So how old are you and how long have you been into Pre War

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Posted By: Brian McQueen

Nice idea for a thread, I've sort of wondered about the ages of various board members myself. I'm 29 and am kinda surprised to read that there are a few people the exact same age as me that have already posted in this thread. I'm still fairly new to the hobby and have actually only been involved in Prewar collecting for 2-3 years. Before that, I mainly collected 50s and 60s Topps cards. I'm still learning new stuff all the time as well, largely due to our forum here.

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Posted By: Joann

46. Been collecting vintage for maybe 6 or 7 years. I stopped completely a few years ago when I started school and basically got hit by that tidal wave - everything except work and school stopped.

I finally got a chance to catch my breath around November 05 and started checking out ebay and this board again. I was mildly shocked at what had happened to prices, and the value of a few of my cards after a few years of not paying attention. It's been fun to pick up steam again.

Joann

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Posted By: Ray Piskadlo

Just turned 30... purchased my first vintage card, a T206 common, the weekend of the big East Coast blackout in 2003. 150 T206 later, along with a few type cards, I'm still going strong!

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

I am 61. Age, maybe IQ, but not waist size.
Ive been interested in pre-war players for as long as Ive been interested in baseball. I got heavily involved in researching cards and baseball history when I first found out that old cards could be purchased (around the late '70s), but didn't actually buy my first cards (OJs) until the early 80s. From that time until a few years ago I only got new cards when I had extra money, and with putting kids through school, that was almost never. Now I have a monthly card budget from which I buy approximately the same value of cards each year. I try to primarilly obtain cards from sets which are not popular at the time that I buy them. But it seems that some sets are always popular, and others are never popular.

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Posted By: jP

31 just turned on 5 de mayo, been collecting cards since early teens but the pre war cards for a little over a year. not putting any sets together at this point maybe in the future. favorite set would be T212 obak, great color awesome backgrounds cool cards to look at.

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Posted By: Andrew Parks

34

Started collecting T205's seven years ago. Then sold them all about four years ago to concentrate on VW Karmann Ghia's. I then sold all of my VW stuff and got back in to vintage cards two and half years ago.

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Posted By: Brian Goldner

Began collecting in 1968, and acquired my first pre-war card, sometime in 1969. That 1st pre-war card was a T-202, and i still have it.

T-206 was an early favorite, and i had a number of them by 1970, when i was ten years old.

Today, my pre-war interests are a considerably more widespread, as i collect various other issues, in addition to early tobacco.

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Posted By: Kevin Cummings

Just turned the double nickel.

Hadn't collected at all since I was a kid, but started anew when I had Jim Bouton's company do a baseball card announcement for my son's birth and I stuffed them into packs of 1983 Topps cards to hand out.

Started down the prewar path in January of 1995. Just sad I didn't start sooner. Also, sad I wasn't born rich.

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Posted By: Dean H

Recently turned 37 and have been collecting since 1983. I gravitated towards vintage (pre 70) around 1990 and then started collecting pre war around 1999.

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Posted By: Matt E.

I am 45 years old and have been collecting baseball cards in general just about 5 years now. Quite a bit of busting boxes and packs in 2001 thru 2005. Never did hit get the big score out of the box and became disillusioned.

Bought and sold quite a few E121's and Exhibit cards for profit, but never really collected any pre war until I purchased a near set of T205's recently.

Now, I am hooked and on a serious mission to complete that set... then get it graded by SGC. Just 5 to go for a master set.

Enjoy seeing the monthly pick ups by board members.

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Posted By: Craig H

I'm a few months short of 29 years' old. I got interested in older cards in 1991 and got interested in the Goudeys about 1993. I bought my first 1938 Goudey in '93 and as of this writing, am two cards short of finishing the set. As I have seen, there are more younger vintage card collectors then when I first began at around 15 years old!

Craig

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Posted By: Josh K.

Im 39. Collected 50s, 60s and 70s as a kid through High School. Gave it up until 2004 when I got lured back into the hobby after purchasing a couple of boxes of the Topps T206 set as well as some 50's HOFers. Found this forum and figured out a real T206 was better than a remake with modern players. My first true vintage card was a T206 Walter Johnson pitching. I now collect almost exclusively pre 1930 cards.

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Posted By: barry arnold

55

got my first 206's,205's,210's,and 203's in 1982.
really just sort of dabbled, pretty directionless in the
pre-war world for the next couple of decades.
finally, made 206's my one and only and am nearing 400
treasures---in large part due to the camaraderie and help
from this board!!
many thanks,

herbivore barry

p.s. as i've said before, in the 60's i basically collected
'clay dalrymples'

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Posted By: ockday

Started collecting back in 1987 but that was mostly Topps and Bowmans..prewar has only been for about the last 8 years.

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Posted By: Ted Zanidakis

So far, I am "topps" on the age category. I first collected BB cards in 1947
(Homogenized Bond Bread).....1948 Leaf Boxing.....1949 Leaf BB & FB......
1949 - 1952 Bowman BB.....1948, 1950 - 52 Bowman FB.....1952 Topps BB.

