| My Prize Piece of Baseball Memorabilia | | | | compare to the dreams I had about the contract. |
| Back in the day ... | | | | Imagine, what it must have been like 130 years |
| I used to deal in baseball cards, and some | | | | ago on the ball field. The baggy uniforms, and the |
| memorabilia in the mid to late 1980's. Through an | | | | teeny gloves for the players. The pitchers, hurling |
| old client I had the opportunity to sell a very rare | | | | both games of a double header was common |
| piece of baseball lore. The piece that I was | | | | practice and a home run was a rarity. Boy has |
| fondest of was a rare document signed by Harry | | | | the game changed. |
| Wright. A founding father of the game. The | | | | Handling that document made the early times of |
| document was a contract of some player that | | | | baseball real for me. I visualized those men playing |
| was signed by Harry Wright, the manager, circa | | | | in those old ballparks. I felt like I was part of that |
| 1870. It was written on Cincinnati Red Stockings | | | | time. I was having a dream. I was there, back in |
| letterhead. | | | | the late 1800's sitting in the stands. Smiling and |
| I was impressed. I was so excited to be | | | | watching baseball - Back in the day. |
| entrusted with this rare artifact. I remember | | | | Handling this artifact was like punching a time clock |
| saying to myself. | | | | and never punching out. I was in baseball |
| Oh my god. You have got to be kidding. | | | | memorabiliaville. |
| I was astonished. I was in awe. I felt like I was let | | | | I can see why some people are so zealous about |
| into a special group. | | | | baseball memorabilia. Their baseball fantasy made |
| I sold the piece in the range of $10,000 - $12,000 | | | | a lot more sense to me after I sold this Harry |
| if memory serves me. But selling the piece did not | | | | Wright piece. |