I have this enormous collection of baseball cards from when I was a kid, a huge pile of cards that is now worthless. Trust me, 1988 Topps commons are basically more valuable as recycled paper at this point. Anyway, I was just invited to a bachelor party where everyone is going to open a bunch of 1986 and 1987 Topps baseball card packs. Seriously. I don’t even know what to think of that. I should have expected it since the people at this bachelor party make up my primary fantasy baseball league, we’re all the same age, and we all collected baseball cards as a kid. Just… strange.

That anecdote being said, on to some personal finance news.

How To Use Leverage To Make Money On EBay This is a really bright idea. I did something similar to this a few times when I found a really really great sale on some unopened trading cards and made a killing. (@ money smart life)

Should Married Couples Combine Finances? Here’s another take on one of my favorite topics - this is a very well-written one that doesn’t force an opinion down your throat. (@ blueprint for financial prosperity)

Subprime Blame Game Spot on - the borrowers are also to blame for the disaster in the subprime market. When you go for a home loan and they’re talking about numbers you know you can’t pay but they’ll loan you anyway, it’s at least partially your fault for signing on the dotted line. The loan should have never been offered to begin with, but it’s not just the lender’s fault, either. (@ it’s just money)

The Simple Dollar Retro: Remembering A Painful Childhood Experience and Trying To Apply What It Means This is a rather painful retelling of an event in my childhood that shaped my relationship with money and work for a long time. I spent several months working on a project and when it was finally time to cash in… well, read for yourself. You’ll shake your head in disgust.