[Casey2296]

I frequented a card store as a young man and remember contemplating the purchase of a 1915 CJ Jackson that the owner had. I forget the price but it must have been in the few hundreds at the time. I didn't buy it because I thought it wasn't a very good looking card and I was also on a very limited budget. No regrets though I still have cards from that shop that didn't get away like a near mint 52 Jackie that I picked up for $200 which is imo one of the most beautiful cards ever produced.

I've learned over the years to take a Buddhist approach to life and that includes collecting cards. If a card is meant to be part of my collection then the opportunity will present itself when the time is right and I've done the work to be prepared to buy it. Acquiring a 54 Wilson Franks Williams comes to mind, after months of looking at beat up examples I thought that was all that was available and I just couldn't bring myself to buy one, so I wait and contemplate that particular card may not be meant for my collection. But one morning the opportunity presented itself and I knew that was the card, it took under 30 seconds to make the decision to buy it. I've learned to also trust my instinct and any time I've gone against that I've regretted the purchase.

That's one advantage to having a fairly long and diverse checklist. It may be months before before a Cracker Jack that fits my parameters presents itself but in the meantime a Goudey on my list may present itself. As a matter of fact it's been a good Goudey month for me after months of not buying a single Goudey.

Another example: I'm currently looking to add a 66T Willie Mays to my collection. My condition preference for any 60's Topps card is NM 7 and there's not a lot out there so I wait, watch, build up my nest egg, and be prepared for when the "Say Hey Kid" is ready to come home.