LINDEN CARD OF THE WEEK - Right Place, Right Time

It was just two short months ago - at the exact same monthly trade night that I was at tonight - where I landed one heck of a nice Linden 1/1.  Cards like that just don't walk into local establishments.  I was gobsmacked when I saw it and even more taken aback when I realized I had a very good chance of bringing it into the pc without dishing cash out of pocket.

Well, tonight was a bit of deja vu.  Some details differed slightly, but the end result was still one I'm shaking my head over.

Not two minutes into my arrival and I was handed this beauty.

2013/14 Upper Deck Trilogy

#95 (base)

You may laugh at this, but I'm serious.  This card represents PERFECTLY what I enjoy about this hobby, what I enjoy about my collection and what I enjoy about my collecting.

This "throw away" base card to many is anything but.  It's another card off the wantlist, but it's more than that.  It represents the kindness I've been fortunate enough to receive from others, it represents the reputation I guess I've built over the last 15 years (people are always on the lookout for Linden.....if it's in the store - people will let me know) and it represents at its most basic element what I love about collecting.

Being able to simply swap cardboard is at its essence "collecting".  After all, they are called "trading cards".

But the previous owner of this card would also play a major role in me obtaining the big catch of the night.

On sale were packs of ITG's Ultimate Memorabilia 12 and while I watched a few packs being opened (in one was a sweet Gold Linden base /10....which was flat out GIVEN to me...another amazing gesture.  Much thanks to you Al!) I decided to not cave and buy some myself.

Instead, I watched as 5 people split a box of the stuff and was jaw-dropped at the case hit.

2012/13 ITG Ultimate Memorabilia 12th Edition

To The Hall Patch & Auto Gold  1/1

Ummmmm.......wow.  To literally witness this card being pulled out of its pack was something pretty exciting.  To see the sly grin of the card's owner - even more fun.  He knew I wanted it and I knew he would help me come up with a deal that worked for us both.

Trading cards - awesome.

It took a little back and forth work.  Obviously I knew what I wanted to get out of the deal, but I wanted to make 100% sure that the other person was happy on their end.  The last thing I wanted to do was fork over cards that really weren't overly desirable.

Now I didn't have anything that would work as a straight across one-for-one trade.  I knew that and he did too.  But he picked out a few cards and we eventually worked something out.

I'm still in awe that I was able to work a deal for yet another Linden 1/1 from UM12.  By my count, that makes 5.....FIVE 1/1's from UM12 that I own.  There are only four 1/1's left out there.  I'm more than halfway to the Ultimate rainbow.  That's insane.

Thanks very much again Jeremy for your help, for your luck and for your fantastic approach to the hobby in general.  You know where to find me when you come across that next one.