My Story...and I'm Stickin' To It!
I started collecting cards in 1970 at the age of 7. It must have been the 1969 world series that got me involved in baseball although I don't remember watching the Amazin's before 1970. I collected the 4 major sports sets and TV show sets until 1986 when I decided to sell my cards to go to college. The C.I.A. (no, not THAT C.I.A....the Culinary Institute of America). I had amassed one of the largest collections on the East Coast with a complete set run from 1960 Topps on up of all 4 major sports. My prized possession was a complete 1951 Blue Back set with the variations. I had all the major rc's except for a 1952 Mantle. That one eluded me.
The only part of my collection I kept were my NY Mets cards including every Met regular issued, insert from the major card companies.
After college, getting a "real" job and got married, I moved to Cincinnati in 1992 where there was a local card shop (Mavericks) and I would pick up a few Mets cards here and there as the shop keeper would save any Mets he came across for me (thanks Leo!). This went on until 1996 when I stopped collecting completely and my hobby interests changed to building a home and family.
In 2009, after moving back to the East coast in 2005, my son informed me of a autograph signing show commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the 1969 Mets. This prompted me to go looking for my autographed baseball that I had started while touring spring training camps in 1985 of all the 1969 Mets. In searching for the ball, I came across all my old Mets cards, Yearbooks, Programs and memorabilia and was "bit" by the bug again.
I threw out my back and never made it to the show but am keeping an eye out for any 1969 Mets that might be signing in the area. I currently have 22 signatures including Ryan, Seaver, Berra, Agee, Kranepool, Shamsky, Swoboda, Grote, Koosman, Harrelson, McAndrew, Gentry, Garret, DiLauro, Cleon Jones and Pignatano.
In November of 2009, I joined an online trading group called "Trading Bases" and found many other collectors eager to help me get back into collecting. I bought some Mets lots off of Ebay and generated some trade bait by buying newer boxes of cards, keeping the Mets and trading the rest. After having absolutely NO cards from 1997 to now (2022), I currently have ever base Mets cards since their beginning in 1962.
I have since joined Dugout Traders, The Bench and Sports Card Fun but find the closeness of a smaller group like Trading Bases much more appealing. I have made new friends, went to my first card show in over 25 years and met a member of TB at the show. I went to "The Nationals" this past August (2012) which was the second National I had ever been to having gone to one of the first ones in Parsippany NJ back in 1980 or thereabout. Went to an O's game with Damian Varga (RIP Damien, 2014), a TBer also and enjoyed a "walk-off" O's win from the centerfield bleachers. UPDATE 2023- Been to several "Nationals".
My Trading Policies! Only one...honesty and fairness! Oh..that's 2! I do not need to trade BV for BV but I know it is necessary when trading high value cards. I absolutely dislike looking up cards in the Beckett guide (I no longer subscribe to Beckett and use sales values for trading). My eyes are not what they used to be and the print is to darn small. If you need a card, I have no problem just sending it out -of-the-blue to you. Of course, I won't do that to just anyone, you and I will need to develop a trading relationship that happens over the course of several honest trades. Don't try and rape me for RC's. Tell me you need RC's to sell or you are a RC collector as I will have more respect for you that way. If you try to get rc's within a list of commons, don't you think I will notice this? Hey, it has happened. I have NO problem telling someone that I will not trade with them if I think they are trying to get me to "throw-in" an extra "this or that" just to make a trade. Hey, it's only freakin' cardboard that someone has put a price on. I pay $5.00 for a pack of 10 cards, that's $0.50 per card. THAT'S WHAT IT IS WORTH TO ME!
I am working on my Mets collection from 1986 on up. I understand it is a hassle to get out those old cards that are collecting dust and haven't been touched in years. I notice when a collector takes the time to help me with my wantlist... I have NO PROBLEM throwing in some extra cards in appreciation of the time you took to do that for me. I will often trade in YOUR favor in the hopes that you will dig in your double box a little deeper to get that 1 Met I still need next trade. I have no problem trading stars for commons, GU'ed for commons, Autos for commons but you have to get my trading respect first. I do tend to hold the "hard-to-get" sp's in hopes of trading them for Mets sp's from the same series. Don't ask me for a new autograph for a bunch of 1986-89 $0.15 commons until we have developed a trading repertoire and trust. Often, if you are a team collector like me, I have no problem throwing in an extra parallel or insert. Speaking of parallels, I hate serial numbered parallels and would rather not have them. If they are exactly the same as the base except for a serial number, don't send it to me. If it is different as to the colored border or foil/chrome, I don't mind that so much.
