Forgotten Treasures: Chuck Carr

My wife and I are not antique collectors. I need to state that up front. That term implies a level of knowledge, taste, and financing that we do not possess. While we like to go shopping in local antique stores, the truth is that we’re shopping for relatively inexpensive older stuff that just appeals to us. Nostalgia hunters, basically, on a budget.

For instance, her grandfather worked at a dairy for many years, so we try to keep an eye out for old milk bottles of various shapes and sizes from that dairy. We’ve got four or five different ones now, including a nice glass gallon jug that sometimes serves as a flower vase in our kitchen. I look for books that I’ve wanted to read, and she likes small vintage handbags. That sort of thing. And if she picks up a handbag, and notices that they want more than thirty bucks for it, she puts it back down.

Being a baseball guy, of course my eye is drawn to any interesting baseball objects during these outings. There are, uh, MANY. From gloves, to balls, to caps, to art. Baseball cards, bobbleheads, toys, uniforms, bats, even a home plate one time. Photos, magazine covers, ticket stubs, beer cans, and more plastic soda cups with team logos on them than you can count.

There are so many of these objects that I’ve decided to start a series inspired by them. We’ll call it Forgotten Treasures, which refers to both the objects themselves and the players they depict. Sure, I can find any number of things that have Ted Williams, or Albert Pujols, or Ernie Banks emblazoned upon them, but I find it so much more interesting to write about things like this find from over the weekend.

Running is the proper pose for the Chuck Carr action figure, but shouldn’t he have a helmet? Or a glove?