12 years ago it would never have crossed my mind to collect pre-war cards. In fact, I thought card collecting in general had long passed me by. Then I happened to see a card store near my house and went in to check it out. I started a $5 budget to see what stuff I could get from my days as a kid. Then I found eBay, and I found I could get pre-war cards, even star players, and still stay within my $5 a week budget. I could only get a card every month or three, but It was amazing to me that it was even possible. At the same time I found this site which introduced me to a whole new world.
So for pre-war I collect stars that I can afford - because of the relative unpopularity of a set, because the player isn’t named on the card (Churchman Ruth, National Game runner sliding Cobb, etc.) or because of condition.
Post-war I collect nostalgically.
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