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08-31-2009, 01:34 AM #1
Forever 17-Contest Entry
Forever 17
By Brad Wingate
Working part time as a 17 year old, approximately 5% of my paycheck was spent on gas, and the other 95% was spent on sports cards. I had some great times, and some amazing pack pulls that year; a $350 Michael Jordan, a $250 Eddie George a $1500 Emmitt Smith, and even more beyond those. Needless to say, it was a great collecting year for me. But the best card I got that year was not found in any pack, or in any local card shop. In fact, it didn't even cost me any of my hard earned money. It's the one card in my personal collection that I will never sell or trade away, and it was only in the past few years that I realized the true value of this card.
Along with the aforementioned work and card collecting, I also played baseball every summer. My friends and I all played together on the Bedford #1 team, which was coached by my friend Nick's step-dad Denny. We were all a bunch of fun-loving goof balls, but when it came to baseball, we were a great team. Most of us stayed together on the diamond for 4 years, and we loved every minute of it. From winning under the lights, to losing in the playoffs, to playing games in our sleeveless vest style jersey's (it was intimidating), the summer of '96 was one of the best. As I write this, I can still picture some of the game's we played that season.
Now let me get back to the best card of that year. Like I said, it was not bought or pack pulled. It was given to me by John Laroe, our baseball team's right fielder. John and I have been friends since second grade, and I was the one who talked him into playing baseball with us that summer. As a fan of Jose Canseco, John naturally wore #33, and batted right behind me in the lineup. We were best friends at the time, and playing next to him in teh outfield was special to me. Along with being a friend and teammate, John was also my card collecting partner. He was there to witness each of the previously mentioned pulls, and I was there to witness his best. During our team photo day, as a joke, John was the only one to order his own baseball card. Once he got the card from the printer, he pulled one out of the envelope, signed it, and gave it to me. It's a knock-off of the 1994 Topps base set design, and offer's a great shot of John's "Chico Hairy" game face (Chico Hairy was John's nickname). I remember him telling me to keep it until he became famous, then if I wanted, I could sell it for millions. To this day, I still have it in my collection (not due to his lack of fame).
This card is what helps me to remember those great times we had on and off the diamond that year. It takes me back to when I was 17, a time before college, careers, and adult responsibility. A time when all we had to do was have fun and play ball. Unfortunately, that time has long passed us by. I am now 30, and don't get to see John much anymore, but having this card will always take me back to that summer, and back to my friend. Monetarily, it's not worth the card stock it's printed on, but to me, it's priceless.Last edited by BBonds25; 08-31-2009 at 01:55 AM.
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08-31-2009, 01:45 AM #2
this was GREAT to read!!!
im 19, 20 in 3 days
=[
i wish i could go back to being like 10 and just do it all over again.
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09-01-2009, 12:30 PM #3
Working part time as a 17 year old, approximately 5% of my pay check was spent on gas, and the other 95% was spent on sports cards. I had some great times, and some amazing pack pulls that year: a $350 Michael Jordan, a $250 Eddie George a $1500 Emmitt Smith, and even more beyond those. Needless to say, it was a great collecting year for me. But the best card I got that year was not found in any pack, or in any local card shop. In fact, it didn't even cost me any of my hard earned money. It's the one card in my personal collection that I will never sell or trade away, and it was only in the past few years that I realized the true value of this card.
Along with the aforementioned work and card collecting, I also played baseball every summer. My friends and I all played together on the Bedford #1 team, which was coached by my friend Nick's step-dad Denny. We were all a bunch of fun-loving goof balls, but when it came to baseball, we were a great team. Most of us stayed together on the diamond for 4 years, and we loved every minute of it. From winning under the lights, to losing in the playoffs, to playing games in our sleeveless vest style jerseys (it was intimidating), the summer of '96 was one of the best. As I write this, I can still picture some of the games we played that season.
Now let me get back to the best card of that year. Like I said, it was not bought or pack pulled. John Laroe, our baseball team’s right fielder, gave it to me. John and I have been friends since second grade, and I was the one who talked him into playing baseball with us that summer. As a fan of Jose Canseco, John naturally wore #33, and batted right behind me in the line-up. We were best friends at the time, and playing next to him in the outfield was special to me. Along with being a friend and teammate, John was also my card-collecting partner. He was there to witness each of the previously mentioned pulls, and I was there to witness his pulls. During our team photo day, as a joke, John was the only one to order his own baseball card. Once he got the card from the printer, he pulled one out of the envelope, signed it, and gave it to me. It's a knock-off of the 1994 Topps base set design, and offers a great shot of John's "Chico Hairy" game face (Chico Hairy was John's nickname). I remember him telling me to keep it until he became famous, then if I wanted I could sell it for millions. To this day, I still have it in my collection (not due to his lack of fame).
This card is what helps me to remember those great times we had on and off the diamond that year. It takes me back to when I was 17, a time before college, careers, and adult responsibility. A time when all we had to do was have fun and play ball. Unfortunately, that time has long passed us by. I am now 30, and don't get to see John much anymore, but having this card will always take me back to that summer, and back to my friend. Monetarily, it's not worth the card stock it's printed on, but to me, it's priceless.
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09-01-2009, 12:37 PM #4
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09-02-2009, 11:30 PM #5
Nice read!
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