What card did you never think you'd own, but now you do?

[MikeGarcia]

..the pin-hole brought the price down to a point where I could just about almost barely sort of justify the purchase to TheWidowGarcia.....She eventually agreed that it "looks nice..."

..

[ullmandds]

For me its a mantle rookie....51 bowman...only because I never thought I'd be "silly" enough to pony up for one!!!!!

[greco827]

My aspirations, at least as a kid of about 8 with no financial sense, were far more modest. All I wanted was an '84 Topps Don Mattingly.

[z28jd]

Originally Posted by greco827

My aspirations, at least as a kid of about 8 with no financial sense, were far more modest. All I wanted was an '84 Topps Don Mattingly.

This post just reminded me about one card, although it's the exact opposite of a card I never thought I would get. When I was nine, I got a calendar with a picture of the Old Judge Buck Ewing & mascot card. At that time, I said I was going to get that card. Considering that I had been to many card shows and stores at that point and never saw an Old Judge card, it was quite a declaration on my part.

So it wasn't a card I thought I would never get, it just took about 17 years before I actually bought it. I'm sure if you told me when I was nine that it would cost me $400, I probably wouldn't have been so confident I'd get it one day.

[packs]

I'm right there with you buddy:

[MattyC]

Great topic. For me it was a centered 1952 Topps Mantle that was in my price range with a clean image. Once I began shopping for one, I just kept seeing tilt after tilt or OC after OC. Eventually I settled initially on one that was 60/40-ish with some tilt. And then a few years later my dream example finally came along.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Great topic. For me it was a centered 1952 Topps Mantle that was in my price range with a clean image. Once I began shopping for one, I just kept seeing tilt after tilt or OC after OC. Eventually I settled initially on one that was 60/40-ish with some tilt. And then a few years later my dream example finally came along.

Thanks for sharing - fantastic Mantle! Those Mantle rookies were the stuff of dreams for a lot of us - nice to see it becoming reality for some of us now!

[edjs]

There are so many cards I thought I could never own, but then I find a way. If you look at my join date, that is my first day collecting. I started looking at the archives here, at all the amazing cards you guys have on the board. One of my first loves was the '41 Play Ball DiMaggio, I always thought it was out of my reach, but I finally found one going under the radar and got this one. Leon was the one that got me going with PCL cards, though not in your traditional way. He posted about some E100s he thought were suspicious on e-bay, and I hit the link, decided to take a chance on one, and won that. He also had I think four of the E222s, and I never thought that one of those would end up in my collection, yet a few years later, here I have two. Cobb has always been special to me, I read books about him as a kid, and we have the same birthday. This D304 is my favorite Cobb card, but prices always made it seem out of reach, but by lowering my expectations of having a pristine example, I was able to get a low grade beater. But the card I never in the world thought I would get was the Bishop. I can't tell you how many hours I spend looking at these, and finding this one of San Francisco blew my mind, and I still have a hard time believing it is in my collection. So I guess this palaverous post of mine is basically intended to encourage you to keep going and not let your dreams for a specific card ever stop. Keep going and one day, you will figure out a way.

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by greco827

My aspirations, at least as a kid of about 8 with no financial sense, were far more modest. All I wanted was an '84 Topps Don Mattingly.

As a kid that was my answer, too. I never was able to get one. Always so expensive in NYC. The Donruss I just gave up on. I equally coveted the 83 Traded Strawberry and 84 Topps and Fleer Goodens. Never had them as a boy. Were the first cards I circled back for after college.

[packs]

This is the other card I never thought I'd own:

[WillBBC]

Originally Posted by MattyC

As a kid that was my answer, too. I never was able to get one. Always so expensive in NYC. The Donruss I just gave up on. I equally coveted the 83 Traded Strawberry and 84 Topps and Fleer Goodens. Never had them as a boy. Were the first cards I circled back for after college.

Haha, I was so lucky when I was 8. A family friend gave me two cards for my eighth birthday. A Brien Taylor Topps rookie, and the '84 Topps Mattingly. I absolutely cherished that thing. My grandfather helped me put together a little display box for it!