LETS GO METS!!!!!!!!!! Mike Napoleon
Added October 2011:
Looking for auto show appearances by these living 1969 Mets as I am working on an autographed 1969 Mets ball and still need these guys:
Jesse Hudson- pitched 2 innings in September
Bob Johnson
Les Rohr
J.C. Martin
Ken Boswell
Kevin Collins
Bob Heise
Bob Pfeil
Rod Gaspar
Jim Gosger
Amos Otis- played 1 game
LMK if anyone sees these guys signing. Thanks
The only part of my collection I kept were my NY Mets cards including every Met regular issued, insert from the major card companies.
After college, getting a "real" job and got married, I moved to Cincinnati in 1992 where there was a local card shop (Mavericks) and I would pick up a few Mets cards here and there as the shop keeper would save any Mets he came across for me (thanks Leo!). This went on until 1996 when I stopped collecting completely and my hobby interests changed to building a home and family.
In 2009, after moving back to the East coast in 2005, my son informed me of a autograph signing show commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the 1969 Mets. This prompted me to go looking for my autographed baseball that I had started while touring spring training camps in 1985 of all the 1969 Mets. In searching for the ball, I came across all my old Mets cards, Yearbooks, Programs and memorabilia and was "bit" by the bug again.
I threw out my back and never made it to the show but am keeping an eye out for any 1969 Mets that might be signing in the area. I currently have 22 signatures including Ryan, Seaver, Berra, Agee, Kranepool, Shamsky, Swoboda, Grote, Koosman, Harrelson, McAndrew, Gentry, Garret, DiLauro, Cleon Jones and Pignatano.
In November of 2009, I joined an online trading group called "Trading Bases" and found many other collectors eager to help me get back into collecting. I bought some Mets lots off of Ebay and generated some trade bait by buying newer boxes of cards, keeping the Mets and trading the rest. After having absolutely NO cards from 1997 to now (2022), I currently have ever base Mets cards since their beginning in 1962.
I have since joined Dugout Traders, The Bench and Sports Card Fun but find the closeness of a smaller group like Trading Bases much more appealing. I have made new friends, went to my first card show in over 25 years and met a member of TB at the show. I went to "The Nationals" this past August (2012) which was the second National I had ever been to having gone to one of the first ones in Parsippany NJ back in 1980 or thereabout. Went to an O's game with Damian Varga (RIP Damien, 2014), a TBer also and enjoyed a "walk-off" O's win from the centerfield bleachers. UPDATE 2023- Been to several "Nationals".
My Trading Policies! Only one...honesty and fairness! Oh..that's 2! I do not need to trade BV for BV but I know it is necessary when trading high value cards. I absolutely dislike looking up cards in the Beckett guide (I no longer subscribe to Beckett and use sales values for trading). My eyes are not what they used to be and the print is to darn small. If you need a card, I have no problem just sending it out -of-the-blue to you. Of course, I won't do that to just anyone, you and I will need to develop a trading relationship that happens over the course of several honest trades. Don't try and rape me for RC's. Tell me you need RC's to sell or you are a RC collector as I will have more respect for you that way. If you try to get rc's within a list of commons, don't you think I will notice this? Hey, it has happened. I have NO problem telling someone that I will not trade with them if I think they are trying to get me to "throw-in" an extra "this or that" just to make a trade. Hey, it's only freakin' cardboard that someone has put a price on. I pay $5.00 for a pack of 10 cards, that's $0.50 per card. THAT'S WHAT IT IS WORTH TO ME!
I am working on my Mets collection from 1986 on up. I understand it is a hassle to get out those old cards that are collecting dust and haven't been touched in years. I notice when a collector takes the time to help me with my wantlist... I have NO PROBLEM throwing in some extra cards in appreciation of the time you took to do that for me. I will often trade in YOUR favor in the hopes that you will dig in your double box a little deeper to get that 1 Met I still need next trade. I have no problem trading stars for commons, GU'ed for commons, Autos for commons but you have to get my trading respect first. I do tend to hold the "hard-to-get" sp's in hopes of trading them for Mets sp's from the same series. Don't ask me for a new autograph for a bunch of 1986-89 $0.15 commons until we have developed a trading repertoire and trust. Often, if you are a team collector like me, I have no problem throwing in an extra parallel or insert. Speaking of parallels, I hate serial numbered parallels and would rather not have them. If they are exactly the same as the base except for a serial number, don't send it to me. If it is different as to the colored border or foil/chrome, I don't mind that so much.
LETS GO METS!!!!!!!!!! Mike Napoleon
Added October 2011:
Looking for auto show appearances by these living 1969 Mets as I am working on an autographed 1969 Mets ball and still need these guys:
Jesse Hudson- pitched 2 innings in September
Bob Johnson
Les Rohr
J.C. Martin
Ken Boswell
Kevin Collins
Bob Heise
Bob Pfeil
Rod Gaspar
Jim Gosger
Amos Otis- played 1 game
LMK if anyone sees these guys signing. Thanks
