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Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Feb 14 2011, 03:36 PM

About a month and a half have passed in 2011 and I have been bombarded with messages from fellow TCCers wondering..... where are the stories?

2011 may finally answer the burning questions that we have all been discussing the past couple of years......Is the customer always right? Are there more massive collections of 1991 Donruss baseball cards that I will have the opportunity to purchase? Do I even buy cards or do I only sell them? Are my autographs in fact........real?

For the past 6 weeks since the calendar turned to a new year, I have heard and saw more of the same madness that has been well documented in my 2010 and 2011 threads. As I approach my 9th year in business at my current location, sales are off to a red hot start. 2011 is looking very good thus far. Just when I thought I had heard it all.........well, you know the rest. This thread will be devoted to those close encounters of the "special" kind that happens at my shop during 2011. I hope that everyone can read and laugh and enjoy these true tales of the odd, strange, weird, and just plain dumb things that people say when it comes to sports and our great hobby.

I want to especially say thank you to everyone that enjoys reading my threads. You have given me an outlet to express my frustrations that develop from dealing with the public. For those that are new to these stories, I have linked the previous 2 years threads below for your reading enjoyment.

2011 is in full swing........LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

http://www.tradingcardcentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=203247&hl=overheard

http://www.tradingcardcentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=275176&hl=

Posted by: sasports Feb 14 2011, 03:51 PM

Sweet! These are very good reads! Definatley somthing to get you laughing!

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Feb 14 2011, 04:05 PM

This past weekend saw an influx of people trying to sell me their valuable collections.

Collection #1:

A guy in his ealy 20s came in with a large dusty cardboard box. My heart raced as I hoped he had decided to sell his grandfathers collection of mint T206 cards that had been stored away in the attic for the last 90 years. However, reality set in, the guy carefully removed the items from the box. "These have been in my garage for 20 years", the guy explained. "I've been holding on to them until the right time", he continued. "I know there are some good cards here", he affirmed. I looked through the Trapper Keeper of yellowed 9 pocked pages containing 1988 Topps baseball and 1991 Hoops Basketball cards with a heavy heart. I explained to him that these cards were from the era of mass production and were virtually worthless. "What about my Mark McGwire Rookie Card?", he asked pointing to a 1987 Topps McGwire card. I then explained that the 1987 card wasn't even McGwire's true Rookie Card and that his 1985 Topps Team USA card was his only true rookie. "I thought his stuff would be hot since he broke Hank Robinson's record", the guy said. It was at that exact moment that my soul left my body for a happier place. A place where people actually knew a little bit about what they were talking about. "My brother told me that my Jose Canseco Rookie was my best card", the guy concluded. "Your brother was probably right", I agreed. A sadder statement has never been made. I then just closed the box and pushed it back across the counter to him. I thanked him for coming in. I will also be eternally grateful to him for not only making the Trapper Keeper useful again but also for teaching me about the great baseball slugger, Hank Robinson.

Collection #2:

Another younger guy came in with yet another dusty cardboard box. I prepared myself mentally and tried to compose my emotions before openeing his box to reveal a complete 1952 Topps baseball set. However, all I found was more early 90s mass produced stuff. I again went into my routine explaining how cards from that era were printed by the millions and how they are virtually worthless in today's market. "Well, I have some older cards too", the guy said. I told him that I would be interested in seeing them if they were in fact, "old". "They are in this album", he continued. He then handed me a 3 ring binder and my heart started to flutter. What would I find inside? Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Ted Williams, Mantle, maybe even a Hank Robinson Rookie Card! Nope. Sorry. Just another 9 pocket page filled with those dreaded black bordered early 90s, Conlon Collection cards. I then launched into routine #2 about how newer cards are still made of older players from the past. He then followed that up with, "I have a plaque at home of Jackie Robinson's 50th Anniversary. It has the official coin and everything on it. It has a gold card of him too. I'm not sure if it is his Rookie Card though." Luckily for the both of us, I am sure.

Collection #3:

Another 20 something young man came in with a large shoebox. I just knew that he had to have something of value. I mean, I couldn't possibly strike out on all 3 collections that walked through the door....could I? As I opened the shoebox, I went down looking. He just painted that outside corner and I was frozen. My knees buckled as I got a big 'ol eye full of 1989 Pro Set Football. "I'm not sure if this is the whole collection or not", he said. "I wasn't sure if they were in order by color or the number on the back", he continued. I then explained that the number on the back of the card did in fact serve a purpose. After my third and hopefully, final speech of the morning about the overproduced 90s, I was exhausted. I didn't care if he had Sanders or Aikman RCs. I didn't care if he had any of the "error" cards from the set. I only cared that it was over and I was left hoping for a real collection of value to walk into my shop one day.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long. A man in his 40s-50s came in with a box. In that box I could see baseballs in ball holders. Could they be autographed? Could this be the big one? Tune in next time to find out............

Posted by: sasports Feb 14 2011, 04:10 PM

What a way to kick off this years thread!

Posted by: ffman Feb 14 2011, 04:10 PM

My guess - fascimilie autographs or photoballs.

Posted by: 19th Century Indiana Jones Feb 14 2011, 04:37 PM

Oh come on!!!!

Posted by: chopinalex Feb 14 2011, 05:36 PM

to be continued!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hurry up dodge!

Posted by: Johnny Number 5 Feb 14 2011, 05:42 PM

lllolol

Posted by: road_runner_1964 Feb 14 2011, 05:47 PM

to be continued!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hurry up dodge!

Posted by: Johnny Number 5 Feb 14 2011, 05:47 PM

x3

Posted by: Kmart6nets Feb 14 2011, 09:36 PM

It's amazing how many people walk into your shop with that 80s/90s stuff.. you'd think at some point in the last 20-30 years they'd have done SOME research, no?

Posted by: kooljazz1966 Feb 14 2011, 09:51 PM

This past weekend saw an influx of people trying to sell me their valuable collections.

Collection #1:

A guy in his ealy 20s came in with a large dusty cardboard box. My heart raced as I hoped he had decided to sell his grandfathers collection of mint T206 cards that had been stored away in the attic for the last 90 years. However, reality set in, the guy carefully removed the items from the box. "These have been in my garage for 20 years", the guy explained. "I've been holding on to them until the right time", he continued. "I know there are some good cards here", he affirmed. I looked through the Trapper Keeper of yellowed 9 pocked pages containing 1988 Topps baseball and 1991 Hoops Basketball cards with a heavy heart. I explained to him that these cards were from the era of mass production and were virtually worthless. "What about my Mark McGwire Rookie Card?", he asked pointing to a 1987 Topps McGwire card. I then explained that the 1987 card wasn't even McGwire's true Rookie Card and that his 1985 Topps Team USA card was his only true rookie. "I thought his stuff would be hot since he broke Hank Robinson's record", the guy said. It was at that exact moment that my soul left my body for a happier place. A place where people actually knew a little bit about what they were talking about. "My brother told me that my Jose Canseco Rookie was my best card", the guy concluded. "Your brother was probably right", I agreed. A sadder statement has never been made. I then just closed the box and pushed it back across the counter to him. I thanked him for coming in. I will also be eternally grateful to him for not only making the Trapper Keeper useful again but also for teaching me about the great baseball slugger, Hank Robinson. 

