Grand Cards: Steeeerike 1

Monday, March 2, 2009

Steeeerike 1

For those of you who, like me, have been waiting with baited breath for the Walmart "Black" Group Break, you'll have to hold your breath a little longer.

Today was an interesting day. Baltimore was blanketed with snow throughout the night and into the morning, and I was given the benefit of my first "snow day" since I graduated college. My initial plan, to stop by the Walmart near my work was thwarted. Onto plan B: Find another Walmart. It sounds so simple, doesn't it?

You see, I live in Baltimore. Not "Baltimore" as in the greater Baltimore area, but Baltimore as in, Baltimore City. As such, the suburban amenities like Walmart are not particularly easy to come by. There is one in the city, but the combination of some snow and AWFUL Maryland drivers was enough to keep me from venturing over there this morning/afternoon. However, this evening my wife and I had a meeting with our Mortgage Officer in Timonium. Google Maps told me of two very nearby Walmart stores. Plan B, it seems, was in full effect.

One problem--neither of those Walmarts exist. One is a Sam's Club and one is closed. Great. On my way back down the highway, my lovely wife (bless her heart) suggested that we swing by the one in Towson, a few exists away on the interstate. So, we made the detour and ended up at the card aisle of Walmart looking at...Nothing. The only 2009 Cards OF ANY TYPE was a sad lonely gravity feeder hanging onto the corner of the shelf. There were no 2009 Topps Blasters, cereal boxes, "value packs", nothing. There was no 2009 Upper Deck at all, in any form.

Without getting into it too much, we'll just end the story by saying that I drove home annoyed and frustrated, my wife shared the same feelings times 10, I went 0 for "3" on my Walmart search and will put all of my group break eggs into one basket--the hope that the Walmart near my work has these cards, or any cards at all. I'll try to head out there during lunch tomorrow, so expect a mid-day report of success or failure.