Alright, let me tell you about this little project I got myself into recently. It started pretty simply. I was digging through some old baseball stuff, you know, just reminiscing about players from back in the day, particularly infielders from the 50s and 60s. Somehow, Frank Bolling’s name popped into my head. Solid player, spent time with the Braves and Tigers. Nothing flashy maybe, but dependable.
So, I got this idea. I thought, wouldn’t it be neat to find a specific piece connected to him? Not just any baseball card, I wanted something a bit more personal, maybe a signed photo, but specifically from his time with the Milwaukee Braves. Seemed like a reasonable quest at first.
Getting Started – The Hunt Begins
First thing I did, naturally, was hit the internet. Typed his name into all the usual places. Got the stats, the career highlights, pictures of his common Topps cards. Standard stuff. Easy enough. But finding a signed photo from that specific Milwaukee era? That was proving trickier than I thought.
I spent a good few evenings scrolling through auction sites, collector forums, all that jazz. Found plenty of his Tigers memorabilia, seemed more common maybe? Or maybe just easier to find online. The Milwaukee stuff, especially signed photos, was scarce.
- Checked major auction houses online – lots listed, but not what I was looking for.
- Scoured collector forums – saw some mentions, people asking about him, but no active leads for sale.
- Looked at general memorabilia sites – mostly cards or generic signed balls.
Hitting Some Walls
Then I tried reaching out to a couple of older guys I know who are deep into vintage baseball collecting. Figured they might have something tucked away or know someone who does. Got some great stories about watching him play, which was cool in itself. One guy remembered meeting him once. But nobody had that specific item I was picturing in my head. Close, but no cigar.
It got me thinking about how this stuff even survives and circulates. Back then, getting an autograph wasn’t the organized business it is now. It was more about being at the right place, right time. So, finding a specific photo, signed during a specific period… yeah, I realized I might have set myself a tough goal.
I even briefly looked into contacting historical societies or maybe team archives, but honestly, that seemed like a whole bureaucratic mess I wasn’t ready to dive into. Phone calls, emails that might go unanswered… just felt like a potential dead end for what was supposed to be a fun little project.
What I Ended Up With
So, did I find that perfect signed Milwaukee Braves photo of Frank Bolling? Nope. Still haven’t seen the exact one I imagined. But the whole process wasn’t a waste, not at all.
While digging around, I stumbled upon something else – an old game program from County Stadium in Milwaukee, sometime in the late 50s. Bolling was playing second base that day according to the scorecard inside. It wasn’t signed, wasn’t a photo, but it felt like a genuine piece of history from that specific time and place I was interested in. So, I picked that up instead.
What I learned? Well, sometimes the hunt itself is the interesting part. You start looking for one thing and end up learning about something else entirely. It also reminded me how much of this history stuff isn’t digitized or easily searchable. It’s still out there in attics, old boxes, or private collections. You gotta do some real digging, talk to people. And sometimes, you just gotta adjust your expectations and appreciate what you do find along the way. It was a good reminder that not everything is just a click away.
