Hoarding Cardboard With Kin and Santo Claus

'Tis the season to be jolly and spread joy and goodwill towards your fellow man.  One particular blogger who has taken that message to heart this Christmas season has been Jason from Hoarding Cardboard - easily one of my favorite new blogs of the year.  Since debuting in March, the Matt Mantei-super collector has added a unique voice to the baseball card community and has proven to be a kind soul.  If blogging awards were still a thing, Jason would easily be my nominee for Rookie of the Year.

These qualities are quite evident in his new, ongoing series, "A Season of Giving."   In these daily posts, Jason gives away at least one trading card per day - if interested, all one has to do is comment on the corresponding post by the end of the day.  The next morning, Jason then uses Random.org to raffle off the card(s) to a lucky commenter or two, no strings attached whatsoever.  What a cool idea, right?  It's a perfect way to combine our hobby and blogging community with the spirit of the holidays!

Plus, it's not like he's just dumping off junk wax either - every day has offered up quality cardboard with star power.  For example:

This 2009 Upper Deck Goudey single, featuring Cubs deity, Ron Santo, is a beautiful card and would instantly make any pack-rip a success.  I mean, "This Old Cub" is a bonafide Hall of Famer, after all.

As far as aesthetics go, the minimalist design, which pays tribute to the legendary 1933 Goudey originals, and bright, primary colors really make the sketch-filtered picture pop.  But, it's not just the look of the card that makes this raffle-prize a true boon to any Cubs fan's collection... the distribution is also of note.  By that, I mean that Ronnie's card #206 is also a dreaded base short print, making it a tough item to track down.  Like I said, Jason's giveaways ain't no junk wax dump - as a decidedly low-budget collector, I'm thrilled to be able to add this "chase card" to my collection.

There was only one problem.... I definitely didn't enter the raffle for this card.  Thus, when it showed up in my mailbox on Saturday, I was extremely confused.  As I sat at my kitchen table, torn envelope in hand, I was left asking myself, did Jason accidentally cross his wires?  Is my memory already starting to slip in my 20's?  What is the true definition of a catch in professional football?  Luckily, I had the answer to two of those questions, courtesy of a the note that Jason included in his PWE:

Ah-ha, so I have an assist from Kin (of I Feel Like a Collector Again and Bean's Ballcard Blog fame) to thank for this surprise prize - the spirit of Christmas is truly living within both of these kind souls!

To address your concerns, Jason and Kin, while I do happen to have an autographed 1973 Topps Santo single, which was gifted to me by my high school health teacher, residing in my CATRC binder, that does not mean I don't appreciate this card or the generosity of both of you.  The CATRC is the part of my collection which I blog about most frequently, but Ron Santo is my all-time favorite player and is thus the subject of a side PC - this will slot nicely into that collection.  That's not to mention the fact that any Cubs baseball card is a worthy acquisition in my eye.  In short, this gesture was greatly appreciated and this Santo has definitely found itself a comfortable home! Thanks, guys!

As you can plainly see, both Jason and Kin are kind souls and are truly feeling the spirit of the season.  I highly encourage you to bookmark their blogs, if you haven't already.  Furthermore, definitely check to see what Jason's "Season of Giving" post will revolve around today - it's certain to be a gem!

In the meantime, "Santo Claus" wishes a merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!