31,000 cards: Montreal woman passing along father's extensive collection of Expos baseball cards
A Montreal woman is passing along her father's extensive collection of over 31,000 Expos baseball cards.
April Whitzman's father, Steve Whitzman, collected the cards from 1969 to 2016. A huge Expos fan, he's got every player covered.
"I know they say there's no crying in baseball, but I think that was one of the few times I saw my Dad cry, during that last game. The Expos were very much everything to him," April told CTV News.
April Whitzman is passing along her father's extensive collection of Montreal Expos baseball cards. (CTV News/Christine Long)
Today, Steve is in ill health and lives in a nursing home.
"My Dad now has Alzheimers, so I decided to take the collection and, one-by-one, record every card that you see here."
After carefully cataloguing each card, April says it's time to send the collection off to a new, loving home.
"I've a good idea of what each card is worth, but I do believe as a collection, it's worth more to the right person, whether that's from Dad's love that he put into it," she added.
Steve Whitman amassed a huge collection of Montreal Expos baseball cards between 1969 and 2016. (Courtesy photo)
Perry Giannis is the founder of Expos Fest, an annual event for fans of the franchise, which relocated to Washington in 2004.
He's also a big-time collector of Expos memorabilia.
"It's a great story about her Dad and his passion for the Montreal Expos, and as a collector I completely get it. I collect everything else, besides cards: jerseys, helmets, bats, whatever else there is out there," Giannis said. "Everything must go at a certain time, it's gonna be the same thing with me one day."
April hasn't had all the cards appraised yet, but has a buyer on deck.
The Whitzmans are hoping the pay-off pitch is down the middle and the collection will go to a loving family -- just like the one that gathered it.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.