I grew up collecting cards in Central New York, the son of antique collector/dealers, I was always on the look out for the elusive box of goodies. In the early 90's there was a Baseball Card auction in Interlaken, NY, I knew very little about "old" cards, but I knew what tobacco cards looked like, so I used all my summer earnings and bought as many as I could. Average price was $15 per card, even though I didn't know the players yet. After spending a HUGE number of $300, my day was done, as we were walking out a 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey #144 came up. My father offered to loan me the cash, but I was happy with my haul. It sold for $225. As I started to research the cards that I had won, I looked at the value of the Babe that I passed on. Immediately, I felt horrible. My father explained that all collectors have the "ones that got away," and I just received mine (though two year later i walked away from a first appearance of Spider-Man for $199, I was a stupid kid).
Fast forward 20 years, I moved to Oregon and was still searching local estate auctions for any diamonds in the rough. Lo and behold, 1933 Babe Ruth #144 at a dumpy little auction house in the sticks. I was sure that I wouldn't be able to score it, but thought I had to go and bid in order to try and right an old wrong. It was the only card in the sale, and it seemed for ever until it came up, and it when it did I had to stand I was so excited. Bidding ended as soon as it started, and the Babe sold, for $375, to me. I was SO excited that I had finally be able to bring that one home.
