nice scans, Luke! Feels like you just got some brand new cards, huh? What an important investment!
For me, the answer to this question is a no-brainer. Because a fellow member mentioned in a thread that he was going to be in the Jersey shore area in the summer, I jumped in and mentioned that I vacation in Stone Harbor every summer for two weeks (one week in June and another in August). As chance would have it, an entirely different board member lives there full-time and was gracious enough to allow me into his home to share his knowledge and show off his collection with me during my August trip. It was the first time I had even met anyone in person who shared my interest in baseball memorabilia.
Several series of events had to happen to bring us together (1) someone posting about being in Jersey, (2) me reading the post and responding about card shops in Jersey, (3) the member in Jersey (full-time) reading the same thread and randomly extending an invitation to me, (4) me actually being brave enough to meet a stranger in person, (5) that person having a card that I wanted, and (6) that person being willing to part with that card.
This card wasn't even on my radar screen as I had never seen it "checklisted" anywhere among the "rookie" card checklists, but it would have been near the top of the list if I had known about its existence beforehand.
Many thanks go out to Bruce for working out a deal with me and helping me add my favorite card in my collection!
