First Pack of Cards: 1986 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1986 Topps. I got hooked quickly! And then 1987 Topps, and then 1988 Topps, and 1988 Fleer, and 1988 Donruss, and 1988 Score, and 1989 Topps, and 1989 Fleer, and 1989 Donruss, and 1989 Score...you get the picture
.
First T206: I've bought several since I started up again about a year ago. Maybe Bresnahan was the first?
First Card To Pay >$100 For: I don't think I ever paid that much for a card as a kid, so it would be either an E90 Bender or T201 Collins/Baker, both late last year.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1954 Topps Aaron, this past Feb.
Most Memorable Trade: Ha. When I was about 10 years old, there was a kid who I had to be "friends" with because our moms were friends. He also kind of collected baseball cards, and he had a Topps Mattingly rookie that was a big deal in 1987. He was also a bit gullible.
I had an old "Tom Seaver Price Guide" book from 1984 that had the Mattingly listed at like $1. Using the argument that "who would know more about the ability of hitters, and thus their card values, than Tom Seaver,"* I convinced the other kid to trade me the Mattingly and some other cards for a stack of 1987 Topps, mostly commons, that he needed for his set. If memory serves, later that afternoon he told his mom and she unilaterally rescinded the trade.
Now, I am not proud of this story today, but it does make for a memorable trade.
*And yes, I did (eventually) end up becoming a lawyer. Could have seen that one coming, I guess
. But of course I would never do anything like that now as an adult.