What is the sports memorabilia you regret selling, giving away or throwing out?

[BROTHERSKINNY]

So Rutgers85 tribute post to Curly Neal got me thinking about my sports memorabilia that I have “Lost” over the years. Specifically the Harlem Globetrotters because when I was 6 years old my father took me and my two older siblings to see them at MSG. This was in the mid 70’s when Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon were in their prime. My father bought me and my brother programs and we had them signed after the game by a bunch of the Globetotters. This was my most prized possession for a few years then I moved onto to other things. Rutgers85 post got me thinking as to where that program is now. It is long gone I know that but I regret not having it now that one of the guys who signed it on that day is now gone.
So what sports memorabilia do you regret not having today that you wish you did?

 

[sunsetregret]

In my early 20s, I lent my high school baseball mitt to my girlfriend to play softball. We broke up shortly after and it's been gone ever since. I wish I still had it.

 

[newell138]

When I was about 7, my uncle who was about 70 gave me a box of his old baseball cards, this was about 1970. I was a huge Mets fan. I traded a Babe Ruth card for a pile of Mets cards. Now I don't recall if it was an original card or a replica since I was only 7, but I do still have all those Mets cards from 1968 and 1969.

No regrets but a few years ago I sold some 1969 World Series ticket stubs on Ebay.

 

[mdk01]

My brother and I shared a bedroom. Once we were both away at college my parents did a declutter of our room. We arrived home for Christmas to find a box of baseball cards was gone. About 12-14 years old at that point there were from 1960-62, decent condition but by no means mint, and included a Maris '61 and some catcher on the Yankees Zappaa might be familiar with. Probably a couple of hundred cards

 

[Rutgersfamily]

Early-mid 1960s, had multiple Mickey Mantle Topps cards. So many some were used in bicycle spokes for effect, and ‘pitched’ against the with friends for ‘keeps’. (Remember that?) Plus mom through them out to declutter as I got older. Boy would I like to have all of them back.

 

[LC-88]

Had one of those mini bats they used to hand out a MLB games. From my first Red Sox - Yankee game, summer of 1972. I think Mom confiscated it since it resembled a billy club.

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

My brother and I shared a bedroom. Once we were both away at college my parents did a declutter of our room. We arrived home for Christmas to find a box of baseball cards was gone. About 12-14 years old at that point there were from 1960-62, decent condition but by no means mint, and included a Maris '61 and some catcher on the Yankees Zappaa might be familiar with. Probably a couple of hundred cards

Speaking of baseball cards my best friend from grade school until high school collected baseball cards from every manufacturer in the U.S. I can't remember exactly but he was a prolific collector of baseball cards from the mid 1970's until the late 1980's. He had complete series from different manufacturers stored in shoe boxes for every year from around 1975 to 1988-89. He went away to school and then moved out, then his parents moved and threw out all the shoe boxes of baseball cards. My friend is still pissed about it to this day. His parents literally threw out a fortune in baseball cards. The way he explained it to me was, there are many individual cards out floating around being traded but very few complete series from different manufacturers that have been handled once. He said The whole collection would have been valued somewhere between 15 - 25k as a whole. Easy come, easy go.

 

[RUinsane]

Had one of those mini bats they used to hand out a MLB games. From my first Red Sox - Yankee game, summer of 1972. I think Mom confiscated it since it resembled a billy club.

I had a full-sized one from Bat Day in the 70's at Yankee Stadium. It was a Thurmon Munson signature bat. Also wish I had my NY Jets kids helmet circa 1974. But most prized possession were all my USFL pennants. Actually found a Generals one for $10 at a flea market 10 years ago. I was USFL season ticket holder all three years. As I was in 6th-8th grade at the time it coincided with time in your life when Sports is bigger than life. And I absolutely loved the USFL (and Generals).

