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gracecollector
Well-known member
So this is what it's all about for me collecting... the unexpected discovery and the acquisition of a personally significant item.
As many here know, I run the website http://www.capanson.com, and am an amateur historian of HOFer Cap Anson, the first player with 3,000 hits who played 1876-1897. Most of his cards and collectibles are beyond my means, costing in the thousands of dollars. But occasionally I get lucky.
Yesterday, a postcard got listed on eBay. It just happens that the seller lives very close to me. And the subject matter of the postcard was locally significant as well. It features a game being played by Anson's Colts, a semi-pro team that Anson managed in 1907-1908. His team is playing a against a town team from Marengo, IL - a town that is 10 miles west of where I live. The photo-postcard was produced by a photographic studio in Elgin, IL - a town 8 miles south of me.
So when I saw the listing last night on eBay, I immediately contacted the seller. He wrote me back today, and we had a nice conversation. He's a retired gentleman who has collected postcards of local significance for many years, and is now selling off his collection. He had seen my website while trying to research the postcard, so he knew my dedication to Anson. Being local helped the conversation along. By the end of the phone call, he accepted an offer from me to buy the postcard and end the auction. I'm stopping by his house tonight to pick it up and see his postcard collection.
The fun part will be trying to find any historical references to the game and identify the date it was played. I'd also like to know what the factory building in the background is. I love the "Adm. 10 cents" on the side of the grandstand, the old cars in the background, the fans still being allowed to sit in the outfield, and the in-game action. I don't think Cap Anson himself can be seen, but it will be fun to go over the card with a jeweler's loupe and see what other hidden information I can find!
Extra Large Scan
As many here know, I run the website http://www.capanson.com, and am an amateur historian of HOFer Cap Anson, the first player with 3,000 hits who played 1876-1897. Most of his cards and collectibles are beyond my means, costing in the thousands of dollars. But occasionally I get lucky.
Yesterday, a postcard got listed on eBay. It just happens that the seller lives very close to me. And the subject matter of the postcard was locally significant as well. It features a game being played by Anson's Colts, a semi-pro team that Anson managed in 1907-1908. His team is playing a against a town team from Marengo, IL - a town that is 10 miles west of where I live. The photo-postcard was produced by a photographic studio in Elgin, IL - a town 8 miles south of me.
So when I saw the listing last night on eBay, I immediately contacted the seller. He wrote me back today, and we had a nice conversation. He's a retired gentleman who has collected postcards of local significance for many years, and is now selling off his collection. He had seen my website while trying to research the postcard, so he knew my dedication to Anson. Being local helped the conversation along. By the end of the phone call, he accepted an offer from me to buy the postcard and end the auction. I'm stopping by his house tonight to pick it up and see his postcard collection.
The fun part will be trying to find any historical references to the game and identify the date it was played. I'd also like to know what the factory building in the background is. I love the "Adm. 10 cents" on the side of the grandstand, the old cars in the background, the fans still being allowed to sit in the outfield, and the in-game action. I don't think Cap Anson himself can be seen, but it will be fun to go over the card with a jeweler's loupe and see what other hidden information I can find!
Extra Large Scan