In my neighborhood when I was a kid, we were all crazy about the 1981 Fleer set, because of all the errors. Before the internet, we would have to discover errors and variations ourselves, or wait for the card magazines to come out each month.
Graig Nettles was my favorite player when I was a kid, and when I read about the error card, I was dying to get one. But they were selling for all kinds of money, and I certainly couldn't afford it.
My father left when I was 9, and my mother worked three jobs to take care of my sister and I. For my birthday that year, she bought me the 1981 Fleer "C" Nettles error. She got it at the local card shop, and paid $17 for it. In 1981 in my house, $17 might as well have been $17,000.
I still have it, it's my favorite card. They say you can't take it with you, but I'm taking that one with me.
-Al
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