Time To Load Up on Snacks!

While the inevitable 'stay at home' order is what led me to this topic, it's not the reason for my title's suggestion. I am not advocating for anyone to go out and start hoarding junk food. It's been an interesting week or so to say the least. During the day on Tuesday, I had heard that a stay home order was imminent for Durham(where my office is located), so I decided to stop at a random Food Lion on the way home from work the other night. As I was rushing around the mostly empty store, I came upon an end cap and saw a few Topps branded packages of Utz chips. I did a double take and pondered what I was seeing for a moment. I didn't remember hearing anything about a follow-up to last year's set. I honestly assumed that they had found a few of these tucked away in a corner of the store room and decided to put them on the floor since customers have been grabbing everything they can to load up their pantry. I figured I might as well grab one since there may be a time in the coming weeks where I don't mind chips that have been stored away for a year. The dates on these things are just the 'best if used by' variety, right? Anyway, I got home, unpacked the car, and put away the few items I bought. Much like I did last year, I openened the outer package and rummaged through the small bags of chips trying to find the pack of cards. When I pulled it out, I was shocked!

They weren't 2019 leftovers! They even have a unique design(which I like better than flagship)! I quickly ripped open the pack and flipped through the 3 cards(plus one coupon card like last year).

I really like these!

The backs are not very unique and the name above the card number is the only indication that these are from a co-branded set. It's interesting that they didn't include the Utz logo anywhere in this year's design. I, for one, am thrilled that there is a food issue set to chase for a second consecutive year! I'm also really disappointed that it's going to be more difficult to track down due to the current and/or pending quarantine orders. After my excitement wore off, I did a quick search on Twitter to see what I could find out about this year's promo. Turns out I completely missed posts by multiple sources that have been floating around for over a week. Now this is the kind of news I would have loved to see overflowing my timeline about a week ago. Had I known there was a current year chase, I definitely would have picked up a few more snack packs. If anyone is interested, a complete checklist is up on the Beckett website. What do you think about this design? Are you excited about another oddball set? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or over in the Twitterverse. Thanks for reading.

Food Issued Baseball Cards in 2019?

Could it be true? I love oddballs. Especially if they are food issued, baseball cards. In 2016, Topps and Walmart got my hopes up that we were about to see the re-emergence of these into the hobby when they released the Marketside pizza baseball set. Unfortunately, that set was a one-off and the only food-issue that has been released since was an MLS focused Post cereal release last year(yes I collected that). However, it looks like we will be getting another food-issued baseball set in 2019!

At the Topps Industry Conference which took place February 24-26, a set which will be released in Utz snack products was announced. I borrowed the following pic from @SportsCardNews on Twitter.

All of the details I can find so far are summarized in the slide in the picture. What do you honk about this news? Will you be trying to search these out? I know I sure will be. Thanks for reading!

An Exciting Find at the Local Target

No, the title doesn't refer to Bowman Mega Boxes. Thus far, I haven't been lucky enough to find any of those. While walking around my 4th different Target this morning, I found my first empty display instead. I decided to show some restraint and pass by the other offerings in the card aisle, resigned to the thought of not having any new cardboard to enjoy today. I continued through the aisles with my two younger daughters in no particular rush to finish our grocery shopping. As we were wandering, my 5 year old asked me if we could get some Lucky Charms. I wasn't opposed to that idea, so we headed towards the cereal aisle. When we got there, I grabbed the family size box of Lucky Charms with the new unicorn marshmallows that my daughter loves so much and we were off. Towards the end of the aisle, something caught the corner of my eye and stopped me in my tracks.

That's right, trading cards on a cereal box! I am not the biggest MLS fan, but I like Honey-Comb and this particular box happened to have two guys that have featured on the US Men's National Team. I couldn't resist the pull of food issue, oddball cards!

There they in all their glory. It's not the most interesting design, but simple and clean is a good thing. Once I got home, I confirmed that the back of the cards are blank. These are a real throwback. They're going to have condition issues based on wear and tear to the box and due to how carefully they are cut out of the box. I am so happy to have found these! I searched the rest of the Post cereal boxes for other panels, but this was the only one sitting on the shelf. When I got home, I searched for some additional information about this promo(I was especially interested in finding a checklist). However, I was unable to find much beyond this article. Apparently, card panels should be found on different Post cereal boxes beginning in June. I feel like a kid again, wanting to hurry up and finish the contents of the box so I can cut the cards out and go back to the store to get some other ones! 

