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petecldI had a somewhat similar experience with my ex-girlfriend's 8-year old son. The one thing we clicked on was a love of Baseball. His favorite MLB team was the Yankees. Why? He played on the Yankees in his Pee-Wee League. Hey, he's 8, that's all it takes.
Now his favorite player? Derek Jeter. Why? His response was that his DAD told him Jeter baseball cards were worth a lot of money. That's sad.
I showed him my card collection and he was amazed mostly at how old they were and yes, he asked if I had any Wagner cards. I showed him a few and he asked, "Are these worth a million dollars too?" I said, "I wished" but it just goes to show you the power of hype and publicity.
When I watched games with my grandfather he NEVER talked about the money, salaries, strikes, over priced food, over priced tickets, etc. He**, he used to tell me how CHEAP it was to go to a game. Those days are over. he also told me about the "golden age." That's what got me hooked on vintage at a young age. He even gave me a few old baseball cards: a few ratty t206s, a t205 and the kicker: an E90-1 Young. He also told me about the 1919 Sox but made Joe Jackson out to be a god so the whole gambling thing didn't seem too important. I WAS HOOKED on vintage baseball & cards but I digress.
The problem is the current generation of father's have experienced the down(business) side of the game because that's what the media hypes and that is what they are passing on. The love for the game that grows in a child's mind is based on the seed that is planted there. What you tell your kids about the game and card collecting is the impression they will hold for a lifetime.