Over the years I’ve amassed quite a plethora of sports memorabilia. Out of all of my collectibles, I hold one thing near and dear to my heart. My Lawrence Taylor 1982 Topps rookie card. It was just blind luck on how I stumbled upon this treasure.
It was during the holidays when my father and I decided to take a little sojourn up to Bankston’s Used Books and Collectibles. I was browsing the vast selection of cards as I usually did when I came across a box of individually wrapped 1982 Topps football cards. I asked my dad if I could pick up a pack or two if I promised to do some extra chores around the house. He complied with my request and I walked out of the store with three packs.
When we got home, we took our respective places at the kitchen table. My dad with a cold beer and me with a mug of hot chocolate. This was our little ritual. My dad and I going through my new cards together. He would help sort, rank and file all the keepers. He was obviously older and knew a little bit more about the card collecting process.
I unwrapped the first pack and carefully thumbed through the cards. Nothing really caught my eye. I handed the pack over to my dad who looked through them. A little slower than I had. He found nothing as well.
I started on the second pack. Again, I found nothing that caught my eye. I handed the pack over to my dad and that’s when he said it. “Hey, look. A Lawrence Taylor rookie card. Far out. This card is going to be something special.” Boy, was he right. That card is very special to me.
To this day I still have my Lawrence Taylor rookie card in the same hard, plastic card protector that I put it in many years ago. It sits undisturbed on my bookshelf along with a few more of my special cards. I actually have more of a fondness for it now as I’ve gotten older.
That card is a part of my childhood. More importantly, it holds a very special memory of bonding with my father. Every time I look at that card, a warm feeling of nostalgia washes over me. Monetarily, the card is worth around twenty dollars. But the sentimental value it holds is priceless.