"The Most I've Ever Spent on a Card" - A story in 12 parts. What's your story?

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Bliggity

Now she's the one who shows it off when we have company over. I think by seeing everything displayed, she saw it more as a mini-museum rather than as a baseball card collection.

While I like to keep my treasures on display, typically I don't show off my collections to house guests. First of all I'm reluctant to advertise the treasure trove in my house. Moreover unless a house guest also has the collecting gene, the conversations would tend to go something like this:

GUEST - So how much is all of this stuff worth?



BALTICFOX - What does it matter? It's not for sale. And it's never been about the money for me anyway.

GUEST - But what are you going to do with this stuff when you die?



BALTICFOX - Nothing. I'll be dead. I won't be doing much of anything then.

GUEST - I mean have you ever thought of selling your collections now to buy something you can enjoy?



BALTICFOX - That's actually why I have these items. I enjoy having them! They bring me satisfaction and delight.

Oh, and by the way, what would you propose that I do with the money I get for my collectibles? Spend it on beer, wine and pot like you do leaving nothing other than a few more dead brain cells?

[Bliggity]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

While I like to keep my treasures on display, typically I don't show off my collections to house guests. First of all I'm reluctant to advertise the treasure trove in my house. Moreover unless a house guest also has the collecting gene, the conversations would tend to go something like this:

GUEST - So how much is all of this stuff worth?

I definitely get nervous also, but I'm pretty selective about who gets to see it. Usually just close friends. And you're right about the conversation quickly turning to, "how much do you pay for these?" But not always. I had a buddy over on NYE who could not care less about sports. I don't think he's thrown a ball in his life or watched a minute of sports on TV. But he was amazed by all the color lithograph cards; he remarked that they were little works of art and studied them for a while. He also saw a couple 1972 Topps cards and thought they were pretty "groovy," lol.

Lots of great cards and stories getting posted here. John, I love the '38 DiMaggio, it's high on my want-list.

[Stampsfan]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

While I like to keep my treasures on display, typically I don't show off my collections to house guests. First of all I'm reluctant to advertise the treasure trove in my house. Moreover unless a house guest also has the collecting gene, the conversations would tend to go something like this:

GUEST - So how much is all of this stuff worth?



BALTICFOX - What does it matter? It's not for sale. And it's never been about the money for me anyway.

GUEST - But what are you going to do with this stuff when you die?



BALTICFOX - Nothing. I'll be dead. I won't be doing much of anything then.

GUEST - I mean have you ever thought of selling your collections now to buy something you can enjoy?



BALTICFOX - That's actually why I have these items. I enjoy having them! They bring me satisfaction and delight.

Oh, and by the way, what would you propose that I do with the money I get for my collectibles? Spend it on beer, wine and pot like you do leaving nothing other than a few more dead brain cells?

Are you somehow listening to conversations I have at my place? Seriously, I read this and laughed as it's so familiar.
Typically a conversation with friends who are indeed sports fans, but not collectors. Sigh, it seems it's always around the value, not the rarity or appearance.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Stampsfan

Are you somehow listening to conversations I have at my place? Seriously, I read this and laughed as it's so familiar.
Typically a conversation with friends who are indeed sports fans, but not collectors. Sigh, it seems it's always around the value, not the rarity or appearance.

Have you ever listened to a radio talk show on sports card collecting? ALL the call-ins are about "I have a ____. How much is it worth?" Not a single call is about "I'm trying to find some x cards issued in 19_ _ but I'm having no success. Does anyone have any?" I even phoned in once about thirty years ago to complain about the nature of the other call-ins.

[Leon]

I just waded through it, Dan. Those memories are so awesome. Some of us might have some simliar, but to be able to put them in written form, the way you did; that is awesome. Thanks for sharing!
.

[62corvette]

Well written!
I have discovered there are advantages to old age. Experiences I have had over the years:
1100 T205 and T206’s, bought for $20 from the original owner who got them as a young kid in NYC.

150 1966 Topps rack packs, bought in 1973 for$10 at a surplus store.

90 E98, 101, 102, 95, and E 90-3 for $40 from an “antique peddler” who stopped at our back door in our town of 275 people

I filled the trunk and backseat of my 1975 Malibu as full as I could get them with boxes of 1975 Hostess products from the day-old Hostess store for $12.

And many more good memories, thanks to this hobby I have drifted in and out of since 1955.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by 62corvette

150 1966 Topps rack packs, bought in 1973 for $10 at a surplus store.

Did the rack packs consist of three cello packs each of which contained twelve cards? Did cello packs also include gum? (The only Baseball card packs sold in my neck of the woods through the mid-1960's were five cent O-Pee-Chee wax packs containing four cards and a four section sheet of bubble gum.)

[Balticfox]

Way back in 1997 or so I spent $2000 for the Carol Vadnais and Howie Young short prints to complete my 1968-69 Shirriff Hockey Coin set.

[62corvette]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

Did the rack packs consist of three cello packs each of which contained twelve cards? Did cello packs also include gum? (The only Baseball card packs sold in my neck of the woods through the mid-1960's were five cent O-Pee-Chee wax packs containing four cards and a four section sheet of bubble gum.)

No gum. Three sections of 12 cards each.