OTB!!

The following events took place on April the 9th between 10:15 am and 4:07 pm.

It was a Saturday morning; I had just woken up, and after having a bowl of bran cereal for breakfast I went to my studio and open my closet…and there they were: two FPG boxes seal since 1994 -a time capsule that capture the essence of an era.

As you might have known, April 9th was the International “Open that Box” day, an event sponsored by the good people of Non-Sport Update (NSU). For those of you who haven’t heard about it, “Open that box” day started on 2006 and its has been celebrated once a year since.

NSU’s Harris Toser (administrator of Non-Sport Update’s online forum, Card Talk) shared with us: “We thought OTB! would be a win-win for the industry. It’s a great way for collectors to enjoy their hobby and possibly interest their friends on our hobby. It’s good for retailers as it helps them sell a few more boxes. And it’s nice to have a day that’s reserved for our hobby.”

This yearly event gives the card-collecting community the experience of sharing their thoughts and anecdotes with other fellow collectors from all around the globe. Collectors can post their stories, findings and pictures on a special page at the Non-Sport Update discussion forum Card Talk (you would need to register to participate).

For this special occasion, I had bought two sets; the Michael Kaluta and Sanjulian series 1 from FPG. Most people like to break out a fresh set of brand new boxes, which is good; it keeps the hobby alive and brings more people to it. However, my collecting preference is early 90’s card sets, for that was the time of my first collecting experience (love to bring old memories to mind) so I like better sets from that time.

I took my time with these boxes; didn’t want to rush into it and ruin the experience. Funny thing how couple days before, I thought I was going to cave in to the expectation and open them in a heartbeat, but I opted to wait for the date and let the anticipation build upon itself. I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Then, April 9^th arrived, and with a fresh cup of coffee in hand I gave in to the anticipated box-opening frenzy. I started with the Kaluta series: I wasn’t disappointed. The Kaluta set is an awesome piece of art with some great features, and needless to mention, eye candy; vivid colors and beautiful imagery that invites the mind to wonder in those fantastical worlds. Two different inserts were found (one was repeated) so I will have to find them later at some auction or with one of the sellers from The Wrapper.

The Sanjulian set was beautiful as well; the style was different than what I had expected, but the themes and character still portrayed an incredible scene. Two different inserts where also found on this one. Got at least two full sets of both artists on each box.

This was my first year celebrating this event and I am glad to say I loved it. It’s a great way of keeping the community alive and together, and to sneak in a holiday exclusive to our kind. Next year my kid will be almost three and I’m gonna love sharing this with him as he already loves cards (and he’s not even two yet!!). I’m gonna find something really special for next year.

Hope to see you at the forum next year!!

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Sources: Non-Sport Update Magazine ; Card Talk Forum

Edition: J. H. Jimenez

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