Noah Bought 15 Baseball Cards

Noah had been collecting baseball cards for several years and loved learning about the different players and their stats. He had amassed a sizable collection but still wanted to find cards of some of his favorite players that were eluding him. With his allowance money burning a hole in his pocket, Noah decided to go to the local shop to see if they had any new packs in that might include cards he didn’t already own.

As he walked through the door of “Bill’s Baseball Card Boutique”, the scent of worn cardboard and chewing gum wrappers assaulted his nostrils. This shop always smelled of nostalgia for Noah and immediately put him in the mood to search through boxes of cards hoping to find a gem. He browsed the aisles for a bit, carefully examining cards in plastic sleeves looking to see if any catches caught his eye. After not finding anything that piqued his interest enough to purchase individually, Noah decided to take a chance on a few packs of the newest series released by Topps.

Noah grabbed three packs of the 2018 Topps Series 2 baseball cards. Each pack contained five cards for a total of fifteen potential additions to his collection. He took the packs to the register and paid the $4.50 for all three with the allowance money he had saved. Receiving his change, Noah thanked Bill the owner and headed outside to rip into his packs right away. Nothing was more exciting than the unpredictability of not knowing what players might be found behind the cardboard and plastic wrapping.

First up was Pack #1. Noah tore off the outer packaging to reveal the five card strips inside. Flipping through them quickly, the first card revealed was an reliever for the Rangers that Noah had never heard of. Not a chase card but potentially worth holding onto if the player progressed. The second card showed promise as a Starling Marte base card, giving Noah one new card for his collection so far. The third slot held a pitcher for the Mets that Noah also didn’t recognize. Slot four contained a duplicate of a card Noah already owned, so that was disappointing. But the fifth and final slot of the first pack delivered in a big way, as Noah pulled a shiny refracted photo variation card of superstar Mike Trout! One pack in and Noah already considered it money well spent with the Trout hit.

Wasting no time, Noah moved onto Pack #2 tearing off the wrapper. Card one was another duplicate common pitcher. Card two held a utility player for the Phillies that Noah thought may have potential but wasn’t a star yet. The third slot contained an outfielder for the Twins that seemed fairly average. But card four sure made up for the average beginning to this pack, as Noah smiled seeing the smiling face of Reds pitcher Sonny Gray staring back at him from the card stock. Sonny Gray was a favorite of Noah’s and a great addition to the collection. The fifth and final card of Pack #2 turned out to be another common relief pitcher, but Noah was still thrilled with the Sonny Gray pull two packs in.

Now it was time to reveal the secrets hidden behind Pack #3. Out came another five card sheet, with Noah eager to see if his luck would continue. Card one showed an backup catcher for the Cubs that Noah wasn’t familiar with. Card two contained yet another duplicate pitcher that Noah owned multiple copies of already. Things were looking a bit less exciting for the final pack. But card three turned things around with a Nick Senzel rookie card, another exciting addition to Noah’s Reds PC. Unfortunately card four was yet another duplicate minor leaguer. But just when Noah thought the pack may be a bust, card five revealed a Christian Yelich Milwaukee Brewers base card staring back. Christian Yelich had become one of the game’s biggest stars in recent years and Noah was ecstatic to add him, rounding out his fifteen card haul on a high note.

Overall, Noah felt very satisfied with the results of his fifteen baseball card purchase. He ended up with four new players for his collection in Starling Marte, Nick Senzel, Christian Yelich, and Sonny Gray. Plus the shiny Trout variation card was an awesome bonus. And while there were several duplicates and lesser known players, that’s just the nature of buying wax packs. Noah enjoyed the surprise and thrill of the hunt more than anything. He carefully slipped all the new cards into protective plastic sleeves to be added to his binders at home. As he left the card shop with a spring in his step, Noah was already planning his next visit to try and build upon the success of this outing. It’s moments like these that made Noah’s love of collecting baseball cards so enjoyable.