In 1977, my parents took me along to their friends' house. The friends' kids were adults and gone and their entire collection was in a 2 x 2 box in the garage. When they found out I was card-crazy they pulled out the box and said "take what you want". By the time my parents were ready to go home I'd pulled a 6" stack of HOFers from baseball and football. Seeing I was reluctant to leave that box, the friends asked if I wanted the rest.
I spent hours going through that box at home, on the floor in my room.
Around 11:00 I found the grail, the oldest card in the box: a 1955 Ted Williams.
That had been a card I'd lusted after ever since I saw in in The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book. I was so thrilled I ran down the hall to show my parents. They did not share my enthusiasm for Teddy Ballgame, but I knew...
