I would be in the 36-40 years old range (or 35-40)......am 40 now.
For me, I have ebay to thank for my discovery of pre-war cards. I collected as a kid for awhile, and when my cards got left behind in a move I stopped collecting and found other interests that got me sidetracked.
A lot later in life, I had the bug to start collecting SOMETHING....and it was natural to go back to something I enjoyed collecting as a kid. Started scouring ebay, and "discovered" pre-war cards. It was love at first sight !!!
I had never known cards went back 100+ years. It was an amazing feeling to get my first T206 in the mail (still have it-Bill Hallman SGC 50). Picked up other types too, but found that I was more fascinated by the T206's,,, my wife could see I was becoming obsessed and bought me a copy of Lew Lipsett's book on tobacco issues and began studying the information.
When I found Net54, after contacting Trae (T206.org) about a card I had, he mentioned I should check out this sight. I was shocked at the cards I would see, and the wealth of information the board members had and would share-
what an amazing place this is!!!!
I was going to post on that thread about the price of cards diminishing, but erased everything I wrote, a few times
I decided that when I buy a card, I'm more concerened about building a set than I am about whether they will diminish in value.......of course, we all want to think our cards will either retain their value, or better yet, climb in value as the years go by- but if I were to ONLY focus on the value, it wouldn't be as fun for me. I have to look at it like "buying a good meal",,,,,you buy it, you eat it, then, you move on to thinking about your next meal-- you don't dwell on the cost of the last one, or that the $$ is gone. Dumb analogy, I know.
So- yeah- way OT there. 36-40 and lovin' these cardboard treasures
Sincerely, Clayton