What card did you never think you'd own, but now you do?

[greco827]

My aspirations, at least as a kid of about 8 with no financial sense, were far more modest. All I wanted was an '84 Topps Don Mattingly.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by greco827

My aspirations, at least as a kid of about 8 with no financial sense, were far more modest. All I wanted was an '84 Topps Don Mattingly.

This post just reminded me about one card, although it's the exact opposite of a card I never thought I would get. When I was nine, I got a calendar with a picture of the Old Judge Buck Ewing & mascot card. At that time, I said I was going to get that card. Considering that I had been to many card shows and stores at that point and never saw an Old Judge card, it was quite a declaration on my part.

So it wasn't a card I thought I would never get, it just took about 17 years before I actually bought it. I'm sure if you told me when I was nine that it would cost me $400, I probably wouldn't have been so confident I'd get it one day.

[packs]

I'm right there with you buddy:

[MattyC]

Great topic. For me it was a centered 1952 Topps Mantle that was in my price range with a clean image. Once I began shopping for one, I just kept seeing tilt after tilt or OC after OC. Eventually I settled initially on one that was 60/40-ish with some tilt. And then a few years later my dream example finally came along.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Great topic. For me it was a centered 1952 Topps Mantle that was in my price range with a clean image. Once I began shopping for one, I just kept seeing tilt after tilt or OC after OC. Eventually I settled initially on one that was 60/40-ish with some tilt. And then a few years later my dream example finally came along.

Thanks for sharing - fantastic Mantle! Those Mantle rookies were the stuff of dreams for a lot of us - nice to see it becoming reality for some of us now!

[edjs]

There are so many cards I thought I could never own, but then I find a way. If you look at my join date, that is my first day collecting. I started looking at the archives here, at all the amazing cards you guys have on the board. One of my first loves was the '41 Play Ball DiMaggio, I always thought it was out of my reach, but I finally found one going under the radar and got this one. Leon was the one that got me going with PCL cards, though not in your traditional way. He posted about some E100s he thought were suspicious on e-bay, and I hit the link, decided to take a chance on one, and won that. He also had I think four of the E222s, and I never thought that one of those would end up in my collection, yet a few years later, here I have two. Cobb has always been special to me, I read books about him as a kid, and we have the same birthday. This D304 is my favorite Cobb card, but prices always made it seem out of reach, but by lowering my expectations of having a pristine example, I was able to get a low grade beater. But the card I never in the world thought I would get was the Bishop. I can't tell you how many hours I spend looking at these, and finding this one of San Francisco blew my mind, and I still have a hard time believing it is in my collection. So I guess this palaverous post of mine is basically intended to encourage you to keep going and not let your dreams for a specific card ever stop. Keep going and one day, you will figure out a way.

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by greco827

My aspirations, at least as a kid of about 8 with no financial sense, were far more modest. All I wanted was an '84 Topps Don Mattingly.

As a kid that was my answer, too. I never was able to get one. Always so expensive in NYC. The Donruss I just gave up on. I equally coveted the 83 Traded Strawberry and 84 Topps and Fleer Goodens. Never had them as a boy. Were the first cards I circled back for after college.

[packs]

This is the other card I never thought I'd own:

[WillBBC]

Originally Posted by MattyC

As a kid that was my answer, too. I never was able to get one. Always so expensive in NYC. The Donruss I just gave up on. I equally coveted the 83 Traded Strawberry and 84 Topps and Fleer Goodens. Never had them as a boy. Were the first cards I circled back for after college.

Haha, I was so lucky when I was 8. A family friend gave me two cards for my eighth birthday. A Brien Taylor Topps rookie, and the '84 Topps Mattingly. I absolutely cherished that thing. My grandfather helped me put together a little display box for it!

Then I was invited to the ring bearer for my aunt's wedding. She surprised me with the Donruss Mattingly as a thank you gift. My mind was blown. Apparently my mom remembered me gawking at it at the local shop (Card Mart, Verona, NJ, never forget) and relayed the word. Best wedding ever.

More recently it's two. Aaron and Clemente rookies.

[Eggoman]

I was ALWAYS awed by this card from the first time that I ever saw one. Prices kept going up faster than I was willing to pay until I thought that I would NEVER own one that wasn't a beater...

THANKS ORLY!!!!

[KCRfan1]

The color really pops Greg. Well Done! That's a beauty!

[BeanTown]

Wow! All the cards above are very nice! Congrats to all. The Cobb Topping postcard has always eluded me for decades. Ive either been the under bidder or missed out on a private sale, when one hit the market. I finally was able to acquire it recently. The other card I love and never thought I would own, is the Cobbzilla Hubel Hotel postcard.

One more Cobb I would love to own is the W600 Sporting Life Cabinet which at this point, I should go buy a reprint of it, as it seems to be an impossible dream of mine.

[LincolnVT]

Beautiful Jay Cee! You've got some great stuff.