What Would 8 Year Old You Think About Your Collection Today?

[Seiklis]

"What do you mean there's cards before 1948?"

[BioCRN]

8 year old me was obsessed with getting rid of my early 80s topps stuff for 70s cards of stars still playing in the early 80s. 1972 Topps Reggie Jackson that was beat all to hell on the corners/edges was my personal collecting trophy at that point in time.

I hadn't gone to a card show yet and my exposure to the wide variety of cards were pretty much limited to black and white photos of random examples of sets in various yearly issued card price guides.

Anyway, 8 year old me would look at my collection, know most of it had to cost money and not much of what was he was looking at. Then he'd ask me if I had a Reggie Jackson rookie.

[CardPadre]

“Why does it have a hole?”

Actual card from my 10-year-old self’s binder and the equivalent later acquisition.

[Mark]

My 8-year-old self is very much aware of what I collect. He has been picking out pre-war cards and bats for me to buy for decades, and he keeps pressing me to buy more.

[Texxxx]

My 8 year old self would wander how they sounded clipped to a bike in the spokes. I didn't start collecting till much later.

[Fred]

8 year old me would be asking - "WTF is that thing?" or "who the hell is Anson?" or "I've never heard of Piedmont gum before"

[todeen]

your 8 yo self swore like a sailor. Did he ever get his mouth washed out with soap?

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[Fred]

Originally Posted by todeen

your 8 yo self swore like a sailor. Did he ever get his mouth washed out with soap?

Daily! It took a while to beat my addiction to Dial soap.

[JustinD]

A thought on that year sent me daydreaming for a bit, thanks!

That was the year I first started talking my parents into regularly driving to The Sports Collector's Dugout, which was the closest card shop after we moved to the 'Big City' in Lansing, MI.

Prior to that, we lived in a little farm town called Coopersville and my only card options were a comfy banana seat bike ride to the convenience store in town (on Main Street of course, because what one-light town doesn't have one) that had a small but decent selection of current cards and a Slush Puppy machine...just enough for excitement. However, that little hole in the wall shop that was half the size of my living room and stacked to the ceiling with random stuff was way better than Toys R' Us (and that was amazing btw).

Honestly in retrospect with and adult eyes, the owner was top shelf shady. My mom absolutely hated taking my brother and I there, as it was a cluttered, smoke filled room with little to no ventilation. The owner Elliot had a consistent cigarette in one hand, pomade slicked hair, and the raspy fast talk of a used car salesman.

All that said, I loved that place. I would stare at the cards in his little case that far exceeded my dollar weekly allowance for chores and seemed so out of reach. Those Mantle's were around 20 bucks by god, who could afford that?

Being a Michigan town, the case was of course full of Detroit stars. The main case had a center section of nothing but Al Kaline. I never watched him to my memory, as he had retired when I was still in diapers. However to the 'older' Tiger fans, he was still king and retired just yesterday. Al was the hot seller, and deserved his spot front and center. I looked at those cards and thought, "When I get older I will get an Al Kaline too, and i'll buy all the candy at the register...just because i'll have grown up money."

I'll admit, I never bought the entire rack of candy at the register. I'll probably pass that up. However, i'll be damned if that kid doesn't have the entire Topps run of Kaline now. He would think that was pretty cool.

[Exhibitman]

"Why is that fat old guy playing with cards?"

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Fred

Daily! It took a while to beat my addiction to Dial soap.

LOL my mom washed my mouth out a few times too. I don't know what soap they used, but it wasn't Dove. It was gross.

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[jethrod3]

"Why in the world have you NOT completed your 1970 and 1971 Topps baseball sets yet? Why? But I forgive you though!"

[JollyElm]

The conversation would be quick...

Younger self: "What, is doing sit-ups illegal in the future, you fat schmuck??!! You better still have my 1972 Willie Mays card!!!"

Older self: (Debating whether or not it will be more satisfying telling him now that our dog devoured his treasured Mays card that summer, or letting him find out on his own, as I did.) "You know how Dad said he's getting some smokes and will buy you a couple of rack packs, because you've been such a good boy?? Guess what??!! He ain't never coming back, you twerp!!"

[Popcorn]

I’m sure he would laugh hard at someone spending 5-figures on a label lol

[MR RAREBACK]

What happened to all my toys?

[FrankWakefield]

8 year old me would look at the boxes, the binders, the cards... and I'd be bored to tears.

I might have had a fleeting interest in Babe Ruth, but at age 8 I knew little about him. 8 year old me would have a "now" mindset. "All of these cards and you don't have Ohtani, Soto, or Arraez (68 year old me barely knows who that is)???" 8 year old me would be done with last year's cards when this year's cards hit the stores. I would have wanted this year's cards. Not last year's, nor the year before.

At age 8, I wasn't fascinated by history. not even baseball history. My first two baseball books were My Greatest Day In Baseball by Carmichael, and Guardian of the Hot Corner, it was about Ken Boyer. I'd have been about 10, give or take a year. When I got the Carmichael book, I first read the few entries from a Cardinals player. I didn't know who Rogers Hornsby was, but I learned that he was a great hitter, he was a player/manager (how can you be both, I wondered) who got the Cardinals their first World Series Championship, and that he was super happy to have tagged out Babe Ruth as he made a run at stealing second for the final out of the game and series. Next, I recall resolving to myself that I'd read them in order as listed. This was the first time I encountered many of those names...