In 1977 I returned to the hobby, having my original collection from my youth.
And, in 1979 I started collecting Goodwin Champions (N162), T206's, Diamond
Stars, Goudeys, and Play Balls.

T-Rex Ted

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Posted By: Troy

I am 30 years old and I have been collecting Pre War for 4 years. My main focus is T206 thanks to Topps T206. I have also been a collector since I was 4 years old.

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Posted By: Zach S.

I'm 26. I've been collecting vintage for about 3 years now. My story is the same as most... started out collecting the shiny crap as a kid and moved on to better things.

Zach Smith

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Posted By: andy becker

i'll be 38 in a few weeks. still looking forward to birthdays .

i've been collecting cards in 1975. first card i purchased from packs was a 1975 gary gentry.

i fondly remember buying the neighbor's cards for a penny each. stars were a nickel. and seattle pilots and washing senators were free. gosh those were the days.

in 1982, i started a 10 years hiatus. i have been collecting prewar cards since about 1993. i did go through a "shiny stage"....what a waste of time and money.

glad i'm here......very glad.

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Posted By: Mike McGrail

I have reached the big 40 recently and have been a vintage (for me everything before 1941) nut-case since 2001. Before that it was primarily 1950 and 1960 sets.

Mike

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Posted By: Peter Thomas

Just turned 64 - not quite prewar. Have been collecting since I was 7, with a long pause from 1961 until early eighties when my son got interested. In about 1950 my step-grand-dad gave be a bunch of goudeys. Still have them and with the exception of 49 leafs and Williams cards, I collect cards older than me. Thought I might be sitting on the pine by now, but just took on a 6 to 8 year assignment don't feel 64.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

Before his birthday, a newspaper reporter once sent Cary Grant a telegram that said, "How Old Cary Grant?"

Grant replied "Old Cary Grant fine. How are you?"

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Posted By: Trae R.

I am 25 and have been collecting the good stuff for a little over 2 years as of this post.

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Posted By: nbrazil

24 years old. been collecting prewar for about a year. before that, post war. before that, modern. still collect post war, but kicked the modern habit.

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Posted By: Keith O'Leary

51, about 30 years seriously.

 

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Posted By: dd

I'm 36 and have been collecting cards since 1976 with my first pre-war cards purchased in 1981.

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Posted By: Scott Gross

46 in a few weeks.
Vintage collecting 4-5 years. Purely an "ebay" inspired collector (although I have expanded to some other auctions).

I have always loved baseball as far back as I can remember, but always from the sport and technical side of it: When I was 5-6, my parents took me to a Little League game (to watch the "big boys" play). There was a player on first and third. I remember turning to my father and saying: "If the guy on first tries to steal second, and the catcher throws the ball, the guy on third could score." No one ever explained the double steal to me, it was just in my understanding...... If you think that story is corny now, just wait 'till I'm 86 and retell it .....

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Posted By: Wesley

35

I had a near set of 1933 Sport Kings in 1993, but became more serious about pre-war in 1999.

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Posted By: Dustan Hedlin

I am 24, and I've only been collecting pre-war for about 2 months. I have collected modern cards for 16 years though. I've got 6 T206's in my collection, and will hopefully have that number doubled or tripled by the end of the year. I've been mostly lurking/learning on this board since I found it. There is a lot of information here.

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Posted By: joe

65, and counting, had to wait for Ted to post. But look what you get in the older days.

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Posted By: Andrew

I am 29. I have been collecting cards since I ripped open my first pack of 1987 Topps, and pre-war for about 6 years now.

Andrew

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Posted By: quan

i'm 28, really started collecting back in '89 with donruss packs. got back into the hobby after college, a few months later discovered pete's caramel site and was off and running on caramels and prewar stuff, musta been 5 years ago...the internet and ebay has been great for my collecting needs.

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Posted By: Steve Dawson

I'm 43 and have been collecting BB cards since 1975. I started collecting pre-WWII BB cards in 1979, when I bought three T206's of 3-Finger Brown, R. Bresnahan and W. Keeler for $10 total. I sold 99% of my collection in 1991, continuing on a limited basis until 2003, when I got back into it with a vengance, especially pre-WWII.


Steve

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Posted By: Zach Rice

I've been serious abour pre-war for maybe four years. I collected lots of 40s, 50s, and 60s prior to really involving myself in the pre-war side of the hobby. I'm a Hall of Fame collector turned set collector. I will always have my roots in collecting HOFers, but I have been concentrating alot on T210s as of recently. I'll always be a Voskamp's collector as well, baseball or non-sport trade card

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Posted By: robert a

Quan, Shammus, and Andrew,

I'm much wiser than all of you at the ripe, old age of 30.
Although, I wasn't smart enough to sell all of my 60s-80s stuff on ebay back in the late 90s to fund the good stuff like some people did. Doh!

I've been collecting baseball cards since 85 topps and prewar (pre 1915) since 2000. I only have one card left after 1915.....83' Topps Ryne Sandberg. It reminds me of the pleasant days when I was too young and stupid to realize how bad the Cubs sucked.

