Phone Call of a Lifetime

[JollyElm]

When moving a bunch of years ago, we had garbage cans and a dumpster out front on the street being crammed with a crapload of stuff, including an untold number of boxes filled with 80's/90's junk era cards (this was before there were separate recycling carts). Just decided to get rid of them once and for all.

Early on, scavengers started appearing, 'casually' looking through the receptacles as my brothers and I took a break for lunch. When one of them stumbled across the first shoebox of cards, I told my girlfriend, "Watch this. Now they got the cardboard fever and are full of hope that Mantles are awaiting them. Too late to stop now!! Ha ha!!!" And sure enough the guy immediately began furiously digging through that box, and his eyes kept darting side to side, looking around, waiting for someone to tell him the cards were off-limits. He couldn't believe his 'luck,' and carefully placed the combed-through box on the ground at his feet, as if staking a claim and telling the others, "This garbage can here is mine!!" Then the digging started everywhere, and it looked like ants suddenly coming across the delicious carcass of a dead yellow jacket. We enjoyed watching the rummaging intensify, because these people were dressed nicely and had much nicer cars than mine, so they obviously weren't down on their luck, hoping to find a working lamp to save a few bucks. Nope, they were vultures. Box after box they pulled out and dug through, greedily keeping the cardboard alms away from the other buzzards. "Mine!! Mine!! Mine!!" There's nothing better than seeing nothing but a guy's Dockers and the bottom of his Polo shirt as he buries himself deeply into a disgusting garbage can, trying desperately to reach the stuff at the bottom.

In the end, they kept a decent amount of the useless junk cards (I probably took out all of the stars), which was bizarre in its own right. Perhaps they wanted to give the boxes a better look through while enjoying a Manhattan out by their pool? Who knows.

Hope is a dangerous thing, and to this day we refer to that afternoon as an episode of 'CSI: Disappointment.'

[Case12]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

When moving a bunch of years ago, we had garbage cans and a dumpster out front on the street being crammed with a crapload of stuff, including an untold number of boxes filled with 80's/90's junk era cards (this was before there were separate recycling carts). Just decided to get rid of them once and for all.

Early on, scavengers started appearing, 'casually' looking through the receptacles as my brothers and I took a break for lunch. When one of them stumbled across the first shoebox of cards, I told my girlfriend, "Watch this. Now they got the cardboard fever and are full of hope that Mantles are awaiting them. Too late to stop now!! Ha ha!!!" And sure enough the guy immediately began furiously digging through that box, and his eyes kept darting side to side, looking around, waiting for someone to tell him the cards were off-limits. He couldn't believe his 'luck,' and carefully placed the combed-through box on the ground at his feet, as if staking a claim and telling the others, "This garbage can here is mine!!" Then the digging started everywhere, and it looked like ants suddenly coming across the delicious carcass of a dead yellow jacket. We enjoyed watching the rummaging intensify, because these people were dressed nicely and had much nicer cars than mine, so they obviously weren't down on their luck, hoping to find a working lamp to save a few bucks. Nope, they were vultures. Box after box they pulled out and dug through, greedily keeping the cardboard alms away from the other buzzards. "Mine!! Mine!! Mine!!" There's nothing better than seeing nothing but a guy's Dockers and the bottom of his Polo shirt as he buries himself deeply into a disgusting garbage can, trying desperately to reach the stuff at the bottom.

In the end, they kept a decent amount of the useless junk cards (I probably took out all of the stars), which was bizarre in its own right. Perhaps they wanted to give the boxes a better look through while enjoying a Manhattan out by their pool? Who knows.

Hope is a dangerous thing, and to this day we refer to that afternoon as an episode of 'CSI: Disappointment.'

I would be one of the guys digging. Not for greed, but for fun. I bought an '80s binder for $5 at a garage sale recently. Took it home, flipped through it for a few memories. And who knows, there may be a pony in that pile of poop. :-)

[parkplace33]

This story made my weekend 😀

Originally Posted by JollyElm

When moving a bunch of years ago, we had garbage cans and a dumpster out front on the street being crammed with a crapload of stuff, including an untold number of boxes filled with 80's/90's junk era cards (this was before there were separate recycling carts). Just decided to get rid of them once and for all.

