What is your most cherished piece, and why?

[the 'stache]

I'm continually amazed by the wonderful collections I see on Net 54. As a lifelong fan of baseball, and our hobby, I never get tired of seeing the incredible additions you guys share here on a daily basis. I'm "wowed" several times a day.

I can honestly say a year ago I had little to no appreciation for cards printed before 1952, because I'd never really been exposed to anything older. Since joining the forum, my eyes have been opened, and I've just fallen in love with vintage and pre-war cards. I love tobacco cards, Cracker Jack cards, candy cards, and everything in between. I look now at an old Allen & Ginter, or an Old Judge, and I'm just mesmerized. When I see a T206 for the first time, or stumble across a gold border I haven't seen, I feel like the little kid that fell in love with the hobby all over again.

But as much as I'm blown away by some of the pieces I see, I want to ask you all to share a scan or picture of the card, or picture, etc that holds that special place in your heart as your prized possession. It doesn't have to be the most expensive piece you have. Rather, it could be a piece that holds some sentimental value. Maybe a card that your father had when he was a boy, and has since been passed on to you. Or, maybe you met a player you've always looked up to, and they autographed the card for you.

I'm betting that in these incredible collections, everybody has a piece that stands out. A piece that you'll never part with. A piece when you look at it, you think back to a special time. That's what I'm looking for. Those wonderful little stories that so often get overlooked. The nostalgia that makes this hobby (and indeed this forum) so special.

So, please share your pictures and your stories, guys. I look forward to reading each and every one of them!

[z28jd]

One of my favorite cards with a story is my Alcott, Mansfield Old Judge card. I collected team type cards and he is the only player available with Manfield, plus his St Louis version is 10x easier to find, not that he is an easy player to find. One was up for sale years ago, pulled from a pack and graded, SGC98 I believe. That was out of my price range, so when a PSA4 came up for sale in an auction years later, I had delusions of winning that, even if I had to pay over $1000. That one ended just north of $3200.

Finally, last year another one showed up in REA as part of a large lot. With the help of someone else, I won the lot and finally got my Alcott, Mansfield about ten years after I first put it at the top of my wantlist. Ain't it a beauty!

[William Todd]

img483.jpg


My Dad never retired but had a condo in Grand Harbour Vero Beach that he would go to for 8 weeks every winter. He loved golf and they had a nice course and he would go to the range, usually down at the end. One day he noticed a fellow in his spot and went down to the end of the range and it was Sandy Koufax. Of course Dad was a lifelong Yankee fan but they got along and he saw him every winter on the range. I gave Dad a card to ask Sandy to sign, because I knew Sandy didn't like to sign I asked Dad to be discrete. Too bad Dad brought a ball point with him but this is the result. Means a lot to me. Sorry this isn't prewar.

[GaryPassamonte]

One of my favorite cards from the first year I collected. I know, not pre-war, but the twin of the previous card.

[CW]

...

[CW]

Haha, wow... William and Gary with the same card, signed. What are the odds?? Great cards!

[Exhibitman]

These are all cards I've had for 30-40 years:

First vintage card I ever got, probably 40 years ago:



Pulled this from a pack in 1976; obviously had it slabbed quite a bit later on:





Got this as a boy in the late 1970s; had Stan The Man sign it at a show in SF while I was in law school:

[Fred]

Wow, one cherished piece... I have a few pieces that I really cherish.

Two pieces that I have that I'll always keep and cherish are an N28 of Mulvey and N162 of Dunlap that are in g-vg condition. My brother gave me those cards about 30 years ago as Christmas gifts. Those are the only baseball cards I have ever received as Christmas gifts. I'd be happy getting old cards for gifts.

Oh yeah, thank you JD for allowing me to get a Larry card a few years back! I'll cherish that card. I remember selling one to you figuring I'd get another one, but then everytime they came up SOMEONE would always get it.

[itjclarke]

koufax 2.jpgkoufax.jpg

Triplets anyone?? Koufax is not my favorite, but had to post mine after the first two.
1966 Topps Sandy Koufax signed.jpg


My favorite item is no doubt the signed ball my dad got while watching a 19 year old shortstop Mickey Mantle and his Joplin team face my Dad's hometown Enid Giants. I think year was 1950, and the Mick hit about .380 and think made about 50-60 errors. It's a multisigned balled with a combination of players from both teams and the young Mick's sig in the sweet spot (where else since he was was OK legend already.. and pre the loopy M's, more in line with the facsimile on his '51 Bowman). My dad recently handed this piece down to me and I wouldn't sell for $500K. My hope is that it will be handed down as many generation as possible. I'll post a pic next time I visit my safe deposit box.

[UOFLfan7]

Fantastic idea!

The 1968 #150 Bob Clemente is the card that started it all for me, and the fact that it got me into collecting baseball cards is a miracle. It was just last year that my papa (grandpa) took me to a baseball card convention in Atlanta. I was hesitant and didn't really want to go, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that I hated baseball and would have no interest in baseball cards. My papa insisted that I would love it, and that even if I didn't buy anything, that it would still be interesting just to go look at what the vendors were selling.

