This thought came to mind after 3 events --

1. an email conversation regarding possibilities of approaching ballplayers to make a trade.

2. recollection of the events around my buying a jersey last year. It was a 1982 baby blue Texas Rangers jersey issued to Ron Darling. Had Darling not been traded to the Mets prior to making his first start in the majors, this would have been his rookie jersey. Certainly an odd find, not a game used jersey, but nevertheless a rare collectible. Anyway, the guy who sold it to me told me that he brought it to Ron for a signature, and Ron told him that he would love to have the jersey. The guy politely declined, Ron signed the jersey, and some 15 years later it made its way into my collection.

3. tossing around a wacky scenario in my head. A few weeks ago, I met Bill Robinson at a signing. While he signed a ball for me, I struck up a conversation with him where I told him that I had in my collection his game worn alternate black Pirates jersey from their 1979 championship season. He seemed taken back by this but at the same time I could see that this made him hppy/proud -- as a collector, I could basically looked to add any player's item to my collection, but I chose his.
Now, reality turns to fantasy, and I could imagine the conversation taking a twist and Bill turning around to ask me if he could have the jersey -- and similar to Howard's story, I offer him a swap for one of his Mets jerseys from their championship season...which would mean far more to me... doesn't sound so far fetched the more I play it in my head, and the more I read here...