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Coping With the Holidays and How Cards Heal

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blanning71

Super Moderator
Aug 8, 2008
7,892
0
Eastern North Carolina
The holiday season tends to bring with it a sense of excitement, happiness, and joy as many of you spend it with friends, family, and loved ones. For some though, it means a renewed sadness and feeling of despair. Each year rolls in a renewed hope that "this year is gonna be better". As a kid and teenager, I never really let anything bother me when it came to the holidays. However, as I got older, graduated highschool and then college, and eventually stepped into the "real world" I found out things dont always seem as bright and cheerful as those twinkling ornaments and lights on a Christmas tree. Life isn't easy, and I never expected it to be but sometimes extraordinary things happen and it just makes the holidays seem harder to cope with than for most folks. I guess thats where cards have always played a role in helping me deal with the setbacks and hardships that we face during the holiday season.

When I was working at my local LCS, it always got really entertaining this time of year as my shop was located in one of the local malls. Christmas music would blare throughout the large cathedral like hall and shoppers would bustle by with bags and packages. I always got excited when they would stop in to browse our wares and hopefully chit chat about collecting and whatnot. This time of year typically brought about the traditional release of Bowman Draft and Elite Extra Edition(yeah, this started around 2005-2007) and knowing that the new releases would be decorating our shelves and walls would add to the excitement of the season. I fondly remember the regulars making their way into the shop to pick up their seasonal dose of cardboard medicine. This little bit of the cardboard calendar year really helped me cope with some of my most trying times.

Some of my best memories revolving around cardboard have come during this time of year though. Some of the best times I've had revolved around Bowman Draft and "the chase". I remember when 2006 Draft came out, I chased Kershaw and Longoria autos like a mad man. I went to the December show in Raleigh with some friends and we had a blast as we made rounds throughout the show floor. I recall picking up a Longoria base auto via trade as well as purchasing 4 hobby boxes to take home with me. As luck has it, as we were traveling home from the show, I opened the boxes. Sure enough, I hit a Kershaw base auto and another Longoria auto from the boxes I had purchased. That helped my holiday blues out ALOT! Two Longorias and a Kershaw will do that for a fella!

Another great memory was in 2009 when Draft was released. I remember Draft getting pushed back to a near Christmas release that year. I was in search of Jared Mitchell that year as he was an LSU alum and I am a closet Tiger fan. I got a call from my friend who owned a shop about an hours drive from me. He said he hadn't been sure that his alotment of Draft was gonna make it before Christmas but sure enough, his two cases had come in that afternoon. Being that it was Christmas Eve, and his shop was located in their local mall, they were going to be closing early on Christmas Eve. I told him I was leaving my work at 4PM and asked him if he would be there at the store if I hurried on down. He said he would wait for me. I got there right before they closed the mall and he broke out my boxes for me. I had the best time laughing and telling stories as we ripped thru the packs and boxes in hopes of finding my guy. A friend of mine told me that when I busted the new product, to be on the lookout for any AJ ******* autos from the release and that he would be interested in purchasing them from me. Well, as I ripped thru the wax, I ended up hitting the A J ******* Superfractor auto!!!! My very first super!! After the dust settled, I ended up pulling the Jared Mitchell gold refractor auto as well as a Matzek gold refractor auto. Little did I know that the blue refractor, refractor, and base auto I pulled of some kid named Trout would be the ultimate cards to eventually come from this release. It was arguably one of the BEST breaks I have ever had and the memories of it still linger to this day.

After that year, it really got me buzzed whenever the holidays would roll around because I knew that opening my favorite products of the year was upon me. The added excitement of chasing down some of the most sought after prospects while scarfing down sausage balls and holiday sweets helped me cope with some of the sadness and gloom. It allowed me to pass the time and deal with these issues in my own special way. So, every year, I look forward to getting my hands on those boxes and packs from a fresh case and reliving the tradition. I know that it sounds silly, but the cards sure did help. Alot.

Today, things are different. I feel like I have moved on from those issues that plagued me. I have made some strong bonds with great people over the years and yes, that means YOU. The members of the boards here and abroad have really made this time of year a great experience. I enjoy watching the breaks and hearing your stories as you spend this time of year in celebration. I love the stories of you getting up on Christmas morning and plunging into your cornucopia of cardboard and making new memories. So, after all this rambling, I want to say thank you. Thank you for adding to this great hobby and sharing your own lives with us. Thank you for making things brighter each day! I wish each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I hope you have a great holiday with your loved ones. I look forward to hearing some great stories again this year and I hope you folks get something nice from Santa!

Sorry for the rant.....I know it was a long read.


Regards,

Brian
 

dano7

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
13,325
3,848
Roanoke, VA
Thanks for sharing. I love the support the members here give each other....that's what makes this place work!!!!
 

michaelstepper

Well-known member
Jan 15, 2010
8,211
519
southeast Alaska
glad to hear your doing better, but a great read. cards and forums like this one are a coping mechanism. not an answer for everything but after my mom passed I KNOW I used this place and cards to feel better. probably still do to some extent.
here's to many more happy holidays and relishing them.
 

Pinbreaker

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
10,131
287
Laguna Niguel, CA
Brian, great read and the mental pictures of opening the boxes ran through my head as if I was standing next to you at your LCS..

The feeling of opening boxes with friends around is a great feeling that I haven't had since I moved down here.

I recently found a local shop that I stop in but until I get familiar with the owner I just grab a box or two and open them at home..

Good luck on your ripping..

Merry Christmas,
Kevin
 

mburgin

Member
Aug 11, 2008
795
0
good thing you finally got rid of those Trout cards Brian. that kids not going to turn into anything in MLB.
 
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banjar

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2015
2,540
883
Lafayette, Colorado
Nice post Brian. I'm a long way from home at the moment, but there's some internet most days so I can work on the card collection now and then. Kind of comforting especially over the holidays. So merry Christmas guys, and best wishes for the coming year!
 
Last edited:
Aug 16, 2016
120
1
Central Florida
Well written Brian! The holidays can be a mix of emotions for so many different reasons. If you ever feel like you want to talk to someone please drop me a line I can talk about cards forever. Take care my friend!!
 

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