Show me your "steals"

[Wite3]

A cautionary tale to dealers....and totally true (a few board members saw me within an hour of buying this and can attest to the purchase).

Was at a small mall show in Las Vegas about 10 years ago. Nothing really there...I think I was happy with buying a couple of Bell Brand Dodgers. I was gazing at a table that had a few mid '70s cards in a bargain box and a lot of shiny new stuff when an older gentleman walked up and asked the dealer a question. The dealer essentially told him to wait while he was talking with another dealer. When he finally asked the older man what he wanted the man said he had some cards to sell...he took out a binder with some 1992 Donruss Nolan Ryan cards in the front. The dealer took a look at the first page and told the guy, "I don't buy that junk," and turned around. The older man said that he had some old Pirates programs and some older cards but the dealer essentially ignored him. I didn't. I asked what programs...he said Pirates from the 40s and 50s. He then asked me if I wanted to see them. I told him yes and we went to a bench in the mall. We sat and looked at the programs and he told me about going to Forbes Field and making the "long" drive to Crosley one year to watch the Pirates and the Reds. He also had a local paper clipping from 1951 of him holding cards and talking about buying and trading baseball cards. I asked him if he had any of those old cards still...he said sure, right here at the back of this binder. I flipped to the back and he had a bunch of 1941 Playball cards. He told me he would sell me the Playball cards for whatever I had in my wallet. I had $12 but I told him I would go to the ATM. I took out $300 (all I was allowed) and handed it to him. He said it was worth it just to talk to someone who knew the game and could appreciate the cards.

I had just bought a vg+ originally collected, one owner 1941 Play Ball Set. I talked to Earl a few other times over the next couple of years and bought a few programs. He also owned an autograph book that contained 100s of signatures of Pirates from Wanger to Maz! I could not get him to sell this to me but that was okay. I love this set.

Joshua