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

I had a full-sized one from Bat Day in the 70's at Yankee Stadium. It was a Thurmon Munson signature bat. Also wish I had my NY Jets kids helmet circa 1974. But most prized possession were all my USFL pennants. Actually found a Generals one for $10 at a flea market 10 years ago. I was USFL season ticket holder all three years. As I was in 6th-8th grade at the time it coincided with time in your life when Sports is bigger than life. And I absolutely loved the USFL (and Generals).

Herschel Walker baby!

 

[T2Kplus10]

So Rutgers85 tribute post to Curly Neal got me thinking about my sports memorabilia that I have “Lost” over the years. Specifically the Harlem Globetrotters because when I was 6 years old my father took me and my two older siblings to see them at MSG. This was in the mid 70’s when Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon were in their prime. My father bought me and my brother programs and we had them signed after the game by a bunch of the Globetotters. This was my most prized possession for a few years then I moved onto to other things. Rutgers85 post got me thinking as to where that program is now. It is long gone I know that but I regret not having it now that one of the guys who signed it on that day is now gone.
So what sports memorabilia do you regret not having today that you wish you did?

Not sports-related, but if I didn't destroy, lose, and throw away all of my childhood Star Wars toys, I would be an ebay millionaire now! :)

 

[mdk01]

Early-mid 1960s, had multiple Mickey Mantle Topps cards. So many some were used in bicycle spokes for effect, and ‘pitched’ against the with friends for ‘keeps’. (Remember that?) Plus mom through them out to declutter as I got older. Boy would I like to have all of them back.

The bench warmers became "bicycle spokes" material. The stars were saved.

 

[fischy5000]

when i was a little kid my friend and i split a table at the local baseball card show. I let a more seasoned collector (and adult) pressure me into trading him my 86 fleer Patrick Ewing rookie for a Billy Williams card (not rookie). I think at the time it might have been semi equiv value but the Ewing has went up a bunch and i regret making the deal.

 

[RUboston]

When I was 11 years old my world revolved around baseball. Played it all day, bought and traded baseball cards, followed the statistics, read about old timers, etc. I loved the 1975 Red Sox. Fred Lynn, a rookie that year who won MVP and Rookie of the Year, was my idol at the time. I copied my batting stance after him and followed his box score every day in the newspaper. My Dad took me on one of his business trips that summer to Louisville, KY. We went to the Louisville Slugger factory and I had a Fred Lynn autographed 30 inch bat made. It was one of the prized possessions of my youth.

It remained in a closet in my old bedroom at my Mom's house in NJ, along with my older brother's Eddie Matthews bat. Every time I visited my Mom the bats would be there. It was like a piece of my childhood remained and it brought back great memories. I could have taken them with me at any time but I liked them being in my old house and bedroom.

Then, a few years ago I was down for a visit. I opened the closet and it was empty. I asked my mother where the bats were and she said she had cleaned out the closet and taken them to the dump.

Also in that closet was a Tudor electric football game I got for Christmas. The classic one, it was the Jets vs. Colts Super Bowl, pictured below. She threw that out too.

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/vintage-electric-football-games-carve-niche/

It took a while but I eventually forgave her. : )

 

[RUhasarrived]

In 1965,I scattered about 7,000 Topps,Fleer,and non sports cards all over this open field in East Newark.Soon was built there a housing project.When the place is demolished a few centuries hence,a few of these cards may still be intact as cleanup restrictions were not as stringent then.

Also:My Brooklyn Dodgers PEZ dispenser bought at Roosevelt Stadium in 1957,a Knicks-Celtics program from a 1966 game at the old MSG,a game in which Bill Russell fouled out,maybe some old ticket stubs,etc.

Speaking of ticket stubs,I keep 2 of them in my wallet:The 1994 game against Kent State and the 2001 postponed game vs Cal.The reason I keep the latter is that on Sept.10,2001,I was home sick-my gallbladder would be removed in 10 days(The Piazza home run day) and bemoaning the irony that I would unable to attend the game on the 15th after I had gone out to Cal for the 1999 game there.By late November,I was able to go.

