When did you start collecting pre-war/vintage?

[Leon]

Since we have been discussing the potential for diminishing values of our pre-war/vintage cards I think it will be interesting to see when folks started collecting this era. Someone made the comment that collecting pre-war came a bit later in their collecting careers as there were other things more important in the earlier part of their lives (for many of us that includes our 20's). Also, with the values/prices many of us might not have had the disposable type of income to be able to do it any earlier. It would seem that many collectors start collecting the older stuff a bit later in their lives. We'll see what the poll says.
For me, I started when I was about 33-34 yrs old...which was about 15-16 yrs ago. It was called "mid life" crisis. I was walking through the local Garden Ridge mall with my wife and there was a tiny, 20 table card show in the middle of it. I saw a '54 Banks rookie, on Smilin' Dave's table, that was a bike-spokes card, for $10-$15.......I was hooked and then went back in "collecting" time from there. Lets don't count your childhood collecting unless you started collecting vintage then and never stopped. regards

[barrysloate]

I came into the hobby when I was 30, and started collecting vintage a couple of years into it.

[novakjr]

What's not to love about them bike spoke cards? '54 Banks for $10-15, gotta love it.

[carrigansghost]

Bought a shoebox full of 50's cards at 16 in 1981.......Hooked. Prewar in 2002. The box cost $20 and had some great 57 and 56 cards, which I still own.

Rawn

[ChiefBenderForever]

In 1998 started working on 1934 Goudey, 1958 Topps, and 1959 Fleer Ted Williams. Then in 2004 started working on T206. In 2006 stopped working on T206 after getting about 130 or so. In 2008 in a span of 3 months finished the 34 Goudey, 58 Topps,and 59 Fleer and decided to finally start collecting Chief Bender and over the next year sold the T206 cards, 34 Goudey set and 58 Topps set and kept the Ted Williams set but did sell Ted Signs. Have been enjoying Chief Bender cards ever since !! I was 28 in 1998 and so I guess that is when I official began prewar steadily.

[teetwoohsix]

I would be in the 36-40 years old range (or 35-40)......am 40 now.

For me, I have ebay to thank for my discovery of pre-war cards. I collected as a kid for awhile, and when my cards got left behind in a move I stopped collecting and found other interests that got me sidetracked.

A lot later in life, I had the bug to start collecting SOMETHING....and it was natural to go back to something I enjoyed collecting as a kid. Started scouring ebay, and "discovered" pre-war cards. It was love at first sight !!!
I had never known cards went back 100+ years. It was an amazing feeling to get my first T206 in the mail (still have it-Bill Hallman SGC 50). Picked up other types too, but found that I was more fascinated by the T206's,,, my wife could see I was becoming obsessed and bought me a copy of Lew Lipsett's book on tobacco issues and began studying the information.

When I found Net54, after contacting Trae (T206.org) about a card I had, he mentioned I should check out this sight. I was shocked at the cards I would see, and the wealth of information the board members had and would share-
what an amazing place this is!!!!

I was going to post on that thread about the price of cards diminishing, but erased everything I wrote, a few times I decided that when I buy a card, I'm more concerened about building a set than I am about whether they will diminish in value.......of course, we all want to think our cards will either retain their value, or better yet, climb in value as the years go by- but if I were to ONLY focus on the value, it wouldn't be as fun for me. I have to look at it like "buying a good meal",,,,,you buy it, you eat it, then, you move on to thinking about your next meal-- you don't dwell on the cost of the last one, or that the $$ is gone. Dumb analogy, I know.

So- yeah- way OT there. 36-40 and lovin' these cardboard treasures

Sincerely, Clayton

[deadballera]

bought my first vintage card (1934 Goudey Gehrig - portrait)..after watching Pride of the Yankees.

After that...got hoooked on buying vintage !

[Cat]

36 - I'm not sure if I started later or got older faster.