Early on, scavengers started appearing, 'casually' looking through the receptacles as my brothers and I took a break for lunch. When one of them stumbled across the first shoebox of cards, I told my girlfriend, "Watch this. Now they got the cardboard fever and are full of hope that Mantles are awaiting them. Too late to stop now!! Ha ha!!!" And sure enough the guy immediately began furiously digging through that box, and his eyes kept darting side to side, looking around, waiting for someone to tell him the cards were off-limits. He couldn't believe his 'luck,' and carefully placed the combed-through box on the ground at his feet, as if staking a claim and telling the others, "This garbage can here is mine!!" Then the digging started everywhere, and it looked like ants suddenly coming across the delicious carcass of a dead yellow jacket. We enjoyed watching the rummaging intensify, because these people were dressed nicely and had much nicer cars than mine, so they obviously weren't down on their luck, hoping to find a working lamp to save a few bucks. Nope, they were vultures. Box after box they pulled out and dug through, greedily keeping the cardboard alms away from the other buzzards. "Mine!! Mine!! Mine!!" There's nothing better than seeing nothing but a guy's Dockers and the bottom of his Polo shirt as he buries himself deeply into a disgusting garbage can, trying desperately to reach the stuff at the bottom.

In the end, they kept a decent amount of the useless junk cards (I probably took out all of the stars), which was bizarre in its own right. Perhaps they wanted to give the boxes a better look through while enjoying a Manhattan out by their pool? Who knows.

Hope is a dangerous thing, and to this day we refer to that afternoon as an episode of 'CSI: Disappointment.'

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

This story made my weekend 😀

Great Story and wish we had video to even more enjoy it.

Just need to hope. One of them is now not on this forum and making a post showing what you missed and never took out and they got something Fantastic

[Exhibitman]

About ten years ago I guy I knew kept telling me how he had a file cabinet full of 1950s-1960s cards. I offered to buy them and told him to call me. Years later I get the call that he's moved to Kentucky and has to get rid of all the stuff in storage, including that cabinet, and do I want to come over and buy the cards. Um, no.

I grab a big wad of cash and head over there. He did indeed have a file cabinet full of cards. 80% of them were early 1990s football (mostly Pro Set). The rest were 1970s baseball with every star already picked out, and a tiny stack of beater commons from the late 1950s-early 1960s. And one box of 1970s football. Fortunately, whoever picked over the baseball didn't know football so there were some decent names in there albeit in collector grade. I ended up giving him $100 for the stuff I could use and taking the rest as a favor to get rid of them for him. I tried but could not even give away the junk wax. Apparently, no one needs 5000 count boxes of Pro Set and Pacific commons. Go figure.

[Leon]

I think we have all had a similar type story. People read the news about Black Swamp and Wagners...so their cards must be worth millions too.

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

About ten years ago I guy I knew kept telling me how he had a file cabinet full of 1950s-1960s cards. I offered to buy them and told him to call me. Years later I get the call that he's moved to Kentucky and has to get rid of all the stuff in storage, including that cabinet, and do I want to come over and buy the cards. Um, no.

I grab a big wad of cash and head over there. He did indeed have a file cabinet full of cards. 80% of them were early 1990s football (mostly Pro Set). The rest were 1970s baseball with every star already picked out, and a tiny stack of beater commons from the late 1950s-early 1960s. And one box of 1970s football. Fortunately, whoever picked over the baseball didn't know football so there were some decent names in there albeit in collector grade. I ended up giving him $100 for the stuff I could use and taking the rest as a favor to get rid of them for him. I tried but could not even give away the junk wax. Apparently, no one needs 5000 count boxes of Pro Set and Pacific commons. Go figure.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by mrreality68

Great Story and wish we had video to even more enjoy it.

Just need to hope. One of them is now not on this forum and making a post showing what you missed and never took out and they got something Fantastic

This was in Huntington!