After the Thrill is Gone

 “So you keep on singing for the sake of the song, after the thrill is gone.” - from the Eagles “After the Thrill is Gone”

The release day for Topps Series 1 baseball has always been a holiday for many long-time collectors and baseball fans. You might even say it’s considered part of the holy trinity (along with the first official day of pitcher’s and catcher’s reporting and Opening Day). It’s sacred; offers up hope for the upcoming collecting season. If I were to start a baseball card religion, opening up that first pack of cards each season would be a sacrament. So why do I feel so empty after my first two packs of 2025 Series 1?

Despite the excitement of Series 1 Release Day, I no longer go out in the wild searching for those elements. That’s what YouTube channels are for. Rather, I patiently wait until they find me- then I’ll pick up a couple of packs. 

Such was the case this weekend, when I left the card shop and headed to Bi-Mart to pick up some coffee that was on sale. After grabbing that, I headed over to the card station and grabbed the Topps tag to give to the cashier. Upon checkout, the cashier grabbed a large box from under the counter. In it were packs of assorted brands. I chose two 2025 Topps 1 and went on my merry way.

I didn’t have unrealistic expectations prior to opening the packs. I had read enough and seen enough videos to know it would be base cards and maybe a couple of those MLB Stars. And I’m normally fine with that. But dang, it just didn’t release the endorphins like it always has in the past. Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen too many YouTube videos. Perhaps it’s because I didn’t pull any Braves. Perhaps it’s because every card (photo) looks the same.

Getting back to my original question. Why do I feel so empty after opening my first packs of the year? I still can’t answer that. But one thing I do know. I’ll be doing the same thing this time next year, for the sake of the song.