One Man's Trash is the Same Man's Treasure

    I’ve decided that I’m going to try to complete the 1981 Topps set. No big deal, I have most of the commons; all in all it will probably take me $10 to buy the star cards I need. But that’s not what I want to talk about. The reason I’m telling you this is because as I was sorting through a stack of cards last night, this card of Kevin McReynolds fell out. I—being the practical guy that I am—promptly threw it in the trash. Now, you may ask, “If you’re a baseball card collector like you say you are, why are going around throwing cards in the trash? Isn’t that the very antithesis of collecting?” And of course you’d be right. Sort of.
    You see, there are two different kinds of collector: the discerning collector who only buys what will fit within the rest of his collection and the guy who buys everything he sees. One collects, the other amasses. See the difference? It’s very faint, but there nonetheless. The funny thing is, oftentimes collectors fit into both categories. We follow whims.
    So back to that card of Kevin McReynolds. My act of throwing it in the trash proves to myself that I can be someone with standards; that I am a collector and not one who merely amasses. It’s a big deal to someone whose entire contents of his closet—and bookshelves, and boxes under the bed, and on the dresser—would prove otherwise.
    Really, what am I going to do with one more 1990 Upper Deck card of Kevin McReynolds? Especially one where he looks like a balding Michael Eisner with a mustache?
    He does kind of look like Eisner, doesn’t he. Hmmm…. That’s kind of funny. I should maybe post something on The Baseball Card Blog about that. You know, maybe I’ll just take this out of the trashcan. 1990 Upper Deck isn’t so bad. I’m sure I have room for one more card on my desk.
    Sure, I reached back into a full trashcan and fished out a card I deliberately tossed, but I still have standards, I swear. I mean, it’s not like we’re talking about 1988 Donruss.
Topics: Baseball Cards , Baseball , Ben Henry , 1990 Upper Deck , Kevin McReynolds , Michael Eisner