Today's find gives me hope that this could be the start of something beautiful. That something being the return of regularly issued oddball cardboard. I was especially hopeful back in 2016 when the Walmart/Marketside baseball set was released. Later that year, the Lids/New Era set followed and I thought for sure that oddball sets had finally made a triumphant return to our hobby. Sadly, that was followed by nary a ripple on the oddball front last year. It has to be a good sign that these new Post soccer cards have the Topps branding on them, right? Maybe later this season, we will find ourselves chasing a new Topps food issue baseball set.

No Mega Boxes? No problem! This find reminded me of my collecting roots and I doubt anything I would have pulled from a Mega Box could have done that. Anyone have any thoughts on this set? On the possible return of oddballs? Thanks for reading.

(Finally)The 12th Day of Trade Posts...

Dimebox Nick sent to me, a bit of just about everything! Today, I highlight the last of my really overdue trade packages. Moving forward, I'll be able to get to my just a bit overdue packages. Some months ago, I received a rather large, bulging bubble mailer from Nick. Side note - the mailer had a small tear in it, but fortunately none of the contents were missing. I know this because I can't imagine anything more cardboard actually fitting in it. As usual, the trade from Nick contained a little bit of everything that I collect. Let's get on to the highlights!

Among the various stuffed team bags were these. Despite the note, there were not 179 Burger King cards in that pack. There was a half dozen cards towards the Yankees set though and that was an awesome start. In the middle here is a sleeve stuffed with minis of all sorts. Perhaps most interesting in the pack was the alert to 'check the backs...' Upon flipping them over:

Wow, the Ginter #23/25(best I can read the hand numbering) and a Sabermetrics Brett Gardner variation were surprising finds.

Oddballs!!! I can't imagine receiving a trade from Nick without some form of oddball being included. The Smokey the Bear Angels were ones that I had previously eyeballed on Johnny's Trading Spot several months before this package arrived. Bill Dickey is one of my favorite old school Yankees players. It's always awesome to find a Hostess card in a trade pack and that also goes for any Kellogg's cards. I was doubly grilled with that Guidry because it was completely crack-free.

Moving on to some former Yankees that I have sentimental attachments to for one reason or another. As you can see, the oddballs continue through this scan as well. I love that Strawberry with him taking a curtain call. The Donnie Baseball is one of the sometimes tough to find box bottom cards. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned my love of those Dufex parallels before. The Topps Kids Kevin Maas actually looks really similar to the way I remember him when he was mashing HRs in his rookie season. The blue parallel, serial numbered Betances doesn't really fit since it's kinda mainstream, but it was definitely a welcome addition. Finally, a minor league issue of Hideki Irabu. I vividly remember the hype that surrounded him and the hope I had for him to be even better than Hideo Nomo. Good times, reminiscing about a time when he had all the potential in the world. Too bad he was one of the biggest busts.

Here, we've got some old and some new. I especially love the Buck Leonard and the Trea Turner, but they're all pretty great.

Next up, some Archives-y and Heritage-y inserts of former Yankees. The 1951 design is my first from that set and it only serves as a reminder that I really need to pick up one of those factory sets one of these days. In case you guys haven't gotten the idea from reading my previous posts, I am a sucker for these old school oddball-type sets.

I was blown away when I flipped to this one in one of the stacks. Now, I'm no Jayson Werth fan, but I have eyeballed these Sega Card-Gen issues since I first saw them on several other blogs. Occasionally, I've search d for these on eBay and I've never come across one that fits my collection well enough to pay the asking prices. I love this card.

I was shocked to see these. Knowing Nick's usual point of view on relic cards, I would have never thought I'd find one(let alone two) in a trade from him. These are welcome additions to my former Durham Bulls collections. If only that Souza had the Rays logo on that helmet... Usually, if I'm lucky enough to find a relic in a trade package, it is the final scan that I post. However, this particular envelope happened to contain a parallel that blew me away even more so than he truly unexpected relics...

