where in the world is my wallet card? - hanging out with mr. october edition

i took some time earlier today to head to the bi-annual regional card show that, oddly enough, was scheduled for the same weekend as the monthly local card show.  the reason i chose the regional show was it draws dealers from a broader range of locales, plus they bring in some interesting autograph guests.  the one signer i keyed in on a couple of months ago when i first looked at the lineup was reggie jackson.  

first of all, i could only go to the show on saturday, so that meant no bill madlock for me.  second, reggie is in the 1978 topps set (twice), and i have amassed over a couple hundred signed cards from that set.  third, even though he was a yankee who beat the team of my youth in back-to-back world series, he's still mr. october.

i arrived later than i had hoped, and missed out on handing over a 330-count box of cards to brian from hsca.  that's the box there under my 1978 topps jackson card, the autograph ticket, and my trusty wallet card - a beat up (even more beat up now) 1974 topps steve garvey card.

i chose reggie's base card over his world series recap card because, to me, it's one of his most iconic cards.  the guy behind me in line was having a 1969 topps rookie card signed, and that might be the only card more iconic than the '78.

the line for jim craig (usa! usa! usa!) was about the same length as reggie's, but they were only letting in a limited number of people at a time for craig.  there was no such metering of reggie's line.  that was ok, as the line was moving well, even as reggie took photos with some folks. he had a couple of guys helping him out - one taking the tickets and the other monitoring the stuff being signed.  i was wearing my dodger hat, and the first guy commented on it. i told reggie that he broke my heart in 1977 and 1978, but that game 6 of the '77 series was one of the most impressive things i've ever seen.  even at 6 years old, i knew enough to be impressed by 3 home runs in one world series game.  he thanked me for the words, and as i was telling him i wouldn't ask about him sticking out his hip in the 1978 world series, he reached for my wallet card.

the second guy made sure that reggie didn't sign it - i don't think he would have - but reggie did ask me who it was on the card, and i told him it was the garv and that i kept the card in my wallet.  he didn't say anything about that, but did offer his hand for me to shake which was pretty cool.

it turned out that the '78 topps card isn't the best to get signed since there's a dark background on the bottom half of the card, but i'll still take it.

wallet card and i have a nice little story to tell.

i browsed the wares of a few vendors, and found a guy selling various signed cards for a couple bucks apiece.  i couldn't resist buying a 1981 topps bill russell

a 1984 donruss bill russell

a 1967 topps jim barbieri

and a couple of 1978 topps cards - gene clines

and bob gorinski

seeing the gorinski signed in ballpoint reminded me that i had received a dave lemanczyk card signed

through the mail a couple of weeks back.

i picked up some other cards at the show, including some decent vintage for a few of you out there in blogger land.  keep an eye out.