On Collecting Celtics Basketball Cards

Not long ago, I thought it might be time to solidify my collection of Boston Celtics basketball cards. My collection started in the 1970s, but it was spotty. With the onset of the Larry Bird Era, I have everything worth anything.

So my goal was to add to my 1970s collection, and maybe even throw in a card or two from the 1960s.

My journey started out fine and well.

I managed to find someone who would sell me all of Bill Russell's cards for less than $50. Having saved boatloads of dough on that transaction, I next turned my focus to eBay.

I couldn't be proud of my 1970s collection with only one Paul Silas card (Paul Silas wearing a Celtics uniform, that is). Silas, along with Dave Cowens, totally dominated the glass over several years, including their two championship seasons, 1974 and 1976. I found one bargain, what amounts to a doctored portrait of Silas for less than $3. Not particularly fond of still portraits depicting people who play action sports, much less one in which the player's uniform has been doctored by the card manufacturer, I grabbed it nonetheless.

Next I moved to Paul Westphal. Westphal played a key role on the Celtics 1974 championship squad, and I didn't own a single card of Westphal wearin' da GREEN. Again, without too much effort, I found a bargain. It was another still portrait. But I needed to add some Westphal to my collection, no matter how distasteful the photo.

Finally, I realized that I needed to bolster my John Havlicek collection. Havlicek probably deserves a seat at the table for any conversation seeking to discuss the single greatest player in Celtics history. Usually that conversation stops and starts with Russell and Bird. I, too, am guilty of this sin. For someone as good as Havlicek, I need more than the two cards I currently own.

Regardless of where you stand on this Russell-Havlicek-Bird debate, the quality of the photos on the old Havlicek cards is near laughable. Before 1972, every Havlicek card I can find is of the player in an actionless, posed setting. Sure, the tall card I have pictured above has a bit of a vintage "Honus Wagner" flare to it. But the owner is trying to sell it for $100. One-hundred dollars! Give me a break.

I was also tempted to find a Don Nelson card to accompany the one I already own. The two affordable options are one card where Nelson is wearing blue trunks (blue!!) and another where he is sporting a porn-stache (both the blue-trunked and porn-stached Nelson are pictured above).

No thanks.

If it's possible, I was even more disappointed trying to find Pistol Pete Maravich cards from his Atlanta Hawks days. Sure, they exist. But the photos are downright pathetic. To make matters worse, the asking price for the Maravich cards are through the roof because, well, he's Pistol Pete Maravich and not Don Nelson.

I've never been an obssessed basketball card collector, but I understand how the free market works. I'm sure there is someone out there willing to throw away top coin for these lifeless little pieces of cardboard.

I'm just not one of them.