Then I was invited to the ring bearer for my aunt's wedding. She surprised me with the Donruss Mattingly as a thank you gift. My mind was blown. Apparently my mom remembered me gawking at it at the local shop (Card Mart, Verona, NJ, never forget) and relayed the word. Best wedding ever.

More recently it's two. Aaron and Clemente rookies.

[Eggoman]

I was ALWAYS awed by this card from the first time that I ever saw one. Prices kept going up faster than I was willing to pay until I thought that I would NEVER own one that wasn't a beater...

THANKS ORLY!!!!

[KCRfan1]

The color really pops Greg. Well Done! That's a beauty!

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by MikeGarcia

..the pin-hole brought the price down to a point where I could just about almost barely sort of justify the purchase to TheWidowGarcia.....She eventually agreed that it "looks nice..."

..

I totally agree with your lady, Mike; that Mick DOES look nice! Glad she gave you her permission. My lady did the same for me when I poured out my heart to her about the card that I never, ever thought I would own. Congrats. ---Brian Powell

[mouschi]

I cannot believe this only happened a couple months ago, but here goes ... I'll *TRY* to make this short & sweet

Years ago, a friend showed me this card:



This is a 1998 Pinnacle Certified Red prototype. He recently told me that he believed this to be a one of a kind, and I believed him, because I've NEVER seen another.

Then this popped up on ebay:



A MIRROR RED version!!!!

No matter what it was going to take, I was going to make it mine. Then I saw this ...



I researched the seller and found out he was in Dallas. I had a very hard time getting a hold of him, and then I remembered I knew a dealer guy in Dallas. On a whim ... after about 2 years or so not talking to him, I texted him. He knew the seller! He got me in touch with him, but nothing panned out

The very next day, I received a message from the guy I knew. "Tanner, why didn't you say you were looking for that card? I think I have it!"

Uhmmm ... yeah right. A unicorn that didn't exist for 20 years until last week? No way, but thanks.

After a few days, we spoke on the phone and he said he would get me a pic.

HE HAD IT!!!!!!

AND MORRRRRRE!!!!!!!!!!



These cards have never been seen before ... nor did anyone know they existed, so I was able to add the entire run to my collection.

It was the most bizarre deal ever with plenty of twists and turns, for a complete rainbow of the most beautiful of rainbows. Definitely a holy grail find for me!

Happy does not even begin to describe what I felt/feel

I ended up writing a story on it here: http://tanmanbaseballfan.com/2017/10...en-before.html as well as for Sports Collectors Daily. Shortly thereafter, Ryan Cracknell of Beckett Magazine wrote an article for Beckett on them as well.

[LincolnVT]

I too was on the hunt for a Conseco in my younger days. The 86 Rated Rookie was the hot card of my early collecting days. Never ended up with one.

[Cerberus]

Perhaps 20 years ago, my collecting focus was on the T-205 Gold Border set, which I personally believed to be the best looking set of cards ever produced. Debatable, I know, but this has always been my personal feeling. I of course never thought I'd be able to acquire the Hoblitzell No Stats variation, because of its scarcity. Over the years, however, I was able to acquire two different versions of the card--one of them in a PSA 6. Unfortunately, like many of us, there came a time in my life where I had to sell the bulk of the collection, including the Hobby's. Sure was nice to have caught my white whale, though, for a time.

[Exhibitman]

Great Pinnacle story, Tanner. I pick up the 1997s from time to time.

For those who don’t know, in a nutshell, as Pinnacle circled the drain it printed and issued cards more and more sporadically. There are some parallels out there that were not ready to go but that were pushed out the door as the company died.

[Brian Van Horn]

I frankly didn't think this one existed:

[tjb1952tjb]

Originally Posted by Brian Van Horn

I frankly didn't think this one existed:

Bob Skinner lives about four blocks from me in San Diego (Pacific Beach). I've never seen that photo before. Nice.

[leaflover]

I've been collecting 1948 Leafs for about 30 years and had never seen a nice high grade Cavaretta. This one surfaced in a Heritage auction last December. I feel that I was lucky to get it!