by GloveCrazy » April 19th, 2009, 11:40 pm
I get a call that Ricky's coming to the area and wants to meet me at the LBC, which is cool because last month he didn't even waive as he drove right past my house. It's also pretty neat that he wanted me to meet him there. Usually collectors keep it on the down-low and hope that everyone else forgets it's that weekend (not really but sort of). I had to go. There's one of these every Sunday at a different location and these days I don't go very often at all. You see, I like to sleep in a little on Sunday and there are so many pickers in the area -- who normally beat me to the good stuff -- that I've gotten a little lazy in my older age. I wake in time and do the normal debate with myself about the virtues of sleeping-in but drag myself out. I'm glad I did.
Did I mention that I usually get shot down at these things? Anyway, I'm about half way down my first row and I see a great football pennant with image of a player wearing a flat-top helmet (exactly what I needed for my new football display (have gloves will trade)). The price was right, too, but not dirt cheap or anything. I actually passed on an older Angels pennant that normally I would have bought just to not get shut out but it just seemed like today was going to be different.
Run into John Kanuit which was a little surprising because he hadn't been out locally for a while. I think he's connected to like all but three sellers there who hold stuff back for him so I'm thinking that I'm done finding anything else ... ever. A couple rows later and I'm also carrying a Norm Van Brocklin Spalding football in box (from the direction John came). It's not that you can't find these things on ebay but there is just something better about finding it on the hunt. Shortly after, run into the Ninja and as expected he had seen my football pennant a while back, but wait ... he hadn't seen the football in box (a first?). For some weird reason I start liking the football in box even more.
Run into Jim and he tells me that others may be meeting at 8:30AM to go over to my house (glove forum invite). Of course all are welcome, but called the wife to give her a heads-up (you married guys will understand). Jim tells me about the football helmet and we head back that way, although I have my doubts it will still be here with the ninja, Kanuit, and Ricky on the prowl (and not necessarily in that order).
On the way we take a quick detour to get Jim's opinion on a pricey collared wool baseball top. We have the seller take it out of the frame to get a better look and then see that this thing is tiny. We pass on that one, but of course someone out of the blue just happens to drop by to show me a cool old baseball picture he picked up. Uh oh, I'm thinking my luck is back to normal ... my optimism on the football helmet is low. At that point Jim comments about never finding anything at Long Beach anymore and it hits me that we are looking together, which has historically been uh, how to word it, eventful. My hands are full and he's hungry ... I start getting nervous that I'll be heisman'd if we both see something great at the same time. We split up.
I end up taking three trips to my car to drop stuff off (I never need one darn trip to the car normaly). A huge framed Dimaggio photo and another photo, three mannequin torsos, eight large wooden spools (for helmet displays), and I even passed on some other things. But no football helmet.
That is until I finally run into Ricky. He hands me the helmet and says he picked it up for me. There was a lot cool about today, but having him know that I'd love the helmet, front the money, and then not blackmail me for it (which he could have) was the best. Thanks man!
Last edited by
GloveCrazy on April 21st, 2009, 11:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
I haven't been in many years but after your last month's finds... Sounds like fun. Maybe I'll see you there. Gate at 8:30 if I make it.
They're still cool to have though.