Collection #2:

Another younger guy came in with yet another dusty cardboard box. I prepared myself mentally and tried to compose my emotions before openeing his box to reveal a complete 1952 Topps baseball set. However, all I found was more early 90s mass produced stuff.  I again went into my routine explaining how cards from that era were printed by the millions and how they are virtually worthless in today's market. "Well, I have some older cards too", the guy said. I told him that I would be interested in seeing them if they were in fact, "old". "They are in this album", he continued. He then handed me a 3 ring binder and my heart started to flutter. What would I find inside? Ruth, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Ted Williams, Mantle, maybe even a Hank Robinson Rookie Card! Nope. Sorry. Just another 9 pocket page filled with those dreaded black bordered early 90s, Conlon Collection cards. I then launched into routine #2 about how newer cards are still made of older players from the past. He then followed that up with, "I have a plaque at home of Jackie Robinson's 50th Anniversary. It has the official coin and everything on it. It has a gold card of him too. I'm not sure if it is his Rookie Card though." Luckily for the both of us, I am sure. 

Collection #3:

Another 20 something young man came in with a large shoebox. I just knew that he had to have something of value. I mean, I couldn't possibly strike out on all 3 collections that walked through the door....could I? As I opened the shoebox, I went down looking. He just painted that outside corner and I was frozen. My knees buckled as I got a big 'ol eye full of 1989 Pro Set Football. "I'm not sure if this is the whole collection or not", he said. "I wasn't sure if they were in order by color or the number on the back", he continued. I then explained that the number on the back of the card did in fact serve a purpose. After my third and hopefully, final speech of the morning about the overproduced 90s, I was exhausted. I didn't care if he had Sanders or Aikman RCs. I didn't care if he had any of the "error" cards from the set. I only cared that it was over and I was left hoping for a real collection of value to walk into my shop one day.

Fortunately, I didn't have to wait very long. A man in his 40s-50s came in with a box. In that box I could see baseballs in ball holders. Could they be autographed? Could this be the big one? Tune in next time to find out............

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Feb 14 2011, 11:46 PM

My day sucked today! You sir just turned my frown into a smile!!!      ....from the bottom of my heart THAK YOU!!!
-kjazzzzzzzzz

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Feb 14 2011, 11:53 PM

It's amazing how many people walk into your shop with that 80s/90s stuff.. you'd think at some point in the last 20-30 years they'd have done SOME research, no?

Posted by: NYStateOfMind1976 Feb 17 2011, 04:02 PM

Chad thank you so much for bringing the thread back. Always puts a smile on my face. It is greatly appreciated.

Posted by: MWS Feb 18 2011, 08:59 PM

Sweet theads back!!!

Posted by: rjcla30 Feb 18 2011, 11:29 PM

I found this thread today...where I have been for the past two years...read 2009 and 2010 today. One best threads I have ever read. I worked in a LCS in High School in 1997. Even though it is different times conversations are still the same and I don't care what you sell, if the general public comes in your store you are going to have stories!
Please keep it up...you will have one more reader of this thread from now on!

Posted by: edgerrin32 Feb 19 2011, 12:31 AM

Ahhh it is back!!! This is by far the funnest topic on tcc!! There have been some funny ones here and there, but this one just keeps rolling as if it was day one! And I cant get enough. You will have to start making them up just so I can have my fix in between updates!


You should start a burn barrel out back and let people burn those cards and maybe a year or 2 from now the population will be down like 0.000000000012 percent!

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Feb 28 2011, 12:09 PM

Well folks, I do have some updates. I have some photos to upload to answer the cliffhanger in my original post about the autographed baseballs. I also have an amusing story that happened this weekend involving a baseball, a candy bar, and $10,0000 !!! I will try to update late tonight when I have time to upload pics and write the story. Stay tuned.......

Posted by: Luke2411 Mar 1 2011, 09:11 PM

Oh C'mon!!!! I'm hanging by a thread here. Don't leave a brother hangin' like this.

Posted by: road_runner_1964 Mar 1 2011, 09:15 PM

Oh C'mon!!!!  I'm hanging by a thread here.  Don't leave a brother hangin' like this.

Posted by: aceecards Mar 1 2011, 09:25 PM

swingin from the gallows pole here!

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Mar 4 2011, 07:28 AM

O.k. folks, I can't sleep so I guess I finally have time for an update.

A couple weekends ago, a guy came in with a box of autographed baseballs and a few vintage cards. He was a former collector that was getting out of the hobby. I found a nice 1968 Topps Ernie Banks card in the small album of cards that he brought in. It was in very good shape unlike most of the others he had. I set it aside as we began to take a look at the autographed baseballs. My heart began to race as the man pulled a ball out of the box. It was in a ball cube for protection. "I got this one signed at a show" he said holding the ball proudly. "Atlee Hammaker" the man smiled. Atlee Hammaker, really? I couldn't be more disappointed. "Here is another one" he continued pulling out another Atlee Hammaker signed ball. "I got these two here as well" he said. "Rick Honeycutt" he displayed the ball proudly and then pulled out another one to match it. You see folks, back in the early 90s there was a fairly large card show every February on the campus of my alma mater, Tennessee Tech University. The university's baseball coach at the time would promote the show and have a Major Leaguer on hand to sign autographs. I got to meet such all time greats as: Braves Infielder Glenn Hubbard, Tigers pitcher Steve Searcy, Cubs pitcher Mike Harkey, and you guessed it, Giants lefty Atlee Hammaker, and good 'ol Rick Honeycutt of the A's. The man continued on, "I went to a lot of shows back in the day. I've got a couple of other baseballs here also. I got this one signed in Atlanta but I have forgotten who it was" he concluded placing the following baseball on my display case........



