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Sunday, May 20, 2012

Starting Lineup Stories: The Griffey that Got Away...but really didn't!

I was with a buddy of mine helping go door to door and hang Easter bags in a local neighborhood. When we were done, his dad took us to Wal Mart just to check the local SLU's. We both collected and knew that the 2000 series had come out so we wanted to see if there was any there. I got to the aisle first and shouted in delight what I found...

Sweeeeeeeeeeeet......but it instantly turned bittersweet as I had known I had forgotten my wallet and had no way to buy the piece!! The excitement of finding the Lineup got the best of me. Now if I was the scheming type, I'd a hid it in a different department, rushed home, and had my parents take me back to Wal Mart ASAP. Alas, I couldn't do it, and when my buddy came to see what I was excited about, I showed him what I had found and give him dibs on it. I figured I'd find it sooner or later. I did go back to grab the Vladimir Guerrero that was there, but it wasn't the same a mere consolation prize, as Griffey was my favorite player and had I just brought my money with me, the Griffey would be mine. My friend is a huge Dallas Mavs fan and there was one piece on my wall that he'd been eying for years.... this one

This was pre Dirk days, so naturally Michael Finley was his favorite player in the league at the time and this was his rookie piece. So a couple days later after the Wal Mart let down he came over and asked me if I wanted to make a trade. The Finley for the Griffey. I was hesitant at first, I didn't like trading pieces away unless I had a double, and I knew it would be hard for me to find another Finley, but this was Ken Griffey Jr, and that pose, and I couldn't say no to Griff!! So we made the trade and both got what we really wanted. We both still have the figures from that trade made more than a decade ago. I was never mad at my friend, I would've done the exact same thing, it was my fault I didn't have the funds and knowing he was a fellow collector I wasn't going to deprive him of getting a Griffey SLU. I'm just glad at the end we both ended up happy and the Griffey went to its rightful owner!!

1 comment:

  1. Cool post Chris... and you're a better man than me. I've never done it myself, but if I were in the same situation as yours, I probably would have buried it and came back.

    In the end, both parties were happy and that's what truly matters. Great story.

    Speaking of SLU's... I picked one up at the flea market today. I'll try to write up a post either tonight or tomorrow.

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