new member intro, who else had their early collections thrown out

[billyb]

Hi all,
I am a new member but have already posted one thread about wire photos. I have enjoyed this site so much that I am hooked, so it is time to introduce myself.
My name is Bill, and from Michigan (please no Lion jokes), and am 65 years old.
I started collecting cards in the latter 50s when a penny would get you a 2 card pack. I had all the stars of the era, Ted, Mickey, Pee Wee and Duke, even Satchel found my collection. I did not worry about condition at the time but I enjoyed these cards, but rubber bands adorned each team and some doubles found my bicycle spokes.
I collected until cars and girls entered my life, and then the military called. The cards were stored in the attic, but while I was away, my father remodeled the house and the attic became a second floor and items that were stored in attic were thrown out, including, yes Mantle, Mays, Williams were all gone.
My collective juices were not restored until the 1980s when I went to my first card show. That is when I realized what was lost, but what was still available. My only problem, I hate to sell or lose what I have. But I enjoy buying. Because of all money going out and nothing coming in, my purchase power (the wife) is limited. But I enjoy just the same.
My interest is mostly in baseball, but enjoy all sports.
My most valued possessions is a Mantle model mitt with Mickey's autograph, and a team autographed 1992 Red Wing hockey stick with which include some 5 or 6 hall of fame signatures.
And some 1953 picture negatives of Tigers in Spring training which I have not yet developed.
A small time collector, but this site has got my juices going again, and enjoy all the conversations as well as all the knowledge you all provide.

So who else lost their early collections or, part of a collection?

billyb

[EvilKing00]

Hey Billy,

Your story sounds just like what my dad told me about all the old cards he used to have. Sad really all the awesome cards just thrown out.

Anyways - welcome!

[billyb]

EK,
Yea, my dad did not believe in collecting "cardboard". I just hope the garbage collector or somebody found them. Several thousand cards.

Billyd

[ethicsprof]

welcome aboard!!!
no one threw mine out---i wish i could say that.
I sold all my cards---many mantles, mays, musial,spahn,etc.--- at a mall full of card vendors in 1984. I was newly married and in grad. school and thought
i'd get a bundle for them. I did get a bundle (ones and fives). Around $250
or so. C'est la vie. Several good meals out of it, luckily.
all the best,
barry

[sdkammeyer]

Welcome to the site!

Mine were burned. Well, they werent mine, but they would have been mine a decade later :(

My father (born in 1955) collected DIE-HARD as a kid. Every extra penny he had went to buying cards. During his high school years he was in a perpetual argument with his brother (my uncle) .... and yes it was over a girl :)
One afternoon the argument got extra heated so my uncle took all dad's cards out to the burn barrel and they met a wicked demise. Fast forward about 10-12 years ...... i'm 8 years old and dad bought me the 1984 Topps set (since he didnt have his own cards to give me). That started it all for me right there.

I put all those 84's into nice shiny new pages and in a beautiful blue binder. I still pull that binder out from time to time and flip through the pages.... although not the most valuable monetarily, they are my sentimental favorites.

[kmac32]

I went away to college and got a last minute phone call from mom. Cards got saved and later became my Topps Cubs only collection. Traded or sold all the cards except the Cubs and still add Cubs team sets and updates every year. That leads to my prewar addiction to E121 Yankees and Giants and my W572 set.

[mrvster]

Welcome aboard:D

Peace

Johnny

[Gmrson]

Welcome to the site Michigan neighbor!

[smtjoy]

Welcome aboard, great story!

[billyb]

Steve,
1984, same year I went to my first card show and that start me on the great garage sale hunt for old cards. I was able to obtain many 60s and 70s cards and that is where I found my old Mantle model mitt.
Steve, your dad, you make me feel old. Oh, I am.
This site has started the collecting fever again, I think this site is great.
Billyb

Anyone else have a major loss of cards for any reason.

[billyb]

SD,
Burned!!!!!! Now that's final, I still hope the garbage man got mine.

[teetwoohsix]

Welcome Billy-

Mine weren't thrown out but left behind during one of our many moves. Someone in Wrentham, Mass. must have found an old San Francisco Giants ball bag with some pretty banged up late 70's cards in the closet of the upstairs bedroom :D

Good luck hunting !!