"That is Nolan Ryan" I confirmed to the man. "That's right!" he exclaimed! "I couldn't remember for the life of me whose signature that was" he said looking relieved. He then turned to his wife and said, "Show him your autograph, honey." The woman then pulled out a small envelope that was slightly yellowed. There was a date written on the envelope. The year was 1982. The lady then pulled out an autographed 1968 Topps Hank Aaron card. "We got this when the mall in town first opened" she said. "I waited in line for hours to get it" she said with a smile. For years I had heard stories from local long time collectors about Hank Aaron signing autographs at the grand opening at the mall in town back in the early 80s. That info along with the fact that I attended the same local shows where Atlee Hammaker and Rick Honeycutt had been signing made me feel very good about the authenticity of the Nolan Ryan ball. It also made me feel even better when the man whipped out the final baseball from his box and said, "I got this one signed at a show in Nashville back in the late 80s."



.......................... ..............

There it was a Mickey Mantle autographed baseball signed right on the sweet spot. It had been years since I owned one. Needless to say, I am now the proud owner of another one, along with a Nolan Ryan autographed ball, and a sharp 1968 Topps Ernie Banks card. I just love happy endings.

Posted by: spuds1961 Mar 4 2011, 08:01 AM

Holy schnikey's that makes coming to work worthwhile,you have to kiss alot of frogs to find a prince,but that mantle and ryan were well worth it,Congrats on your finds,take care Steve

Posted by: road_runner_1964 Mar 4 2011, 08:11 AM

Congratulations, Chad. Great stuff right there....

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Mar 4 2011, 08:11 AM

After my score with the autographed baseballs a couple weekends ago, I thought last weekend would only bring more rare treasures. Well, I was wrong. A man brought in a plastic toolbox filled with beat up early 90s Pro Set football commons which oddly enough contained a stack of 2003 Topps Pristine baseball cards........ I never really associated those two products until now. The stash contained several star base: Pujols, Jeter, Ichiro, Mattingly, Willie Mays, and a couple Ryan Howard RCs, a Hanley Ramirez RC, and 3 Robinson Cano RCs. I was excited to get these because I knew I could sell them right away. For the record, I only bought the stack of Pristine. I passed on the Pro Set.

Last weekend wouldn't have been complete without some interesting questions from customers though. You see, over the past couple of years in this ongoing thread we have learned a lot about some of the most important questions in our hobby. Things like, "Do I buy cards or do I only sell them?", "Are my autographs real?", "Am I open every weekend or does my entire shop fold up into a briefcase for easy carrying and storage?", "Do I know how much a 24 carat gold Dale Earnhardt Home Shopping Club special is worth?", and of course, "Do I sell cell phone covers, video games, or pork rinds?", and most importantly, "Do I know where the bathroom is?" These burning questions have all been asked time and time again..........and answered time and time again.

Another popular question has been asked of me many times over the years, although the players in question have changed with the season. People have a really hard time understanding the concept that college athletes do not have any licensed cards produced until they leave school to turn pro or they graduate. In essence when their collegiate eligibility has ended then the major card companies start to produce their cards. Of course some college stars have had a few team issued cards or cards in magazines like SI for Kids but that is just too exhausting to explain so I generally just go with the response that they must first declare their intentions to leave school early for the pros or graduate before they have any cards made. I have had to give this response literally hundreds of times over the years. Many times I have had to give the same response to the SAME PERSON regarding different college athletes within a span of 30 seconds! I have had this question a lot over the last couple years concerning: Tim Tebow, Eric Berry, John Wall, Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Mark Ingram, Tim Tebow, Jimmer Fredette, Tim Tebow.......you get the idea. I had not been asked about one guy though.......until now.

A guy came in with his grandson. The kid was probably around 10 or so. He looked around and whispered to grandpa who then apparently translated those thoughts into English and verbalized them to me.......which at times required a bit of translation on my part as well. "My grandboy loves these cards" the man began. "He knows everthang about 'em." "He can tell you anythang you need to know about these players. He has a whole cabinet at home full of cards. He is a big Vols fan. He is Tennessee crazy" the man just continued to wow me with facts about his "grandboy". The kid continued to look around and whisper to his grandpa. He then located the monster box of former UT Vols players that I keep on my showcase which contains the autographs and GU of former UT Vols players (I know.....it is the last place I would look also) and he began to dig through the box. I then knew, it was on! Of course it was off very quickly when the man began to relay questions from the "grandboy" who five minutes earlier was the world's foremost authority on everything sports. "Does Tee Martin still play ball?" the man asked. I had to then explain that Tee spent a couple years in the NFL as a backup/practice squad player then went into broadcasting and now coaching. "Eric Berry still plays, don't he?" the man again asked on behalf of the kid. I then explained that Eric Berry did in fact "still play" and had just completed a fairly successful rookie season in the NFL. After more looking through the box, the moment I had waited for arrived. The "grandboy" spoke !!! He actually spoke to me directly! Oh happy day! "Do you have any cards of Tom Bray?" the boy asked. "Tom Brady?" I asked for clarification. "No, the Vols quarterback, Tom Bray" the boy confirmed. Yes that's right, the wonderkid who is "Tennessee crazy" didn't even know the name of the team's QB. "Oh, you mean Tyler Bray" I finally understood. I then had to explain again about college players and when they have cards produced and yada yada yada. The kid then moved on to my $5 GU box and began conferring with his grandpa again. I heard lots of whispers and talk of, "Well, if you want it then get it" and such. Then the man asked me yet another doozy on behalf of the kid, "Does Warren Moon still play?" I then had to explain that the 54 year old Moon no longer played in the NFL and had been retired for 11 years and was now a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yep these folks are really up on their sports knowledge. The man then rattled off what might very well go down as the understatement of the century, "I don't know nothing about ball but my grandboy is crazy about it." I didn't even have a response. I just let that statement speak for itself. What happened next though had me afraid the go home later that day. You see after they made their purchase of a couple $5 GU cards, the man handed the boy the car keys and said, "I'll let you take her home, but we have to go the backroads." Look both ways my friends, he is out there somewhere.

Posted by: babybraves05 Mar 4 2011, 10:13 AM

Hahahaha, good Ole Tom Bray. Combination 6th round gem/Man with wierd tattoo.

Great stories man, especially that Mantle one. Needless to say, that was well worth the wait.

If you find any Tom Bray cards, hold em for me =p... wait... he still plays right?

Posted by: NYMETSJETS Mar 4 2011, 11:28 AM

Candy bar? $10,000? These have to come into play somewhere.

Posted by: Luke2411 Mar 4 2011, 12:58 PM

I snorted out loud when I read he was going to let the youngster drive home.

Chad, if you can get your hands on those autographed balls of Hammaker, Honeycutt and whomever, I might take them for a good price. I've got a shelf in my office I'm trying to populate with autographed balls and those are some great names of guys that I stuffed my card binders with in the 80s and 90s. I would love to be able to put one or two on my shelf.

