[rjcj2017]

So after I went to the bank this morning I walked into one of my local Targets and finally observed for myself the Doosh Bag Network in action.

There were about a dozen young, able-bodied men (and one woman) standing in line at the card aisle, lamenting how they last heard the card lady was an hour away, did she do this store yet, etc. etc.

Wow. What a pathetic collection of losers.

One old guy (who, in my opinion, was the only one old enough not to work anymore) was talking about how he waited six hours in another store recently.

Six hours? I think the only thing I’ve ever waited six hours for was, I don’t know, a family member in surgery or giving birth?

There were three or four teenagers in line as well, and I couldn’t help but think about how there are signs plastered all over the front door of Target saying “now hiring, $15 per hour” … but, psssshhh, they wouldn’t be raised right to develop a work ethic and actually go get one of those jobs, would they?

Anyway, the sad part is I have been going to this particular Target for more than 15 years and have never once seen any of those people in the card aisle.

You’d think I would have crossed paths with at least one of them given all the times of day and different days I’ve gone there over the years, right?

Nope, they’re just a traveling network of doosh bags.

Truly, truly sad.

I mean, what do they even talk about when they’re standing in line?

Potential topics:

-         Ways to be bigger doosh bags
-         Is there a doosh bag market for diapers and baby formula?
-         Latest fashion trends in doosh baggery
-         Legendary doosh bags
-         On this date in doosh bag history

The funny thing was I went and stood directly in front of the line for a good 10 minutes, just staring at the empty shelves, seeing if anyone would say anything to me.

Nope, not one.

So my next goal is to time it just right when they are in line and the card lady first gets there, and I just go to the front and grab what I want.

The looks on the doosh bags’ faces will be priceless.

[ZSDOne]

Maybe those are some of the new collectors we keep hearing about.

And if you remember those guys in Tennessee who drove around to every Wal-Mart buying up all of the hand santiser, toilet paper, face masks, and the like at the beginning of the pandemic - I suspect that they are currently driving to every Wal-Mart buying up all of the cards.

I wonder if they actually pay taxes on their Ebay profits.

[rjcj2017]

Maybe those are some of the new collectors we keep hearing about.

And if you remember those guys in Tennessee who drove around to every Wal-Mart buying up all of the hand santiser, toilet paper, face masks, and the like at the beginning of the pandemic - I suspect that they are currently driving to every Wal-Mart buying up all of the cards.

I wonder if they actually pay taxes on their Ebay profits.

Oh, they for sure travel ... the old guy was talking about the "Pinole store," which is a good hour to an hour and a half from this one.

It makes me sick. Absolutely f--king sick. 

These people could be spending their time working (or trying to find a job).

It especially saddens me that the very best pulls I've ever had have come out of these stores despite retail always having tremendously worse odds than hobby stuff.

No, I'm not going to start buying hobby with its ridiculous prices.

The card companies will figure this out and start putting this stuff under glass for $49.99 a blaster.

Wait and watch. Those of you that think I'm nuts, just wait.

These doosh bags will move on to the next "make money without working" scam and will leave us dealing with the higher prices.

[rjcj2017]

UPDATE - Popped back in roughly four hours later, and the card lady had not been there yet, but the line was still there.

So I went to the front of the line again and gave the two guys with their backs to the card display the universal separating of the hands to disperse themselves, and of course they moved.

Then I asked them, "Have you guys been here all day?" and they all just started looking at their shoes.

Wow. What a pathetic bunch. I love cards as much as the next guy, but four hours?

[dogger99]

That is sad and a damn shame. I get the bulk (probably 80-90%) of my PC cards from COMC or Sportlots. I just enjoy opening packs and as you know I like to build sets (going back to 1972). But the way I look at it is there will just be less cards filling up the for trade boxes (which I have a ton of). Like you, no way am I buying hobby boxes right now at these prices (only bought 2 last year). I am not that hard up of a pack breaking junky. I will let the nutballs spend their money on those boxes, and I will get my PC autos from them on Ebay for a few dollars.

[rjcj2017]

That is sad and a damn shame.  I get the bulk (probably 80-90%) of my PC cards from COMC or Sportlots.  I just enjoy opening packs and as you know I like to build sets (going back to 1972).  But the way I look at it is there will just be less cards filling up the for trade boxes (which I have a ton of).  Like you, no way am  I buying hobby boxes right now at these prices (only bought 2 last year).  I am not that hard up of a pack breaking junky.  I will let the nutballs spend their money on those boxes, and I will get my PC autos from them on Ebay for a few dollars.

Yep, I have definitely turned my attention to singles and trades.

Not as much fun as ripping packs, but you could just feel the gross and manic desperation of those sad saps waiting in line.

[jaykayzee]

There's 4-5 guys at my local Wal*Mart now every Thursday morning standing in a line. Hands in their pockets, talking. I think they're starting to recognize me and now they stare when I walk by. I'm there from work every morning picking up some thing for either my folks or some breakfast stuff for the family.

I swear they were staring at me today, like I was trying to poach on their land or something.

[mgruber2]

There's 4-5 guys at my local Wal*Mart now every Thursday morning standing in a line. Hands in their pockets, talking. I think they're starting to recognize me and now they stare when I walk by. I'm there from work every morning picking up some thing for either my folks or some breakfast stuff for the family.

I swear they were staring at me today, like I was trying to poach on their land or something.

That's when you plow through them and start looking at the shelves.

[rjcj2017]

That's when you plow through them and start looking at the shelves.

I did that yesterday, it was awesome, just took my place at the front of the line and stood there for 10 minutes.

Went back another time several hours later and did it again, even gave the two in front the "part the way" gesture, and they did.

They are cowards, that's why they go for scams instead of an honest day's work.

[mmahoney]

I get the bulk (probably 80-90%) of my PC cards from COMC or Sportlots.

Same here.  I have stepped up buying my Twins PC cards this year using money I would have spent on blasters, etc. on them.  Going back year by year and filling in as much as possible.  Only thing that sucks is the long wait to get cards from COMC which currently says January 2021.  Oh well.