HELLO MY FRIENDS...
I'm Marvin Bunch from Liberty, Mississippi, and it's good to meet you.
I'm new to the sports card trading game...and yet, I'm not.
Let me explain.
Just like many of you, I grew up in the 60's, when baseball was king of sports in America. It was not unusual back then for World Series games to be broadcast during the day, and to hear the action coming from the school office as I walked the halls. Looking back now, I remember sittin' on my bedroom floor, my baseball cards spread out all around me, dreaming of one day watching the great players live. That dream was realized when daddy took us all to the new Houston Astrodome in the mid-60's. Sadly, many of my cards would end up clothes-pinned to the spokes of my bike or thrown out by Momma as the years passed, and my interests moved on to music, girls, and hunting.
My interests were reborn during my Army years, as friends and I travelled from Washington to Baltimore to see the Orioles - and my folks' addiction to Atlanta Braves baseball. Eventually, the Braves became my team too, mainly because I came to admire outfielder Dale Murphy (whom many called "the nicest guy in the game"...and later, the awesome Braves pitching staff of Maddux/Glavine/Smoltz.
I began picking up a few cards in the late 80's, but it wasn't until '98 when we got our first computer, and I discovered the internet, that I first began swapping cards with a friend I met through various trading/collecting sites (SCF, Trading Bases), named Charlie Gale from Maine. As the years passed, more and more traders we encountered along the way were turning into sellers and decided to begin our own small site we called THE OLDE CARDBOARD VILLAGE, along with some great guys: Jerry Joy from Missouri, Iain Taylor from across the pond, and Roy Tirelli from the Windy City. Trust me, it was nothing fancy...but a whole lot of fun, as we made some lasting friends, and it became a norm to just send cards to members without expecting anything in return. My memories of those great trading days throughout the 2000's is why I've named this site after our old group - as a tribute to my friend Charlie, who's passed on now.
The old site and card lists were on the old GeoCities site - now that it's gone, I'll have to work on making updated lists for trade...so please be patient. I DO NOT have vintage cards - my inventory consists of inserts from the 80's, 90's and to the present day. After the steroid scandal, and then Charlie's passing, and then the sudden death of my wife Teri, I grew tired of the hobby...and it was only during the recent Covid-era that I've found the time to dust off my insert boxes, buy new product, and rediscover my love of baseball & football.
Most of the listings are easy to follow...especially my baseball cards.
I also have a page for various football cards I've picked up over the years for trade.
STUFF IN THE TRUNK 4 TRADE is, simply enough, a trunk where I keep oversized cards, encased cards, etc. - stuff that won't fit into my card boxes.
RANDOM THINGS 4 TRADE are odds -n- ends I've picked up over the years.
You may find this odd - even hard to believe - but I'm NOT getting back into this hobby to make money or amass some great collection. I'm about as laid-back a collector as you'll find, and very easy to deal with. I've been known to trade for history books I collect (I'm a HUGE WW2 enthusiast), or oddball sports items. My only request of any trader is that they are honest, which is a value I covet.
Shoot me a line if you find something you're interested in here - I collect Greg Maddux, Dale Murphy, and Albert Belle...and Cal Ripken for a friend of mine in Texas, Hector Zamora. Thanks for reading...and may God Bless You.
FINAL NOTES:
August 1, 2023 - After working on this site for months, I logged on one morning to discover many of my entries had mysteriously disappeared. Needless to say, I was NOT happy. Please be patient as I attempt to start over.
April 2024 - Relatively pleased with this rebuilt site and would like to offer 3 shout-outs: Kevin Martens, Jack Pallen, and Mark Nickerson of Trading Bases - Kevin because he was so helpful in getting me back in the game - Jack and Mark for my 1st trades in quite some time - you guys have helped make this fun again.
Definitely the end of my rambling now, but I was thinking this morning - when life gives you a gut-punch, as it did to me when I suddenly lost my wife and best friend, Teri Lynn, in 2019...and then follows that up with a pandemic, a world gone mad...in desperation you try and turn back the emotional clock to a time when things felt more comfortable. For months, I rambled around this old house, and one day began opening my old card boxes...and the rest is what you see here. Teri and I both enjoyed this hobby - and I've sure missed it.