Some New Pick Ups For a Purpose

I recently picked up three cards that I already have in my collection.

I belong to an online trading group and the members send cards to each other if the other member needs it for their set.  It's a simple concept really; I have it, you need it, you get it.  It's also known as RAOK: Random Act Of Kindness.  Sure we set up trades with each other at times, but mostly we just send cards to one another for the heck of it.

Well, I recently picked up three cards just to put them in my dupes box to send out to guys who need them.  If you don't know what a dupes box is, it's a collection of your duplicate cards that you can send out to others because you already have them in your own collection.  And the cards are generally kept in a box.  Ok, good, covered that.

So here is the first card I picked up...

 



A nice little off condition Ozzie Smith rookie from 1979.  Oh yeah, another thing about my trading group is that we collect cards in all conditions.  We don't care if they are in poor shape so this is actually a pretty nice example.

The second card I picked up...

 

The 1974 Topps Dave Winfield rookie.  Look at those beautiful creases right through his face.  Someone is going to love this card for sure!

 

And the third card I picked up for my dupes box...

 

 

A sweet little 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie.  Someone needs this baby I'm sure.  I'll find out who they are and get them a nice hit in the mail. 

 

Why am I showing these cards that I'm going to be giving away?  To pat myself on the back?  Nope.  To let people know what the hobby should be about.  Or at least my idea of it (and the other guys in the group too).  You see, I feel like these cards are everyone's cards and we all just share them in our collections.  Does that mean I would send out any card I own to someone?  No.  If I need it for my collection then I'll keep it, but if I have a dupe, well, I can send that to another collector in the hobby and that's just where that card was supposed to be.  So he can hold it in his collection until he upgrades or decides he doesn't want it anymore and he passes it on to someone else.  Or sells it of course.  If I send it to a guy, it's his, he can do whatever he wants with it.

 

So there's my ramble for the day.  I hope some of you have similar feelings about the hobby and collecting cards.  Let me know in the comments if you agree or not.

 

Enjoy the hobby all...it's a great one.