Share a great hobby story

[Exhibitman]

My collecting changed immeasurably around 1990 owing to a card show. At one, a fellow had 1948 Leaf cards of Barney Ross and Benny Leonard. I sort of knew that boxing cards existed but seeing these, I was instantly smitten. I bought the pair for a few bucks and took them home to show my father. He looked at the Ross card and said the words that changed my collection forever: “I think my cousin Ray fought him.”

You could have knocked me over with a puff of air.

“Dad,” I said, “if you have a cousin who was a boxer that means I have cousin who was a boxer.”

He then told me about Ray Miller for the first time and I realized that I was related to a world-class athlete, which I would have thought impossible given my athletic performances. At least it gave me a ready answer for when my father asked why I was so pugnacious: it runs in the family.

I later found a cousin in CHI who was a bit of a family boxing historian because her father Bennie Berris was a boxer and close friends with Ray too. We all share a common (at my generation) great-great-grandfather.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Very cool. My love of boxing cards is also family inspired, though my family members are nowhere near as illustrious. My great uncle Carl Russell was an amateur champ and a recorded 2 -0 as a pro. He was great friends with Tony Galento. Also have another great uncle who was a Navy champ and trainer.

[Jobu]

I picked up a few photos from Dennis (photomoto) and he tossed the following snapshot into the deal for free:

Army Players - Lancellotti a.jpg

Army Players - Lancellotti b.jpg

I saw the writing on the back and decided to go hunting. Lancelotti, Curacao, and the army were where I found some traction, as I found some info in an army database and that led me to this online memorial:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...iel-lancelotti

A bit of time going through Facebook, Google, and online White Pages in the area led me to the Facebook profiles of who I believed to be Daniel's son and grandson. The former never replied, but after a few messages the latter did. It turns out that he showed the photo to his grandmother, Daniel's wife, and she was thrilled to see this never-before-seen photo of her late husband. I immediately dropped the photo in the mail - it is now back where it belongs.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Jobu

I picked up a few photos from Dennis (photomoto) and he tossed the following snapshot into the deal for free:

Attachment 356406

Attachment 356407

I saw the writing on the back and decided to go hunting. Lancelotti, Curacao, and the army were where I found some traction, as I found some info in an army database and that led me to this online memorial:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...iel-lancelotti

A bit of time going through Facebook, Google, and online White Pages in the area led me to the Facebook profiles of who I believed to be Daniel's son and grandson. The former never replied, but after a few messages the latter did. It turns out that he showed the photo to his grandmother, Daniel's wife, and she was thrilled to see this never-before-seen photo of her late husband. I immediately dropped the photo in the mail - it is now back where it belongs.

That's many level of awesome in one story!