[Big Ben]

I bought my first vintage card at a card show while I was in my 20's. (mid 1980's) To be honest, most of the dealers and shows at that time in my area concentrated on cards from the 1950's onward so there was not much in the way of vintage cards that I could purchase in my area. When I saw a vintage card during those years, I usually purchased that card or at least inquired about the price of the card.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Leon

Since we have been discussing the potential for diminishing values of our pre-war/vintage cards I think it will be interesting to see when folks started collecting this era. Someone made the comment that collecting pre-war came a bit later in their collecting careers as there were other things more important in the earlier part of their lives (for many of us that includes our 20's). Also, with the values/prices many of us might not have had the disposable type of income to be able to do it any earlier. It would seem that many collectors start collecting the older stuff a bit later in their lives. We'll see what the poll says.
For me, I started when I was about 33-34 yrs old...which was about 15-16 yrs ago. It was called "mid life" crisis. I was walking through the local Garden Ridge mall with my wife and there was a tiny, 20 table card show in the middle of it. I saw a '54 Banks rookie, on Smilin' Dave's table, that was a bike-spokes card, for $10-$15.......I was hooked and then went back in "collecting" time from there. Lets don't count your childhood collecting unless you started collecting vintage then and never stopped. regards

Leon -- I'm glad you found something to buy at that show, I went fairly often -- we called it by the name of the Mall --- and I don't remember making too many purchases at that show. The funny thing was at that time I was living on the other side of town and it always seemed like a haul to get there -- now that I live literally 5 minutes away, I wish that show was back there --- instead of being long gone

Rich

[Anthony S.]

My dad collected old football programs at the time (Cal, the 49ers, and others) and brought me along to my first sports collectors show when I was about 7. I still remember the first time I saw a box of T206's. I just thought they were the coolest thing in the world. I think I bought a T206 Mullin, a T206 Abbaticchio and a T206 Irv Young -- who I thought was Cy Young for the next couple years (but then again, so did the makers of e97's and they were probably older than 7) at that first show. I made the mistake of bringing a T201 Mecca double folder to show-and-tell in 3rd grade. It came back to me in 2 pieces. I continued to collect T206's and a few T207's, e90-1's, an old judge or two, etc. until freshman year in high school. Then I went cold turkey pretty much until my 30's (with the exception of one show I went to just after college) when I decided it was time to sell off my cards. But once I pulled them out of storage, I was instantly hooked again.

[frohme]

I got started in the late 60's/early 70's in a roundabout way. Dad would take us by 7-11 on the way back from Little League practices and we'd get the Slurpee cups. I think that would have been in the 72/73 time frame. One of the older guys on my team (12 seemed ancient then!) got me interested in cards.

I had most of the mid-70's sets but - like most others - had different interests in high school/college. Was on again in the 90's and have been back mostly full time since about 2006.

While I don't have the cards from the early days, I (somehow) still have all the Slurpee cups - mostly 72, 73 baseball and the 73? HOF run of 20. Anyone else collect those in the day?

--
MIke

[mrvster]

27 ish, 1998 or 1999 after the new shiny rookies....thanks Johnny Drekker for my t206 addiction

[Leon]

Originally Posted by frohme

I got started in the late 60's/early 70's in a roundabout way. Dad would take us by 7-11 on the way back from Little League practices and we'd get the Slurpee cups. I think that would have been in the 72/73 time frame. One of the older guys on my team (12 seemed ancient then!) got me interested in cards.

I had most of the mid-70's sets but - like most others - had different interests in high school/college. Was on again in the 90's and have been back mostly full time since about 2006.

While I don't have the cards from the early days, I (somehow) still have all the Slurpee cups - mostly 72, 73 baseball and the 73? HOF run of 20. Anyone else collect those in the day?

--
MIke

Hi Mike
I think we are probably close in age.... I will be 50 in a few months. I used to have tall stacks of those slurpee cups. We used to collect and trade them just about like cards. I lived in Houston and we used to try to get all of the Astros. I liked Pittsburgh too, for some reason, and had lots of those players also. Oh to be a kiddo again!! regards

[frohme]

Yep - I turned 48 a few months back, Leon. I was in the Orlando area until '75 when we moved to Houston (Space Center area). What part of town were you in, if you don't mind my asking?

I forgot in my original post that my first real obsession was with the RC Cola cans from the summer of 77. Talk about something mom hated having in the house!