So a few weeks back I decided to hunt down Reggie Sanders’ rookie baseball card. Remembered watching him play for the Reds back in the day, dude had insane speed. Figured it’d be cheap too since he’s not exactly a superstar. Man, was I wrong.
The Wild Goose Chase Begins
First I hit up local card shops. Owner laughed when I asked about Reggie Sanders cards. “Nobody asks for those,” he says. Pulled out a dusty box from under the counter. Cards smelled like mothballs and basement damp. Found three different Sanders cards all messed up – bent corners, stains that looked like coffee spills. Felt like I was digging through a dumpster.
Tried eBay next. Set filters for 1991 Fleer Ultra – that’s his actual rookie year. Dozens of listings popped up but most were fakes with washed-out colors. Legit sellers wanted $40 bucks for near-mint condition? Crazy for a guy who batted .235 that season! Messaged six sellers asking for close-up photos. Half never replied, one guy sent blurry pics that looked like they’d been taken with a potato.
When Thrift Stores Bite Back
Then I hit thrift stores. Found one that had baseball cards in ziploc bags by the register. Owner says “three bucks per bag, no digging.” Grabbed four bags hoping for the Sanders miracle. Spent two hours sorting through garbage – 1990 Donruss commons, Jimmy-freaking-Eyre pitching cards, even found a soggy piece of chewing gum stuck to a Greg Vaughn card. Felt like flushing twelve bucks down the toilet.
The big realization hit me:
- Reggie Sanders collectors don’t actually exist
- His rookie card only seems cheap until you need it
- Thrift store cards have definitely been sneezed on
Finally scored one on OfferUp after three weeks. Drove forty minutes to meet this dude in a Wendy’s parking lot. He pulls out the card wrapped in yesterday’s newspaper. Corners were slightly worn but hell, at this point I was desperate. Handed him fifteen dollars cash like a drug deal. Card now sits in a shoebox with my other misfit toys. Lesson learned? Some journeys ain’t worth the gas money. But hey, got my Reggie Sanders story now.
