Friday Mailbag - 5/14/21
On Collector's Choice, Moving, and Men's Jewelry
Welcome to the Friday Mailbag. I hope you’ve enjoyed your week. Me, I’ve been thinking about stickers, turquoise rings, and Wu-Tang Clan. Who knows why.
PAT’S eBAY CORNER
About a year ago, I began buying sports stickers off eBay. Mostly Collector’s Choice “Stick-Ums” from the mid ’90s. I already had some in my collection, and I discovered that singles (and even lots) regularly sell for less than $5 a pop. They’re die-cut and colorful and and very ‘90s.
I won’t reveal how I know this, but trust me when I say that these stickers cling well to light posts/stop signs, don’t absorb rain, and fade slowly in the sun. They look good on laptops, too. Bid hard.
‘96-97 Anfernee Hardaway - $1.25
’98-99 Frank Thomas - $1.75
’96-97 John Stockton - $1.99
’95-96 Emmitt Smith - $.99
’97-98 Dennis Rodman - $2.50
’97-98 Gem Mint Kobe Bryant - $7,000
AND NOW TO THE MAILBAG…
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Pat (no relation), asks:
“If you could live anywhere else, where would that be?!”
Great question, Pat. Before I answer, I must say I don’t intend to leave Chicago anytime soon. We moved three times this past decade (to Seattle in 2013, Juneau in 2016, and back to Chicago in 2019), and that’s plenty for me.
The biggest challenge of living in Juneau and Seattle was being far from friends and family–especially after we had kids. If we were to move, I’d want to live within driving distance of Chicago. So… Milwaukee? St. Louis? Grand Rapids? None of these sound particularly appealing.
My “in-a-vacuum” answer is Los Angeles. Tons of cool art/concert venues, clothing stores, and vegan restaurants. Most importantly, I’ve got friends who live in LA. Kathy would never go for it, though. And I’m not sure I’d be happy there, either. I like snow, I like biking, I dislike air conditioning. Also, I understand Angelenos spend most of their free time admiring the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and I’ve already done that.
I guess I’ll stay here in Chicago.
Loyal N.E.H. reader, Jonathan, asks:
“Worst jewelry you’ve ever worn that, at the time, you loved?”
Great question, Jon. I’m a big watch guy, but watches aren’t jewelry. They’re watches. You know? I’ve barely got any history with jewelry that doesn’t tell time.
In high school and even college, I occasionally wore hemp bracelets. I never loved them, and I’m not proud of it, but that’s just what guys did back then. I was exploring. I think every man should explore, and what better time to do it than in college?
The further back you go, the worse it gets. In middle school, I wore silver chains both with and without a crucifix. I owned multiple White Sox necklaces. I remember coveting an “iced out” Ruff Ryders pendant at the mall. Finally, I loved my Figaro chain. I sold it for weight in 2020.
Anyway, here’s my answer: My single worst piece of jewelry has to be this chain I bought from American Eagle in, like, 2011. Here’s a picture of it:
The chain is pretty inoffensive. At the time I bought it, I was listening to a ton of Jeff Buckley. He’s still a hero of mine, but now I know that it’s impossible to copy his style. He was in a class all his own.
Unless you grow up surrounded by jewelry-wearing men, becoming a jewelry guy probably doesn’t come naturally. I certainly feel like an imposter whenever I venture beyond my uniform of watch + wedding band. I wish that weren’t the case. I’d love to get into signet rings and bracelets and beaded necklaces, but I just know I’d lose interest in them after a couple months. Oh well.
Got a question? Feel free to comment on this post or e-mail me at newexperimentalhours@gmail.com. Thanks!
Have a fantastic weekend, everyone! See you next week!