What Would 8 Year Old You Think About Your Collection Today?

[todeen]

your 8 yo self swore like a sailor. Did he ever get his mouth washed out with soap?

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[Fred]

Originally Posted by todeen

your 8 yo self swore like a sailor. Did he ever get his mouth washed out with soap?

Daily! It took a while to beat my addiction to Dial soap.

[JustinD]

A thought on that year sent me daydreaming for a bit, thanks!

That was the year I first started talking my parents into regularly driving to The Sports Collector's Dugout, which was the closest card shop after we moved to the 'Big City' in Lansing, MI.

Prior to that, we lived in a little farm town called Coopersville and my only card options were a comfy banana seat bike ride to the convenience store in town (on Main Street of course, because what one-light town doesn't have one) that had a small but decent selection of current cards and a Slush Puppy machine...just enough for excitement. However, that little hole in the wall shop that was half the size of my living room and stacked to the ceiling with random stuff was way better than Toys R' Us (and that was amazing btw).

Honestly in retrospect with and adult eyes, the owner was top shelf shady. My mom absolutely hated taking my brother and I there, as it was a cluttered, smoke filled room with little to no ventilation. The owner Elliot had a consistent cigarette in one hand, pomade slicked hair, and the raspy fast talk of a used car salesman.

All that said, I loved that place. I would stare at the cards in his little case that far exceeded my dollar weekly allowance for chores and seemed so out of reach. Those Mantle's were around 20 bucks by god, who could afford that?

Being a Michigan town, the case was of course full of Detroit stars. The main case had a center section of nothing but Al Kaline. I never watched him to my memory, as he had retired when I was still in diapers. However to the 'older' Tiger fans, he was still king and retired just yesterday. Al was the hot seller, and deserved his spot front and center. I looked at those cards and thought, "When I get older I will get an Al Kaline too, and i'll buy all the candy at the register...just because i'll have grown up money."

I'll admit, I never bought the entire rack of candy at the register. I'll probably pass that up. However, i'll be damned if that kid doesn't have the entire Topps run of Kaline now. He would think that was pretty cool.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Fred

Daily! It took a while to beat my addiction to Dial soap.

LOL my mom washed my mouth out a few times too. I don't know what soap they used, but it wasn't Dove. It was gross.

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[jethrod3]

"Why in the world have you NOT completed your 1970 and 1971 Topps baseball sets yet? Why? But I forgive you though!"

[JollyElm]

The conversation would be quick...

Younger self: "What, is doing sit-ups illegal in the future, you fat schmuck??!! You better still have my 1972 Willie Mays card!!!"

Older self: (Debating whether or not it will be more satisfying telling him now that our dog devoured his treasured Mays card that summer, or letting him find out on his own, as I did.) "You know how Dad said he's getting some smokes and will buy you a couple of rack packs, because you've been such a good boy?? Guess what??!! He ain't never coming back, you twerp!!"