(Greetings on Eclipse Eve. The predicted gridlock has still not happened here. But I did go to the grocery store during a usual off-hours period on Friday and found lines at all the registers. We'll see what happens tomorrow. It's time for Cardboard Appreciation, this is the 337th in a series):
I've mentioned a few times how when I was a kid, I spent an inordinate amount of time studying the ground for discarded baseball cards.
When you're little, ground activity is very important. I mean, you're right there. Dirt, worms, bugs, sticks, grass, it's all there for the examining. I kept my eyes focused and every once in a great, great while, I'd strike gold and find a baseball card.
But for the amount of time I looked at the ground, on trips to and from school, or my friends houses, or an errand to get milk at the grocery store, I came up empty 99 times out of 100, maybe 999 times out of 1,000.
Still, the chance -- like a dog on a walk finding a pizza crust that one time two years ago -- kept me going, kept me staring. I'm surprised I wasn't bumping into people all the time with my face focused downward.
So, when a co-worker the other day, found the above card in the work parking lot, I was fascinated and super jealous. There are CARDS to be FOUND in the WORKING PARKING LOT????
I don't know who found the card, I just know it was found because the card appeared in our office with the accompanying note.
That card and the note sat together on a table in the newsroom. I don't know why it was brought to the newsroom. There are lots of rooms in the building. Two floors of rooms. People work in several of them. But maybe whoever found it knew that I collected cards? Still it wasn't left in my office where I could find it, it was just randomly placed on a table that I might happen to walk past.
I did walk past it, several times, over several days. I noted what it was, a guy I had never heard of on a set that didn't interest me much. But I was curious. Who was the Angels fan? Who was collecting Upper Deck Victory from 23 years ago?
The card exhibits all the signs of being stuffed into a pocket, all four corners are dinged and the card itself is a bit curled. But it's relatively clean, no dirt -- or tire tread marks.
The card sat there and sat there. Finally one day a week or two ago, I walked over and took the card. A co-worker -- a sports guy -- immediately turned around and asked "is that the baseball card?"
Then he said, "I've never heard of that guy."
Yeah, me neither. This is the first Matt Wise card in my collection. Upon researching him, I discovered that most of his cards are from around this time, when he was a rookie -- therefore card companies buried collectors with cards of him (wish they'd stop this practice). Then Wise disappeared off cards, until around 2007, 2008. That's when he was with the Brewers and Upper Deck put him in a couple of its very large sets. He's in the 2008 UD set. I'm surprised I didn't have that card, I bought a fair amount of '08 Upper Deck.
And that's the end of the story.
Except for this:
I went to the monthly card show yesterday and returned without buying
anything. Now that I have a monthly show, I hate what I've become.
But
I'm discovering that card show atmosphere is important to me. The show
moved to a larger banquet hall, but they've still crammed as many tables
and dealers in as possible, the aisles are barely wide enough for one
person, let alone two people -- some very large people -- walking back
and forth and kids darting in and out. I NEED SPACE.
I find the
set-up affects whether I buy cards or not. I had card #2 of the 1969
Topps set -- the last of the leaders cards I need -- in my hand ready to
buy but after being bumped and jostled and not really being sure whose discount
box I was looking through, I gave up. Five minutes later, I was out
the door.
I think the reason I like discarded cards on the ground is that they are FREE CARDS. That feeling of being a kid with no money and desiring cards all the time has stayed with me all these years.
That's probably why I could walk away from a better card, the '69 leaders card at the card show that cost money, but am keeping the worse card, the worse-conditioned card, in my collection. Because it is free.
I really would like to know who owned it before though. And why.
Comments
I didn't have much luck, either, but one day back around 2007, I went to a local flea market. I found a few cards there among other things, and on my way to the car, I happen to look down. Right at my feet is sitting a 1962 Tim Mccarver. A little bit scuffed, but still in decent shape. It's still in my collection today.
I’ve been lucky enough to find cards on the ground once or twice. Nothing more than junk era commons during the mid ‘90’s which I probably got doubles of down the line anyways, but it was still exciting to find free cards. I only wish for you that the card was a Dodgers one.
I still have it to this day, although it's next to it's more sharply-dressed brother.
As for the eclipse... my principal emailed us over the weekend. The science department will be handing out special glasses to all of the students (teachers received them before the break) this morning... and at the end of 3rd period kids will be allowed to go outside and check out the eclipse.
I also remember finding some 1984 Topps on the sidewalk a year or two later. Glenn Brummer, Darryl Cias, maybe one other.
In the early 2000s I found some MLB showdown cards in the street coming home from the train.
Just a few weeks ago, I went to the thrift store I go to that sometimes has cards. They didn't have anything new. When I came out I noticed quite a few cards on the ground. Just some junk wax but I walked all over just in case there was a card I might need.
I agree with you about cramped card shows. I've been to a few over the years and the atmosphere always kills a big part of the fun no matter what cardboard I'm able to find. I don't want to have to deal with flying elbows when I'm looking for cards.
During little league practice in my first year in 1972, found a Jose Cardenal card.
Then it seemed to stop. Can't remember how many years went by before I found another one. In the early 90s, a friend moved into a very old house and found two 1957 topps mid series baseball in the attic. Too bad they were no names and not Brooks or Sandy.