Mondays with Hoyt, Episode IV

2001 Topps Archives Reserve #15 Hoyt Wilhelm

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I completely forgot it was Monday.

Thus, composing this week's "Mondays with Hoyt" post slipped my mind. I guess that type of thing happens during vacation from time to time.

So here's a bonus post for tonight.

If you could own one baseball card (without the intention of re-selling), what would it be?

I've only ever had one answer for that question, and it will probably be my answer for a long, long time, if not forever.

A 1952 Topps #398 Hoyt Wilhelm rookie card.

I wouldn't even have to think about it.

Unfortunately, the card books in the quadruple digits, so it may well always be a fantasy for me. I rarely spend more than five bucks on a card anymore, anyways.

My dream is to become rich when I get older and buy the card at some point. I saw a beat-up copy online a while back for a hundred and fifty bucks. I was considering using my Christmas money that year to help fund the purchase. But by the time the holiday came, the card was gone. I've never seen a copy sell for less than a few hundred bucks since.

While owning the actual card may always be a fantasy, I'm still extremely pleased to own Wilhelm's psychedelic '01 Topps Archives reprint issue.

Usually, I don't like when card companies mess with old card designs and/or reprints, such as the chrome parallels in Topps Heritage. They just don't fit.

The lone exception to the rule is Topps Archives Reserve, which was released in both 2001 and '02. I'm not sure why I prefer these to the others. 

They look sharp.

Shiny or not, a reprint might again be the closest I get to owning the real deal. But that's another great thing about baseball cards.

You just never know.