There you have it! Maybe it's not so awesome to some of you being that this is a week or so from opening day. Though I'm embarrassed to say it, this card arrived in my collection right at the beginning of Gary's barrage of home runs last summer. I actually kinda felt bad because had Nick held onto it for another week or so(rather than throwing it into this trade package), he probably could have sold it for a pretty penny. I'm extremely thankful that he was willing to include this awesome RC parallel. Thanks for another great trade, Nick. I've got several stacks set to the side with your name on them. I'll be sure to get them in the mail to you really soon. Thanks for reading.

The 8th Day of Trade Posts - For the (Zak)Win!

Though it is now last the holiday season, I've still got to spread the trade package cheer across another four posts after this. Today, I'm sharing the contents of a great envelope that found its way to my door from Greg of Plaschke, Thy Sweater is Argyle. Let's check it out, shall we?

This scan shows off the high points of the football portion of the trade. I loved watching Julius Peppers play football(and basketball) while he was at Carolina. This was in my pre-NC State undergrad days so I have an excuse... I dig the Collegiate Russell Wilson too, even if it is a reminder that he decided to leave the Wolfpack. Probably my favorite card of this bunch is the SI Kids Karl Mecklenburg though. 'The Albino Rhino' played primarily during the time when you could count on one hand the number of cards a particular player would appear on in any given year. So, seeing this oddball tucked in the middle of one of the stacks Greg sent was quite a welcome sight.

The football highlights were good on their own, but the baseball portion stood head and shoulders above. Along the top row, were new-to-me cards featuring 3/4 of the Core Four. I particularly dig the Jeter insert from Opening Day. A second year Godzilla from the National Baseball Card Day promotion in 2004 and a shiny Opening Day A-Rod added to an already awesome bunch of cardboard. However, that final card from the Ted Williams Company, was the icing on the cake! I just mentioned in my Josh Gibson card post how happy it makes me to add a new card to the Negro League part of my collection. That holds true whether it's one of the more well known players or otherwise. Newton Allen may not be remembered as well as Gibson, Paige, or Cool Papa Bell but I am just as thrilled to own this card. The goodies didn't stop there either. One more great card remains.

For a pretty lengthy bit of time, Michael Taylor was a name that appeared on my list of non-Yankees that I collect. As last season progressed, I began to second guess why he was on that list. I don't really have any particular tie to him. That being said, this may be the last Taylor that I add to the collection. I really like the die-cut aspect of this card though, I'm not a huge fan of the random, curvy design they used. I appreciate all the great cardboard, Greg. Thanks for reading.

The Collective Returns of 'On This Day' and 'Single Card Post'

That's right, your eyes aren't playing tricks on you! Today I have dusted off two of my long-dormant series to pay tribute to one of my favorite ball players, Josh Gibson. The Negro Leagues portion of my collection often falls to the back burner in favor of whatever is new or whoever is in new releases. This is something I definitely need to work on because I tend to forget how happy I am whenever I add a new card depicting anyone from this part of baseball history. That being said, let's get into the dual theme for today's post.

On this day in 1947, the aforementioned Home Run King of the Negro Leagues passed away at the young age of 35. He left behind a 17 year career filled with many achievements of mythical proportions fueled by a combination of his incredible skills and the 'word of mouth' documentation of the era. Like many, I am enamored of the various legends surrounding his playing days.

Shortly before the holiday season began, I found this Gibson that I had never seen before on eBay. I was fortunate to win the auction and give it a new home. I easily determined that the card was distributed at the 2006 All-Star FanFest in Pittsburgh, but it took some additional digging to uncover that it wasn't a part of the main FanFest set. Instead, it was part of a separate 6-card set that Topps gave out as a bonus to correspond with the purchase of a special 'Pirates Edition' Factory Set. Here is the back:

As you can see, it is even #/1000. Yes, I realize that isn't exactly considered 'limited' in this day and age. This is the most exciting addition to my Negro League PC in some time. However, I do have one issue with it...the picture shows him playing for the Homestead Grays but card only lists him as a member of the Pittsburgh Crawfords. It's a knit picky observation, I admit. Overall, it doesn't change my appreciation for this awesome piece of cardboard. Thanks for reading!