My papa always dragged me to yard sales, auctions, and estate sales and I thought that this would be no different, if not worse. As I said above, I was a sixteen year old boy who despised everything about the sport baseball. Well, low and behold, when we got to the hotel were the convention was being held I was pretty...uninterested to say the least. The hotel itself was nice, but I didn't really know any of the players or what not so I had no clue what I was looking at and worse of all my papa left me to fend to myself so he could go make a deal with some collectors.

Now, I have a bad habit of having to buy something everywhere I go, so I started to look for a card that seemed to have at least some value. I came across an elderly vendor, who was breaking down his sets of Topps baseball cards. I thought that I would buy something from him since he had so much to choose from and instantly went to the 1987 Topps set. Now, he didn't have any of his cards priced...instead he either wanted you to make an offer or he wanted trades. I saw a name I recognized in the set, Barry Bonds, and told the man that I would give him $75.00 for the card. Now I look back and laugh at myself for being so dumb, but at the time my brain told me that I would be able to sell it for at least $100.00 since it was a famous player and a somewhat old card. Well, the vendor laughed and asked me if I was new to baseball cards. I told him yes, and asked why. He merely said that the card was not worth that much and told me to give it back to him. I gave the card back, and he asked me to pick out a set from the 1960's that I liked. I picked out the 1968 set, because I loved the design of the cards and thought they looked pretty cool.

The man flipped through the pages and pulled out a card, which turned out to be the Bob Clemente. He told me he would give it to me for free, but I would have to promise him that I would continue collecting baseball cards and that I would study up on them so I don't spend hundreds of dollars on overproduced cards from the 80's. I felt a little bad about taking the card for free since it was so old, but I promised him that I would continue collecting. I asked him why he was giving the card to me for free, and he said that it was rare to see someone so young interested in baseball cards. He said that he "wanted to keep the hobby alive."

I thanked the man, and took the card. I browsed some other vendors' collections, but didn't buy anything. My papa told me it was time to go and when he asked me if I bought anything, I told him no but a man gave me this Bob Clemente card. He asked to see the card and I gave it to him. He said that the card was probably worth about $40.00 in the condition it was in and asked why he gave it to me. I told him what the man told me, and my papa then gave me a few cards to help me start my collection. I started to research baseball cards, and while searching cards I joined this forum here. My very first post was about a 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey card that I bought on Ebay. The posters told me that the card was probably a fake, and I thanked them for their help. I sent the card in to PSA using my papa's account (he also thought it was a fake, but said "might as well give it a try."). PSA sent the card back and it turned out the card was indeed a fake.

I was impressed with the knowledge that the members of this forum had and thought it would be a great place to learn about baseball cards. I still can't stand watching a baseball game, but I learned to love baseball cards. Without that elderly vendor I would have never discovered my hidden love for a hobby I thought I would despise. That Bob Clemente was the first card in my collection, and as if by destiny was the first card in my most valuable item. A complete, hand collated, 1968 Topps Complete Set.

I just want to thank this forum for helping me in my baseball card journey and for helping me learn more and more about baseball cards. In fact, I'm still learning things about them from this forum even today! I also would like to thank that elderly vendor, just in case he too happens to be a vendor here, for the card that started my hobby.

Thanks for reading the story behind my most valued card. I know its a rather long post, but I thought that you guys and gals here at Net54Baseball might enjoy reading how a seventeen year old got into what has been called a "dying hobby". Here's hoping more young kids, teens, and adults get into the hobby so that we can keep it from becoming "an old man's game".

Thanks,
Cameron

Cool story Cameron. We all have a fake 1933 Goudey Ruth somewhere in our collecting past. Its also true that you don't actually have to enjoy watching modern baseball to enjoy collecting cards.

[4815162342]

My most cherished piece:

[39special]

My most cherished card is my '58 Furillo.My dad bought it for me at a show when I was 12.At the time I was buying packs,trying to build sets.I didn't have any intrest in older cards.Furillo lived in the area I did,and my dad would tell me stories about him,which sparked some intrest.
Later that month we were driving home from somewhere and my dad said we see someone that wanted to meet me.I had know idea who.We pulled into a driveway,and Furillo came out of his house.He came over shook my hand and we stared to talk.After about 10 mins.my dad puuled the card out of his pocket,handed to me,Carl asked if I wanted him to sign it.
He signed it,and told me to stop by anytime.
From that moment one I was hooked.After that I would stop by and visit Carl a couple times a month.He would sign other things for me over the years,but the '58 is my favorite.
My dad has been gone for a long time,and I miss him alot.Everytime I look at that card,it brings back great memories.
When I go,that card is going with me!

