In the late 80's or early 90's, the term "LCS" is something that the child version of myself would still be a dozen or so years away from actually using. To me - baseball cards were something that you'd get as a reward for good schoolwork or doing what your told - the kinds of things that are usually rewarded with electronics of some kind now-a-days. I grew up loving the Braves, as most extremely rural children did from Central Louisiana, and walking into those big box stores was a thrill when you knew a sealed pack of waxy goodness awaited you. As I would think back on it, the number one image I can recall is unwrapping a pack of Donruss to find those iconic Diamond Kings staring at me.
Flash forward to 2002 - sports cards had managed to come into their own, again, after nearly being crippled by over production during the years I remembered so fondly. Donruss began a program that year of releasing "buy backs" of their old products, each featuring autographs of the player, and referred to it as the Recollection Collection.
By 2005, I had gotten back into sports collecting, and I stumbled onto the Recollection autographs during one of my usual low-end box breaks. It wasn't a player of note, but the idea of getting autographs on cards from my childhood really intrigued me. That intrigue changed when I got my hands on the first Diamond King buy back, and my focus quickly tightened. Those Diamond Kings that so reminded me of what was "collecting" years before soon became the driving force behind my sport card buying.
I compiled a list of around 90 cards that I considered the "must haves," and started on a journey that has taken me numerous years to get to the point where I am.
Here - in the Gallery - you can see what has become a pleasant reminder to me of what it means to collect for the sake of collecting.
Thank you, and welcome...
Dick Perez : The Artist
Freedom Card Board
Leads
Beckett Magazine
Dick Perez
Perez is the artisit behind the iconic hand-painted images that have adorned years of sports collectibles. His use of flashy color but accurate portrayal has garnered him reknown in many facets of the sports community. Read more about his life and art by following this link:
Freedom Card Board
The place where I hang my hat and call "home" for sport collecting discussion. A great community headed up by a guy with a great care for the hobby.
Have you seen something I don't have?
If you see a card that you believe meets the focus of my collection, please, don't hesitate to contact me. I always welcome leads, and any direction to help my collection is greatly appreciated.
Beckett Magazine
Beckett is the leading source in sports hobby news, grading and pricing for sports collectibles. They also offer online collection organizing and sports discussion.