Shuffling The Cards

Sunday May 16th, 2010 - Milwaukee, WI

Life is turning out to be much more difficult than I thought. I was sure I’d have all life’s mysteries figured out by now, but I’m still bumbling along trying to piece it all together. I should be planning for a grandiose retirement, when in fact I’m just barely squeaking by.

I don’t like it one bit, but that’s where I am. And I know I’m not alone. I have to believe hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in this country alone are not satisfied with the direction their life is headed, but they do nothing about it except maybe drink a whole lot so they can forget it. The fact remains, we’re all self made and that can be a bitter pill.

I look back on my life and many times I had the right idea, but didn’t execute it and it’s too late to try again. Baseball cards are an example. I knew they’d be worth something at some point, so I began buying as many old ones as I could when I was barely a teenager.

I sent them away to get autographed, and I had all kinds of big stars who are now dead including Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Roger Maris and many others. I saved the right cards and had a fantastic collection by the time I graduated high school. I drifted from the card game as most kids do, but a few years later I got back in it and fell in love all over.

I bought some more stuff and then life’s storms started to hit and I was sick of having to move it time and time again so I ended up selling it all. Even though I made a very strong profit at the time, I’d have been able to make a total killing had I just held on to it longer.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda is part of everyone’s life, but I really did blow it. I should have not touched any of those cards for years, and then sold them right at the peak back around 1996 when prices were sky high. I have to believe I’d have been able to clear $150,000 or more, and I could have gotten out with a hefty chunk of change to show for my efforts.

Now, I’m trying to peddle my remnants way past the peak years and hope to break even on some stuff I probably overpaid for in the first place. I tried to force it rather than let the deal come to me, and now I’m paying for it in more ways than one. My timing was off on this deal, and not only did it take up time, space and money, it’ll take work to sell it all.

I drove up to Milwaukee today to take a run through the card show at Gonzaga Hall and meet with the guy who’s supposedly going to take my cards on consignment. He’s buying collections left and right because others are selling too, and doesn’t have room right now.

He’s been in the card game steady for 35 years, and everyone respects him. He’s from a small town in Michigan, but he travels every week to card shows and has a built up a very solid reputation for being an honest guy. I could have done that too, but I chose otherwise.

I’ve dabbled with cards for probably that long, and didn’t make a full commitment like this guy did. He’s not rich, but he’s got a plan and does ok. I’m scrambling to get out of it and move on with life, hoping to hit stride with something else. This life thing isn’t easy.