My earliest card shows were in the late 1970’s. I grew up in Connecticut and have very fond memories of spending time with my father going to shows on Saturday mornings. (My mom was probably thrilled to get us outta the house for half a day lol). I still remember stopping in diners for breakfast with my dad before the shows would open. He would tell me stories of players he watched growing up and games he attended at Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds. I was like a sponge... eating up the details along with my scrambled eggs.
I was too little to remember exactly where we went but I know we went to shows in cities like Danbury, Hartford, Waterbury and on occasion NYC. Anyone a bit older from CT have specifics on where those old shows used to be? As far as I remember many were in VFW halls, gymnasiums and as shows got bigger they moved into hotels. Admission fees were pretty minimal or non-existent back then I think. Thank heavens for my father guiding/funding me as a youngster because I accumulated a solid 1950’s-1970’s Yankees collection. I also had a fondness for Clemente, and my dad would help me snag one here and there. One year for Christmas in the early 1980s Santa gave me a 1959 Mantle. I was over the moon, as Mantle was a Holy Grail for me. Recently had it graded and it came back a PSA 6. Santa had a pretty keen eye for condition back then... even on a school teacher’s budget!
Those days were some of the best of my life. Pure joy and enthusiasm for the cardboard. No price guides. No ebay. Just a father and son building a life long connection over baseball. Thanks dad.
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