Dwight Has 3 Baseball Cards
Dwight was a young boy who loved baseball. Every Saturday afternoon, he would watch his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, play on TV. His room was decorated with Cubs posters and pennants. For his 8th birthday last month, Dwight’s grandparents had given him $20 to spend at the local sports card shop.
The sports card shop in Dwight’s town was called “Chuck’s Cards.” It had been in business for over 30 years and was run by the friendly owner Chuck Williams. The store was packed full of cards organized meticulously in long boxes lining the walls from floor to ceiling. In the center of the store were glass display cases showing off the rarest and most valuable cards. Posters of baseball stars from decades past hung on the walls. It was every sports card collector’s dream store.
When Dwight walked inside with his $20, his eyes grew wide taking in all the cards. He walked slowly around looking through boxes trying to decide which players he wanted cards of. His favorite current Cubs were Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, and Anthony Rizzo. But he also liked looking through the older Cubs cards hoping to find legends like Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, or Ryne Sandberg.
After about 20 minutes of searching, Dwight had narrowed his choices down to 3 cards. The first was a 2021 Topps Kris Bryant base card in near mint condition for $3. Bryant was one of Dwight’s favorite current Cubs and this was one of his rookie season cards. Next was a 2009 Topps Update Javier Baez rookie card, also in near mint condition listed at $5. Baez had been one of Dwight’s favorites since he broke into the majors with the Cubs in 2014. Finally, Dwight chose a 1969 Topps Ron Santo rookie card in well-worn condition priced at $10. Santo was a Cubs legend who spent his entire career with the team. Dwight thought it would be cool to own a card of one of the all-time great third basemen even if it wasn’t in the best condition.
Chuck rang up Dwight’s purchases and put each card into a protective sleeve before handing them over. Dwight carefully put the cards into a special binder he had gotten for his birthday to store his growing collection. He thanked Chuck and said he’d be back again soon to add more to his Cubs collection. At home, Dwight admired his new cards and added them to his display on his bedroom shelf alongside his other favorite possessions.
Over the next few months, Dwight would return to Chuck’s Cards whenever he had a few extra dollars from chores or holidays to expand his collection. He started focusing more on Cubs players throughout history and less on current stars. Some other notable additions included a 1976 Topps Billy Williams, a 1984 Donruss Ryne Sandberg rookie, a 1992 Leaf Frank Thomas rookie, and a 2003 Topps Traded Kerry Wood. Dwight learned more about each player’s stats and career as he researched them online and in baseball books from the library.
By the following summer, Dwight’s collection had grown to over 50 Cubs cards stored carefully in penny sleeves and binder pages. He took great care to make sure none got damaged or lost. Whenever his friends came over, Dwight would proudly show off his collection and share the stories of each player. A few friends started their own smaller collections inspired by Dwight. On his 9th birthday that year, his grandparents gave him another $20 to Chuck’s Cards with the request he pick out cards to gift to his friends starting their collections.
Dwight’s love of the Cubs and collecting their cards only continued to grow as he got older. He joined a local baseball card club at his school where members would trade and discuss their collections. By high school, Dwight’s collection had expanded to over 500 Cubs cards dating back to the early 1900s organized chronologically in multiple binders. He had cards not just of the stars but also lesser known role players through the decades. Dwight had become somewhat of a Cubs historian among his friends who would come to him with questions about obscure players or seasons.
In college, Dwight majored in history with a focus on the evolution of professional baseball. He wrote his senior thesis on the history of the Chicago Cubs franchise. After graduating, Dwight took a job as a teacher at a local elementary school where he started a baseball card club as an after school activity. There he shared his vast Cubs knowledge and collection with a new generation of young fans. Dwight also volunteered as a tour guide at the Cubs museum giving card shows and talks throughout the season.
To this day in his 40s, Dwight remains an avid Cubs collector and fan. His collection now numbers over 1,000 cards safely stored in a custom-made fireproof box. A few of his rarest vintage cards have significantly increased in value but Dwight says he’ll never sell them. His ’69 Santo rookie remains one of his most prized possessions. Dwight’s passion is ensuring the rich history of the Cubs is passed down for generations to come whether through his school programs, museum talks, or personal collection. Those original 3 baseball cards from his childhood kickstarted a lifelong love of Wrigley Field and the Chicago Cubs.
