[kailes2872]

I got back in after a visit to the Hall of Fame in 2012 with Ken Kendrick's collection on display. They also had a room that had highlights of all of the different years.

For me, it was pretty personal. When I was 8, a nice lady who was my teacher's aide in second grade gave me a shoebox full of 71-75 HOFers. I went to card show in the fall of '80 and sold all of them for the healthy sum of $13. I wanted a 1980 Tops set. It was $14. I had to borrow a dollar from mom just to buy it.

When I got back from the HOF, I was showing the boys all of the cards that I used to have. My wife got tired of listening to me and she said "If you want them, just buy them." That is probably a phrase that she wishes that she had back. From that point, I started set collecting and kept going until I had everything post war except for 49 Bowman, 51 Bowman and 52 Topps. I love my collection, but I regret not starting older and working newer (instead of visa versa). It was almost as if I had to get used to buying a set for $200 before I paid $2000 for one. And I had to pay $2000 for a set before I could pay $2000 for a card.

I did miss out on some big opportunities. I had a chance to buy a 53 Topps with a PSA 5 Mantle for $3000 but I wasn't that far back yet so I passed. I had a chance to buy the Lionel Carter 33 Delong set, but I was still collecting post war. There are quite a few examples. I love my post war sets, but I would have really liked some 33 Goudey Ruth's at 2012 prices.

Now, with the prices so high, it has moved from a collection to an asset class. I could cash out an investment and buy a 52 Mantle, but it is just moving asset classes. With the Mantle, I have risk of fire or theft at home or I keep it in a safe deposit box and have to make an appointment to go see it. If that is the case, I'll just keep it in the investment with the knowledge that I can buy it if I want to (however, I will have to pay buyer's premiums, sales tax, shipping, insurance, and other transaction costs).

I have no real desire to sell. It is fun to show them to people when they come over. It is a nice conversation starter, and my oldest has a keen interest in pre-war (with Jimmie Foxx being his favorite).

In the end though, the reason that I went head first back into it was because of the memories of a little kid. I was the kid who would hang out at the show tables at the mall in the early 80's. While mom shopped for clothes, I would pester the dealers for hours on end and look at their cards. They would tell me to stop breathing on the glass and to watch my fingerprints. No, I couldn't see that card as they knew I had no money and no intention of buying. I was the kid that got taken for a ride at the card show in 1980 when I should have just held onto those cards - I mean, I collected baseball cards. Why would I sell the best stuff that I had?

Now, with a little bit of money in my pocket and comfortable in life, I can buy all of those cards that I was never allowed to touch. I can give a double middle finger to those dealers who shoo'd me away. It is an expensive hobby and now it is too expensive to continue collecting (other than occasional one off), but it is pretty awesome to have them and it purged some pretty bad childhood memories.