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Finally got a couple Stastny rookies in today's mail.

Maybe we could get a show visit calendar here where we could send some short lists to those attending...and those folks could be on the look out for those items...the whole collectors helping each other bit. Now I know it would have to be limited, since I know that I'm not going to lay out a lot of cash for any but a few select collector's that I know would make good on the outlay for those items...

So how best to approach this then? I ask for a specific card, specify the top end of what I would pay for it, someone finds it for me, I hope that the seeker can use that as a finagling point to get the card I want for less than that maximum...then I can pay for it, or we can arrange a trade.

I guess I've always seen this as the point of the online trading community - being able to extend the number of possible traders thousands of times, but also being able to extend my collecting reach by having people find those cards that just don't appear in my market, and hoping I can return the favor for them as well.

I've seen "white whale" threads posted before, but they seem to get little attention. Now collecting at it's basest is self centered, as there are items we want for our collection that drive us to take action to exclude others from obtaining them...but I consider the other side -- there are many more items that I have no interest in that I would gladly take some time at the local show to look for to assist another collector, knowing only that they get the same great feeling from a nice find that I do.

So, the next show here is at the end of April. Gather your short lists together, make them specific (year, player name, set name, card number, team pictured with, highest price you are willing to pay) so that it is easy to locate on sight with list in hand. I would ask that you have the money readily available for any items I may find, so if you can't pay for the item should I find it--exclude it from your list. I will limit total list buy value to $25 for those I haven't dealt with before, and to $100 for those I have, for starters. (Those I haven't dealt with before will also need to remit payment before I send the cards).

Remember, I want to know when you are heading to a show as well, since I have lists of my own that I would love to have some help with.

So who's up for giving this a try? True, it may end up empty, since show contents are unpredictable, and want lists can be tight (I know mine can be), but what else are you too busy doing??

by: snowblink on Apr 14 2007, 12:16 PM

Just a reminder - if there's something you are really after that you would like me to look for at the upcoming show here April 27-29, send me a PM with the details on it. Please note the requirements from the blog entry above.