Right now I've got guys like Denny McClain, Rusty Greer, Mark McClemore and Todd Hollandsworth right next to Curt Schilling, Duke Snider, and Robin Roberts.

So, let me know.

Posted by: Gadsden86 Mar 4 2011, 08:40 PM

Must be hard sometimes not to just do a facepalm.

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Mar 4 2011, 10:59 PM

Candy bar? $10,000?  These have to come into play somewhere.

Posted by: chopinalex Mar 5 2011, 12:23 AM

haha the stories are back and hilarous still!!!

Is Warren Moon still playing?..hahah!!

Posted by: Johnny Number 5 Mar 5 2011, 12:53 AM

how many touch downs did micheal phelps have at the track meet?

j

Posted by: msw_sportscards Mar 5 2011, 01:10 AM

Ha.....trick question. Michael Phelps is a snowboarder not a pommel horse champion.

how many touch downs did micheal phelps have at the track meet?

j

Posted by: msw_sportscards Mar 5 2011, 01:18 AM

lol

oopso

Posted by: THUNDER9 Mar 5 2011, 07:33 AM

just curious - how much did you pay for the mantle ball?

Posted by: chiefsfan101 Mar 5 2011, 11:41 PM

Whatever happened that interesting kid that used to come and bug you years ago?

Posted by: msw_sportscards Mar 5 2011, 11:45 PM

Yeah!!!! Where's packlets?

Whatever happened that interesting kid that used to come and bug you years ago?

Posted by: chiefsfan101 Mar 6 2011, 07:59 PM

Yeah!!!! Where's packlets?

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Mar 7 2011, 03:15 PM

Don't worry folks, Packlets is alive and well. I see him every weekend. His dad does maintainence for the facility. He spends most of his time in the video game shop at the other end of the building. He likes to hang around there and play PS3.......... and that is fine with me! He did stop by and bust a couple of packlets of 2010-11 Prestige Basketball a few weeks ago. He is still chasing a GU or AUTO of his idol, Kobe Bryant.

As for my reference to the candy bar, baseballs, and $10,000, that is an interesting story. It actually took place the next day after the guy had brought in the Mantle and Ryan autographed baseballs. A guy that I had never seen before came strolling up to me with a baseball firmly entrenched in his hand. His palm covered 90% of the ball. All I could see was the stitching of one of the seams. He held his arm straight out, ball in hand, and said, "Would you give me $10,000 for what I have in my hand?" "Probably not" I responded. Then he slowly opened his hand to reveal a Babe Ruth 100th Birthday Commemorative baseball with the Babe's career stats and facsimilie AUTO on the sweet spot. "I asked Larry Harris if he would give me $10,000 for it and he said he wouldn't give me 10 cents" he continued. Of course that statement was somewhat amusing and pretty much summed up how I felt as well. The more amusing part is that I guess I am supposed to know who in the heck Larry Harris is. The guy then pulled out another baseball from his pocked and said, "What about this 'un?" It was a Mickey Mantle commemorative ball similar to the Ruth except this one also had a photo of The Mick on it. "I never even heard of him before" the guy admitted pointing to the Mantle ball. "You've never heard of Mickey Mantle?" I asked somewhat suprised. "Naw, never heard of him" the guy confirmed. Another vendor walked up spotting the baseballs like a vulture lying in wait for the perfect time to pounce on a rotting carcas. "What do you have there?" the other vendor asked. "Two baseballs, one of 'um is Baby Ruth, the other'n is Mickey Mays". I actually laughed out loud and snorthed a tiny bit. Another passer by slowed to try and catch a peek at the goods. They guy held up the Ruth ball and said, "Baby Ruth!" and looked at the passer by with distain. I continued to laugh and eventually the small crowd dispersed and the treasures were put away before another traffic jam developed. You see I have been very fortunate over the last few weeks to learn about the great slugger Hank Robinson and now the legendary Mickey Mays! I have also been fortunate enough to see a candy bar with a $10,000 price tag that looked strangely like a baseball. You just never know what you are going to see at a place like that.

Posted by: edgerrin32 Mar 8 2011, 11:32 PM

O man


Those were great. I don't think anything will ever top the scratch and sniff GU, but always great to read a new add.


I bet you could publish a little book with all your adds in these topics!! Just a cheap little paper back maybe $10 bucks each. Nothing big, but would be worth the price. You could sell them to hobby store to sell to there customers! I honestly think it would do great, maybe not millions but it might be worth looking into! Or I could look into if for you??

I mean who wouldn't want to read something like this, who is in our hobby? And what would you call it, "Things Overheard at the Shop". How could you call it anything else?

Posted by: chopinalex Mar 8 2011, 11:37 PM

does that little guy still come around. I forgot his name and its been a while.

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Mar 9 2011, 02:43 PM

does that little guy still come around. I forgot his name and its been a while.

Posted by: MWS Mar 9 2011, 07:24 PM

Good old "packlets"

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 May 23 2011, 04:21 PM

Well, I haven't updated this thread in a while. I actually don't hear very much new material these days. I am still swamped with same stories, questions, and tall tales of the great collections that everyone seems to have at home. They want to sell these fine collections. Somehow though, they never seem to bring anything in to sell. Don't worry folks, that is fine with me. I would rather just dream and believe that they are all sitting on mint stashes of T206s rather than 1991 Donruss commons anyway. Most of the comic relief that I have had recently surrounds my decision to mark all my single cards with discount price stickers. Each card has a white price sticker with the current BV. Directly under that white sticker is a flourescent orange sticker with the discounted price, or more simply what I am asking for the card. The number on the white sticker is bigger.......I promise. In fact most of the time it is 50%-75% more than the number on the orange sticker. I have heard no less than a dozen people over the last few weeks having discussions amongst themsevles wondering how much a particluar card is. They don't know if I am asking $25 for the card or $10. I have taken to answering this perplexing question in the following manner.

Customer: "Is this card $25.00 or $10.00? It has 2 prices on it."

Me: "Today we are running a special where the customers can choose which price they would rather pay."

I answered that same question in that very same way just last weekend concering a Ryan Howard rookie card. The white sticker said $20. The orange sticker said $10. The response I received from the customer was a pleasant surprise. "Oh, I'll give $20 for that card! I think he is going to break the home run record some day." The man then gave me $20 and walked away with the Howard RC. Needless to say......I hope that dude comes back soon and often!!!

Just yesterday I had an interesting encounter with a couple that made me wonder why I live such an extravagent lavish lifestyle.

