One that got away

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Posted By: Anonymous

Circa 1976 or 77 when I was a teen, my family went on vacation down to Florida, driving from Illinois. On the way we stopped at a junk store in Georgia, run by a really old guy.

I was about 13 and had almost no money, but I always asked at all those places if they had baseball cards, and unlike most places this place did.

He had thousands, including about every Topps set up to the late 60's (maybe more, I don't know, they were in some little closet he wouldn't let me in) , the Fleer 60-61 set of baseball greats and a cigar box full of about 100 or more T 206's. I had never seen one then but knew it was old, recognizing Iron Man McGinnity's card. I bought it and another (Casey) for $2 each. I also bought the complete Cardinal team set from 1968 Topps for $1.

My folks tried to discourage this habit of collecting cards, thinking it to be a waste of time and money, and would not loan me any $$.

2 years later we went back to Florida on vacation again, and I had been faithfully saving money the whole time, I was loaded with a couple hundred bucks.

We stopped at the junk store, and found out the guy had died a month or so before, and his son had sold the baseball cards.....

At least I've still got the McGinnity and Casey.....