Nice discussion.
Started collecting in 1978 in CA. Moved to NY and found a card shop within walking distance in 1979. The owners were great and liked to show the kids all the different cards, empty wax boxes, and how to properly store and handle the cards. Got to see many early vintage cards. I bought the large Beckett annual in 1981, and loved looking at all the different cards. I went to my first card show and traded a Carlton rookie and 3 Schmidt rookies for a bunch of HOFers from 1957 to 1959. Sold all of them (or you could say I basically gave them away) in my late teens.
Although I've always been drawn to the older stuff, I've always bought new stuff because it was available and in my price range. With eBay, I was able to pickup a couple of T206 Buffalo Bisons, but I was still a collector of new stuff. A couple years ago, I realized I was paying $140 for a box of cards, and $30 for a 50 cent card because it was graded. I started looking at cards from the 50s and realized I could get some nice cards for what I was spending. I ran across this forum and lurked for some time, truly amazed at the variety of pre-war that was out there. I picked up a few pre-war examples of different sets, and finally decided to start working on the T205 set.
I know some folks complain about some of the drama on these boards, but I for one would like to thank those who have posted over the years. I've learned so much, and am once again truly enjoying collecting.
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