My 2016 Recap/Looking to Head to the Top of the Class in 2017

Here we are almost a full two weeks into a new year and I'm just getting around to revisiting my 2016 goals and setting some for the 2017 collecting/blogging year. Better late than never, I suppose. To start things off, I had hoped to complete both the vintage Topps Game and Deckle edge sets. Well, I succeeded in half of that goal as I was able to finish off the Topps Game set relatively early in the year. There are still a few I'd probably like to upgrade at some point, but it's complete nonetheless. I fell a bit short on the Deckle edge set, but in all fairness, I really didn't put forth much effort towards that end. Most recently, I picked up this:

I found this shortly before Christmas at a relatively new LCS that was hosting a 'trade night'. It set me back a whole $2. Sadly, I'm still at six cards to go to complete the set with Clemente, Gibson, Robinson, and McLain being among them.

My next goal was to increase my post total. Well, I fell significantly short of that thanks to the lengthy post-less time periods that filled the last few months of the year. In the end, I ended the year 30 posts short of my 2015 total. The second part of the increased productivity goal was an aim to write some 'creative' posts. I can't really judge that for myself. I was hoping maybe some of you could help me on that. The idea was to not have to rely on trade, pack or box busting, and eBay/Listia win related posts alone. Perhaps, I'll know better than to set a goal that I can't evaluate on my own for this coming year.

My last goal of 2016 was to control my impulse spending...I can say that I definitely failed terribly in this one. Here is some recent proof:

I found this box at said LCS for a reasonable price and decided that I would pick it up. Why, you ask? I'm not exactly sure. Other than being a UFC fan and the fact that it was there for the taking at a 

decent price, there was no true reason. I guess it fulfilled my desire to break a premium product without spending premium dollars.

Base card #1. Not a bad way to start the box considering he was considered the best pound for pound fighter in the world a few years back. I never really liked 'The Spider' while he was beating anyone set in front of him and I was actually quite happy when he lost to Chris Weidman(twice), but I can't argue with his greatness.

Base card #2. Perhaps the current best pound for pound fighter in the world. McGregor is currently a dual weight class champion. I kinda like his showmanship, but I was also thrilled when he was upset by Nate Diaz a few months back.

Here was my promised 'jumbo' relic. I don't have much to say here besides at least the swatch was two colors.

Auto #1. Teixeira was formerly a big deal. He had some pretty lofty expectations to live up to upon entering the UFC and he hasn't really delivered on any of that potential as yet.

Auto #2 puts the finishing touches on a solid, if unremarkable box break. Mighty Mouse here certainly has the ability to manufacture a win even if he doesn't get many spectacular finishes.

It was a fun break. However, what I'm left with are some high quality cards that I'll eventually be looking to sell or trade in hopes of either picking up BJ Penn/Robbie Lawler cards or making as much of the box price back as possible. I'd actually love to build he base set, but it might be quite difficult with just two per box.

So, where does this leave me for the 2017 collecting year? I'll set some modest goals:

1. Complete the vintage Deckle edge set. I've only got six to go and even though there are some of the biggest stars in the set still left, I know this is easily achievable if I actually put forth the effort.

2. Reorganize the blog layout. With this, I intend to create two separate 'most wanted' lists, one that highlights cardboard that is more likely out of reach for whatever reason(cost, availability, etc.) and the other that focuses on the more easily attainable(but still elusive). Yes, I realize this is not a new concept and I am ripping off several other bloggers out there, but I have come to realize over my 2+ years of contributing to this community that I have only been able to cross off three cards from the current version of my 'most wanted' list(one of those I snagged from eBay). My hope is to facilitate greater success in adding the cardboard from these lists to my collection. Additionally, I will be overhauling my 'who I collect' page. Some of the names will be changing and some other sports/entertainers may be making an appearance. I'll be sure to make a brief announcement once their change is complete and I hope you'll all check out some of my new collecting interests.

3. My third and final goal for the year is to send more trade packages and run more giveaways/contests. Ultimately, I'd like to add a tracker/counter to keep up with the number of trade packages that make their way to my PO. Over the past few years, I have added a good bit of cardboard that simply doesn't fit anywhere into my enjoyment of our hobby. Therefore, that cardboard is better off taking a trip to another home where it will be appreciated more than it is here. I don't think I can possibly move all of the cards that I want to through trade packages alone, so I plan to channel those creative impulses I tried to let loose last year into some (hopefully) interesting contests/giveaways. Details on the first of these will follow shortly(after I can finalize the two Anniversary contest winning packages - should make a serious dent in these with the first card show of the year coming up this weekend).