 

[e5fdny]

When they were growing up in Jersey City my Uncle gave away a baseball my Dad had that was signed by multiple Hall of Famers. Including Babe Ruth.

 

[BigWill]

Early-mid 1960s, had multiple Mickey Mantle Topps cards. So many some were used in bicycle spokes for effect, and ‘pitched’ against the with friends for ‘keeps’. (Remember that?) Plus mom through them out to declutter as I got older. Boy would I like to have all of them back.

I only used "others" for my bike spokes, saved EVERY Mick card I ever found. One of Dad's moves (think Army brats) as a football coach they got lost. I had hundreds.

Also lost my Mickey Mantle Rawlings glove that I used thru high school and prep school and summer league ball as I wore # 7, switch hit and played centerfield, when I went to UNC.

When I quit the UNC football team I called for him to ship my glove down and I was going to play bases at UNC. He asked my why I needed the glove, that's when I told him I had quit football. The next day Syracuse Asst Coach called me and told me to transfer. Next day I was on a plane, that afternoon I was on the Syracuse practice field. About 6 guys from my prep were already on team.

Dad later told me the glove was lost in the move after prep school.

 

[SirPerceval]

My grandfather bought me the complete 1979 Topps set. Genius that I was at 10 years old I decided it would be best to pull out all of the all-stars and put them in a safe place - of course I forgot where I hid them or my mother threw them out by mistake (I now I had put them in this portable chess set where the board folds into a case). Over the years I've acquired some of them at shows and online but its not really the same as having a complete set given to you by your grandfather and I gave up. Maybe its time to complete the set.

 

[RUfromSoCal?]

in 1973, when I was very young, I had a relative who worked with the Miami Dolphins - he sent me one of those small, hard plastic, footballs signed by the 1972 perfect 17-0 Dolphins (Griese, Czonka, etc...)

Kids being kids - I was more interested in playing with it and throwing it around..in the rain and mud and...... you know - all those things that made all the signatures come off...........

stupid me...

 

[newell138]

Speaking of baseball cards my best friend from grade school until high school collected baseball cards from every manufacturer in the U.S. I can't remember exactly but he was a prolific collector of baseball cards from the mid 1970's until the late 1980's. He had complete series from different manufacturers stored in shoe boxes for every year from around 1975 to 1988-89. He went away to school and then moved out, then his parents moved and threw out all the shoe boxes of baseball cards. My friend is still pissed about it to this day. His parents literally threw out a fortune in baseball cards. The way he explained it to me was, there are many individual cards out floating around being traded but very few complete series from different manufacturers that have been handled once. He said The whole collection would have been valued somewhere between 15 - 25k as a whole. Easy come, easy go.

One would think with a collection that large the parents may have called and asked him if he wanted it

 

[rc64]

I still have my all-time favorite baseball card: 1950 Jackie Robinson. Traded for it in the fall of 1951 to two twin brothers who wanted some of my 1951 Bowmans Yankee cards. No regrets, even though the 1951 Mantle card that I traded to them is probably worth quite a bit.

[What happened to the 1951 Dodgers is, of course, another story. I still have not gotten over that!]

 

[robcac26]

I let a friend of mine borrow the hockey stick I scored my first goal with. Of course it snapped in half in about 5 minutes.

In middle school, my mom would give me 4 or 5 bucks for lunch every day. I spent between 3 and 4 and saved the rest. When Mario Lemieux came out of retirement in 2000, I used all the singles I had saved up to buy a Lemieux jersey. I got one of my buddies interested in hockey by making him watch the game in which Lemieux came out of retirement and picked up an assist 30 seconds into the game and later scored a goal and another assist. At some point in college, I gave him the jersey in exchange for something else. I completely forgot what the other part of the agreement was, but I do remember it wasn't long before I realized it was a pretty bad deal on my end.

