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Posted By: Mike Ernst

This brings back memories--I was an early 20-year old in the early 70's, collecting contemporary cards as well as vintage ones.
Around our dining room table in 1973 in a town of 275 in North-central Wisconsin we had Dick Millerd, George Husby, Ron Greenwood, and Jack Urban with their cards as we swapped stories and cards for many hours. At that time regionals were really the thing to do if you weren't into Topps. I sold complete sets of 57-62 Topps for $30-35 and was making money off them. Found 150 1966 Topps rack packs in a surplus store in Antigo, WI, for $10. (Summer of 1973)(wish I had kept more than the 7 I still have). The TRADER SPEAKS and Dan Dischley was about the only way to establish contact with other collectors. I also recall condition not being all that important, and T206 Johnsons, Cobbs, etc. being little more valuable than commons (50 cents to a buck each). Rich Egan's T-206 checklist was the in-vogue guide, and pioneers like Lionel Carter and others corresponded with us newbies in hand-written notes. That was a very different world in the hobby!