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A Collector's Thoughts
There must be a fine line between being a collector and being a pack rat. I've always called myself a collector. Many of my friends call me a pack rat. Nevertheless, I've always been interested in collecting something.
At the age of seven I started collecting baseball cards. That's a hobby that never stopped. I still can't resist buying the latest Topps baseball card packs and seeing who's inside. Of course, the price sure has changed. From a penny or a nickel when I was a kid to the current $2.99 for a Topps regular pack of baseball cards.
I also began an autograph collection at the age of 12. I would write to baseball players each weekend, asking for an autographed picture. That's another collection that I continued into adulthood, and, now that I'm almost sixty years old, I have a very valuable autograph collection of such great players as Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Roger Maris and, of course, our local hero, Johnny Podres.
As I kid I also collected comic books for awhile, but never built a very big collection. I also went through a year of collecting stamps. I used to buy stamps from those comic book ads offering "100 cancelled stamps for 99 cents!"
Some of my friends collected coins. I guess that's an interesting hobby, especially if you come across a rare coin. I was never interested in that. I was of the mind set that those wheat pennies and buffalo nickels could buy me packs of baseball cards.
But I think every kid needs a hobby. Some easy inexpensive hobby where you can save things in an album and show them to your friends. Some hobby where you can make your collection bigger by finding new items. I think baseball cards may have priced themselves out of the hobby by becoming too expensive.
Back in the 1940s and 1950s some people collected matchbook covers. Sounds funny but books of matches were all over the place, used for advertising businesses and political candidates. On my display shelf in my den are books of matches from Eddie Lapham's Sunrise Lounge, the Brothers Five Tavern, the D&H Restaurant, and Pat Russo's Dugout in Glens Falls. I also have "Re-Elect Your County Clerk, Halsey J. Stark" and "Bob Garrow for State Assembly" matchbooks. Try finding one of those today!
I also recall collecting bottle caps. I remember scouring the city beach sand, searching for bottle caps of new kinds of soda or beer. With all those Canadian visitors to the beach, it was a goldmine for bottle cap collectors. Dow, O'Keefe, Labatts, Brador, Molson, you name it! And those old-time sodas like Nehi, Snow White, Tab and Fresca.
I've come up with a new idea for an easy inexpensive collectible item. This might be something you might help your grandchild collect. I'm talking about moist towelettes. You know, those little packages that many restaurants give you to wipe your fingers after your meal. They come in all shapes and sizes and designs. Some have flags on them, some have dragons, some have flowers. Most are square, but some are rectangular with the restaurant's name on it, like Bar-B-Barn in Montreal or Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach.
I think everyone should have a hobby of collecting something. You can set goals for yourself, like a moist towelette from every state. Imagine the happiness on your grandchild's face when the waitress plops a moist towelette on the table with a never-before-seen design. You could collect them all year and give your grandchild a stack of 50 moist towelettes as a birthday gift! You could trade them with your friends. The possibilities are endless! Start your collection today!
Comments
They have to have the name of the state. I have the 2 hardest ones: Hawaii and Alaska. Still looking for the other ones!
Posted by: Auntyellow | May 13, 2008 10:06 AM
Foxy, I used to buy the baseball cards mostly for the gum-- do they still come with gum? We used to then take the cards and use clothespins to attach them to the spokes of our bike tires (I can see your face cringing imagining a rookie Bob Gibson card going flap-flap-flap). I am an avid John Grisham fan and have collected every book that he has written; in fact, Amazon.com lets me know when he has a new book coming out.
(Foxy's note: The Grisham (or any other author) is a great idea for a collection. No, baseball cards no longer come with the tasty gum. My brother used to chew the trading cards and trade the gum!)
Posted by: UPS Dave | April 26, 2008 8:25 PM
Since my retirement I have spent much of my leisure time collecting dust.
(Foxy's note: Now there's an inexpensive hobby!)
