These are great stories. In the mid/late 80's basketball started getting popular with the Lakers, Celtics and 76'ers. So my brother wanted my Charles Barkley RC (Fleer 86) for his 62 Mantle. The Morgan and Yaz amazingly survived my mom's purge when my folks moved and were part of the mid/late 70's cards that my brother and I had. But these three were brought back and forth to college and to all the apartments I lived in before moving to my current house.
The Mantle became one of the 1st cards I slabbed and along with the others reminds me of my youth which looking back was so much fun. We played baseball everyday possible just like Sandlot until dark or when the dads came home. Breaks were only taken when the ice cream man came by--and as my mom worked, a rare thing back then, she always gave my brother and I a few bucks so we could get a creamsicle. The change was then used to get a slice of pizza and some Topps wax packs at the 5 & dime or Woolworths which we rode our bikes to WITHOUT helmets!!!!
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