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Posted By: Paul Muchinsky

Mike,

What's with this "wink, wink" action?

First of all, what an amazing array of items! The diversity of our Holy Grails attests to the breadth and vibrancy of our hobby and the interests of our members. For me, I thought the most inspirational item was the one I would least ever collect. It was the magnificent "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" lyrics. For reasons I don't quite understand, paper items have never had any appeal to me to collect. I can appreciate their beauty, but they are not my collecting fancy. However, the altered lyrics of baseball's anthem was like a sneak peak at the first draft of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

I have two Holy Grails. But in truth, neither really qualifies as a Holy Grail, but for different reasons. There is a set of minor league pins from the early 1920s. Reading, PA, as I recall. I think there are about 20 to the set. Nobody famous, nice pins, but nothing to blow your socks off. There is one pin in this set I can't find. A pitcher, (Al) Mamoux. He went on to pitch for the Dodgers for a few years. I knew a guy (can't remember how we met, eBay I think) who had Mamoux. We start writing back and forth, and I discover he only has a few of the pins in the set, maybe 6 of the 20. I have doubles of 11 of the pins he needs. I'm a reasonable guy and I don't play games. I don't want the doubles; I want Mamoux. So I offer him an 11 for 1 trade. No dice. Why? Because then HE will need Mamoux. Can't argue with that. Mamoux does not qualify as a Holy Grail. But it heads my list as a Holy Annoyance.

My second Holy Grail reflects what some others have said--you have to know it is out there to know you are missing it. For me, any large PM10 I don't have would cause me to reach for my nitro pills. The first pin I ever bought was the large PM10 pin of Berra. Somehow I think I imprinted on them. But it is sort of cheating to list a "if it exists" as a Holy Grail.

One bit of high tech news. Two members have offered to help me climb Mt. Everest--learn how to send pictures. I'm working with the first guy who offered to tutor me. I don't think he understands how stupid I am. How do I get a scanner that is about 8" high to fit into a laptop that is about 1.5" inches high? That either violates the laws of physics, or will ruin both as I try to cram the big one into the small one. Max, you've got your hands full. If I burn my way through Max, Dan is my back up. My PhD is not in Information Technology. But if I ever get this to go, I would love to do some "show and tells" the members might like.

Paul