So What’s Your Story?

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Posted By: Julie

the year after I started collecting baseball cards, with only my 9-year-old son, Chris, for company. Lentil soup was the cheapest thing to make for dinner, and I wanted as much money as possible for cards. Chris was a little bewildered, right from the start--I plunged in so completely and quickly. Those wonderful rectangles of history! So beautful! So revealing! Bob told me to read "The Boys of Summer," after seeing my first serious purchase:
(he loves baseball, but has no interest in cards). I guess it was my search for a great Campanella that led me to the '53 Bowman set, the first (and nearly the last!) set I completed. When Chris quit, in '83, telling his dad to tell me, because he was afraid I'd die or something, I was pretty much all alone. Much later, when he was in high school or college and had a job, he asked what I wanted for my birthday, saying he had $35 to spend. I said there was a '59 Killebrew at Dave's Dougout I wanted. he groused and complained, but finally bought me the card.

Nobody has ever willingly given me a baseball card. Nobody has ever encouraged me in collecting. I have met one woman in my whole life who had at least a passing interest in baseball cards (we were both looking through the wares of the baseball card dealer at the As Coluseum, and agreed that he could use a few more Eckersleys, Bonds and McGwires). I didn't even get her name...

Until I came here, I was all alone , except for the dealers who have always helped me: Mark Macrae, Barry Sloate, Lew Lipset, Bill Mastro (before the auction days), Kit Young (at the beginning) and finally, BMW Sportscards (with the hockey), and Terry Knouse.
The fun it has been participating in this Forum is some of the greatest I've ever had, and so are the things I've gotten from you.

Giving cards away has always been my greatest thrill, and what I remember best: dropping an Old Judge Dummy Hoy in an envelope to a deaf guy who was expecting a xerox; not too many years ago, when I was rich, giving a guy his very favorite card of all time when I was upgrading mine, and not long ago, a high school friend of Chris' called--hey, me, and said, "You know, I still have the rookie Koufax you gave me for my Bar Mitzvah." "Really? It was a little o/c..." "Yeah, some rich relative gave me a perfect one, but I kept yours.' "Why?" "Sentimental value--so what's Chris doing?"

Because of my relationship with the U.S. Govermnment, I have to sell all my cards--I can't wait and let my kids do it after I die. Hope you guys will give me some decent prices...