donger need food.

Football Cards

Unpacking my boxes tonight I stumbled upon my old football card collection. Curious as to what to do with 'em, I decided to get pricing reports. Beckett Online has a pretty decent tool which lets you price out your collection by searching for your player and choosing the sets. Surprisingly, the cards in my top three favorite players (Dan Marino, John Elway & Jerry Rice) are at around $500 now. Not bad...but when I think about it, I must've blown at least 3 times that much trying to get the rookie cards. I remember how I got 'em...

Jerry Rice, '86 Topps: Packs were about $5 each back then; I was in college (and yes, I was that kind of dork that collected football cards instead of going out with hot chicks). I had probably pulled at least 20 packs over the course of a year or so trying to get that damned rookie card. It was a late weekday afternoon and I had just finished a pretty difficult EE midterm and wanted to splurge. So on the way home, steered the RAM 250 van (yes, I really drove one for a few quarters) out to my favorite sports card shop in Clairemont Mesa and asked for a pack. Did my usual superstitious routine telling myself that it wasn't in this pack. Walked out the store into the warm spring afternoon, the shadows growing long. Took it back to the truck and slowly opened it. Slowly went through the cards, and about halfway through there he was. #80 in all his glory, in that head looking over shoulder pose that up to that point I only saw in magazines.

Dan Marino, '84 Topps: This was even crazier, because packs were about $12 a piece. And back then, I was ballin' on a measly $20/week. Thank goodness gas was only about 80 cents/gal or thereabouts. Similar struggles getting his rookie card, lasting several months. Almar and I went to ComicCon that year, and in the parking lot I told him..."I'm pullin' a Dan Marino rookie card." Walked around, found several stands selling cards and decided on one (I forgot how I chose). Picked up a pack of '84 and a pack of '87. Going through the pack, wouldn't you know it...Dan Marino. And even better, I got a Jim Kelly rookie out of the '87 pack too. hehehhehe

Anyways...the money thing isn't the motivator here. I really enjoyed watching these guys play ball. I don't think there'll ever be another quarterback that can pick apart a defense (and get rid of the ball as fast as Marino). And Elway was a man on a mission on the way to his first Superbowl victory -- totally inspired, especially that head first TD run. No, the money isn't what it's all about for the cards...what it's about is being able to sit down with your son one day when he's ready (oh, say about 10 or 12 years old) and tell him exaggerated stories of the good old days when 48 TDs & 5000 yards a year was unheard of, when people like Jerry Rice grew up out of a small town in Mississippi catching bricks doing masonry. And tell him stories of how John Elway used to throw the ball so hard he actually cracked ribs on a receiver catching the ball. And then teach him the nuances of reading pass coverage, executing a 12 step drop, and throwing the perfect spiral.

Yeah, one day.


Oh and by the way, Mur, Toro is fatty tuna. You have to try it next time. Make sure you ask the sushi chef if it's good quality that night (the quality varies greatly). A good example will literally melt in your mouth. Reminiscent of Kobe steak. Mmmmmm....Wagyu beef. Damnit, there I go again. :(

posted by VirtualErn @ 10:44 PM

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]