Without Mama Fuji's influence... I'm fairly confident I wouldn't be here writing a blog post about cards. She bought the first packs of trading cards (1977 Topps Star Wars) I remember opening. When I started collecting baseball cards in the early 80's, she was the one buying me packs of 1981 Donruss and Topps whenever we were at the grocery store or pharmacy. By the late 80's... Costco was carrying cards and every now and then I'd come home from school with a box of Topps sitting on the counter.
Eventually she stopped buying cards, but she never stopped supported my interest in the hobby. When my parents retired in Las Vegas, I'd visit them a few times each year. I'd always set aside one day to hunt for cards at local card shops and Targets. Mama Fuji was always there with me.
In an alternate world, is there a chance I'd still be collecting cards without her support? Maybe. But I doubt I'd be nearly as passionate about the hobby as I am today. Thank you Mom!
Speaking of the hobby... here are a pair of cards for you (the readers):
1996 Upper Deck Olympicard #66
What's the significance of this athlete? Well... Tracie Ruiz-Conforto won two gold medals in artistic swimming (solo and duet) for the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics. Four years later, she would head over to Seoul and bring home a silver medal.
In between those Olympics, she met and married a Penn State football player. Fast forward to March 1st, 1993. On that day... Tracie, her husband, and their daughter would welcome the latest addition to their Conforto family:
2023 Topps #419
Happy Mother's Day Mom! I love you and miss you so much!
And happy Mother's Day to all of the other moms out there... including Tracie Ruiz-Conforto! I hope all of you enjoy your special day!
Happy Sunday and sayonara!
5 comments:
That is a very interesting connection. Don't remember those Upper Deck cards from 1996 but I know the Olympics was in Atlanta that year. That is also a great looking card - that photo looks live it could have been taken in 2024 as opposed to 1984
Great story and great tie in.
Cool story for sure!!
That was a really cool tie in.
Happy Mother's Day to the late Mama Fuji and all the other moms that got their kids into collecting!
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