The one that got away

[GloveCrazy]

Jim's story reminds me of another that got away. I somehow latched onto Stall & Deans and I've always liked variations, so when Mike Tinney put that Stall & Dean buckleweb fielders for sale on his website several years back I was very intriguided. It sat there for a while, too, because it was priced at one of those "mutual pain" prices. Behind the scenes I doubted it would ever sell at that price and just couldn't talk myself into pulling the trigger. Months later Jerry purchased it and it had a new home.

Over time Jerry decided to sell off his collection of stunners, and this one became available at a much higher price. Again, I really wanted it but talked myself out of it in several internal debates over time and it eventually sold to Mike Ellis and instantly became one of his favorites. I ventured into trade waters many times with Mike -- and completed a few -- but never got close on that one.

Alas, there is no white knight on this story so the moral is don't start down the glove collecting path or it will break your heart. The end.

[ebbets55]

You're a great sport RBD. For you to laugh at yourself as much as we have all laughed at your expense is pretty cool. Us 80's kids can totally relate to the mixed tape thing. Now if you could only put your mixed tape in a boom box ala John Cusak in Say Anything, and play it for Sandra out the window, then you would be my hero.

Rob, you are absolutely right about the Rose Bowl. It was the same day. I read your post and replied much later without referring back to it. Definitely the Rose Bowl. Long Beach was the scene of the other one that got away. Remember when we were both walking down an aisle, you on the inside and me on the outside and we both saw the same glove at the same time. We both kind of looked at each other. Then before I could blink, you put this move on me where I think you spun me around, tripped me and then when I was off-balance, you gave me this linebacker shove where I went flying through some booth knocking over everything in sight. (Well if it didn't happen quite that way, that's the way I like to remember it.) You walked away with the day's prize, a beautiful and clean burgundy Sonnett Double Play glove. I had to respect the move. It was a thing of beauty. That was the other one that got away. Luckily Ron Knuppel was nice enough to sell me his mint one to take the sting off a bit.

JD

[Centerfield]

They say it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. That’s bull$hit!!! In the case of that Stall & Dean buckle-web fielder’s glove, Rob, I can honestly say it is much more difficult living with the fact that I let it go than you not pulling the trigger on it (twice)!!! The more appropriate saying is that you don’t miss what you never had.

I can fill up a few hundred pages of gloves that I once owned and wish I had again. One has found its way into your collection, the stunning Reach Lefty Grove. Let’s add to this list that white D&M Alexander, zippy Gehrig, white Reach Collins, three (yes three) different S&D Cobbs, a mint three-finger Hornsby, an Evers, really nice Combs, a duck-web in a picture box, a second duck-web for good measure, a bucke-back DiMaggio with a Spalding patch, several pre-war HoF picture boxes, and various 19th century gloves and mitts that were in such nice condition you’d sell your organs while still alive to get them!

I don’t want to hear any more moaning about lost gloves because, alas, I am Jerry, King of the Idiots!!!

[Rickybulldog]

JD,
Your hero? Only in"Your eyes" buddy. BTW, people are laughing at me? Well, you get their names Jim and report back to me ASAP.
Us SOCAL guys gotta stick together.

Anyway, loved the posts guys. Jim I totally could relate on Rob "Heismening" you. He caught me one time early at the Long Beach Flea before him and the look he gave me was priceless. If his eyes could talk Haha. Glove collecting is so much fun.

Rob loved your philosophy. The End was a NICE TOUCH.

[ebbets55]

Game over. Jerry wins.

If it's any consolation Jerry. You put together one helluva collection. You up for doing it again? It will be fun. I'll help you.

JD

[Rickybulldog]

Yea Jerry that was pretty bad. I don't think heart ache could describe that for me. Are you still collecting? We all miss your site.

[GloveCrazy]

Yes, Jerry, you win ... sorry to bring up bad memories, man.

I'm afraid Jim's recollection of the Sonnet "Double Play" incident as it was later referred to is more accurate than not. Now you know why I don't like to walk through flea markets together ... it has too much potential to get ugly. I never understood how you, John, Mark, etc could hunt together. You need to tell the Gehrig story sometime, or maybe that will be someone else's "got away" story.

