Let's Play Twenty Questions

When I started this blog six years ago, my main goal was to use it as a personal journal to document my hobby experiences both past and present.  However if you've followed my blog long enough then you know that it has become much, much more than just a journal.

I've interacted with a ton of collectors either through comments, trades, emails, or all of the above.  Friendships have been formed and information has been exchanged.  But I've always watched my digital footprint and been mindful about the kind of personal information I share with the internet.  Seriously... identity theft is a real thing and like I tell my students every year... you can never be too safe.

On the other hand, it's important to form a connection with my fellow blogger buddies and anyone else who takes the time to read my posts... otherwise down the line, I'll be the only one reading my writing.  So today's post I figured I'd play twenty questions with you in an effort for you guys to learn a little bit more about me and my collection.

To help me out, I've decided to employ the use of items given to me by Kenny over at Torren' Up Cards about a month ago.  The box was heavy and huge... and to be honest a little intimidating, so I kept pushing it aside until an extended weekend like this one.

There's been enough stalling... let's get started.

#1:  Are vintage cards your favorite thing to collect?

That's a tough question, because I love to collect a variety of things.  One of them being vintage cards.  In fact, my favorite card in my collection is a piece of vintage cardboard.  However... if the Cardboard Gods demanded that I only collect one thing, I'd probably focus on building my collection of on-card autographs of hall of famers and fan favorites.

By the way... this is the first 1939 Play Ball card ever to enter my collection... and I love it.


#2:  Can you read, write, and speak Japanese?

No.  No.  And no.  However... I know a few common phrases here and there... including my numbers up to ten.  And in the case of this magazine... I'll treat it as a picture book.


#3:  Who's your favorite player currently on the Oakland Athletics' roster?

Another tough question.  Any player with decent numbers on the Athletics will always be considered trade bait, which makes it difficult for me to let my guard down.  However... I really enjoy watching Sonny Gray pitch, Josh Roddick climb walls, and Coco Crisp do the Bernie Lean... so let's go with one of them.

#4:  What's your favorite type of candy?

I love milk chocolate... especially when it's combined with peanut butter... so my goto candy is usually Reece's Peanut Butter Cups.  However... right now I'm currently eating a two pound bag of Haribo Gummi Bears.

#5:  Are you still bitter about the Yoenis Cespedes trade?

I think "bummed" is a more appropriate word than "bitter".  And it has more to do with Jon Lester than it has to do with Cespedes.  He was suppose to help us get to the promised land.  Instead he gave up six earned runs in the Wild Card game loss to the Royals.

#6:  Have you ever served in the armed forces?

I have fought a lot of video game battles, have toured Pearl Harbor, and have fired guns before... but haven't actually spent time in the military.

#7:  If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?

That's a no brainer.  Hawaii.  The same island Iolana Akau was born on:  Oahu.  That's where most of my relatives live and where my favorite places to eat are.

#8:  What's your favorite thing to drink?

Arnold Palmers or distilled bottle water.

#9:  Have you ever altered a card?

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but I have.  This weekend, I took an eraser to this 1957 Topps card of Joe DeMaestri that Kenny sent me.


#10:  What kind of car do I drive?

My daily ride is a Toyota Yaris... and my weekend warrior is a Acura TL.  

#11:  What's your favorite kind of pizza?

I'll eat just about any kind of pizza as long as it has a thick crust and plenty of meat.  One of my favorites is the Wombo Combo from Round Table.

#12:  What are some of your hobbies outside of collecting cards?

I wouldn't call them hobbies... but I enjoy cruising around on my skateboard, playing 9 holes on the executive course, and walking around flea markets looking for bargains.  One of these days, I'd like to start building puzzles... but at the present time, I just don't have enough patience.

#13:  How long have you been a San Diego Padres fan?

The first time I can remember myself actively cheering for them was when they played against the Detroit Tigers during the 1984 World Series.  However... I wouldn't say I became a fan until the following season.

#14:  Do you ever buy cards featuring logo-less athletes?

Yes.  If the price is right, I have no problem adding them to my PC's.  But... the price has to be right.

#15:  What's your favorite snack?

In the morning it's a Pop-Tart.  In the afternoon, it's something savory like potato chips, Chex Mix, or microwave popcorn.  And at night it's something sweet like pudding cups, ice cream, or yogurt.

#16:  When you played baseball, what position did you play?

I'm a lefty, so that limited where I could play on the diamond.  I started out playing a lot of outfield, first base, and pitcher.  However coaches began to realize my strength was fielding, so one of my coaches started letting me play second base and that became my primary position.

#17:  What's your favorite holiday?

I'm a fan of any holiday that gives me a day off from work... but since I get two weeks off during Christmas... I'll go with that.

#18:  How well do you know your prospects?

I honestly don't keep track of prospects on a regular basis, but during Spring Training I'll monitor some of the guys who might make the Oakland A's roster.  As for the Padres (or any other MLB team for that matter)... I have no clue who's in their minor league system.

#19:  What are your thoughts on memorabilia cards?

I take their authenticity with a grain of salt.  Card companies have turned them into a novelty more than a treasured piece of history... which is fine by me, because I still enjoy collecting them and now you can find them on the cheap.

This particular memorabilia card is super cool, because it contains a piece of the shirt Yumi Sugimoto is holding.  Remember when Fleer used to do that?

#20:  What's your favorite television show?

That's another no-brainer.  Game of Thrones.  Went to breakfast with one of my friends over the weekend and we both agreed this is the greatest television show of all-time.

Well that's it for today.

Feel free to leave questions for me to answer down below and I'll try to incorporate them into future posts.

Thank you Kenny for the awesome box of collectibles.  I spent the better part of my Sunday afternoon sifting through all of the cool stuff you sent me.  My Japanese female model collection just quadrupled in size and I had a lot of fun looking up those A's prospects I wasn't familiar with.  Not sure how I'll exactly repay you for all of these cool treasures, but it'll be fun trying.

Happy 4th of July everyone!