I still recall the summer of '51 (20th century not 19th) when I was 7 years old in Schenectady, NY and had become a rabid baseball fan, (a fanatic for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but a new secret passion for a certain NY rookie outfielder). Our gang, all of whom played Little League Baseball, would gather together after out respective meager allowances had been paid and launch an all-out assault on the local general store in search of Mick's Bowman rookie in '51 and that incredibly tasty new Topps card in '52. After gathering under a*large oak tree in front of the store, we would rip open our treasures and pass them around. One magical day, I opened a Bowman pack and there he was. I quickly place him in my shirt pocket since I didn't my friends' grubby little fingers all over it. The following year a friend found the '52 Topps Mantle, passed it round for loving admiration and the card paid a price.
Many years later, I got the card graded (PSA6) and sold it at auction. Wished I hadn't.
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