A guy stopped in and was checking out my GU display case. I recognized him. He stops by a few times per year. He knows just enough about our hobby to be annoying. He asked me if I had any game used bat cards. He kept saying that he only saw "fabric cards" but no bats. I directed him to my $5 GU Box that has several HOF GU Bat cards. He did say that he liked old school players so I figured that would be where he needed to direct his attention. Of course he didn't even bother looking through the box but rather asked me another question. "What kind of package deal can you give me?" he asked. "What cards are you interested in?" I wondered. "I like that A-Rod jersey with the pinstripe, that Tom Brady jersey there, and both Terry Bradshaw pieces you have" he answered. I looked over the A-Rod, Brady Ultimate Collection GU /50, Terry Bradshaw GU, and Terry Bradshaw Triple Prime GU /50, and shot him a very fair price, discounting the cards an extra 15% off the already discounted prices. "I think I've only got ten bucks" the man said pulling out his wallet. Really? You are going to ask about 4 very nice pieces of top superstars while you are packing all of $10 to spend? At that point I had decided that I would walk away before assault charges would be filed. "Let me walk around and thank on it" he continued. "I need to find my wife, she is here somewhere spending my money" he concluded. No sooner than he said that did his wife appear and announced that she had made some purchases. She said, "I bought a few things". "What did you get?" he asked her. "I got these hot peppers for daddy, she said holding up a bag, and I bought a piece of furniture." The guy look confused and somewhat worried, "You bought some furniture?" he questioned. "Yeah, I did and it was VERY expensive" the woman said. The guy did not look happy. Just to add to his enjoyment of his wife's purchase I then cracked a joke about her showing up just in time to have him carry the furniture to the car. The guy then remarked to his wife that I was "playing hardball on some cards". "I will allow you to spend as much as I did" the wife said. "How much did you spend?" the man asked with a glimmer of hope in his eye. "I spent $3.00 on daddy's peppers and $7.00 on the furniture" she said. What? A few minutes earlier she was acting ashamed that she had spent so much on a VERY expensive piece of furniture and now I find out it was all of $7.00. Really? $7.00? Folks, that sums us the mentality of the majority of people that I encounter. If $7.00 is a VERY expensive piece of furniture, then my house is furnished better than Buckingham Palace! I just laughed out loud in front of them, shook my head, and walked away. The guy ended up getting some money from his wife and buying a card before they left. I had to strongly resist the urge to follow them outside to see him load the bank breaking purchases into the car. I will always wonder just how nice the $7.00 furniture could have been. I bet it was the finest TV tray that $7.00 could buy........some people......

Posted by: Luke2411 May 23 2011, 08:06 PM

Good story Chad. I would like to think that the woman was joking about being all scared about spending $7. Maybe she was giving her husband a hard time.

Posted by: 2006BowmanDraftFan May 24 2011, 08:57 AM

I keep telling my wife's relatives to stay away. Not only dangerously inbred, but hard of hearing I guess.

Keep them coming!!!

Posted by: road_runner_1964 May 24 2011, 09:28 AM

"Oh, I'll give $20 for that card!"...... (this smilie does not do justice to the laughter I just exhibited.)

Posted by: Gforce083 May 24 2011, 11:26 AM

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 May 24 2011, 09:31 PM

Good story Chad.  I would like to think that the woman was joking about being all scared about spending $7.  Maybe she was giving her husband a hard time.

Posted by: drocksthaparty May 24 2011, 09:39 PM

I have to say I love this thread

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 May 30 2011, 11:10 PM

Another successful weekend in the books, and a few more tall tales and interesting encounters to share.

The first "customer" of the day was a doozy! He was an older gentleman dressed in golf attire. He stopped by to look around and apparently brag about the charmed life he has led. He started out in my WWE Collectibles section checking out my wall of 8x10 photos. "What is this guys name?" the man asked gesturing toward an 8x10 photo of The Miz. "That is The Miz. He is one of the newer stars. He held the championship for quite a while" I answered. "I have seen him on TV a lot" the man replied. "My good friend passed away last weekend" the man continued. "I'm sorry to hear that" I said. "His name was Randy Savage" the man confirmed. "We had lockers right next to each other in Florida when we played Minor League Baseball together" he continued. "I had always been a big Macho Man fan. He was one of my favorites" I said. The man continued on recapping the media reports of Savage's death as though I had been living under a rock for the last week or two. When he finished that story he had made his way around to my display case of local guys: Titans, Vols, Predators, etc. "What do you think about the Titans getting a new quarterback?" he asked. "I like Jake Locker. I like his attitude and work ethic. I think he will be more accepted by the fan base" I answered. "Young just didn't understand the mental side of the game" the man said. "I just retired from the Titans. I worked the replay booth for 10 years" he continued. "I know all the players" he asserted proudly. I then gave my general response of "Oh yeah?". That is generally what I say when I doubt the validity of someones statement. I use that phrase quite often. The man then continued looking around and must have spotted something in another display case that reminded him of another aspect of his storied life. "What about the Braves? Are they gonna win this year?" the man then asked me. "If they can stay healthy I think they have a good shot at winning the Wild Card in the National League and getting in the playoffs" I replied. "Their pitching just isn't what it used to be" the man said. "I helped train some of those pitchers from the 90s" he continued. "oh yeah?" I responded. "I worked with Smoltz, Glavine, and the other one" he claimed. "Other one? You mean Greg Maddux?" I asked. "Yeah, Gary Maddux" he agreed. "They were really good guys and good listeners" he confirmed. With that statement the man wandered away. I could hear him a few minutes later talking to another vendor down the aisle, no doubt sharing his life experiences. Is this man's story possible?........sure. It is highly unlikely.........absolutely.

Another guy that I see regularly stopped by for the first time. I had never spoken with him but other vendors had warned me that he was a troublemaker. He has a very confrontational attitude and walks around with a scowl on his face lowballing people trying to get merchandise for virtually nothing. "You have any Hulk Hogan stuff?" he asked. "Yes I have several Hogan items: an autographed 8x10 photo, trading cards, some action figures......" I answered. The man then cut me off mid sentence and said, "You got any Hulk Hogan stuff like this?" showing me the screen of his cell phone. He had a photo on his phone of him standing with Hulk Hogan. "We had dinner together the other night" the guy continued. Hogan had been in town recently to promote a new project called Micro Extreme Wrestling featuring little people in hardcore matches. Folks, I will tell you I get EXTREMELY sick and tired of everyone trying to impress me with who they have met or what they have in their collections that is more valuable than my entire inventory. I figured if this guy liked to act tough and bully people I would call his bluff. "No I don't have any photos for sale of you standing next to Hulk Hogan. They probably wouldn't sell since nobody knows who you are" I quipped. The guy just stood there for a second and replied, "I'm having lunch with Ric Flair in a couple of weeks". The guy has no idea that I am probably the biggest Flair fan around. I reached for my business card and handed it to the guy. "Tell Naitch I said hello. I haven't talked to him in a while" I said with a smile. The guy stood there for a minute then just walked away. I can't stand people like that !

