Local Card Shops - Minneapolis

Last week I was in Minneapolis and had a couple of free hours on Thursday.  I decided to spend the time at a LCS in the western suburb of Golden Valley.  I had been to this one a couple of times before.  I thought I was walking into Twin Cities Sportscards.  I didn't pay attention to the sign on the way in,  so didn't notice that the place was now called Papa Hawks Sports & Collectibles.  I didn't take a picture of the storefront, but their website is here.  The first two workers looked familiar and welcomed me as always. It's a very friendly place.

1985 TCMA

My favorite purchase there was this one of Yaz. It will make a nice addition to his PC.

I picked up two more 2018 Red Sox which bring me a little closer to completing the series 1 team set.

This 1972 card of Boog Powell brings my set completion one closer to 182/787, or 23.1%.

I recently added some flagship side sets to my want list. Donruss The Rookies were included, and this 2016 Henry Owens is my first pick -up.

I also picked up five more commons from the 1970 Topps baseball set.  That brought my set completion progress to 104/720, or 14.4%.

As I was paying the owner asked me if I knew he and his business partner had parted ways. I had not heard that. He gave me his business card and that's when I saw the shop's name change. He said the split was "very amicable" and even directed me to the other guy's shop. It was only one exit up the freeway. I had a little more time so I went and checked it out.

This was Twin Cities Sportscards, and they were back in their original location, also in Golden Valley, where I first found them a couple years ago. I was greeted by the owner, another friendly familiar face. This was the guy who gave me such good deals the last time I was at the store, in the other location. As I was looking around I started up a conversation with another customer who was seated at a table and flipping through some boxes. He was trying to complete some Topps baseball sets from the early 80's. I told him whatever he couldn't find at the shop I could help him out with, because I have doubles of almost the entire sets those years. He said he was on the TCDB so I told him my ID, telling him what I had was on there. He said, "You're EP? I know who you are. You've got that Red Sox blog that I read." So that was pretty cool. I've never met anybody in person who reads my blog outside of friends and family. I hope to meet more!

I got a text that I needed to go pick someone up, so I left without getting a good look at the whole shop. I will definitely make time to spend there the next time I'm in town. Because the visit was cut short, I only bought these two cards. That only leaves Devers for the series 1 team set, which recently came in a trade about which I've yet to blog.

Luckily, I left Minneapolis and returned home Thursday evening. On Friday it started to rain, then sleet, then snow here. It snowed all day Saturday and left us with about 12 inches. Today the dig out took place. Here's the snow plow coming by. If you live in a warmer climate, let me explain. They come in pairs. The lead plow takes the middle part of the road, pushing the snow over to the side, but still on the road, leaving a drift. The second plow comes along the edge of the road pushing the first plow's work up to the side of the road, and leaving a bigger drift at the end of the driveway.

Today was warm enough that some melting had started. What the plow left behind was more of a pile of slush than snow.

After I snowblowed it out, what remained was this pillar of slush, which will melt in the coming days, I hope.

I've definitely had too much quality time with this this winter and spring. Hopefully I've put it away for the last time this season.