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JulieOf course I think it's the most fascinating story in the world, but it seems to me that from time to time, I've managed to tell most of it already, so I'll just hit the highlights:
1) In 1983, when my son, who got me hooked, lost interest in baseball cards, he was so afraid to tell me that he asked his father to. "I'm afraid she might--DIE, or something," he said. "Can I have your cards?" I asked "Hmm...all but the autograohs," he answered.
2) a family catastrophe forced me to sell 1)all my jewelry and 2) most of my cards between 1988-1991. Fortunately, because of Beckett's sneaky way of either not listing 19th century cards at all, or listing them in such a twisty fashion it was almost impossible to find them--I hadn't gotten into the 19th century yet.
3) finding myself financially on my feet again,. in 1993, I started collecting 19th century stuff, with the vague idea of eventually getting one of each 19th century HOFer. I wasn't rich, so it was one-card-at- a-time. I found that certain dealers were particularly helpful: Lew Lipset, Terry Knouse. Barry Sloate, and of course always Mastro auctions, Jay Miller, and the Nameless One. I was still collecting early 20th century cards and photos--in fact there are "pockets" of intererst in my collecting: The Jackie Robinson Brooklyn Dodgers, the Blacksox, the dead bvall era, great pitchers from all timess, the 19th century. deaf players (only 3 have cards)--and special players i just liked. These "pockets" interfered with my getting one of each 19th century HOFer--I have 6 Ewings, 2 Dummy Hoys, 5 Hoss Radbournes, 5 King Kellys--and so on.
4) My stepmom died a year ago October, and left her real and adopted children a very good chunk on change. After giving a whole bunch to my children (against everyone's better advice--except the children!), and buying a few necessities, I proceeded to squander a good half of it on baseball cards and photos--which was more fun than anything I ever did (with 2 exceptions..). It's also been a joy giving cards away--alomost as much fun as getting them!
5) Ben Fisher has gotten me interested in the real old hockey players--I have a rookie Vezina, and C57 Vezina, an Art Ross, Lester Patrick and great photos of Vezina, Plante and Roy--a small but potent collection.
The day my C57 Vezina came--his first photographic card--I was reading a short story by Alice Munro, in which an old but interesting woman is singing a hymn:
He's the Lilly of the Valley
The Bright and Morning Star
He's the fairest of 10,000 to my Soul..."
It made me think of Veaina, so i asked "Google Answers" what the rest of the words were, and who wrote the hymn. Of course the hymn was about jesus Christ, not Vezina. "You won't mind," I asked my researcher, "if those lines keep reminding me of Vezina?" "Of course not," he said, "since the hymn is about the ultimate goalkeeper."
Humph! Enough to make a Christian out of you!