what card collecting is really about.

fab4

a few weeks back i had a contest for some 1976 wonderbread football cards. everyone thanked me thru pm's and on the board. but here is the best thing that has come out of collecting for me in years:

david vargha asked me to send them to his son michael. i added a patch card that i had picked in a pack of cards. i go to the mailbox at my hotel and here is what i received from michael:

dear mr. craft,

thanks you for the cards they are cool. and the patch is my favorite. a few other things were said and signed by michael.

david i wanted to point this out to everybody as it means a lot to me. people are quick to point out when someone's child does wrong but are not quick to point out the courtesy and respect he showed over a few cards. i want to thank you and michael both as it reminds me of the fun we should have collecting cards. they didn't have to have a gem mint 10 slab around them to mean something. i was going to have another contest but i already found my winner, i am going to send him a couple of sets of 1976 buckmans football and basketball discs.

i know it has nothing to do with the registry but it has a lot to do with card collecting.

thanks...........carey

SUPERPUNK813

With all the drama i read on these boards it's nice to read something like this.


Paul.

theplasticman

awesome, very cool.

Basilone

Fab4 -

Nice Story.....you're one of the good guys in this hobby. I hope to meet you in Cleveland this summer.

John

Robby

Fab4................You are a tremendous asset to the hobby ! Truely , your post is what card collecting should really be about ! Thanks for sharing it !.................Dave "Robby" Robinson

Stump

Fab4

Nice story. Well done!!

Dave

scottsusor

Great story -- thanks for sharing. It brings back memories of the way this hobby USED TO BE. Now I'll share one of my own from "the old days."

I started collecting at age 9 and my parents never threw out my baseball cards. Rather, they were very much into helping me with my collection. We weren't rich but I worked for my dad every weekend, cleaning up around the small wood window factory where he worked. That's how I got money to spend on cards. And my parents always got me cards for birthdays, Christmas, etc.

Well, on occasion, my parents would take me to baseball card conventions around the midwest. In the winter, when the home construction business around Detroit was slow, we'd drive to Chicago, Indianapolis, or Cincinnati for a show. Back then (early 70s) there would only be one or two big shows a year in each city.

I think it was winter of 1972 -- I was 13 -- and it was in Chicago. They always used to shut all the tables down on Saturday night around 8:00 pm for a live auction. Pat Quinn and Don Steinbach were doing the auction that night. One of the lots was two complete Topps sets together, 1955 Topps and 1956 Topps. They described as 90% EX-MT -- and really they were much nicer than that. I had checked them out on the display table prior to the auction. And it wasn't just the star cards that were in lesser condition. Many of the star cards were what we'd call "NM-MT" condition today (they didn't even HAVE that term back then, EX-MT was right below MINT).

Anyway, the auction started at $1 and a whole bunch of people started bidding $5, $10, $15 ... and so on. I finally stuck my hand up at $45. It was almost like a Twilight Zone episode as the room suddenly went silent, then some low mumbling. And what happened next was absolutely incredible. Nobody else bid, even though these sets were worth way more than $45 even back then. They all wanted to let "the kid" get these two sets of cards.

Now, it wasn't like nobody knew me. Many of them did know me and they knew my parents. But what an incredible experience. And yes, those sets are still in my collection. I upgraded the lesser condition cards over the years and both of my 1955 and 1956 Topps are now pretty much NM-MT or better. But if I had to pick out one moment in my life, when all was right in the world, that would be the moment I'd pick. And I can remember it like it was yesterday.

Do you think that would ever happen at a live auction at a card show today?

Scott

fab4

i want to thank everyone for the kind words. but this is about a nice young that i happen to meet along the way. i am just an old card collector. the nice words should be for mr. and mrs. vargha.

thanks..........carey

jimtb

David Vargha should be commended for raising his son the right way!

CW

fab4 - Great post! You are right about two things... Michael is
obviously a good kid being raised by good parents, and card
collecting is really about the kids. It's a hobby that was made
for kids, and it still brings out the kid in all of us.



<< <i> I finally stuck my hand up at $45. It was almost like a Twilight Zone
episode as the room suddenly went silent, then some low mumbling. And what happened
next was absolutely incredible. Nobody else bid, even though these sets were worth way
more than $45 even back then. They all wanted to let "the kid" get these two sets of cards >>



Scott, that is a very cool story!

Vargha

Thanks for the kind words. The pleasure was all ours in receiving the cards.

David

magellan

Fab & Scott, That IS what collecting is about , great stories both of you. Great kid there Varqha.

One of the many Daves

KING KELLOGG

Atta' boy Carey...

Atta' boy Vargha...

BIG Atta' boy..Michael...






Larry

Aknot

It is and they are. I gave two copier paper boxes full of cards to a co-worker of mine. He has four boys. :




I also package up cards in team packs and give them out for Holloween. (not to the girls.. no offense to any "girl" collectors) And even one year randomly put two "insert" cards for a full set of Classic Four Sports cards I had put together.

They love em.

There are also a few charities that will take them. So if you do find yourself with more cards then you know what to do with please remember it may be a common to you and I but to some small child it could be worth a fourtune.

AlanAllen

I didn't even win the contest and Carey (fab4) sent me a set anyway. Each card was in card savers, and it was packaged like a tank! Thanks for the set Carey, I appreciate the good will from you and Vargha Jr.

Joe

Tabe

My best moment goes like this:

I was probably 12 or 13 and had been collecting for a couple years. In talking cards with my Dad on one occasion, I asked him if there were any cards he wanted (he never collected them). He said "Yeah, the '61 Norm Cash, from the year he won the batting title." For whatever reason, my Dad was a Cash fan back in the day Anyway, not long after that, I saw an ad in SCD from a dealer filling wantlists from the 60s. I wrote him a note, told him I only was looking for one card, the '61 Norm Cash, for my dad and asked for a price. Imagine my surprise when I got an envelope in the mail a week or two later with that card in it - free of charge! Nope, not a high-priced card or anything like that, but it did make for a really nice moment for me when I was able to give that card to my dad (who still has it).

Tabe
www.tabe.nu

Golfcollector

A month or so back I gave about 3000 commons to a friend of mine to give to his nephew. I also found a letter in my mail box one Saturday afternoon, with a hand scrawled "thank you" in 7 year old handwriting. I definately know what I will be doing with the next large box of cards I have sitting around.

Thanks for sharing this great story with usm it probably happens more than you think!!!!

Dave

WinPitcher

It is a wonderful sight seeing a youngster's eyes light up when you give them cards................do it all the time