[akleinb611]

One of the things I miss the most about card shows (which are far less numerous than they were in the pre-ebay era) is the dealer's bargain box. You know, that big box of items prices at a dollar or so, filled with oddball items or mainstream items in off condition. If you like collecting unusual stuff, these boxes could be a treasure trove. Occasionally, you could find something really, really good.

So, to those of you out there with years of experience at card shows, what's the most impressive gem you've ever fished out of a bargain box?

I'll start. There was a dealer whose name I don't recall who was a regular at the White Plains show from the Nineties onward. He had separate bargain boxes priced at $1, $2 and $5. At some show about twenty years ago, I was rummaging through his $5 bargain box. He had a bunch of off-condition 1949 Bowman and I was looking for some condition upgrades, in spite of the fact that these cards were pretty rough. A few of them had uneven edges, indicating they had either been trimmed or had been cut from a sheet. It took me a moment to realize these were not 1949 Bowmans, but rather were 1949 Bowman PCL cards. I walked away with four of them, at $5 each.

This may trigger a debate regarding whether or not I should have brought this to the dealer's attention. My attitude is that this is not akin to some SOB cheating a clueless little old lady out of some rare cards. This was an experienced dealer. Any card on his table was priced for what it was, and I had no obligation to point out to him that the cards may have been worth more.

I realize I sound a bit defensive. But those 1949 PCL's are in a binder on my shelf and they're not going anywhere...

Alan