 

[RutgersDom]

Used to run the visiting locker room for the Devils many moons ago, gave away a Wayne Gretzky signed stick...to my cousin but still! :-)

 

[gigantor1024]

I can’t find my Louisville ticket stub. I’ve got a bunch from that season but can’t find it. I will admit I had been in the presidents box for most of that game, tho my best friend and I ran down to the fences before Ito hit the kick. I might have the pass that got us into the box but I really wish I could find the ticket

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

One would think with a collection that large the parents may have called and asked him if he wanted it

Parents are really wealthy. Kids were all out of the house. I wasn't there but I am sure the parents paid someone to clean the house for resale and the cleaner person just did as they were told and cleans the storage area that they told them to. The parents probably did not realize that the collection was in there. As I stated his parents are very wealthy and will leave him a sizable inheritance which will help get over the pain of getting rid of his baseball cards!

 

[rutger80]

My sister threw out my 1968 baseball cards, which of course had the last Mantle card and the Ryan rookie card. (she needed a shoe box) I also had a baseball personally autographed by Phil Rizzuto at the Stadium that my brother and I decided to throw with in the street. Couple of bounces and bye bye signature.

 

[rubaseball78]

My baseball cards.

 

[BROTHERSKINNY]

My baseball cards.

Just think if everyone had held onto their baseball cards they would not be worth what some of them are these days!

 

[RUBubba]

My basement flooded when Irene (2011) hit. Went down and discovered my plastic boxes with my cards floating upside down. Almost threw up when I saw them. First box I opened had a bunch of Roger Clemens rookie cards right on top. (Again, 2011 so he wasn't quite the disgraced figure he is now.), then when I kept digging through it, I found the Ken Griffey Jr. cards.

 

[ashokan]

I cashed my winning ticket for Secretariat at Belmont.

My two dollar bet only paid twenty cents, but I was a kid and two dollars was a lot then lol

 

[Rutgers85]

My father was a Brooklyn Dodger fan and was at Don Larsen's WS perfect game. He kept the torn ticket stub but now I can`t find it. Doubt it was worth much but I still wish I had it. On the other hand I have some Sports Illustrateds from 1955 but they are worth only $7 each. Just my luck.

 

[fischy5000]

I was working an event during awards season for Brokeback mtn and Heath Ledger and Michelle williams had signed a few things. I had a pic they signed but because they used a pen/marker from another item of a diff texture, the ink didnt sink into the photo paper so as the days went on id see the signatures fading and fading until now you can only see the glistening of the signatures if you look from a certain angle. With his death, the value shot up alot.

When i was in little league my dad had let me use his glove from growing up----the fake sig inside was from Thurmon Munson. Unfortunately i lost the glove i think getting into the car after the game. He tried to play it off as it being OK, but to this day i still feel really bad for losing his glove.

 

[RUScottish05]

In grade school my family and I moved to a new town and I started playing baseball with these kids. We ended up needing a ball so I took the signed baseball from my stepfathers home office. I brought the ball, so I hit first. What do you know, I hit a home run into the neighbors yard, which was guarded by a huge dog we called “the beast”.

I didn’t know much about baseball, but I knew something wasn’t right. I told my friends we needed to get the ball back because it was a gift from some lady my stepfather knew. She even signed it, “Baby Ruth”.

 

[SkilletHead2]

My mom gave away my 1950's baseball card collection while I was away at college, but that wouldn't be my best memorabilia (memorabilia does not appear to have a singular form, which is odd).

When I was eight years old, I went to a supermarket opening where Jesse Owens was the attraction. He ran some hurdles and then talked with the small group that was there. Actually got to have an exchange with him. He then signed a circular translator of measures from English to metric. I remember that the pen didn't deposit ink uniformly and he had done two J's to get it going. Wish I still had it.

