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Originally Posted by carlsonjok
Thank you for bumping this up to the top. Reading these letters is fascinating. The thing that struck me is Burdick's generosity of spirit. He really seemed more interested in helping others than actually being compensated for it.
If you'll indulge me, it reminded me of when I first got back into collecting about 10 years ago. I was just starting to build the 1976 Topps baseball set when I was notified that I was being laid off. I went on a hobby hiatus while I was out of work. Early in my unemployment, when I was still feeling sorry for myself, I got an unsolicited package of a large number of cards for my 1976 set from Chris Stufflestreet. It was just a friendly gesture from one collector to another and he never wanted anything in return. He passed away not six months later and I never had the opportunity to pay his generosity back. I've tried to pay it forward, but I don't trade much anymore, so I probably still have a ways to go to get out of the debt, so to speak.
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Nice post Jeff.
You'll still find folks like that here and on OBC. Giving away cards to a fellow collector is, how do I say this, the most fulfilling thing about this hobby. IMO the last card in a set should always be a gift and I look forward to giving more cards away because I think I receive more from giving a card than the person getting a card. Giving in this hobby eclipses any monetary level, it's the highest compliment you can pay to yourself and a fellow collector.
Most folks don't get it but the ones that do are in a pretty exclusive club.