In yet another test of my patience. A guy stopped to look at some of my McFarlane figures. He pulled a very beat up dusty figure out of a bag. It was Vince Young. He was trying to push all of the dents out of the packaging as he proudly said, "I just bought this same thing you've got there for $7.00". "I guess that's not a bad price for a figure that has that much damage to the packaging" I again said with a warm smile. "I have several figures of big name players on clearance right over there for $5.00 each, and the packages are in mint condition" I told the guy. "You got any Titans posters or other stuff besides cards? he asked. Looking around and shaking my head I said, "No I only do cards, action figures, and autographs as you can see". "Well how much would a Chris Johnson Rookie Card go for?" the man asked. "He has dozens and dozens of different rookie cards so it would just depend on what it is" I replied. "Yeah, well, I will just check back when you get some more of those posters in" the guy concluded. Now I know I am getting forgetful in my old age but I don't recall ever telling him that I carried posters or would carry posters in the future.

A guy and his young son stopped in. I always love to see a father and son looking at cards together and talking about the various players and teams. To me that is what sports is all about. As fans it ties generations of our families together. I exchanged hellos with the man and his son and told them to let me know if I could help them with anything. I then left them alone to look around and talk. For the next hour they carefully went from display case to display case looking at the various cards and whispering and pointing. They carefully searched through all the boxes on top of the display cases. Then they discovered the $5 GU box. The boys face lit up. They spent several more minuted going through the box. The young lad chose 3 GU cards from the box and the man presented them to me for payment. "That will be $15 please" I said. The man then opened his wallet and said to his son, "I've only got $6 son, so you can only pick one card". Good grief! Here we go again. Just like the lady last week that was so traumatized over buying a VERY expensive piece of furniture for a whopping $7, this guy has been shopping around for over an hour with all of $6 to spend! The boy settled on a Ladanian Tomlinson GU and the two went on their way. As they walked away the man told his son, "Let's go down this aisle and look around some more". Little did they know that the $1 items were at the other end of the building.

It was a very frustrating weekend filled with lots of tall tales, hot air, and big spenders. No matter how long I do this, I just can't understand the thinking or the mindset of some folks. If you have never worked in a retail setting dealing with the public it is very hard to understand how much it wears on you. I also ask myself why I even do this sometimes. The good customers still outweigh the bad though. Sometimes the bad ones even provide us with entertainment so I guess in the end it is still worth it!

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Aug 9 2011, 03:26 PM

Is there anyone out there?

I've been recording a few stories and plan to update this topic soon.......stay tuned.

Posted by: road_runner_1964 Aug 9 2011, 03:31 PM

Is there anyone out there?

I've been recording a few stories and plan to update this topic soon.......stay tuned. 

Posted by: obe459 Aug 9 2011, 04:26 PM

I had forgotten about these threads, as I only read the 2009 before. Those were fantastic stories Chad. You had me crying from laughing so hard at some points. Keep it up.

Posted by: Tick-Tock-Man Aug 9 2011, 05:55 PM

love the stories keep it up.

Posted by: ronaldinho0003 Aug 9 2011, 08:46 PM

I've missed this thread! Can't wait for more stories.

Posted by: Beavers98 Aug 12 2011, 08:58 AM

Always a good read Chad...Very Funny in many cases

At least you have some "good ending" stories too. Those signed baseballs seem sweet

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Sep 14 2011, 11:15 AM

Well folks as you may have noticed, I don't update as often as I used to. I don't encounter very much new material to share with you these days. Just much of the same misguided souls trying to cash in on their stashes of early 90s mass produced commons or wondering aloud if I buy cards or asking the other members of their group if my autographs are real or trying to figure out what the pictures of my customer pack pulls really are. This past weekend I met a couple that I thought at first might have something in common with me. After our brief conversation, I was very wrong.

A woman and her husband and/or boyfriend were browsing my Basketball Rookie Card Display Case wondering aloud if I had any Tim Tebow cards. I saw the lady was carrying a Florida Gators key chain so I attempted to strike up some friendly discussion. "I like your key chain" I opened. "I'm a huge Gators fan myself" I continued holding up my shop keys which are affixed to a Gators key chain as well. "Have they made any Tim Tebow cards yet ?" the woman replied. I then went on to explain that Tebow has in fact had hundreds if not thousands of cards produced over the past year plus. "Do you have any ?" the lady asked. "I sure do" I answered. "Are you looking for college cards or NFL rookie cards?" I questioned. "College" she replied again. I then proceeded to show here a stack of base and inserts from various brands with Timmy T pictured in his Gators uniform. As the lady was looking through the stack she came back at me with this, "Do you have any Tebow autographs ?" Now I knew that this lady wasn't exactly a seasoned collector so I was fairly confident that she wouldn't fork over the dough necessary to purchase a Tebow autograph, but I humored her and amused myself. "I have several in my personal collection at home but I don't have any here at the shop for sale" I answered. "Many of his autographs carry a price tag in the hundreds of dollars" I continued. "Really ?" the woman said looking surprised. She then put aside a Tebow base card with the steep price tag of $1 and looked at he partner and said, "The cheapest one is a dollar. I don't have a dollar do I ?" Of course the mute man holding the baby with a huge head shook his head no. "I can't believe the Dolphins didn't want him. He wanted to go there but they wouldn't take him. I was like, C'mon this dude can play!" the woman concluded handing me back the stack of cards. "Yes he is talented. He had an incredible college career. That is why his cards are usually expensive, at least a dollar or more" I said with a warm smile. I just really wonder what people expect when they ask for cards or autographs of top level guys. It never ceases to amaze me. It makes about as much sense as looking through my $5 GU box while announcing that you are looking for Babe Ruth (which by the way has happened many, many times). People have no clue about this stuff or life for that matter.

Posted by: obe459 Sep 20 2011, 04:55 PM

Another solid entry

Posted by: GA_Pack_Fan Sep 21 2011, 11:47 AM

Great stories. As Bill Engvall says "here's your sign"

Posted by: Kmart6nets Sep 25 2011, 11:00 AM

Oh brother... Does that offend you at all when you have people looking for a $5 GU Ruth card? It is essentially implying that you have potato salad for brains.

