One of the things I was most looking forward to on my trip back home was being able to go to a Target and buy baseball cards. Our Targets here in Australia don't sell baseball cards, obviously. Heck, they don't even sell cricket cards, Aussie Rules Football cards, rugby cards, or even Twilight cards. They are, to paraphrase Monty Python, "bereft of cards."

So not only was I looking forward to seeing displays overflowing with cards, but I was also excited about searching through these mythical "bargain bins" where old packs go to be bought, or at least just sit around for a while until they get put on a garbage skow and dumped in New York Harbor. Oh wait, that only happens to 1952 Topps cards...

I've been jealous when I read stories about people who grab a couple of packs from the bargain bin and find a relic or autograph that some douchebag pack searcher somehow missed when he was molesting all the cards the year before. Not only do these bloggers get pick up packs of cards on the cheap, but they're pulling patch cards for pennies on the dollar. It seems to happen all the time. Then again, people only post to their blog when it does happen to them, as "Went to Target. Got ten packs of 2007 Upper Deck Series 2 for 89 cents each. Didn't get anything other than base cards I already have." doesn't really make for an exciting blog post.

The first Target I went to in Raleigh didn't even have a bargain bin. I bought two pack of National Chicle (the second-most regretted purchase on my trip, and it confirmed for me I have absolutely no interest in Chicle) and felt cheated. Thankfully, when I went to another Target the next day, they did have a bargain bin. I had to wade through all the Toy Story 2 and 2009 Mayo packs, but I found some packs of 2007 Upper Deck Series 2. I grabbed a couple, opened them up, and wouldn't you know it...

A couple of nice things about this card:

• It's nice to see that the low-life scum pack searchers don't find everything in retail packs
• A purple swatch - you don't see that every day. And it looks pretty damn nice
• I've always kinda liked Todd Helton

Regardless, this card is available for trade, so if you're interested, or you know someone who is, drop me a line and maybe we can work something out. By the way, the corners on the card are just fine - it's my scanner that's wrecked.

There has been a bit of talk on the blogosphere lately about horizontal cards. When I went shopping this past weekend, I picked up a couple of packs of 2007 Upper Deck because they were three bucks (Australian) each, so why not? Classic impluse purchase.

I don't know that much about the 2007 UD, so I have to ask - were horizontal cards common in that set? Because I got four in my two packs:

Love the Thome and Payton action shots.I wonder where that ball that Thome hit ended up, and Payton no doubt ended up safe. I can't figure out the circumstances of the Molina card - I think it is probably before one of the Padre games where they honor the military and wear their camoflauge unis? That would explain Colina's game pants and batting practice top, especially because he clearly looks like he's warming up...but all those servicemen - not what you expect in the background of a baseball card. I guess that's what makes the hobby so interesting - you never know what you're going to open next.