There you have it. I'm sorry for the lengthy post, but I wanted to get the recap/goals post out of the way before finishing off the 12 days of trade posts and getting into some other content. I've got a few box breaks, repacks, eBay/Listia wins to share soon and I hope to have a huge haul from the show. Oh yeah, I'm several months behind on talking about the grand opening of that new LCS I mentioned. I was quite excited about the first visit haul and the subsequent finds(and wins). Yes, wins...more on that some other time. Here's to big things in 2017! Thanks for reading.

Pre-Christmas Secret Santa Gift

A short while back, the man behind Bob Walk the Plank coordinated a cardsphere Secret Santa. Last week, a small bubble mailer arrived lacking a return address. I didn't identify it as my Secret Santa gift because I've been receiving a few eBay wins, case break goods, and/or card for card trades from a few folks from various FB groups. However, when I opened said envelope, I immediately realized that the cards contained were not from any deals or purchases I had made. Then I read the cryptic note that's was included. It confirmed my assessment that it was from my BWTP Santa. It didn't reveal my gift giver and actually had a not so slightly veiled challenge to unravel the mystery. There were two items in a team bag, let's take a look.

These came from an unopened pack of 2001 Topps Post cereal cards. I've been slowly piecing together that set(on and off) since 2001. The 'Big Hurt' was the card showing. I opened the pack so quickly, I didn't even bother to take a picture for this write up. I was pretty happy to be able to cross the Thomas off my needs list, but I was even happier that the Gwynn was the second card since it was a need as well. That was a pretty great start to this gift package.

The second item was another card that has eluded me for a long time. At first glance, it may look like the base 1990 Bernie Williams RC. Though you can't tell from the scan, this is the Tiffany parallel. With this in hand, I believe I have all of the possible Bernie RCs. I may be wrong, but let me have just a moment to feel I've accomplished that goal. A huge thanks to Matt for organizing this and an equally huge thanks to my Santa. By the way, I'm 99% sure that I was able to identify my Santa, but I'll leave the air of mystery intact. Thanks for reading.

Five Golden Rings!

Okay, the post title is a bit of a stretch. For he fifth day of trade posts, I saved the goods from at least 4 separate packages that I received over the past few months from P-Town Tom. I honestly lost track of how many packages this awesome cardboard came out of, but the points are that I am far behind and Tom is an extremely generous trader. I tried to go big when I finally crafted a return package for him because I felt more than a bit guilty at having waited so long. I sent some decent Cubbies his way and was beginning to feel a little less in debt and sure enough a short while after he received what I sent, he hit me with another awesome package. Anyway, enough talk, let's dive right in.

There was an embarrassment of former and hopefully future Durham Bulls. With any luck at all, that Adames will be in IP auto card sometime after the season begins.

This mini is another reminder of how fun it was to watch Wil Myers play in Durham. One day, I'll write a post describing the environment at the DBAP while he was there. They had entire marketing plans centered around him, it was quite something.

There he is, my favorite former Bull and one of my favorite players in MLB today. When this arrived, I had only recently picked up this base RC so I was thrilled to see this silver parallel /149 in he trade package.

Early Josh Hamilton always makes me think of what could have been. Since he went to HS in Raleigh, most people in and around the Triangle knew about him and was anxiously awaiting his arrival in Durham. Well, as everyone now knows, it didn't quite end up that way. I am really glad that he was able to make a fairly solid career for himself despite the personal demons he has had to overcome. No matter what anyone thinks of him, I will always have a soft spot(and a spot in my collection) in my heart for Jose Canseco. He was the first player that I really loved to watch and cheer for. What's all the more awesome about this scan is the new DJ. I don't think I had ever even seen this one before I pulled it out of the envelope.

Another new Jeter and some awesome Yankees vintage highlighted the second package(I think). That Larsen/Stengel is incredible!

This package arrived shortly after National Baseball Card Day. These 6 set needs helped me get pretty close to completing the set. One of these days, I'll add this set to my set needs page.

I love everything about these Yankees. Until more recent days, I didn't have many of the E-XL cards. For those that have never seen them in person, they are like the father of the modern day GQ framed parallels. Each one has a matte finish frame with that large silver embossed stamp surrounding the shot of the player. The David Cone is another new-to-me card that commemorates his perfect game.