Mom got both of those books for me. I think she got the Carmichael book first; partly to see if I would read it. I did, I loved to read, and she continually nurtured that, I read the book about Boyer, next. I didn't understand that book title at the time, though.

I recall looking at a much newer edition a few years ago, most of the old 'Greatest Days' I had read were no longer in the book, replaced with some more modern players. I didn't get that book. And at this moment I can see that maybe I really should get a copy of the newest edition possible, because I should learn about who Trout is, who Ohtani is...


So... 8 year old me would be bored with looking at unusual odd shaped pieces of cardboard of dead ballplayers.

[Beercan collector]

My fictional super smart super observant eight year-old self would say ... “ Those T206s graded “TWO” are incredibly well preserved “

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

What would little you think about the collection you have today?

Little 8 year old Donny would not believe what I have been able to acquire. I am trying to be better about appreciating what I have, especially in the condition that the cards are in. It would all be mind-blowing to that kid!

Same here! And that's true even if I showed my eight year old self only the pre-April 1961 cards I have today. I started collecting cards at the age of seven and at the age of eleven I commenced upon a collection of all cards with a buddy of mine.

[oldjudge]

When I was eight I loved collecting baseball card sets and I loved “older cards”( I had gotten cards going back to 1948 from a relative whose son no longer wanted them). So, I think mini me would appreciate what I have. What would confuse him is why people put cards into plastic holders and why people pay people who know less than them about cards what their cards are worth. Come to think of it, that confuses me too.

[Popcorn]

Originally Posted by CardPadre

“Why does it have a hole?”

Actual card from my 10-year-old self’s binder and the equivalent later acquisition.

that’s the card 8yr old me would have wanted over any other lol

[JollyElm]

My eight-year-old self would say, "WTF (he'd use the actual words, though) is with all of that WAR crap with card collectors in the future????!!!"

Then we'd both laugh and high five each other. Friends to the end!!

[mortimer brewster]

My eight year old self would say. "What's with all these baseball players?, why don't you have any Underdog cards, Go Go Gopher cards, Gumby?"

[Snapolit1]

He would shrug his shoulders and keep walking.

[obcbobd]

My eight year old (1970) self would have been amazed at all the cards of Ruth, Gehrig, Williams etc. and especially all my Yaz cards; did not pull a regular Yaz out of a pack until 1972.

He'd be even happier that I have a dog :-)

[mart8081]

"Can I colour these in?"

"So, thats why I don't get much lego."

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

What would confuse him is why people put cards into plastic holders and why people pay people who know less than them about cards what their cards are worth. Come to think of it, that confuses me too.

+1!

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

So... 8 year old me would be bored with looking at unusual odd shaped pieces of cardboard of dead ballplayers.

Huh?! What unusual odd shaped pieces of cardboard of dead ballplayers do you have in your collection? With the exception of coins, mine are all standard rectangles.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Mark

My 8-year-old self is very much aware of what I collect. He has been picking out pre-war cards and bats for me to buy for decades, and he keeps pressing me to buy more.

Excellent! That works to keep you from growing old.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by todeen

your 8 yo self swore like a sailor. Did he ever get his mouth washed out with soap?

In my experience every kid swore like a sailor as soon as he was out of earshot of old fogeys a.k.a. adults. Swearing was part of being a kid.

[sfmays24]

Old people are dumb...

[Kawika]

I was eight years old in 1958. I'd have been astonished to know that Casey Stengel was ever young.

[Yoda]

My 8 year old self would be happy I was collecting again after a 30 year absence.

[ValKehl]

Originally Posted by sfmays24

Old people are dumb...

Hey, I like to think that I don't resemble your remark! Leon, can you ban this member?

[RayW]

When I was eight years old, the 1963 Topps Mays #300 was my favorite card. Here it is in all its original glory. Carried the card with me everywhere. Still mint.😂

[gregndodgers]

My 8 year old self would say, “ why no Babe Ruth or Gehrig. You’re slacking.”

To which I would reply, “we always liked Mantle, Mays, and Aaron more.”

[Harliduck]

My 8 year old self would be stoked I still have the 1978 Topps set he put together ALL YEAR as an 8 year old...he would be ticked if I still didn't have it! He would be laughing that I also have a mint set sitting right next to it...he would make fun of that!

He also would be shi^^ing his pants...at 8 I only had access to cards like the Rose and Aaron rookies through a book in the library at school. Owning one seemed the same as owning a yacht back then, just wasn't a reality. He would be STOKED. Heck, he thought the kid that actually had a 1966 Topps common Hector Lopez was a GOD at school...haha

[horzverti]

Lil' me would ask big me, "what the heck is a Herpolsheimer?"....and... "what happened to our 1987 Topps Will Clark investment"?

[Brent G.]

Me from 14 months ago wouldn't believe how my collection has changed (before I joined Net54 and caught the vintage bug).

[ValKehl]

At 8 years old, I don't think I knew what a baseball card was. At about age 10, my family moved to a nearby town where by the kids in my new neighborhood introduced me to both baseball and baseball cards. I was 11 when I got my first baseball cards - 1955 Topps. By 1956, I was an avid card collector.