Saturday, April 1, 2017

Eddie Murray's Rookie Card, Ted Williams' Pants #TheHobby #Collecting #Baseball

Although my collection of cardboard focuses on the Cleveland Indians, I also collect LOTS of other players - some who are amazingly well-known, some who are amazingly infamous, and some most people would scratch their heads and wonder who the player is and why on earth anyone would collect him.

These two cards fall into the first category. I collect Eddie Murray and Ted Williams. Okay, okay, I use the word "collect" VERY loosely here. That is, I have some of their cards.

The Eddie Murray I've actually personally owned since pulling the card from a pack of 1978 Topps *IN* 1978. We were kids. I've shared how we mistreated so many of our cards back in those days. For whatever reason, the Eddie Murray never made into a flip pile, never got glued into a spiral notebook, and never found its way to the top of a pile of cards wrapped in a rubber band. No, the Eddie Murray simply traveled along with me through all my moves, college days, careers, and homes. That's why the poor fella is rough around the edges. And, I wouldn't have it any other way.


The Ted Williams card comes from the 2004 Upper Deck Vintage collection. It is the Stellar Stat Men game-used pants variety. Yes, the swatch on the card (in the card?) was cut from a pair of pants Ted Williams wore during a game. That is both freaking cool and freaking...well, freaky, all at the same time.

If I remember correctly, this card was pulled from a pack I got when the K-Mart in El Dorado, Arkansas, was shutting down and selling off everything. They were selling boxes of cards for 75% off - yes, even the current-day offerings. I bought more unopened cardboard that day than I think I ever have - certainly more than I ever had up to that point, anyway.

I actually ended up with a slew of game-used cards. Most of them were (stupidly) sold off in an eBay auction a few years later when I needed money and thought I could get some serious top-dollar bids for what I was offering. Unfortunately, I got about 10% of what I thought they were worth and I had not set a reserve or a minimum.

For whatever reason, the Ted Williams pants card never made into the auction listing. Thinking back on it now, I am so glad I kept this. Sure, having a piece of someone's pants in your possession is weird. But, it is also one of the coolest things ever.

3 comments:

  1. Funny, I wouldn't probably wouldn't buy many cards that are in the condition of my early ones (that I pulled from packs in the 1960's/'70's) but for those "originals" I don't have a problem. I don't love them more but I'm not really bummed about it. Regarding relic cards, the ones of current players don't interest me much but if say a Yogi relic looks like it may have been worn in the 1950's then I'm in, though the fact that it may have been in contact with his butt is weird.

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    1. I hear ya. I probably wouldn't spend money on rough condition cards, either. Though, if they were penny cards or something and I needed them to fill a set, I might just for that until I bought better conditioned ones.

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