When I was getting back into the hobby, one of the first cards I ever bought was a 2008 UD A Piece of History Stadium Scenes Silver Jimmy Rollins relic numbered out of 25 for three bucks. The main reason I bought it? To hang it up in my baseball room in the basement.
Yup, a mere three or four years ago, all the relic cards I received from packs or blasters I opened would be slipped into a nice golden sleeve and then pinned up on the wall with a thumbtack, blending in quite nicely with the other posters and pictures. I didn’t think nothing of it, in fact I bought cards like the Jimmy Rollins swatch for the sole purpose of sticking it on my wall to be admired. When I realized that these relic cards were in fact valuable and could be sold or traded, I quickly tore every single card down. I damaged about three or four cards. They weren’t entirely big names (I think the most prominent guy was Manny, who deserved a hole in his cards), but I was still bummed.
The Rollins card maybe lasted a month on the wall. I took it down, slipped it into a toploader, and didn’t pay attention to it for two years. Until I discovered the magic of the Beckett forums, Blowout Cards forums, and blogging and how easily a nice card numbered to 25 could be traded or sold.
I can’t tell you how many trades/sales that card has been the cornerstone to. I’ve seen plenty of Phillies fans come and go, not interested in poor Mr. Rollins. Until a nice Phillies fan on Beckett caved in and took it from my hands. For that card that’s been with me for roughly three years, it netted me this.
2007 Ultra Rookie Autographs #219a: Brandon Morrow (Numbered to 299)
A rookie auto of the pitcher whom I have a strange fascination for. Who would have thought a card I picked up for three bucks in my early stages of collecting would have gotten me a potential money bomb? This hobby sure is weird.
But this post isn’t particularly about Mr. Morrow. No it’s about the 2008 UD A Piece of History Stadium Scenes Silver Jimmy Rollins relic numbered out of 25 that has been with me through monster trades and bad deals, through those long stretches of commentless posts and the contests that were miraculously won. Although I hate Jimmy Rollins, his card will always have a special place in my heart.
God speed.
I feel the same way about the Mo Vaughn relic card I pulled from a pack of 1999 Upper Deck MVP. I still have it and probably will never get rid of it just because it was the first relic card I ever owned.
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