the hobby can still be fun.
 

As a collector who started in 1986, some of the top cards were the 85 McGwire, 84 donruss Mattingly, 82 Ripken, etc. but easily the coolest card of my youth was the 89 Upper Deck Griffey. I bought packs as a kid, and occasionally since, and bought plenty of other stuff as singles, but never got the Griffey for whatever reason.

So the other day I broke down and bought an unopened box. And I decided to open a pack day. On day nine, I finally got my white whale. In the grand scheme, pretty meaningless, but for me that was a moment 25 years in the making.

This hobby can still be fun.

Im 24 and remember buying cards in 1998/1999 i know im a youngster on this site lmao

but, ive been going back and picking up cool 90s inserts i remember seeing in beckett back when i was a kid. most of the 90s cards and rookies you can get for pennies compared to what they were.

random weird or cool inserts like this

http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/...pssdfa2vn3.jpg

or rookies of guys i liked

http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/...psileykhgg.jpg

Congratulations :)

Great pull, Ben! That Griffey Jr card is iconic.

It seems like the cards we used to collect as kids often times strike the biggest emotional chord. I bought 5 unopened '77 Topps packs awhile ago on a CU forums box break, and opening those old wax packs really takes you back (I only had the heart to open 2 of them, saving 3 intact).

If the hobby ain't fun, what's the use? :)

Unless you are doing it as a business, then it should be fun.

Sometimes coming to sites like this can be intimidating for newer or lower budget collectors, as people are showing off or talking about these great items they own or bought. This site is more focused on the vintage cards, so I assume most members are older and have collected since the early 70s or before or are those with a decent amount of disposable income. Hopefully everyone gets something from the site, such as knowledge, connections or something else useful.

Everyone just needs to buy/trade for what they like and can afford and not worry about how you stack up to everyone else. That is what the PSA site is apparently for!:)

I did the same thing with 89 Fleer a couple of years back and finally got my Ripken FF.

I was 12 years old when '89 Upper Deck came out. I remember them being .99¢ (a small fortune) a pack at the local gas station and the other brands were .50¢. My friends and I would go in there with a few bucks and either get 4 packs of Topps hoping for a Gregg Jefferies or splurge and get 2 packs of UD praying for a Griffey Jr. I never could get one. My Dad was filling up his truck one day and I begged him for a dollar to go in and buy a pack. He gave in and gave my kid sister a dollar to for whatever she wanted. I go in and buy a pack and for some reason she did to...and pulls a Griffey. I was SO pissed. Lol. I think it was the only pack she ever bought. I begged and begged her for about a month for that card and she finally gave in. I'm sure she made me do her chores or something for a week but it was worth it. I always think of her when I see that card. :)

Love this story, Eric. Needed the laugh at work. Thanks for sharing.

+1 That is a good story.

I want to pull the trigger on some junk wax, just can't bring myself to do it yet, too much of a cheapskate.

I recently bought a case of 89 UD low numbers from Steve at BBCE. I opened 6 boxes so far. Believe it or not, I got a Griffey Jr in the very first pack from the first box! The last box I opened yesterday had (5) in it!

http://i.imgur.com/GD7EyTx.jpg

At one time, I had complete baseball sets from 1976 - 1990, with the bulk of them Topps (1976 - 1983, 1986 - 1987), then Donruss (1981 - 1984), then Fleer (1981), Score (1988), and Bowman (1989 - 90). Over the years, I sold all the sets I had except for 1970s Topps and 1981 Fleer, 1982 Donruss, and I tried to re-introduce myself into the hobby in 2001 after sitting out for 11 years, and my, how things had changed, with memorabilia cards, autographed cards, parallels, refractor, etc., etc.

I've tried at different times to buy new cards, such as Topps Allen & Ginter, new Topps regular series, special brands, etc., and other than 2014 Donruss, nothing really has appealed to me in the long run to continue collecting modern cards at all...until recently....

I started to collect modern Japanese baseball cards in addition to starting work on my "vintage" 1978 Yamakatsu set, and I am HOOKED, as I'm buying packs off eBay and through Rob Fitts, etc., and now modern day card collecting is actually fun again. Especially since collecting of Japanese baseball cards is a relatively new hobby (BBM did not start producing cards until 1991), especially here in the states, and it is ironic that the interest of collectors here in the U.S. has driven the sports card market in Japan, which was hit-or-miss in the 1960s - 70s - 80s with Yamakatsu, Calbee (still produces cards inserted into bags of potato chips), and others.

Because of this, I am now following Japanese baseball, and I have a favorite team and learning all I can about Nipon Baseball and the Central and Pacific leagues (think National and American leagues, respectively).

My brother is a Marine in Okinawa, Ive asked him if when he was out and about to find some Japanese baseball cards. He hasn't found any yet that i know of...I know where he's based the Japan vs us Allstars game was held like a mile away

+1 Great post.
I spent several hours with one of our younger members yesterday. He is 21-22 and I am 53. The hobby should be fun. A lot of the fun is the chase and hanging out with friends. Yes, some of us older guys have a bit more discretionary income and some (not me) started collecting in the 60s-70s. Just make of it what you want and be happy. Collecting can still be fun.

Since your brother is in the military, he should be able to send you any cards he finds at the U.S. postal APO rate to the states, which is very good for you. Try this site for much more information on Japanese baseball cards, including where to buy in Japan (there are plenty of card shops in Japan that have popped up in the last 5-10 years):
http://japanesebaseballcards.blogspot.com

That Ripken FF Card was selling for near $100 shortly after it was released! I remember dealers flipping them and making a fortune.