Well, this is a great topic for my first post to these boards, as it represents the genesis for me entering the hobby. I have been a long time lurker and have gained tremendous information and insight from following this forum (and its earlier form).
Around 5 years ago, when asked about my baseball card collection from when I was a kid (mostly 70's and early 80's), my mother informed me that she "didn't know where it was and it might have been thrown out!"
I had always had visions of turning the cards over to my sons at the right time and that time had come. After my blood pressure returned to normal, I looked into collecting vintage cards in hopes of deciding on a set that appealed visually to me, had some historical significance, was complete-able (no t206 set for me...sorry), was not too esoteric and was something that I would need to collect over time (i.e. I did not have the financial means to write a check and purchase the entire set outright)....and I could involve my kids in this endeavor and eventually turn the cards over to them.
Well, I decided on the 1933 Goudey set and my quest for expensive pieces of cardboard (as my wife puts it) began. I have since completed the 1933 set (yes, all 240 cards) and have started on the t205's and 1914 cracker jacks.
So, in some respects, my mother's comments with regards to my childhood collection were a blessing in disguise (again, my wife does not necessarily share this opinion) as it provided me with the opportunity to enter a hobby that I never really considered previously.