Posted by: edgerrin32 Sep 25 2011, 12:55 PM

I really liked the last few!! The first post after I last replied here had me rolling for a few. My GF kept saying "What is so funny!!!"

Posted by: osufan2383 Oct 21 2011, 12:19 PM

We need more stories lol I want to laugh at work

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Oct 21 2011, 09:00 PM

We need more stories lol I want to laugh at work

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Oct 21 2011, 09:26 PM

I had a couple short stories to enter from last weekend but haven't had time until now. These illustrate the mindset of many of the folks that wander through my life every weekend.

The first story saw a guy around my age, mid 30s, with a young man who I presume was his son, looking around and discussing things out loud for all to hear. "I don't see any of the cards you have" the man said to his son. "There is a Mark McGwire Rookie Card" the man noted. "I thought that card would be more" he continued. "Roger Clemens isn't much either" the man said with a hint of confusion in his voice. "Have Jose Canseco's Rookie Cards gone up much?" the man asked. "No, they have actually pretty much bottomed out. Any of the guys involved with steroids are worth a fraction of what they used to be" I answered. "Oh, I didn't know Jose Canseco was involved with steroids" the man said. With that statement any hope of having a decent conversation just flew out the window. I couldn't even muster a response. I just stood there and pretended I didn't hear anything. I'm assuming when the duo left they gently crawled back under the rock they have been living under for the past several years.

A former co-worker of mine stopped by Sunday afternoon. It was the first time I had seen him in 6 months or so. We talked about our past working together and had a chuckle or two. The man had his older brother with him. I had not met him before. Hopefully next time he visits he will leave his brother at home. "Could I take a look at your Dez Bryant Rookie Cards?" the brother asked. "He is a big Dallas Cowboys fan" my former co-worker added. "Do you have his Topps Rookie Card?" the brother asked again. I went through the stack of Dez RCs and found 2 Topps RCs. They have a BV of $5 each marked down to $1 each. "How much for both of them?" the brother asked. Really? You want a deal on a $2 purcahse? You are a big Cowboys fan and you can't drop $2 on 2 rookie cards of one of the NFL's best young receivers? These were the thoughts that went through my mind but I remained calm out of respect for my buddy. "$1 each is about as low as I can go" I responded. "Surely they are worth that much" I continued. The man hesitantly took them and handed me the rest of the Dez rookies. As I returned them to my display case he asked, "Do you have Matthew Stafford's Topps Rookie?". I pulled out my Stafford stack and had one of his Topps rookies marked down to $2. "How much for that one?" the guy asked. Apparently the red price stickers were invisible to him. "I'd have to have $2 on Stafford. He is on the verge of a breakout season as the Lions are pretty hot this year" I stated. "I can offer $1 but that is about as high as I can go" the man confirmed. I just shook my head and returned the Stafford cards to my display case. "I'm sorry but there just isn't much room left to haggle on $1 and $2 cards" I said. "Do you have Cam Newton's Topps rookie?" the guy questioned. "I don't have his Topps rookie. How much are you willing to pay?" I asked just for amusement's sake. "It depends on how much you are asking" the man said. "I'd be asking at least half book value for Cam. He has been putting up some pretty suprising stats this year" I told him. "How much is the book value?" the man asked. "Im not sure but I do know it is more than a couple dollars" I replied. "Oh, I could probably offer $2 maybe $3 then" the man said. That's right folks I have met the cheapest man in America. The collector of the Topps base rookie card. The holder of at least $4 in American funds, half of which I received for the 2 Dez rookies. The man finally went on his way and I was left confused, angry, and amused. I really think people believe that I am on the verge of starving to death and will accept any stupid offer they throw out there. Either that or they think I won the cards for free and have no rent cost or overhead. My bet though is that they are just really, really, really, freaking cheap!

Posted by: edgerrin32 Oct 21 2011, 10:10 PM

O man that was great. I really needed a good laugh. Keep them stories coming!

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Oct 30 2011, 11:36 PM

As for my reference to the candy bar, baseballs, and $10,000, that is an interesting story. It actually took place the next day after the guy had brought in the Mantle and Ryan autographed baseballs. A guy that I had never seen before came strolling up to me with a baseball firmly entrenched in his hand. His palm covered 90% of the ball. All I could see was the stitching of one of the seams. He held his arm straight out, ball in hand, and said, "Would you give me $10,000 for what I have in my hand?"  "Probably not" I responded. Then he slowly opened his hand to reveal a Babe Ruth 100th Birthday Commemorative baseball with the Babe's career stats and facsimilie AUTO on the sweet spot. "I asked Larry Harris if he would give me $10,000 for it and he said he wouldn't give me 10 cents" he continued. Of course that statement was somewhat amusing and pretty much summed up how I felt as well. The more amusing part is that I guess I am supposed to know who in the heck Larry Harris is.  The guy then pulled out another baseball from his pocked and said, "What about this 'un?" It was a Mickey Mantle commemorative ball similar to the Ruth except this one also had a photo of The Mick on it. "I never even heard of him before" the guy admitted pointing to the Mantle ball. "You've never heard of Mickey Mantle?" I asked somewhat suprised. "Naw, never heard of him" the guy confirmed. Another vendor walked up spotting the baseballs like a vulture lying in wait for the perfect time to pounce on a rotting carcas. "What do you have there?" the other vendor asked. "Two baseballs, one of 'um is Baby Ruth, the other'n is Mickey Mays".  I actually laughed out loud and snorthed a tiny bit. Another passer by slowed to try and catch a peek at the goods. They guy held up the Ruth ball and said, "Baby Ruth!" and looked at the passer by with distain. I continued to laugh and eventually the small crowd dispersed and the treasures were put away before another traffic jam developed. You see I have been very fortunate over the last few weeks to learn about the great slugger Hank Robinson and now the legendary Mickey Mays! I have also been fortunate enough to see a candy bar with a $10,000 price tag that looked strangely like a baseball. You just never know what you are going to see at a place like that. 

Posted by: pspstatus Oct 31 2011, 12:05 AM

Well folks, the Baby Ruth guy is back! Yesterday as I was standing and talking to another vendor he walked up and stood as close to me as he could without climbing in my pocket and said, "I've got a $10,000 ball.  It's Baby Ruth" he said with a half smile. "The candy bar?" I asked. "Yep. It's the real mccoy too" he affirmed.  Just when I thought it was somewhat safe to go outside.......

Posted by: 19th Century Indiana Jones Oct 31 2011, 09:59 AM

One day I am going to make that 14-hour drive to your shop.

