Fun reading the posts in this thread. I had a reminder of the good old days this week while I was going through a few boxes of old programs that I have in under bed storage boxes.
I've posted a handful of times that my introduction to the hobby came through Bill MacTaggart of Grove City, Pennsylvania who I met through one of the hobby newsletters that I somehow got out of Baseball Digest or Street & Smith's.
Bill saw an ad I placed in one of those newsletters and invited me to the "convention" he was having at his house - my parents took my brother and I to his house - about an hour from where we lived. Amazing to see guys set up on Bill's front porch and living room with stacks and stacks of cards I had never seen before.
After a few years Bill moved the show to a hall in Grove City and my brother and I took tables to sell off our extras.
The show was held in June each year (no such things as monthly shows in the good old days). Going through the boxes this week I found a brown envelope that was full of things from the Boys State camp that my high school sent me to after my junior year (1976) In the envelope was a letter that my brother wrote to me.
I had forgotten that I didn't go to the show in 1976 because it overlapped with the camp I was at. My brother's letter told me all about the cards he got for me.
A set of 70 Isaly's cards (discs) for $5. He bought himself a set as well
3 1951 Bowman in good shape including Doby and Boudreau
67 1956 Topps baseball for 10 cents each including Mathews, Ashburn, Minoso, Klu, Herb Score, Minoso, Robin Roberts and McDougald. He also said he traded for Feller and Williams for me.
25 1955 Topps baseball at 15 cents each. No list of players
1962 Post cards of Colavito and Kirkland - bought to "even out a purchase" to the whole dollar.
His purchases were Pirates yearbooks and programs and a complete set of 1964 Topps Giants for $1. Yes $1.
We built lots of good friendships at those shows. Bill MacTaggart passed away earlier this year and we kept up correspondence through the years.
I lost touch with most of the rest after I moved to Indiana in 1997. Dale Lingard of Peterborough Ontario. His parents, Joyce and Ray Lingard of Mansfield, Ohio. Glenn Vasbinder of Pittsburgh (there was a Grove City newspaper picture of Glenn and my brother looking at a 7-Up bottle my brother had for sale).
Geri and Jim Borgen of Howland Ohio who also put on a show in Niles Ohio at the McKinley Memorial. Jim had autograph guests at his shows - no surprise to anyone that the first guest I can remember was Bob Feller.
George Sebo of Youngstown Ohio and his mom. George's friend Nick - who I can't remember his last name - who was the greatest fan of Don Mossi's huge ears.
We so looked forward to these shows year after year and seeing our friends. My parents came along for several years after I got my license because they enjoyed talking with our friends.
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