Sincerely, Clayton

[jbsports33]

Welcome to the Board,

My Dad had a 1933/1934 Goudey collection thrown out by my grandmother, when I was in High School he went to get them thinking they would still be there. Later in my early 20s I showed him some that I was collecting and he said I had two shoe boxes full of those. If I started collecting prewar when I was 14 years old becuase of those cards he was going to give me, I can only imagine. It may have changed my direction on collecting, but still glad what I have learned in the hobby over the years. Maybe I would be just selling or just collecting or nothing - but happy to be doing both now!

Jimmy

[DaveW]

After I graduated from college and had my own house, my parents came for a visit and my Mom brought all of my old cards (all from 1966-1970). It was neat to look through them, but that didn't really get me back into collecting. What did was one day when I came home from work and found that my house had been burglarized. The burglar had laid out all my cards neatly on the dining room table, sofa and coffee table - but he didn't take any of them! That got me looking at them again and getting interested in them. I still wonder why he didn't take any of them. I had Mantles, all the 66 Topps high numbers, Namath, etc. Maybe he was looking for a Robin Ventura rookie card?

[billyb]

After I graduated from college and had my own house, my parents came for a visit and my Mom brought all of my old cards (all from 1966-1970). It was neat to look through them, but that didn't really get me back into collecting. What did was one day when I came home from work and found that my house had been burglarized. The burglar had laid out all my cards neatly on the dining room table, sofa and coffee table - but he didn't take any of them! That got me looking at them again and getting interested in them. I still wonder why he didn't take any of them. I had Mantles, all the 66 Topps high numbers, Namath, etc. Maybe he was looking for a Robin Ventura rookie card?

Dave,
No one said burglars were smart.
billyb

[sdkammeyer]

Steve,
1984, same year I went to my first card show and that start me on the great garage sale hunt for old cards. I was able to obtain many 60s and 70s cards and that is where I found my old Mantle model mitt.
Steve, your dad, you make me feel old. Oh, I am.
This site has started the collecting fever again, I think this site is great.
Billyb

Anyone else have a major loss of cards for any reason.

Agree, this site is AMAZING. I have only been back into card collecting for a couple/few months and this site will sure keep you busy :)
It is great though .... I have met many great people already and I'm sure there are many more great acquaintances to be made. I bought a near-set of 1955 Topps off a member a couple weeks ago and it was heaven-like watching my dad flip through them. He hadn't touched a card in AGES and watching him go through those old cards was the highlight of my year!

[billyb]

Agree, this site is AMAZING. I have only been back into card collecting for a couple/few months and this site will sure keep you busy :)
It is great though .... I have met many great people already and I'm sure there are many more great acquaintances to be made. I bought a near-set of 1955 Topps off a member a couple weeks ago and it was heaven-like watching my dad flip through them. He hadn't touched a card in AGES and watching him go through those old cards was the highlight of my year!

Steve,
I can definitely relate to that, I know how he must have felt, 10 yrs old again.

[pepis]

In 1975 i was getting ready for a card show, my days off from work were
tuesday and friday, so since it was a tuesday i decide to work on my
baseball cards, i had been doing so about every tuesday for the last couple of
months and for the last month or so my young wife kept nagging that it was
kids stuff and she wanted to go out, so finally i got tired of her nagging and got the
trash barrell from outside put it next to the kitchen table and dumped every
card in the table into the trash and i said ok lets go out,, in 1985 she came to a show with me (Randy Tyberg 1st big show in LA) she witness me selling
$4800 worth some cards, and then she remembered what happened 10 years
earlier and was sick about it!! i never had any regrets thogh.

[billyb]

Jo.se
I want to take your trash out.

[steve B]

When I was 4 or 5 we went to a cookout somewhere. All I recall was the bottlecaps had pictures inside, big excitement for a 4 year old. I was always bringing home stuff and wore shorts with a bunch of pockets, which I filled with those caps.

Around going home time they were all taken and thrown out since mom didn't want me bringing home a bunch of "dirty bottlecaps"

Nothing major, but at the time it seemed like it.

Steve B