Posted by: sschind Oct 31 2011, 01:50 PM

One day I am going to make that 14-hour drive to your shop. 

Posted by: tyrodsports Nov 1 2011, 05:08 AM

I had a couple short stories to enter from last weekend but haven't had time until now. These illustrate the mindset of many of the folks that wander through my life every weekend.

The first story saw a guy around my age, mid 30s, with a young man who I presume was his son, looking around and discussing things out loud for all to hear. "I don't see any of the cards you have" the man said to his son. "There is a Mark McGwire Rookie Card" the man noted. "I thought that card would be more" he continued. "Roger Clemens isn't much either" the man said with a hint of confusion in his voice. "Have Jose Canseco's Rookie Cards gone up much?" the man asked. "No, they have actually pretty much bottomed out. Any of the guys involved with steroids are worth a fraction of what they used to be" I answered. "Oh, I didn't know Jose Canseco was involved with steroids" the man said.  With that statement any hope of having a decent conversation just flew out the window. I couldn't even muster a response. I just stood there and pretended I didn't hear anything. I'm assuming when the duo left they gently crawled back under the rock they have been living under for the past several years. 

A former co-worker of mine stopped by Sunday afternoon. It was the first time I had seen him in 6 months or so. We talked about our past working together and had a chuckle or two. The man had his older brother with him. I had not met him before. Hopefully next time he visits he will leave his brother at home. "Could I take a look at your Dez Bryant Rookie Cards?" the brother asked. "He is a big Dallas Cowboys fan" my former co-worker added. "Do you have his Topps Rookie Card?" the brother asked again. I went through the stack of Dez RCs and found 2 Topps RCs. They have a BV of $5 each marked down to $1 each. "How much for both of them?" the brother asked. Really? You want a deal on a $2 purcahse? You are a big Cowboys fan and you can't drop $2 on 2 rookie cards of one of the NFL's best young receivers? These were the thoughts that went through my mind but I remained calm out of respect for my buddy. "$1 each is about as low as I can go" I responded. "Surely they are worth that much" I continued. The man hesitantly took them and handed me the rest of the Dez rookies. As I returned them to my display case he asked, "Do you have Matthew Stafford's Topps Rookie?". I pulled out my Stafford stack and had one of his Topps rookies marked down to $2. "How much for that one?" the guy asked. Apparently the red price stickers were invisible to him. "I'd have to have $2 on Stafford. He is on the verge of a breakout season as the Lions are pretty hot this year" I stated. "I can offer $1 but that is about as high as I can go" the man confirmed. I just shook my head and returned the Stafford cards to my display case. "I'm sorry but there just isn't much room left to haggle on $1 and $2 cards" I said. "Do you have Cam Newton's Topps rookie?" the guy questioned. "I don't have his Topps rookie. How much are you willing to pay?" I asked just for amusement's sake. "It depends on how much you are asking" the man said.    "I'd be asking at least half book value for Cam. He has been putting up some pretty suprising stats this year" I told him. "How much is the book value?" the man asked. "Im not sure but I do know it is more than a couple dollars" I replied. "Oh, I could probably offer $2 maybe $3 then" the man said. That's right folks I have met the cheapest man in America. The collector of the Topps base rookie card. The holder of at least $4 in American funds, half of which I received for the 2 Dez rookies.    The man finally went on his way and I was left confused, angry, and amused. I really think people believe that I am on the verge of starving to death and will accept any stupid offer they throw out there. Either that or they think I won the cards for free and have no rent cost or overhead. My bet though is that they are just really, really, really, freaking cheap!

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Jan 8 2012, 11:17 AM

Well folks I haven't updated in a while. I've been planning a wedding and it's kept me away from TCC more than I would like. At any rate, the hits just keep on coming. This last story should close out 2011 with a bang. Now that 2012 is underway, be on the lookout for a new a thread as soon as someone provides me with the proper material. C'mon you really don't think someone will come up with something so off the wall, so ridiculous that I haven't heard before? As history tells us, they will. Give it time. They will.

A couple weeks before Christmas a woman came in and told me, "I have a couple items I would like you to look at". I gave her the standard line of, "Bring them in sometime and I would be glad to". I have learned over the years that response usually squashes the stories of autographed Babe Ruth rookie cards locked away in bank vaults and such. Well, not this time. "I have them here in my purse", she replied. "Ok, great, lets have a look" I added. She then pulled out a small brown paper bag. She carefully unrolled the folded bag and opened it. Inside the bag was something warpped in aluminum foil. It was around lunch time so I was immediately interested. She then carefully unwrapped the aluminum foil. Inside the foil was something wrapped in a zip lock bag. She continued to open this well protected gem. What in the world could it be? Perhaps an heirloom passed down through generations? Maybe a T206 Wagner unearthed at a garage sale? Inside the zip lock bag was an envelope. She opened the envelop to reveal two small cardboard squares held together by masking tape. As she carefully removed the tape I admit I was a little bit excited. Perhaps something packaged in so many types of kitchen wrap would be special. Then she slowly removed a card and said very proudly, "Take a look at this".







She then handed me a.........drumroll please.............wait for it..............wait for it...............wait for it...............








a badly worn 1994 Collector's Choice Larry Walker base card!

I must have had a look on my face like I was expecting more. I can't imagine why. "Ok, is this it?" I said somewhat confused. "What do you think?" the woman asked very excitedly. "Uh, well, Larry Walker was a very good player, a former National League MVP, but sadly he played most of his career in the mass production era of sports cards and the steroid era of baseball so his cards aren't really worth very much" I explained. "How much would you say that one was worth?" she questioned somewhat dissapointed. "Minor stars and common players from this era and this particular product generally are worth a few cents in mint condition" I answered. "What?!?" the woman said in an angry impatient tone. "No, no, no, I don't think so!" she continued. "I found it was more than that on internet" she said as she snatched the card from my hand. "On internet?" I repeated. Not on THE internet or on MY internet mind you, just "on internet". She quickly began re-wrapping this lost treasure and scurried away mumbling to herself. Maybe I should have suggested that she check the world wide web on the information superhighway instead? That is what I call an early Christmas present for myself.

Happy New Year everyone!

Posted by: Kmart6nets Jan 23 2012, 07:01 PM

People just don't know what they have! That's crazy.

Posted by: Solid133 Jan 23 2012, 07:35 PM

Oh man not to often I laugh out loud over something like that, thats good lol

Posted by: 19th Century Indiana Jones Apr 10 2012, 01:24 PM

Need..... more.....

Posted by: dodgerblue38501 Apr 10 2012, 10:05 PM

Need..... more.....