Alright, let me walk you through my day tracking down Leroy Stanton cards. It all started kinda simple – I remembered I had some old baseball cards packed away years ago, probably leftovers from when I used to collect more actively.
The Digging Begins
So, I headed up to the attic. Dust everywhere, man. I was pulling down boxes, sneezing my head off, hoping maybe I stuck some ’70s stuff in there by accident. Found a box labeled “Sports Junk” – promising, right? Popped it open. Mostly baseball caps, some old gloves… and buried underneath, a shoebox. Inside? Cards. Mostly commons, nothing too fancy from what I could quickly see, but I dumped them all out on the floor.
I started sorting. Team by team, year by year. Flipping fast, looking for that “California Angels” logo or Stanton’s name. My eyes were starting to glaze over from all the similar-looking cards. Then, bingo. Not a rookie, but a few mid-70s Stanton cards. Nice find from my own junk!
- Sorted through hundreds of dusty, forgotten cards.
- Pulled out two 1975 Topps and one 1976 Topps Stanton card. Condition? Eh… played with, corners soft. Not mint, but hey, my own cards!
Hitting the Market
Okay, finding my own stash got me pumped, but I wanted a rookie. Mine were all later. Hit the web – but no buying, just scoping. Checked big auction sites, some collector forums. Man, finding a decent ’73 Topps rookie is not cheap or easy. Lots of folks asking crazy prices, some beat-up copies, a few graded ones costing an arm and a leg. Felt overwhelming.
Decided the online hype wasn’t giving me the feel. Needed something more real. Went downtown to this old card shop I sometimes visit. Place smells like old paper and nostalgia. Told the owner, Jim, “Hey, looking for Leroy Stanton, rookie stuff if you got it.” He kinda chuckled, said “70s guys are tough,” but he poked around in a back room cabinet labeled “Singles – Vintage.”
The Lucky Find
Jim comes back with a plastic sleeve. Inside? A 1973 Topps Leroy Stanton #616. Rookie card! Not perfect – a bit off-center, soft corners like you’d expect, surface scratches. But it was solidly there. Price tag? Way, way less than what I saw people dreaming about online. Jim explained he priced it years ago and just never updated it. Talk about hitting a wall and stumbling into gold!
Snatched it up instantly. Paid cash, thanked Jim profusely. Held that card under the shop light. Sunlight hit the plastic sleeve just right. Felt like a real win, a tangible piece of history I could actually hold. Way better than watching auctions.
Lessons Learned
So, what’s the takeaway?
- Dig through your own stuff first. Seriously, you might surprise yourself.
- Online prices can be nuts. Actual shops sometimes have hidden gems priced realistically.
- Be realistic about condition. That pristine ’73 rookie online might cost a fortune, but finding one you can afford that’s still cool? That’s the win.
- Sometimes, pure luck matters. Right place, right time, right dusty old shop cabinet.
Sometimes the fun’s in the hunt, not just the trophy. Happy hunting, folks!