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A friend of mine who is not into game worns but is intrigued by my collection asked me recently "So Captain Ahab, what's your white whale?" I thought it was a great question, and I think it will produce some diverse and fascinating answers on this board. (If you are lost, I apologize. Without the cute Moby Dick reference, what is the one item you will search forever for until you find it and when you do, you will work incredibly hard to obtain it.) To be fair, please mention only 3 or less. Stories as to why would be really appreciated to. I like to know why we do what we do, it makes me a better all around collector 
For me, Barry Meisel owns my penultimate Holy Grail. Pavel Bure's 1994 Stanley Cup Finals game worn Black jersey. It's photomatched many times. He is a Rangers fan, so it's insult to injury. Every year at the MeiGray expo he brings it. I get to touch it and talk to him about it but he won't sell it. I consider myself lucky to be able to see and touch it every year. Many people never get to be so close to their grail. One day, hopefully he will let it go and I'll get it. Short story as to why is because I was a Canucks fan in New York and Bure was my hero. I wore #10 when I played deck hockey and he was responsible for some of the greatest sports moments I've ever experienced. Plus no one else knew him around Long Island so I felt like he was MY player. His successes were almost claimed by me as his sole fan on Long Island. When the Canucks made the Finals, teachers and students in my High School congratulated me as if I had something to do with it.
Two would be Sami Salo's Purple Detroit Vipers Jersey. He played 5 games for them and I own the white version. Sami is the Defenseman I always wanted to be, he seems to stop at least 2 goals a game and he is just a lunchbox guy. Shows up, does his job, gets no respect and dives, checks and stops everything he can 100% heart and effort. It's his rarest jersey and looks wicked sweet as well.
Last would be the jersey Shawn Camp wore against the Toronto Blue Jays in September 2006. I took my wife to her first pro game in Toronto against the (then) lowly Devil Rays. We sat behind the Rays bullpen and were really early to the game. We got to watch Batting Practice and I yelled to Shawn "Good Luck today Camp! They miss you in K.C." He came over and started talking to us. We chatted for awhile and I told him I had been coming to games for like 25 years and I never got a ball. He says "This is the ball I used last night to get the last out of the inning. Now you have a game used ball bro." I was shocked and amazed at how awesome he was to a fan in a rival ballpark (I was even wearing a Jays jersey) When Carl Crawford hit one into the bullpen during B.P., he yelled up "Hey Jennie!" When she looked down, he threw the ball to my wife. Just an amazing day and made her so happy and both of us lifelong Shawn Camp fans.
So, tell me Ahab, what's your Moby Dick........?
For me, Barry Meisel owns my penultimate Holy Grail. Pavel Bure's 1994 Stanley Cup Finals game worn Black jersey. It's photomatched many times. He is a Rangers fan, so it's insult to injury. Every year at the MeiGray expo he brings it. I get to touch it and talk to him about it but he won't sell it. I consider myself lucky to be able to see and touch it every year. Many people never get to be so close to their grail. One day, hopefully he will let it go and I'll get it. Short story as to why is because I was a Canucks fan in New York and Bure was my hero. I wore #10 when I played deck hockey and he was responsible for some of the greatest sports moments I've ever experienced. Plus no one else knew him around Long Island so I felt like he was MY player. His successes were almost claimed by me as his sole fan on Long Island. When the Canucks made the Finals, teachers and students in my High School congratulated me as if I had something to do with it.
Two would be Sami Salo's Purple Detroit Vipers Jersey. He played 5 games for them and I own the white version. Sami is the Defenseman I always wanted to be, he seems to stop at least 2 goals a game and he is just a lunchbox guy. Shows up, does his job, gets no respect and dives, checks and stops everything he can 100% heart and effort. It's his rarest jersey and looks wicked sweet as well.
Last would be the jersey Shawn Camp wore against the Toronto Blue Jays in September 2006. I took my wife to her first pro game in Toronto against the (then) lowly Devil Rays. We sat behind the Rays bullpen and were really early to the game. We got to watch Batting Practice and I yelled to Shawn "Good Luck today Camp! They miss you in K.C." He came over and started talking to us. We chatted for awhile and I told him I had been coming to games for like 25 years and I never got a ball. He says "This is the ball I used last night to get the last out of the inning. Now you have a game used ball bro." I was shocked and amazed at how awesome he was to a fan in a rival ballpark (I was even wearing a Jays jersey) When Carl Crawford hit one into the bullpen during B.P., he yelled up "Hey Jennie!" When she looked down, he threw the ball to my wife. Just an amazing day and made her so happy and both of us lifelong Shawn Camp fans.
So, tell me Ahab, what's your Moby Dick........?
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