Am I the only one???

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

OK, I read this with great joy, and I need to jump in. What a great topic, moreso on life and not necessarily cards. The last post made me want to reply.

I am an IT guy, divorced for many years with two daughters. They don't remember us together. I was on the track to be CIO for a multi thousand person organization. I quit at 30 to go independent. People thought I was crazy, including my then boss.

I took two summers off to be with my girls when they were young, as a single dad. I coached them in hockey and soccer for years. Taught them to golf. Spent lots of time with them, and got to also play hockey and soccer with the old guys. Still play hockey a couple of times a week, and I'm nearly 60. I never had a meeting called at noon on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Do I have a '52 Mantle? No. I have a nice collection, lots of hockey and football mostly. Some would love my collection, and others would look at it as pithy. And my daughters come by and we play cards, go to football games, golf together, ride a bike, go to card shows, and now grab a beer and wings together. I look at it as a pretty cool win for me. I'm healthy enough to walk 18 holes and carry, and break 80 a few times a year.

Am I rich? You bet... in values and life. I'm still working. My youngest just landed today in Australia at noon my time. Taking 3 months to explore the world. I never had that opportunity, and I'm damn proud that she does. Not jealous, happy for her. Someone always has more. My financially richer friends are jealous of the fact my kids have always been OK to hang with their dad, and still do.

"Happiness is not having what you want, it's wanting what you have"

Life is good. And one day I may even have a '52 Mantle.

BOB DAVIES--- I LOVED YOUR POST. EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL. REALLY, MOST OF THE POSTS, ASIDE FROM THE POOR "HUMOROUS" COMMENT ABOUT OUR BROTHER'S MONIKER, HAVE BEEN HEARTFELT AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING.

MY SON NEVER WAS INTERESTED IN COLLECTING CARDS OF ANY KIND. THAT WAS FINE. HIS PASSION BEGAN AT 5 AS HE STOOD, TRANSFIXED, IN FRONT OF A SAM'S CLUB VIDEO GAME CONSOLE THAT A LINE OF PEOPLE ANXIOUSLY AWAITED TO TRY. MY TINY SON DECIDED TO JOIN THE LINE. HE THOROUGHLY LOVED HIS FIRST CHANCE TO PLAY "SONIC THE HEDGEHOG".

IN TIME HIS MOTHER AND I GOT HIM HIS FIRST SEGA GENESIS SYSTEM, AND I USED MY COLLECTING SKILLS TO HELP HIM BUILD A SONIC THE HEDGHOG AND FRIENDS COLLECTION THAT'S NOW HOUSED INTO TWO LARGE DISPLAY CASES. We helped him get to the supermarket in time to get the latest Sonic comic; he now has 100s, and ceased collecting those last year when he grew tired of the current issue that had become four issues due to the variant covers.

HE STILL LOVES GAMING, AND ENJOYS SELECTED ANIMES, PLUS WE SHARE A LOVE FOR WATCHING ALL THE BOND MOVIES, 3 STOOGES, LAUREL & HARDY, ABBOTT & COSTELLO, DISNEY'S ZORRO, POIROT, JEREMY BRETT AS SHERLOCK HOLMES, ETC.

I SUPPOSE BECAUSE I LET HIM FIND HIS OWN PASSIONS, WE STILL FOUND PLENTY TO SHARE AND ENJOY TOGETHER. WE'RE EXTREMELY CLOSE.

HE'S PATIENTLY LISTENED TO ME TALK ABOUT MY FORTHCOMING BOOK ON POST-WAR REGIONALS. HE MARVELS OVER SOME OF MY STORIES ABOUT STAHL-MEYER FRANKS AND POST CEREAL.

GETTING BACK TO THE INITIAL MESSAGE, I ALSO WENT LOOKING FOR THE SCARCE, RARE, EXOTIC, AND BEAUTIFULLY EYE-APPEALING CARDS AND COINS THAT WERE SLIGHTLY OFF THE BEATEN PATH. MOST OF MY COLLECTION I HAD ALREADY SOLD A LITTLE LESS THAN 30 YEARS AGO, FOR A FEW REASONS AND KNEW, PAINFULLY, I WOULD NOT GET THEM BACK. STILL, I HELD ON TO SEVERAL CHOICE ITEMS, A REMNANT SO TO SPEAK, AND A FEW YEARS AGO FOUND I ENJOYED WRITING ABOUT THE CARDS AND SPORT COINS. I LOVED RELATING STORIES OF WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE COLLECTED THEM FROM 1961 TO 1973, WHEN I QUIT COLLECTING MODERN CARDS. I HAD ALWAYS BEEN ENTHRALLED WITH THE SEA STORIES OF OTHERS WHO HAD RAVENOUSLY PURSUED THESE "FREE" PRIZES BACK IN THE DAY, AND DOCUMENTED THEM, AS A GOOD RESEARCHER WHO HAD MINORED IN JOURNALISM WOULD DO.

NOWADAYS, WITH MY BUDGET, I DECIDED IF I WANTED A TY, A BABE, A LOU, A MICKEY, OR A ROGER, I WOULD CAREFULLY, PATIENTLY SELECT SOMETHING MODERN THAT I FOUND VERY WELL-DESIGNED AND EYE-APPEALING. I LOVE PERIOD CARDS, BUT IN THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX ONCE AGAIN, I'VE COME UP WITH SOME DUESIES THAT USE A FABULOUS PERIOD PHOTO WITH A CREATIVE DESIGN RENDERED IN GOOD TASTE. LOTS OF HITS AND MISSES TODAY, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

AS SOMEONE WHO AT LEAST OWNED A 52 TOPPS MICKEY MANTLE FOR 24 YEARS, I GREATLY APPRECIATED THE CARD. HOWEVER, LIFE HAPPENS AND VALUES MUST BE HONORED TO DO THE RIGHT THING, AND I SUPPOSE TO ALSO AVOID SELF-CONDEMNATION AND SHAME FROM FAMILY AND MYSELF.


BEST REGARDS, BRIAN POWELL