A funny thing that happened today at the Flea Market

Yes, I did go back to the same flea market yet again today. I was hoping that same vendor (Rob) would bring that "other binder" he had told me about. In short he didn't, but we talked some more baseball, once again I enjoyed it. Wound up buying a couple of DVDs no cards there today at his table. So I figured while I was there I would hit the aisles that I couldn't last weekend  (my hands were full),  Well, just a few tables down the same row, another table with misc "stuff", and 1 binder full of vintage. Nope, didn't get this one, as the guy had everything priced at NM bv, and was asking for 50% of what was marked. The cards were in EX (not NM) condition, but I am NOT going to spend that kind of money of some cardboard, at least not for those he had, albeit some were nice, and would have liked to have them, but I will trade for them eventually, I hope.

Went down the next aisle, nothing there, and then on to the next and wowser! BINGO BINGO BINGO! did I say BINGO!?  Yes I did. I spent about 30 minutes at this table, making deals the whole time card by card. In short, A Mantle Autographed card from that set back in the early 80s, and it was NM. Perfect sig too, yep, I grabbed it along with some other nice deals, but the Mantle was the doozie. Now, keep in mind I only collect John Elway, Braves, Wacky Packages, and T206 cards. But I figured what trade bait that auto is going to make. The guy swore he even had a T206 there, but we searched didn't find it, needless to say, I'll be back to see Gilbert again!

I suppose everyone is wondering what I dropped for the Mantle, I'm not saying yet but whatever you're thinking cut it in half, and then halve that too, trust me. It was a steal rather than a deal, and genuine too. Now this brings to me to the funny thing that happened at the flea market today. You see I no longer have that Mantle, it never seen my truck. There was only 1 aisle left on the one side that I had previously skipped for reasons already mentioned. Low behold, I see cards about mid way down the aisle. I rush over to it, and it the second I've seen in my now 2 trips that was only sports cards and collectibles. My eyes are lighting up, then the vendor pops out in the aisle, turns out I know him and have for nearly 20 years. I used work with "BOB" for a long time and knew he dealt cards at the flea markets for what now must be 30 years, but had lost track of BOB a long time ago. He had fallen ill (ticker I think), and thus I figured he was out the biz if not out of the picture altogether, if you know what I mean. (I hadn't been to the flea market in about that long).

I must of spent 3 hours with Bob, I didn't buy a thing from him. You see I don't have to buy anything from BOB, if he has something I want, he tells me to take it. That's the way it used to be, and he didn't really forget or change a thing. In fact because I have moved since we last seen each other (about ten years ago), he is coming over Wednesday night to take all those basketball cards off my hands, and some vintage hot wheels/matchbox, stuff in general. Yes, we are trading! He had some 77-80 sets of Star Wars, and some other odd ball collectibles I wanted. I offered them up. Now of course, by now you have figured he got the Mantle, and yes I let him have it, now of course I left his table with a few Personal Collection cards too.

Like a 1965 Hank Aaron in EX+ condition ($75), a NM Neikro/Carroll RC ($50), a Chipper RC (the $10.00 one ), a 1975 Aaron ( a bit faded, but okay), 1978 Murphy EX,  and 5 Elway cards in NM, turns out I did actually already have one of the Elways an $8.00 one, but hey I can always trade it or put it with the other 800 Elway dupes. One of the Elways was a $24 card , 2 others were $12.00. I also left his booth with a 2004 MINT Braves year book, and a 9 pocket page of red bordered Action Packed  HOFer baseball cards ( for a fellow trader), and some odd and ends. I think I got $60.00 worth, what do you think?  I haven't even mentioned the other cards from the BINGO table, not much just some nice PC adds there too for Braves.

As I was heading out, but still talking with BOB, someone comes up behind me and starts hugging me tight from the rear, I turn to see who it is and it was a client of mine, that I had just seen last week, Friday actually. His name is also BOB, and he had two friends with him, and introduced them to me and I will be seeing one of them in a week or two. How about that, go to the flea market to get baseball cards and I gain a business client, and yes that Mantle steal was awesome, but seeings that I don't have anymore I will just have to take solace in the fact that I ran into an old friend/card hook up, gained a client (thats what pays for the cards lol), and have a handful of PC hits.

I love this hobby!

Thanks again to Nick, for the push to check out the local flea markets!

Later