NPN Cherry, Popped

This hobby can grow stale very quickly. At least it does for me. Opening packs isn't as exciting or fun as it used to be back when I first started. Getting new cards I needed for my collection from eBay/COMC/wherever isn't as fun as it used to be back when I first did so. The hobby still has fun aspects like TTM and IP autos as well as the wonders of a dime box/bargain bin dive. But I'm always eager to try something new.

Enter NPNs.

I've seen other collectors like LV do NPN's over the years and I've always wanted to give it a try. Going so far as to bug other collectors to send me the NPN addresses on the back of packs they got (sorry Your Lordship).

But unfortunately I was never able to get anything. Maybe my envelopes weren't selected or maybe too many people entered before I could and the supplies always ran out, or maybe I just wasn't lucky. Whatever the reason, my NPN experience was empty for a long time.

Until last month (the last day of February to be more precise). I had basically just gone an entire month without buying any baseball cards and it seemed as though my reward were three NPNs straight from Topps. Kind of ironic, but okay.

Right off the bat I had a hunch these were going to be from the Stranger Things set. For one thing I never get anything back from baseball stuff. And for another I immediately sent out the maximum number of NPN request letters to Topps last year after I got the retail ST cards. I was so caught up in the excitement from the set that I thought "I AM GOING TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF THIS GOD DAMNIT, DO YOU HEAR ME?!". I figured that if any set was going to take away my NPN-virginity, it'd be that set.

Lo and behold, I was right.
According to the blurb on the boxes/packs, these are inserted at the same odds as they are for packs. In that sense I think I managed to beat the odds as I got three sticker cards in three packages. Meanwhile the odds on them are one in every other pack (1:2).

The unfortunate fact is that I already had these thanks to SumoMenkoMan, but getting the mom who assured everyone that they could talk to her (seriously, most of Cara Buono's lines go like that in Season 1) isn't bad at all.
Also, Eleven and Mike are the OTP, can't think of two better characters/stickers to get in this set.

And that was my first NPN. This definitely opens a new door for me as a collector. In a way it's kind of like a TTM because I'm gambling on a shot at getting something back in return for the price of a forever stamp (technically two for TTMs but you get my point).

This hobby man, it's got quite a few tricks up its sleeve.

As always thanks for stopping by and take care :).