My first day of The National

Ok, now this is what a card show should be. Lots of cards, lots of everything, if you can't find something you like, you're not looking. I didn't pull into Cleveland in time to attend the VIP party, so I have no idea what that was like. I ended up purchasing around 6 hobby boxes of stuff. 2007 bowmans best, 2008 spx, 2009 Topps Finest, a 2009 National sig cuts, and a few others.

I will say, the 2009 National edition signature cuts card I pulled from Razor was one of the lamest I think I've ever pulled. I got a Walter Winchell cut auto. Don't know who he is? Neither did I. But now I do, and if you really want to know, I'm going to make you look it up yourself, so you get that own personal groaning feeling once you find out. Apparently the second sentence in his wikipedia page is his claim to fame. Since I opened the box in front of a Razor employee to get their redemption, they ended up giving me a Iona printing plate, which could be a good thing, but doesn't make up for the cost of the crappy card. Strangely it seems that you get to choose whether you want an auto card or printing plate. Shouldn't printing plates be placed in the product they were made for??? Of course not, that would make too much sense.

My box of 2008 SPX was pretty amazing I thought. A Josh Willingham auto box topper, autos of Mike Fontenot, Hanley Ramirez, John Danks, and Ross Detwiler. Memorabilia cards of Jorge Posada (triple jersey 6/10), Andy Pettitte 47/99, Matt Holliday 94/170, Grady Sizemore 43/99, Jim Edmonds limited dual patch (38/50), and Melky Cabrera YSL memorabilia card.

The 2007 Bowmans Best hobby box I opened resulted in autos of Lincecum, Justin Verlander, Erik Bedard, Clayton Kershaw, Adam Laroche, and a Chase Utley (blue I believe #/99).

Tomorrow I hope to pick up some old school boxes, I some some available, and think they would be interesting to break, should bring back old memories... I never opened a box of 2006 Donruss, and really want to. I saw virtually no Evan Longoria cards anywhere, which was a travesty, there's nothing here for me to buy to build that collection.