Update on my house....not going very well....went to the Jersey shore forced by my wife and kids to keep me away from prospective buyers....only a few visited the house...very few people interested in an old Victorian.... the millennials want new houses,new pools and decks....so it could be awhile..look likes I'm going to the Army-Rice football game in a few weeks...We are about 85% filling the pod...hard to believe your entire life and existent fits into a 7 ft bt 7 pod...the pod will be picked up by Friday...my son and daughter will empty it in Austin and put everything in our garage....threw so many trophies,paintings and stacks and stacks of basketball clippings from my teams....but today is the biggest day..... baseball cards....called a dealer and will meet with him tonight...will load my caravan and take thousands and thousands of cards....will put in the pod some elite cards from the 50's and 60's..but have so many full sets starting in 1975....Robin Younts rookie card..have about 10 full sets of Scores,Donruss and Fleers Topps....unopened wax with gum in 86" and 89's...could go on and one...many starting lineup figures..over 100....Mantle,Mays,Reggie,Hank,etc....over 20 signed baseballs ...keeping the Mantles,Yogi's etc...
the guy who owns the store already warned me I won't like the prices if you start to itemize Beckketts prices...anyway will see what he offers... I do have over 30,000 Juan Samuel cards...being a Philly fan I thought he would be the next Willie Mays....he had power,speed,etc...[ told this story here many years ago} bought in bulk..think I spent $400 to $500...this was going to be my NY State teacher retirement money...didn't need to collect from my pension.... each card would sell for $20-$25 rookie card...multiply that vs 30,000...getting a beach house on the Caymons....but of course this investment was doomed...Juan was a solid player but no Willie...now he coaches 3rd base for the Phillies....
So what do I do with 30,000 cards....at the 3 high schools I was principal at I used them as passes from the principals office...we stamped them with a time and all the teachers were told to destroy the card after getting one...instead of kids stealing and forging school passes Juan became an household school name...did have a possible glitter of hope when the Phillies traded him to the Mets but he sucked for them....I would announce in the morning sometimes calling kids to the main office,,,many times I would throw in Juan Samuels name...but my all time Juan story[told here many years ago was }...we would take at risk freshmen to Frost Valley for 3 days..about 40 kids and staff...it was up in cabins and kids learned and were taught about respect,getting along with peers,team building...etc...when we arrived back in school I gave each student a Juan Samuel " get out of jail card" in case they got into some trouble during the school yr. That was me thanking them spending a few days during thew summer with us...some kids used and tried to abuse it but teachers all knew what i did...
well 4 years later I'm walking to my car in late June.. a student comes up to me who was waiting in the parking lot..and is telling me the Guidance Dept is holding his diploma because he lost a science book his junior yr...they told him he cannot "walk" in the graduation ceremony...there was no way I was going to allow that but then he said " Mr D",I have this baseball card that I have been carrying around for 4 years...can I cash this in.. it was Juan Samuels..this kid who I didn't know his name had been carrying around this card for 4 years... I said " its your get out of jail card ..don't worry about walking....on the day of graduation with over 300 HS diplomas on my desk I found his and put the Juan Samuel card in it...when his named was called and I shook his hand I winked...when all the seniors were sitting in the seats I saw this kid raise his hand with the card....only myself,his parents and him knew what it was about....
anyway have about 1,000 left...will throw may of them out today and keep just a couple....gotta hit the attic now..almost done...maybe a few feet from home plate....on emptying the house...selling it is another story..still in the batters box...sorry for these long ass boring stories but it does make me feel good sharing and remembering...how can I ever forget Juan Samuel
the guy who owns the store already warned me I won't like the prices if you start to itemize Beckketts prices...anyway will see what he offers... I do have over 30,000 Juan Samuel cards...being a Philly fan I thought he would be the next Willie Mays....he had power,speed,etc...[ told this story here many years ago} bought in bulk..think I spent $400 to $500...this was going to be my NY State teacher retirement money...didn't need to collect from my pension.... each card would sell for $20-$25 rookie card...multiply that vs 30,000...getting a beach house on the Caymons....but of course this investment was doomed...Juan was a solid player but no Willie...now he coaches 3rd base for the Phillies....
So what do I do with 30,000 cards....at the 3 high schools I was principal at I used them as passes from the principals office...we stamped them with a time and all the teachers were told to destroy the card after getting one...instead of kids stealing and forging school passes Juan became an household school name...did have a possible glitter of hope when the Phillies traded him to the Mets but he sucked for them....I would announce in the morning sometimes calling kids to the main office,,,many times I would throw in Juan Samuels name...but my all time Juan story[told here many years ago was }...we would take at risk freshmen to Frost Valley for 3 days..about 40 kids and staff...it was up in cabins and kids learned and were taught about respect,getting along with peers,team building...etc...when we arrived back in school I gave each student a Juan Samuel " get out of jail card" in case they got into some trouble during the school yr. That was me thanking them spending a few days during thew summer with us...some kids used and tried to abuse it but teachers all knew what i did...
well 4 years later I'm walking to my car in late June.. a student comes up to me who was waiting in the parking lot..and is telling me the Guidance Dept is holding his diploma because he lost a science book his junior yr...they told him he cannot "walk" in the graduation ceremony...there was no way I was going to allow that but then he said " Mr D",I have this baseball card that I have been carrying around for 4 years...can I cash this in.. it was Juan Samuels..this kid who I didn't know his name had been carrying around this card for 4 years... I said " its your get out of jail card ..don't worry about walking....on the day of graduation with over 300 HS diplomas on my desk I found his and put the Juan Samuel card in it...when his named was called and I shook his hand I winked...when all the seniors were sitting in the seats I saw this kid raise his hand with the card....only myself,his parents and him knew what it was about....
anyway have about 1,000 left...will throw may of them out today and keep just a couple....gotta hit the attic now..almost done...maybe a few feet from home plate....on emptying the house...selling it is another story..still in the batters box...sorry for these long ass boring stories but it does make me feel good sharing and remembering...how can I ever forget Juan Samuel
