What card did you never think you'd own, but now you do?

Exhibitman · #1 12-08-2017, 06:40 AM

Great stuff guys! I really appreciate the stories.

For me it is more about cards I never thought I would find rather than price per se. sometimes I get the perfect one and it is the end of that subject in my collection.

First one like that for me is my signed Bowman Groucho Marx card. I wanted a Groucho autograph since I was a little boy because my favorite uncle is an entertainment lawyer and met Groucho and got a signed photo that I saw every time I visited him. When I saw the Bowman cards I thought how perfect would it be to have a signed one. I have insomnia and I often surf eBay in the wee hours of the morning. One day I was online searching and the signed Bowman Marx I’d long sought popped up with a BIN.

Another card that comes to mind is my 1951 Topps Ringside salesman sample panel with Rocky Marciano’s rookie card. Sample panels are tough to begin with and having one is ambitious but to get The Rock’s RC is fantasyland stuff.

Finally, a family heirloom item. My avatar is Ray Miller, a former #1 contender in the lightweight division and well known boxing referee. Ray is a first cousin of my grandfather. I never got to meet him; my father never even mentioned him until after he died in 1987. I actively collect his memorabilia and have several signed items. Ray is one of two refs in the Topps Ringside set. I have seen a signed card once. I bought it and would never sell it. But that’s not even the best part: when Topps liquidated its Ringside contracts through the Topps Vault program I was able to buy Ray’s signed contract.

MR RAREBACK · #2 12-09-2017, 01:25 PM

Paige

Bored5000 · #3 12-09-2017, 05:34 PM

I know it's not baseball, but the answer for me is the card in my avatar. Lorenzen with car is a legendary rarity from the landmark 1972 STP racing set. Long-time racing super collector Jon Hardgrove wrote over on the non-sports side of things that he had only previously seen one example of the card in 26 years prior to purchasing his Lorenzen w/car card.

I talked on the phone with another long-time racing collector in Connecticut who I purchased some cards from, and she told me it took her 20 years to find an example of the card -- and that one had a pinhole in the card from being tacked to a wall.

PSA only has one graded example of the card in their population report (although I did just submit mine for grading with them last week).

I was shocked when I saw an example of the card show up at auction on eBay last year.

brian1961 · #4 12-10-2017, 05:24 PM

The cards I chose for the cover of my book were all choice Mickey Mantle items that for years I never thought I would own. In the case of the rare unfolded 1962 JELL-O Mantle box, I never heard of a card from the set existing this way. However, when I spied it in Mr. Mint Alan Rosen's All-State display case at the fall 88 Philly convention, I wasted not one second deliberating with The Mint Man. After a few questions were answered, his price was paid---instant centerpiece!

--- Brian Powell

Joshwesley · #5 02-13-2019, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR RAREBACK

Paige

What the crap?
2 satchels?

That�s my white whale in any condition PSA 1 or cut in half... i�d Take it!

Nice collection!

BuzzD · #6 02-13-2019, 08:50 PM

Rose PC Stahl !! I have Glade, still looking for Niles. 3 really tough NYAL

Peter_Spaeth · #7 02-13-2019, 08:57 PM

Nothing to do with money, I just didn't think I would ever see one.

Bicem · #8 02-13-2019, 09:26 PM