[milkit1]

mine is this signed 1933 goudey of earl whitehill. In late 1988 I got a couple Goudeys through the mail autographed. My parents picked this up for me for christmas for $50 and thats when I decided to start collecting 1933 goudeys autographed. I managed to get about 30-40 through the mail before the players all died. Im now up to 180
1933 goudey whitehill signed.jpg

[blackandgold]

Great thread !

My most cherished item is a jersey that my dad wore as a kid when he played for his "town team" in the late 1940's. That FRENCHVILLE jersey hangs proudly between my SI posters of Bill Mazeroski and Gene Alley in my man cave.

[conor912]

There was never a lot of extra money floating around my house in Boston when I was a kid, but my dad always managed to scrape together enough to bring home a cello pack or two, which was often the highlight of my day. When I was 9 or 10 I saw an ad for a live memorabilia auction near my house and I begged him to take me. He agreed and for two weeks I scrounged and saved every penny I could find. This was around 1989 when the hobby was in full swing, and I remember walking into that room and being the youngest person there by easily 20 years. I had all of about $8 in my pocket. As the auction got under way my dad and I quickly realized that we were in over our heads. I have no recollection of what the other lots were, but they were selling for hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Just as we were losing hope and ready to leave, these tags came on the block. When the auctioneer announced the opening bid (around $30), my dad quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed every dollar he had and frantically counted it. Once he realized he had enough to get it, he told me to raise my paddle. To this day, I have no idea if no one else in the room wanted it, or if the rest of the sharks in the room just "let the kid have one", but we were the only bidders. These tags will always make me think of my dad and him wanting to give me all the things I ever wanted, even though he often couldn't.

[71buc]

OK it's not a card, nor is it pre-war, but I still swoon when ever I look at it.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=157370

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by conor912

There was never a lot of extra money floating around my house in Boston when I was a kid, but my dad always managed to scrape together enough to bring home a cello pack or two, which was often the highlight of my day. When I was 9 or 10 I saw an ad for a live memorabilia auction near my house and I begged him to take me. He agreed and for two weeks I scrounged and saved every penny I could find. This was around 1989 when the hobby was in full swing, and I remember walking into that room and being the youngest person there by easily 20 years. I had all of about $8 in my pocket. As the auction got under way my dad and I quickly realized that we were in over our heads. I have no recollection of what the other lots were, but they were selling for hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Just as we were losing hope and ready to leave, these tags came on the block. When the auctioneer announced the opening bid (around $30), my dad quickly reached into his pocket and grabbed every dollar he had and frantically counted it. Once he realized he had enough to get it, he told me to raise my paddle. To this day, I have no idea if no one else in the room wanted it, or if the rest of the sharks in the room just "let the kid have one", but we were the only bidders. These tags will always make me think of my dad and him wanting to give me all the things I ever wanted, even though he often couldn't.

What a great story, Conor. It sounds like we were both blessed to have parents that sacrificed so much for their children.

Originally Posted by 71buc

OK it's not a card, nor is it pre-war, but I still swoon when ever I look at it.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=157370

Mike, that's amazing. I've always had an affinity for the Pirates, especially the '71 and '79 teams. They are so much like the Brewers-small market team, great fans, a sprinkling of Hall of Famers. I just wish we had the World Series wins that you guys have

That's a once in a lifetime pickup. I would have that hanging in my window over my front door (but that's just me).

[ThoseBackPages]

Like many here, i have collected for a long time, and like others, i have my share of "valuable" cards.

But when asked "what is your BEST card in your collection?"

This is my answer:

In 1985 i was 14 years old and had been a big pack ripper for the better part of three years. Born and Raised in Flushing New York, i was born to be a Mets fan. In 1985, it was all about Dwight Gooden. Topps wax packs were ripped by myself (4 or 5 a day) before JHS started, in the morning in the school yard as we waited for the homeroom bell to ring. We (my best friend, who never caught the collecting bug) ripped them looking for Goodens rookie card! we got to know the sequence. they were great times in life indeed.

He's still my best friend, we're still Mets fans. Life goes on, things happen, yada yada yada

a little more then three and a half years ago i was diagnosed with diabetes. being down about it, i went through a section of my cards that i hadnt looked through in a while. Low and behold i ran into a stack of 1985 Topps Goodens that i pack pulled 25 years earlier.

So, i decided that if Bob Costas can put a Mantle card in his wallet, i sure as heck can put a Gooden in mine! and in it went.

Flash forward to last years National. i was invited to a party that Gooden was going to be attending. Having been invited i said of course id like to go. it was only after confirming that i would be going that i remembered that the card was in my wallet.

i told Dwight my story and he was very nice and politely agreed to sign my card. He even personalized it "To Eric, Best Wishes" Man i couldnt believe it, i really couldnt. i was like a flustered kid again, having just conversed with my childhood idol.

Well, i had to give it the protection it deserved after that, so i had it slabbed at the show.

[Rich Klein]

Most of our cherished cards turn out not to be the most expensive but either a return to our childhood or something we had signed.

I know that has been pointed out before, but that is the real point of the hobby, your most cherished item is something with an emotional connection.

Rich