How did you start collecting?

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Posted By: Anson

I thought it would be interesting to see how some of you got into collecting vintage cards. Also, what was your first true vintage card?

I grew up collecting the cards from the time, 70's and some early 80's. While over at my next door neighboors, I noticed he had boxes upon boxes of 60's cards in his garage. I explained to him what he had and, for the education, he gave me a Mantle and a few other cards.

While in school, I started working for the local sportscard store to help keep myself afloat. I was turned on to the prewar stuff by my boss and picked up my first prewar card (a clean, Mcbride T206). Since then, I have collected players that I have interest in and have started trying to build this pesky E101 set.

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Posted By: Joan

My very first card was a Jack Barry t206 which I bought for $9 at a show in Fort Washington while accompanying my brother on his Pokemon binge. I couldn't believe the blue background, it looked like the sky in a Giotto fresco. I still have that card and love it.

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Posted By: Julie

9-year-old son got me hooked in '79; when he quit 3 years later, I tumbled back in history, winding up in the 19th century.
First card I bought (for son--I thought):

Last card I bought(for ME):


(when my son quit, he told his father to tell me--he was afraid to tell me himself--thought I'd drop dead, or something!)

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Posted By: Brian

Bought my first baseball cards in 88, I loved going to Toys R Us and searching the rack packs. 88 and 89 Donruss kept me entertained.

First vintage, a few years ago I picked up a T206 Red Cobb for a few hundred on Ebay. Had it shipped to me while I was serving in Kosovo. That Cobb eventually led to a dozen more Cobbs.

Brian

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Posted By: godvls

I started collecting Topps when I was a kid in '67 and never really stopped until the late 80's (with a one year hiatus in 1977 - my senior year of high school.) My first vintage card was a T205 John McGraw that I picked up for $5 at a card show in Anaheim in 1976.

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Posted By: Rob

1977 - I was a flipper, not a collector

1992 - my friend Joe introduced (seduced?) me into the world of hot rookie cards that were worth tens of dollars; I start with football since I didn't know about horseracing cards at the time

1993 - collected football and basketball; insertmania arrives; went to a National in Westchester, saw a lot of cards, bought Japanese baseball packs, and saw some beautiful tobacco cards that were white, borderless, and looked like a miniature painting... "Ooooo, rookie cards at the next table" - so much for that miniature painting

1994 - I actually believed rare insert cards were going to outperform RCs in the long run; "Who collects vintage? It's crap."

1998 - I give in and collect baseball, rookies, inserts, and all; prospecting to make a big hit; traded "$200 worth of Dan Marino inserts plus $50 cash for an ungraded EX-MT 1962 Topps #1 Roger Maris" because I saw that card in an episode of ST:TNG

1999 - become disgusted with the high price of RCs and last year's RC's becoming yesterday's news; I stop collecting cold turkey

2005 - January.... looked at my collection for the first time in a long time; it was fun, but was it worth it?; what would I do if I started all over again?; "collect to keep, not for financial gain"; Hmmmm.... fine homes display fine art, and fine art is mostly composed of old masterpieces; the Metropolitan Museum of Art displays baseball cards; would my collection be worthy of that?; old cards.... vintage.... tobacco...; a 1977 Ron Guidry card I hold in my hand - one of two cards that I hacthed with my own hands from a pack back in 1977; if not Sotheby's, at least a museum, or something that has great significance to me; a mention of this board from the Beckett board led me to here; since I was going to purchase tobacco cards, I got a T206 Willetts as my comparison card should I buy a raw card; I came upon and got that miniature painting I saw back in 1993 - the N28 King Kelly; came upon a couple of T206 Kid Elberfeld Washington portraits; and back to my first love combined with my new love - thoroughbreds on tobacco issues

I am one with the universe since I now collect out of pure love and enjoyment

Bottom line: I learned the hard way, but I learned

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Posted By: jay behrens

For many of us long time posters, you can find this info with the search function since this thread theme has been repeated many times. Besides, I too lazy too retype my story.

Jay

My place is full of valuable, worthless junk.

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Posted By: Rob

There IS the Select All|Copy|Paste method.

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Posted By: jay behrens

very true. I just woke up when wrote that, so my brain wasn't fully engaged. Not that it ever has been.

Jay

My place is full of valuable, worthless junk.