My most expensive card ever

I was listening to the news on the radio the other night (how old-fashioned can I be?), and they did a story on this woman who took her collection of cards to a TV taping of Antiques Roadshow.  She had autographs and collectibles from the 1880's.  EIGHTEEN EIGHTIES!  Her family ran a boarding house and several players stayed there.  The worth was estimated at a low value of...

ONE MILLION DOLLARS! 

I have to admit, it made me a bit jealous, but then I thought back to what was likely my most expensive card.  At the time I believe (I could have been wrong) that it's value was $80.

It looked like this, but was a gold version (btw, thanks to COMC- Check Out My Cards for the picture, and you can buy this card from there).

It was about this time I was getting less interested in collecting cards, and basketball cards were never ones I cared about much anyways.  So I went to a local card shop to see what I could get for it.  I had low expectations.  I was thinking 35 bucks or so, and I would jump on it, maybe work out a deal to get a few commons thrown in too.  I never went this card shop before, and never really been to a card shop but once.  I think it was the same owner, but in a different location, and that was when I was like 10. This was about 10 years later, and the card game craze had begun.  So the owner was making more money on Pokemon than on baseball cards.

Anyways, a friend and I went in and browsed a bit, which I usually do at any location I plan to trade or sell something, or even before I ask the clerk about something. I think it proves I am a customer that intends to do business with them.  Anyways, I think I bought a few commons, and before we left, I told him I had interest in selling this card.  He looked over it carefully, as I expected and then told me what he would pay for it.

EIGHT DOLLARS! 8 as in sounds like ATE!  I was a little upset (maybe a lot), and a little confused. I said "eight?" He responded, "It's a good card, but I could only get about $13 for it on ebay."  So I left with the card, thinking there was no way I would let him profit on my card.  I figured if he could get 13 on ebay, he was just a middle-man, and I could do the same.

I kept the card for a few more years until I sold my entire collection, but it left me with bad taste in my mouth about collecting in general, and card shops, and to some extinct, the way ebay hurt sales. I believe I might have gotten the 30 or 35 I asked for if I did it myself, but I never tried to.

After I started collecting again, I thought about getting this card again, but haven't tried too hard.  Though if I find it cheap enough I might.  Who knows, I might just find it for under $8.  I would think it would be cheaper by now though.