When I was collecting as a kid during the 1980s, it seemed the "older" collectors usually considered 1973 a good "cutoff" year since the series ended then. In my own age group, 1980 is a more logical point; I began busting wax in '79 and new companies started selling cards in 1981.
However, in 1986...20 years was a reasonable amount of time to go back to consider cards "old." Well, today, 20 years ago was 1990.
When I go to shows or stop in a card shop for the first time, I know I'm going to have to have a protracted discussion about what I mean when I ask if they have old cards. "Here's some stuff from 1981." "No, a lot older than that." "Okay, 1976." "No...what do you have from the 1950s?" "Nothin, but here's a signed/game-used card of (pick a player who played 30-50 years ago), you can buy that..."
(sigh)
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