Thrift Store Find - Renata Galasso/TCMA

Every now and then I venture into a thrift store because you never know what you'll find.  My brother and I had been out and about looking for a bargain or two and came across a local store.  It really wasn't much on the outside, small and looking a bit ragged.  There was stuff stacked inside, and aisles ran between furniture and knick knacks. You had to be careful when turning around because an errant elbow might knock something over. Among the various stacks of old CD's, DVD's and other stuff I chanced upon a shelf full of sports cards in binders. Here I found one marked Renata Galasso Collection 1977.  I tried to contain my excitement as I opened the binder, glancing through all these great black and white photos. Then for some reason, I put it back and grabbed another binder. I don't even remember why, but I ended up walking out of there with another set of cards (I'll save that for another blogpost).

When we left I couldn't help but have the uneasy feeling I had left something behind. It took a day or two before my regrets took over and I made the trip back hoping the binder was still on the shelf. To my relief it was there, and for less than a Jackson, I had a set of Galasso Greats. 

Upon flipping through the pages it quickly dawned on me I hadn't just purchased the 1977 series one release, but this magical binder contained all 6 series! Every card still has that "glossy" look to it, as if they had been sleeved and placed in order as soon as they were received. 

The 1933 All-Stars are a couple of favorites.  Found in the 5th series, these cards celebrate the first All-Star Game and the backs are different than any other card, combining to make up a famous photo of American League manager Connie Mack and National League manager John McGraw. Another tidbit I found interesting is that the first 4 series are not marked as such, these only have the year they were supposedly printed in.  The backs of the 5th and 6th series are marked as such, along with the year.

Here are more favorites. Found in the sixth series, the original Yankee Stadium and the $100,000 Infield which is found in the 4th series (1981). For $100,000 you would think these guys would smile! I wonder what they would say about the salaries that are paid to players nowadays? Also found in the fourth series is Ty Cobb, sliding hard and looks to be earning his reputation as a big meanie.

I've mentioned previously that I'm not big into keeping cards in a binder, but in this case I don't find myself in a hurry to remove these and put them into a box. This is one set that is nice to look through as it contains photos you just don't see in any other set. Also as I've dug into the collection, I found a box containing Galasso Greats that had long been forgotten, but it only has the first 4 series and appears less glossy than these. I may seek to find a new home for those cards, but until then I don't mind having multiple sets.