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

[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.

[DeanH3]

Great write up. Thanks for sharing your stories.

Circa 1998-99 I finally embraced grading. I was focusing on Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Clemente and I only wanted PSA 8’s. Then in 2000 my buddy and I went to a Tri-Star show in San Francisco. Didn’t have any specific card I was chasing. Then I ran across Ric Changie (hopefully I’m spelling that correct) and there it was in all its glory sitting in his display case. A 1933 Goudey Gehrig PSA 8. I had to have it. The problem, $10k. My understanding and supportive wife would laugh, then kill me. lol. I ended up trading all my post war PSA 8’s and $2k for that glorious Gehrig. That was my gateway card to Pre-war. However, I soon realized that I could not continue to go after PSA8’s. Too expensive. So I sold the Gehrig and went down the mid-grade route.

[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.