[mintacular]

So this was about 10 years ago. Was at the once/ yr national dealer show in Pittsburgh at Robert Morris college, about 200 tables. Was working 60 hours+/6 days a week at the post office nearby and had a chance to swing by the show early Sunday morning before I started work. My favorite set is '57 BB, I would typically balk at dealer raw prices anywhere near Beckett nm book value which at that time was still a factor. At these shows, I typically bought one or two "big" cards which for me were around $200-$300/ea. and another couple hundred on singles $1-50/ea. with a few to flip on eBay (high numbers, etc.).

Well, having struck out on the getting a big card a '64 Clemente PSA 8. I passed on it for like $350, now $1300. I saw comps on eBay for like $300 and this PSA 8 Clemente waa a litte o/c. Screw that, not paying extra just cause I'm at a show, was my thinking.... then, I passed by a table towards the exit as I was leaving without my big purchase yet and there was a fresh stack of raw '57 stars. Looking at my watch, I didn't have much time to dabble as work started in about an hour. But I flipped through the stack and the dealer mentioned "just bought this raw lot from a long time collector" kinda thing. Well, out jumped this beautifully centered Ted Williiams. I forget the sticker price but he was firm at $300 which for me was very high for a raw card with light corner wear. That said, I had to have this card and at a 6 or possible 7 would break even or so. ,

So I race to work pretty excited with my last pick-up. As I pulled into the parking garage at the large po distribution center, and gearing up for a long work day, I turned on my interior car lights to take a closer inspection of my big newest big pick-up and *BAM* there I see four or five noticeable "cat scratch" marks/gouges in the card. Man my heart sunk/boy was I floored. I just paid $300 for a $100 card, and I really wanted this one for the PC. So I went to work pretty discouraged/feeling I wasted my time and now had to report for this dead-end job. I did eventually submit the card, and somehow hung onto it over the years. 10 years later as I re-upped my VCP account, the value has finally caught up with my over-priced original purchase....

The point of this story is that for every failure if you are patient and learn from your mistakes it will all work out in the end....