Posted by: Doc | April 26, 2008 7:18 AM
Foxy,
First time blogger. Just think if it weren't for collectors, there would be no Antigue Road Show. What's wrong with Mr. Hawk? I find it odd that he believes in collecting women. I collect rocks and feathers-really got some nice ones. They give me a moment of inner peace.
Posted by: Pharmer | April 25, 2008 7:36 PM
Hi Foxy - I have a well rounded collection of baseball pictures, hats, nascar, olympic items from Atlanta. I do have something to share with the blog readers! I have a frame note from a special person. His name was Jimmy Valvano.
I was living in Winston-Salem, N. C. at the time. Jimmy was fighting a courageous battle against Cancer. I started sending Jim cards three or four times a month with inspiring words and themes of encouragement and I would simply sign the cards your friend Lenny. I never put a return address on the envelopes, I sent the cards to give him maybe a little smile and hope for the future.
In December of 1992 I had made out some bills and put a card with the bills to be mailed later. My wife not knowing anything about the cards put stamps and return addresses on all the envelopes and put them in the mail.
A few weeks later to my surprise I received a letter from Jim Valvano! He lived at the time in Cary, N. C. and the postage date was 1-20-93. It read Jim Valvano Thanks For Your Concern! Please accept the enclosed Card and become a member of Victories! God Bless You, Jim V. The Card read
I Lenny Smallacombe am a member of VICTORIES
Valvano's Incredible Cancer Team
Of Really Important
Extraodinary Stars
He would die shortly after the memorable and moving speech and receiving The Arthur Ashe Award on ESPN! Coach K and Dick Vitale helping a very sick and tired Jimmy V down from the stage to his seat.
Jimmy Valvano was a brave human being who used his suffering to encourage others to give to the Jimmy V Fund! So that others may win against this terrible illness!
The frame note and card sit proudly in my trophy room! I always cherished the note !
Sometimes it's not the victories and trophies!
But how you fought the good fight in difficult times! Lenny
(Foxy's note: Outstanding story, Lenny -- thanks for sharing!)
Posted by: Lenny Smallacombe | April 25, 2008 3:19 PM
I am trying to collect a key chain from every state. I have about 38 state's worth currently. Something different...
(Foxy's note: Great idea. Does the key chain have to be in the shape of the state, or have the name of the state on it?)
Posted by: Auntyellow | April 25, 2008 10:08 AM
Foxy, you CRAZY man, you need to write some blogs about the seniors at ccrs so i can read it @ home and cvtec. See you tomorrow!
(Foxy's note: Lacey R. is one of many stars in the senior class at Chazy Central. Watch for a Chazy blog in about 10 days!)
Posted by: Lacey R. | April 24, 2008 6:32 PM
Foxy, I have seen your collection and would stand up to anyone that would call you a rat... "pack" or otherwise. I have to admit I was surprised not seeing your bid on the Ortiz jersey...it raised $175,100 for the Jimmy Fund for cancer research. Go Sox!
(Foxy's note: Hope all is well, BigKev! Thanks for joining the band of Blogoteers. When the Ortiz bid was around $30,000 I was going to bid $35,000, figuring someone would beat me out, and I could make the claim that I had at least bid on it... But I chickened out, just in case!)
Posted by: BigKev | April 24, 2008 12:38 PM
I’ve never collected anything other than memories, and I don’t have a place to display them although I do store them in the limited space I have in my mind. I always thought attaching the word collectable to anything was foolish and somewhat frivolous, but after reading your column I see your point. Dolls, beanie babies, little glass figurines? The act can be educational and support a goal-oriented task.
What about those quarters for every State as they were let into the union or dollars that display the presidents in order. A collection actually worth something and educational at the same time-now there’s a thought.
I know several North Country residents who collect wives, but they don’t seem to keep them all so I guess that’s not collecting. Those guys in Texas seem to have a real collection of them……tbi
(Foxy's note: Thanks for your unique slant on things, Tom-A-Hawk! Great to hear from you again.)
Posted by: Tom-A-Hawk | April 24, 2008 8:21 AM