not rich. I'm still trying to find that first real job where I can put my degree to use. I have put off even thinking of law or grad school with the hopes of paying down the student loans I already have. The crazies will bid this card out of reach for guys like me. It feels like all the time and effort put into building this set was for nothing, because no matter what anyone says...to me this will now feel like an incomplete set without the Strasburg. In my mind something will be missing, and now I feel like why did I even bother?

Thank you Topps for the swift kick straight in the groin...I understand you are in the business of making money and will play this hype for all you can. I know you think that since you are the only game in town you can screw with collectors. Congrats on that, you have done a good job. I was thinking about trying to put together my first Allen and Ginter set, I thought it seemed like a good project, that is until you find another way months down the road to throw another Strasburg bullshit card into that set also. The mini won't be enough for you.

I remember my parents giving me this advice growing up, "fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me" NEVER AGAIN TOPPS