[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by 67_Palmer

The most important thing in my collection would have to be this group of autographed index cards my father collected while selling hot dogs at Griffith Stadium when he was a teen.

He gave them to me when I was a young teen in the 80's and I unfortunately cut some of the better names to fit in holders. What can I say, I was a dumb kid. He also gave me a Senators team signed ball witch I promptly played with.

To this day I haven't been able to identify all the signatures. To me the highlights of the collection is the very early Mantle and the Hank Greenberg.

'67 Palmer, that's a great collection, and that your dad got them, and gave them to you, makes them all the better (and personal). I'm curious, have you thought about posting pictures of the signatures you have not identified here on the forum?

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Nice write-ups guys.

I find it interesting--and very heartening--that the stories here are all about emotional connections we've made through our collections to our families or our childhoods or to the game, and not about the value of the cards themselves. I have cards worth thousands of times what my beater 1952 Dropo is worth but that card means something to me. You can always tell a collector, too. The first thing I am asked by a collector is "What's your favorite card?" while the first thing a non-collector asks me is "what's your most valuable card?" Non-collectors don't understand that this thing of ours isn't about value, it is about emotions. That's why I shlep to places like Cleveland in August to hang out with a bunch of fellow idiots in an old tank factory. In cards, as long as it means something to you, no one can be a "better" collector; the blue collar guy with the well-loved collection of beaters is just as respected as a collector as the titan of industry with the well-loved minty fresh collection of 19th century HOFers.

Adam, what a great post!

Originally Posted by auggiedoggy

My most prized/cherished item is not a baseball item and is therefore outside the scope of this forum so I'll keep it brief. Its a PSA 5 1911 C55 Georges Vezina rookie card.

UPDATE: Scans added

Rob, thanks for adding the scan. I have to agree with John. I never thought to read about the story behind the Vezina Trophy. After seeing that beauty, I'm going to do some reading after I'm done responding to the other posts on this thread. I didn't even know there were hockey cards that old.

Originally Posted by midwaylandscaping

Mine isn't a baseball item either. It's an 83-84 Star Co. Clyde Drexler BGS 7.5. Way, way back in the day I once had an ungraded Star Drexler RC. For some ridiculous reason I don't even remember, I sold it. When I got back into card collecting again I made it a point to go after one of those cards first. But I wanted one in as close to the condition that my ungraded Drexler was. 7.5 is about as close as I could get

I did the same thing with two baseball cards my dad got for me as a kid (well, I traded them). An autographed 1972 Topps Hank Aaron "In Action", and a 1972 Topps "In Action" Roberto Clemente. I'd give anything to get them back. I'll replace them, but it just won't be the same.

Originally Posted by packs

My father bought me this card for my 14th birthday. It was raw when he got it and is the first 19th century card I ever owned. I would never part with it.

Packs, that's a beautiful card. I love the old Allen & Ginters.

Originally Posted by cwazzy

So many great stories!

This is by far my favorite card. I will NEVER sell it (not that it's worth that much anyway). Back in the early '90s my dad set up a card show in a small town near my home town. We had always dealt in modern cards so I had no experience whatsoever with vintage. One of the other dealers there had a table full of '50s and '60s cards. One card in particular was a 1953 Topps Roy Campanella. I couldn't stop staring at it. The thought that the card was older than my dad and the great, smiling portrait held me captive. At the time I had no idea who Roy Campanella was or even that he was a HOFer. That Christmas the card was in my stocking. Fast forward to the around 2008. I had continued collecting off and on but started to do more research on Campy and fell in love with his story. That started my vintage collection and obsession with all things Campy. I eventually graded the '53 Topps and it is my favorite piece in my collection.

I had the same kind of reaction the first time I saw the 1953 Bowman Color set, Chris. And the Roy Campanella is one of my favorite cards from it. There's something so magical about the cards from that era, wouldn't you agree?

That's a great Campy you have there!

Originally Posted by kmac32

My most cherished piece is a framed photo of my Great Great Uncle Elmer Miller which is matted and framed with his E120, V100. And E121 cards and also in the frame are cards showing the backs of the E120 and E121 cards. Would take a pick to display it but it is back in Illinois at my brother"s home. Very cool and very sharp.

Ken, if your brother can take a few pictures with a phone, or a digital camera, I'd love to see them (and I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that). The E121 American Caramel set is one of my favorites from that era. The black and white photography is striking. There's real elegance in the simplicity found in the set. I don't like a lot of typography on the front of baseball cards. That's one of the reasons I like the T206 cards, the American Caramels, and the '53 Bowman sets so much. Little to no writing that would distract from the beauty of the cards themselves.