I dig the '80's oddballs. Get a load of that young Donnie Baseball!

Another vintage Yankee! That is great, however, even with the vintage and the Captain my favorite card of the scan is a toss up between the SF Seals Joe D. and the oddball Gehrig that talks about ALS. There is a shortage of cardboard depicting Joltin' Joe in his minor league days and I had never seen that Gehrig before. Great stuff!

Have I mentioned that I have a soft spot for Jose? I also have a soft spot for late career Wade Boggs. Oh, and hello Mr. Durham Bulls skipper!

It is always nice to add some new ink to the cardboard collection. I truthfully had no idea who Hall was. I had to look him up. Turns out he was a 2009 Yankees draft pick. He spent time with the Oakland A's Class A advanced affiliate this past season. He's still fairly young and he's a southpaw, so he may crack a major league roster yet.

The final card to highlight from these multiple packages is a really cool insert of the Captain. These employ some interesting printing technology. The 'card' seems to be some kind of pearlescent stock with the image and writing printed on a shimmery sheet. I know this because I aphid to do some delicate surgery to remove the card from the penny sleeve it was shipped in. Fortunately, I was smart enough to not just rip the card out when it stuck slightly. I dissected the penny sleeve and peeled it off carefully and the Jeter insert from 2001 is no worse for wear.

I am in awe of the generosity shown by the man from P-Town over the course of these packages. I suppose after the New Year, it'll be back to the drawing board for me trying to craft a worthy return trade package. Thanks for reading.

Some Tim Horton's with My Morning Coffee

Yesterday I received a cage that contained some goodies from Tim Hortons.

Those donuts look and taste like cardboard... Wait! Those aren't donuts, they're my first two additions from this year's Upper Deck Tim Hortons Hockey set.

Here's a closer look. It's hard to see, but the top of the Saad has some foil loss. No, that's not from where I tried to take a bite, it was from the tape that was used on the penny sleeve it was shipped in. At first, it frustrated me that the card was damaged due to incorrect packaging, but in the end it's not terribly noticeable and I'm really glad to have a few cards from this set. I'm thrilled that UD has continued its partnership with Tim Hortons and brought the set back for a second year. Similar to the inaugural set, this year's cards are not short on shiny foil. I, for one, love he design!

Here's a look at the backs. The only thing I would have liked better here is if they were able to include full career stats. After getting this first taste of the set, I'm hoping to pick up a few more in the coming weeks or months. Thanks for reading.

Celebrating the Games of the XXXI Olympiad

This evening the Opening Ceremonies will officially kick off the Rio Olympic Games. I remember watching the summer games every four years going back as far as the 1984 LA Games. At the time I was too young to understand how the political climate impacted those games. I was captivated by the grand scale of the event which was supplemented by the excitement of having family that lived in LA. Ever since, I have actively followed as many events as possible during the fortnight. So, as I anxiously await the Opening Ceremonies and the swimming events that will follow tonight, I want to share some Olympic themed cardboard.

On my many trips to the local Target, I've seen these sitting on the shelf. In previous incarnations, the blasters had promised an auto or relic. This year there is no mention of a guaranteed 'hit' so I opted to drop a few dollars on two loose packs from a freshly opened box.

Here are some highlights. There are silver, bronze, and gold(not shown) medal parallels for each base card. I think he design is pretty clean and I like the Team USA across the top. The inclusion of Paralympic athletes is one of the best things about the set for me. In recent years, I've done my best to follow along with those games as well. While I didn't pull any of the big names like Phelps or any of the basketball squad, I did pull this:

Franklin won 4 gold medals and a bronze in London four years ago and is one of the favorites for gold again. I mean, she's the cover girl of the product! Definitely a decent pull from a loose pack. Moving from the mainstream to the oddball, we have a set that could be found on the backs of cereal boxes in 2012 featuring 'Team Kellogg's'.

Here are six of the eight cards in the set.

Here are the final two that round out the set. Each box of this:

...contained a complete set on the back. At the time, I had no idea that there were cards of any kind on these boxes, but I was lucky enough to find a set in pretty good shape on Listia for next to nothing. I've got other Olympic themed cardboard that I may share as the games proceed, but for now I hope you enjoyed these. I'm going to go get ready to watch the Opening Ceremonies. Go Team USA! Thanks for reading.