I seem to recall a similar Heisman move at the most recent Anaheim National to a Vance boxed glove. Remind me, who ended up with that one., and who was the one looking for ice for their 'er prides

While I'm confessing, I'm pretty sure that Ricky's interpretation of the look on my face was pretty accurate. I've never been mistaken for a good poker face. You guys that have no competition -- Josh -- don't know how lucky you are, though outside of flea markets it's great to have local collectors in the area. SoCAL! (yelled like the Wolverine battle cry from that Red Dawn movie)

[vintagebrett]

Jerry, good to hear from you again! Isn't it better to owned and sold than to never owned at all?

Show shopping behavior is interesting - people who don't attend shows have no idea the fun they are missing. As crazy as it sounds, I always have a plan of attack when entering. When shopping with crackofthebat, we discuss who is going where ahead of time. The funny thing is that you pretty much learn your competition after a show or two and try to figure out what their plan is. Another interesting thing that pops into my head is that you think you are competing against everyone attending for the same thing when it reality, the actual percentage of people shopping for gloves is probably less than 0.5 % of the attendees, if that.

And who wouldn't knock someone down, kick them in the family jewels and step over their agonizing cries to claim a Sonnett Double Play. I know I would.

[Centerfield]

Yay... I win! Can I have my gloves back now?

Glad you all enjoyed the old site. I've picked up a few gloves since my hiatus, but nothing like I had in the past.


Seriously, I want them back!

[softball66]

I have a funny story about an antique dealer (musical instruments) that
glover Jay Feldman told me about one time.
Jay knew the dealer and said you would go into his shop and the owner would rave and rave about his favorite items in the greatest sales pitches.
But. . . Jay said. . . once the guy sold the "favorite" he didn't seen to remember he ever owned it. It was "completely forgotten."
Now, me, I just can't do that. Some I've missed out on and some I've let go. Fond memories of what was and could have been.

[Rickybulldog]

One for the road. Absolutely blocked this one out of my memory, but had to share. This was painful to write.

Years ago I got a Stall & Dean Heinie Wagner from a fellow glover Rob Mucha. This glove was really nice. It featured a beautiful patch, a great lining(relined), and webbed fingers. Oh, it was a knock out I tell you. A real 10. Later on that year, I traded the beauty to a guy named Mike Ellis who did a blockbuster trade with me in which if you broke it down I got 2 gloves for the price of one. Aw what a greedy young lad I was, so I pulled the trigger and my Wagner was gone. Later, I found out that Mike had sold/traded my glove. My glove had fallen into the arms of another glover a one Jim Daniel. Jim is a great guy with many friends and a cool goatee. All of which I will never possess in my life, but can only dream of having. Aw that Jim I tell you (fist shaking). And it is here I stay, looking out my window thinking of how I can get my glove back.......Aw the one that got away.


JD it's all good buddy. I know you gave it a good home.

By the way Rob, I think the ref gave me a standing 8 count. My legs are wobbly though. And to clear things up it wasn't Hanson. Don't attack me cause I'm in touch with my feelings. One day, my friend, the tin man will have a heart!

[GloveCrazy]

Again, that's one of the cool things about glove collecting and one of the reasons why trades sometimes make so much sense ... two people can feel so differently about a glove. That Wagner is a glove that I just never loved. I know Jim likes it a lot, though, so good luck.

Now quit whacking the beehive. The sound you heard wasn't an eight-count, it was the 8:00 clock chimes when they let you out the next morning. The wobbling is from the meds.

[ebbets55]

Bulldog, I never knew you were that fond of my Heinie. That didnt come out right. Heinie has been cocooned and entombed in the dungeon, a tote under the stairs. Although the lining has been Lee Majored, it is a great glove if I remember right. Haven't seen it since I got it from Mike a year and a half ago. At the time, it was just one of 452 gloves I got from him. I should break it out one day and enjoy it. RBD, you should see what Mike still has. This one didn't even make the top 200 at the time!

Hear that John G. I thought it was going to you one day. Now I feel like I stole his dog or something.

JD