My other regret is when I was buying sports cards with Skillethead Jr. over 30 years ago, and after getting a card that had both Tinkers and Evers on it, and another one with Chance, and then getting a Moe Berg card (no collection complete without a catcher who was also a spy), we decided not to get that Wayne Gretzky rookie card even though it was mint. "Hockey cards are never going to catch on, Ben." Yep, that's what I said. Was going for around $40 at the time. But we do have a nice set of Koufaxes. And 200 John Smoltzes rookie (sadly, Topps).

 

[BigWill]

Had a basketball used in the NBA All Star game in the mid 80's that one of the game officials had both teams sign.
Had 2 footballs signed by all the Notre Dame Heisman winners..
Can't find my Michael Jordan rookie card.

All after Sandy left 3-4 feet of water in my house.

 

[wicker]

My dad caught a foul ball at Shea in 1969 and lovingly kept it into the mid 80's when I needed a ball and used it. No idea where it ended up

 

[LETSGORU91]

In grade school my family and I moved to a new town and I started playing baseball with these kids. We ended up needing a ball so I took the signed baseball from my stepfathers home office. I brought the ball, so I hit first. What do you know, I hit a home run into the neighbors yard, which was guarded by a huge dog we called “the beast”.

I didn’t know much about baseball, but I knew something wasn’t right. I told my friends we needed to get the ball back because it was a gift from some lady my stepfather knew. She even signed it, “Baby Ruth”.

====> The Sandlot

 

[knightfan7]

An Angels line up card autographed by Whitey Ford, the Yankee's starting pitcher that day.

Lost it with a lot of personal stuff after Sandy.

 

[RUsince52]

I probably started collecting baseball cards around 1953. As kids we all bought packs to collect sets and they didn't have to be mint. Few were because we would flip them and play games. The names didn't matter so much. Never really had price lists either.
I had mostly Topps, but a few Bowmans and and especially the 1957 television series. Anyhow,I had a ton of rookie cards of all the stars of the early 50' s (Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Snider, Musial etc) and most were in very good condition. When I left for college my mother asked me if she could give them to our church rummage sale and I said sure. Oh well, live and learn. I didn't. I started collecting again in the Mid 80' s, all different sports. Over the next 20 years I accumulated thousands of cards, but nothing of any value like when I was a kid. Always wondered what the total worth would have been 50 years later.
Still have my 0 Guage Lionel electric trains so not a total loss.

 

[REDRICH65]

Used to collect game programs in 50’s/‘60’s. Moved from Jersey in 70’s. All lost in multiple moves. Had all from ‘61 undefeated season and 100th Anniversary Game vs Princeton in ‘69.

 

[quincybog]

So Rutgers85 tribute post to Curly Neal got me thinking about my sports memorabilia that I have “Lost” over the years. Specifically the Harlem Globetrotters because when I was 6 years old my father took me and my two older siblings to see them at MSG. This was in the mid 70’s when Curly Neal and Meadowlark Lemon were in their prime. My father bought me and my brother programs and we had them signed after the game by a bunch of the Globetotters. This was my most prized possession for a few years then I moved onto to other things. Rutgers85 post got me thinking as to where that program is now. It is long gone I know that but I regret not having it now that one of the guys who signed it on that day is now gone.
So what sports memorabilia do you regret not having today that you wish you did?

Here’s a short version of long story. Yankees visit Orioles May 1954. Was a senior in high school just up the street from Memorial Stadium. Skipped a couple of classes so we could watch Yankees arrive. Wound up with a baseball signed by many of the Yankees including Ford, Rizzuto, Mantle, Casey Stengel, Bill Dickey, and others. It stayed in my room at home in Baltimore through my time at Rutgers and U.S. Army. Many years later couldn’t find it. Mother taught school in inner city Baltimore. Saw some kids at school tossing and hitting a tattered old ball, next day they had a new ball. Yep, “the one with all the names on it” as Mom said.

And I don’t know what happened to all the programs I picked up after watching Texas Western beat U. of Kentucky in the NCAA basketball finals at Cole Field House, Univ. of Maryland in 1966. Must have had 5 or 6. Suspect they were lost in a move abroad a few years later.