Card Show Loot, vol 3

Well lookee here. Vintage Hockey. From a card show in Calgary. What are the odds. One particular dealer had three 8' tables filled with stacks and stacks of card filled top loaders. Each stack had about 80 to 100 cards in them, and there were so many stacks, you couldn't see any of the tables. Each card was priced, and each card was "SHOW SPECIAL! 50% OFF STICKER!"

Right. Who are you kidding? But the real kicker was....... there was no rhyme or reason to the stacks. Each stack had every sport, from 1970 to 2008... it would've taken a year to go through them all.

But wait. At the back. Look! Grab it!!!

A 1970/71 O Pee Chee Joe Watson! Sweeeeeet. Now some of you may or may not know who Joe is.

A brief history: Joe and his younger brother Jim were members of the Philadelphia Flyers during the '70's and '80's, including two Stanley Cup Championships in '74 and '75.

"But Brian," you ask, "Why do you care? We thought you liked the Canadiens and the hometown Flames?"

Too true friends, too true. For the answer, we have to turn over the card and read the back. See? Right there where it says "Born:" Birthplace, Smithers British Columbia.


Joe and Jim's parents lived next door to my parents during the '70's while I was growing up.

It's like I was playing hockey! And winning the Stanley Cup! I mean, we're neighbours, right? that counts! Doesn't it?