So, I decided I wanted that AJ Brown card. Not just any one, you know? The specific rookie card, maybe a certain parallel I saw once. Seemed simple enough at first.
But man, it’s never simple. You start looking, and it’s like falling down a rabbit hole. There isn’t just one ‘AJ Brown card’. There’s like a million variations.
The Search Begins
First, you got your base cards. Okay, easy. Then you got the chrome versions, the prizm ones, the optic holo things. Then there are the parallels: silver, green, red, blue, gold, black, zebra print, ones with weird names like ‘disco’ or ‘genesis’. And don’t forget the numbered ones – out of 299, 199, 99, 49, 25, 10, and the legendary one-of-ones.
It gets messy quick. It’s like trying to find one specific screw in a giant hardware store where nothing is labeled right. I spent hours, maybe days, just scrolling through marketplaces online. Saw the card I thought I wanted, but maybe the picture was blurry, or the seller seemed sketchy.
Then there’s the grading hassle. You want a graded one? PSA, BGS, SGC? What grade? A PSA 9 might look perfect, but it costs way less than a 10. Is the centering really that off? Who decides this stuff? It felt like a maze designed to make you spend more money.
My Little Adventure
I remember this one time, I thought I found the one. Decent price, looked good in the photos. I messaged the seller, asked a couple questions. Took him forever to reply. When he finally did, his answers were super short, kinda weird. Red flags, you know?
I almost pulled the trigger anyway because I was getting tired of looking. Then I saw his seller reviews – buried under a bunch of generic positives were a couple saying he shipped cards poorly, or they weren’t quite as described. Dodged a bullet there, I guess. But it wasted more time.
It reminded me of this job I had ages ago. Everyone thought we just did one simple thing, but behind the scenes, it was chaos. Different departments barely talking, using totally different tools, nobody agreeing on the right way to do anything. Finding that card felt just like trying to get a project done there – wading through nonsense.
Anyway, after weeks of searching, clicking, comparing, almost giving up… I stumbled on it. Not even on the main sites I was checking. Found it listed quietly on some collector’s forum I almost never visit. The guy was cool, sent extra pictures, packed it like a tank.
- Checked condition
- Compared price
- Talked to the seller
- Finally bought it
So, yeah. I finally got the AJ Brown card I was after. It’s sitting right here. Was it worth all that hassle? Honestly, I don’t know. It’s just a piece of cardboard. But the hunt itself, that whole process… well, it was definitely an experience. Makes you appreciate the simple things, I guess. Or maybe it just makes you realize how nuts this hobby can be. Either way, got the card.
