Joanne had been an avid collector of baseball cards since she was a young girl. Her father first got her interested in the hobby by giving her some packs of cards to open as a reward for good behavior. She was instantly hooked on trying to collect full sets and finding rare or valuable cards.
Now in her 30s, Joanne’s love of baseball cards hadn’t wavered over the years. If anything, her passion had grown even stronger as she developed a deeper appreciation for the history of the game and individual player accomplishments depicted on the cards. She had amassed a huge collection numbering in the tens of thousands through purchases at card shops, comic book stores, online marketplaces, and card shows over the past couple decades.
With so many cards already in her possession, Joanne was becoming more selective in what new additions she sought for her collection. She was no longer focused on commonplace or cheaply printed rookie cards, instead zeroing in on rare vintage cards from the early 20th century or premium graded cards of all-time great players in pristine condition. These types of elite collectibles required deeper pockets, but Joanne didn’t mind spending top dollar when she found a true gem that she knew would appreciate in value.
One weekend in late spring, Joanne decided to check out a large card show being held at a convention center in her city. She frequented these kind of multi-dealer events several times a year, stalking the aisles for hours on end in hopes of finding hidden treasures mixed in with more pedestrian cards. It was truly like a treasure hunt each time, as you never knew what unique piece of sports history could turn up.
After perusing rows and rows of inventory laid out on tables under the fluorescent lights, Joanne’s sharp eyes noticed a crowd gathering around one vendor booth toward the back of the show. Pushing her way through the small mob, she spied the source of the commotion – three historical baseball cards in immaculate condition, the likes of which she had never seen outside of a museum display.
The first was a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card that looked to have never even been played with, graded Mint 9 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). Wagner’s iconic cigarette brand card is the crown jewel of the hobby, with perhaps fewer than 50 high-grade examples believed to still exist in the world. Needless to say, a find of this caliber stopped everyone in their tracks.
Next to it was a 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card, graded PSA Authentic, which depicted “The Babe” during his time as a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox before becoming the home run king of the 1920s and 30s with the New York Yankees. Ruth rookie cards in any condition over 100 years old are considered the Mount Everest of the baseball card world.
The third treasure was a 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig rookie card that had earned a PSA Mint 8 designation, showing the “Iron Horse” in his pomp during his incredible streak of 2,130 consecutive games played for the Yankees from 1925-1939. Gehrig rookie cards from this scarce early set are seldom seen outside of seven-figure auctions.
Joanne was absolutely dumbfounded by these specimens on display. She asked the dealer what his price was for this once-in-a-lifetime trio. He informed her that although individually each card would fetch hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions at auction given their extraordinary eye appeal and histories, as a bundle he was willing to part with them for a total of $160,000.
While an enormous sum of money for most collectors, Joanne had carefully saved and invested her earnings as a highly successful patent attorney over the years specifically for moments like these. She pulled out her checkbook without hesitation, writing out the largest amount she had ever spent on cards but knowing unconditionally that it was more than worth preserving these impeccable pieces of sports artifacts for posterity, either in her own collection or potentially to someday donate to a baseball hall of fame.
The dealer was clearly taken aback by the quick sale, as he likely expected to have the cards on his table for the entire weekend fielding offers. He graciously thanked Joanne for her business, acknowledging the immense historical significance of finding a new home for these legendary pieces of paper where they could continue to be cherished and preserved properly rather than disappearing into unknown private collections.
When she returned home and carefully placed the three ultra-rare cards into protective sleeves and toploaders before storing them in her climate-controlled safe for safekeeping, Joanne couldn’t help but feel a tremendous sense of privilege, duty, and adrenaline. For a fraction of their open-market estimates, she now owned some true founding documents of America’s pastime that few would ever lay eyes on. Her lifelong love of the hobby had reached its zenith, and she looked forward to displaying the cards at memorabilia events for others to experience the mystique and significance she now held in her hands. This would surely be a collection highlight she would treasure for the rest of her days.