Rob

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Posted By: quan

didn't know you were that young! that's why we gotta meet up someday, i always look forward to seeing fellow caramel enthusiasts. The T guys used to outnumber us but I see alot more newer collectors getting into caramels these days.

I wasn't smart enough to dump my donrusses and upper decks. Now I can't dump it off to anybody.

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Posted By: Matt Goebel

I have been collecting pre-war for the last 20+ years.

I have followed the same path backwards in time that many of you have, but I took a left after the nineteenth century stuff and ended up in the Cuban and Puerto Rican stuff. I have always been fascinated with the Negro Leagues and when I found out that there were cards of those guys i was hooked - that was about 10 years ago.

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Posted By: Brian E.

I just turned 28; started collecting Donruss in 1988 and stopped in 1992 when there was simply too much to collect. I returned to the hobby in 2002 but by that time I was only interested in prewar.

Brian E.

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Posted By: Sean

I'm also 28...collected the great cards of the 80's and 90's when I was young. Started collecting again last summer to put together the Minneapolis Millers T206 team set and kind of became addicted again. I buy and sell to afford my addiction.

Sean BH

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Posted By: steve f

48yo, collecting since the '67 Red Sox and Bruins. It was a great time for Boston sports.

Sold most of my 66's and above and have been collecting prewar for three years.

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Posted By: Brent Butcher

31 and have been collecting since 1987. Took a break from 1997-2001. Have been collecting vintage boxing, football and non sports for the past 5 years. I just wish I had this focus and access to Ebay back in 1987!

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Posted By: daryle

I'm 35. Got my first pre-war card in around 1983 or 84, (started collecting in 1982 at age 11) a 1933 Goudey #206 Gus Suhr. My uncle found it in an old trunk in a house he was helping some people tear down. Still have it. Got my first T206s in early 1985. Group of 5 with 1 HoFer (Bresnahan, Portrait) from Larry Fritsch for $17. Still have 3 of them, I think. Got my T206 Cobb (red) at age 14 ($60). Have been into vintage since my beginnings but do have some newer cards.

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Posted By: Troy Kirk

I'm 47 and got my first prewar cards in the 1970s sometime, probably about 1974. I can remember bidding on some T206 cards in a Trader Speaks auction in the mid-1970s and getting Cy Young, John McGraw, and a few others for about $1-$2 each. They had some minor creases, but still a pretty good deal. I wish I would have bought more back then, but I didn't have much card money and spent most of it on Topps cards.

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Posted By: Dan Koteles

45 as of 5/5 like a nutter guy said. Look younger then
most 30 yr olds, but cause of still playing baseball....
I feel like CRAP.


Collecting pre-war since 19 yrs ,but did purchase 88 cards
for 88 bucks in 1978 at the Troy Hilton. 85 T206's and 3
Mayos.

Having a blast with meeting new people every year (thanks
to the board )& tolerating some of the poopy people too !

Bye

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Posted By: Bob Shannon

I'm 42....My focus is on E cards the last decade!! Hey Quan...Nice Keeler!!!



E99 Bodie

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Posted By: Anonymous

51. Pre-War, 17 or 18 years.

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Posted By: brian p

I am 41 years old and have been collecting beat-up old cards for 61% of my life, with another 15% before that concentrated upon acquiring fresh cards straight from the pack. Thankfully I was able to spend a blissful 24% of my life prior to that relatively card free (not counting the older brother's collection that was thrust upon me), but that percentage is shrinking every year.

Let's just say that once I got going, I have never turned back, and only occasionally turned a sideways deaf ear to the hobby.

Brian

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Posted By: Harrison

I'm 15 and have been collecting pre-war since I was 12 (with birthday money). I collect with my dad and we collect T206 strictly. We have a little over 50 right now.

I just got into paintball so I havent bought a new card in about a month but I just got a job clamming (make $50 a day) so I'll be getting some cards soon.

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Posted By: RickHastings

this long time lurker, seldom contributor is 51 years.
the first baseball cards I remember were Topps with wood grain on the boarder
1961. Pre Vietnam war issue of course
I have many things that were handed down from Grandad to dad to me and can't really remember ever not being hooked


I started collecting pre-war vintage cards in 1982 ,much to my wife's displeasure. She married me in 1983 anyway, so she's stuck with me and vise versa.

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Posted By: Jerry

I am 57 yrs old
I stumbled into a Baseball card shop in 1987 and was immediately reunited with my childhood. The 50's cards looked like long lost friends. I collected Pre-war from 87 thru 94 and took a long hiatus until recently.

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Posted By: Scott Mosley

According to my 9 and 7 year old children, you are not "old" until you reach 80 years of age so, thankfully, I'm still a long way from being "old"

I've been collecting cards starting with 1972 Topps since I was 7 years old. I probably had about 10-20 copies of each card in the early series and tired out of getting duplicates by the mid to late summer so, naturally, I was still missing a lot of the high series cards in my set.

My father and I came into a stash of pre war cards around 1975 and have been collecting pre war on and off since then.

Scott