Card Collector True Confessions

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

I live in Japan and collect cards here. The main set I collect each year is put out by a company called Calbee, which distributes its cards with bags of potato chips (you get 2 cards per bag, the sets usually have about 250-300 cards).

This is what my kitchen cupboards look like during the baseball season:

Better than bubble gum, I guess.

[seanofjapan]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Better than bubble gum, I guess.

Well, better than Topps bubble gum at least.

The downside though is that the chips come on one flavor (plain) and you accumulate way more than you can ever eat very very quickly. Plus the chips themselves constitute about 80% of the value of the thing you are buying, whereas bubble gum is more or less a freebie attached to the cards (or at last was back in the day). And gum doesn't take up anywhere near as much space!

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

Well, better than Topps bubble gum at least.

The downside though is that the chips come on one flavor (plain) and you accumulate way more than you can ever eat very very quickly. Plus the chips themselves constitute about 80% of the value of the thing you are buying, whereas bubble gum is more or less a freebie attached to the cards (or at last was back in the day). And gum doesn't take up anywhere near as much space!

Sean, do the cards come wrapped inside the bag? I hope so, otherwise staining would be an issue.

[seanofjapan]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

Sean, do the cards come wrapped inside the bag? I hope so, otherwise staining would be an issue.

Yes they put them in little packs that are attached to the outside of the bags like this, so the cards come stain free.

[Leon]

That was smart to do it that way. Too bad some of the other series we collect didn't do that...

As far as confessions, I feel like Good Morning Vietnam when I walk into my office each morning and sit down to "do" cards......whatever endeavor it might be....it's always fun.

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

Yes they put them in little packs that are attached to the outside of the bags like this, so the cards come stain free.

[hcv123]

There is nothing that I have been looking for in my life for over 20 years other than some items on my card and memorabilia want list.
Finding a card on it is as a bigger thrill than meeting the player on the card.
Going to a national after not going for a few years feels like a family reunion!

My name is Howard, I am a card collector.

[packs]

I look at auctions all day. My fiancee likes to make fun of me by saying I'm addicted to online shopping. It's true though, I am.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by seanofjapan

Yes they put them in little packs that are attached to the outside of the bags like this, so the cards come stain free.

Shows the difference in the Japanese and American people as far as personal morals at times. I feel if they did that here this guy I always see fondling and cherry picking the packs at Target for autos and inserts would be removing and pocketing them all.

[seanofjapan]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Shows the difference in the Japanese and American people as far as personal morals at times. I feel if they did that here this guy I always see fondling and cherry picking the packs at Target for autos and inserts would be removing and pocketing them all.

While people are generally very honest here and crime is rare (one thing I like about living here), I actually did see evidence of someone doing something like that once. I was in a big supermarket and when I reached down to grab a bag of the chips I realized someone had taken a pair of scissors and snipped the cards off.

Out of hundreds of times I have bought them though that is the only time I ever saw that, so it is rare!

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by Yoda

Better than bubble gum, I guess.

Hey now- I have it on good authority that gum was still good ten years later. Could ever claim that about potato chips, even the radioactive kind.