Don and Skip_2Since I did the Don Blair post yesterday, it’s only appropriate that one of the all time great stories be told today.  There must be hundreds of them out there – so feel free to send me a few and you might just become a Guest Post on the blog.

I was involved for many years with PPA Charities and we did an auction with a focus on sports memorabilia one year at the convention.  We had a putter signed by Arnold Palmer, a basketball signed by somebody in the NBA, sports images etc.   Leading the way in hot products was one of Don Blair’s 14EEE shoes, classically mounted on a solid walnut base with an engraved plaque.  I remember spending $350 of Hasselblad’s money at the time to  give this piece iconic stature.

Well, the shoe went up for bid and some crazy woman in the front of the room, who none of could see, was so excited, she twice outbid herself.  The shoe wound up going for $1100!   Palmer’s putter only went for $375!  Don Blair was all the way in the back sitting with my Dad.  “I told you I was a hot product in this industry!” he said to my Dad and they both did a high five.

The next day my Dad was with Don in the booth when his daughter Cathy cornered him and asked him to get Don’s credit card.  “There’s a shipment of books that just came for Skip and Dad.  Will you get me his credit card, so I can pay the hotel to deliver them to the booth?”

My Dad got Don’s card.  Cathy paid for the “shipment” and 30 days later Don learned that the “crazy woman” bidding on his shoe was his own daughter.  The $1100 for charity was on Don’s own credit card!

Note: Photo by Bambi Cantrell and the author shot for Body Parts