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[kailes2872]

Mom and dad were divorced before my second birthday. Mom dated a guy for a short time in 1978. He would bring me baseball cards, Fleer WS stickers, and some other stuff to keep me occupied while he courted mom.

In 1980, at 8 years old, I had firmly captured the bug and had a small shoebox of the '80 Topps cards. I had also been introduced to TCMA cards. They had a special that I ordered through the mail that had a bunch of reprints of the all time classics - 33 Goudey's, T206's, Cracker Jacks. I also bought my first price guide and looked in awe at the price of Wagner and Mantle, etc. In that 80 Sport Americana price guide (if I recall correctly) there was a section which had pictures of the Barry Halper collection. It was crazy to think that someone had all of that stuff.

I would take my cards to school and show them off. One day, a teachers aid from the high school named Melanie asked if she could see my cards and I showed her. She told me that she collected as well and asked if I wanted to trade. Reluctantly, I agreed - as they were my prize possession and I wasn't sure what a girl would have for trade.

A few days later, Melanie came over with a shoe box full of baseball, basketball, and football from '71-75. Every star from every year was included. Multiple, Aaron's, Mays', Clemente's, Brett and Yount rookies, Kaline, Gibson, Johnny U, Lew Alcindor, Wilt Chamberlain. She said that when she was younger, her dad would stop on the way home and buy her multiple packs every day. These were some of her doubles and I was welcome to come by and have as many of her doubles as I liked.

Fast forward about 60 days later. There was a card show that came to town. I wanted to go because I knew that my cards were worth something. All I did was collect cards and I was 8 years old - so there wasn't a huge need for money - but I really wanted a complete '80 Topps set. Mom took us, Melanie went along. I took my shoebox up to the first table I saw that said that they were buying. He went though and picked out the best 50-80 cards and offered me $8. He had an '80 topps set for $14 dollars. I asked him to trade for the set, but he was firm on his price. I took it. I then went to the next table and showed my remaining cards. He offered $5. I asked for $6 so I could get the set. Again, he said that his price was firm. I took his $5 and asked mom for $1 so I could buy the '80 Topps set. Amazingly, Melanie never said a word - as she had given those cards to me with no strings attached - but she must have been horrified.

I collected up until I went to college. Buying a ton of '82s when I had a paper route, buying all of the sets from '86 to '90. Then, while in College, I sold my junk wax collection for $250 right before the bottom fell out. I used the $250 plus some other money to buy a big screen TV which was great to have in college.

In 2011, I took the boys to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. They had the baseball card exhibit and I showed them all of the cards that I had and spoke about the old pricing guides and the prices of the super star cards around 1980.

When we got home, I was looking on Ebay at some of those '71-75's. I was lamenting to my wife about selling them all for $13. She had heard this before. She said to me "Stop whining about them and just buy them back.". These were words that she has since lived to regret. At first, I bought the 80-85 sets as a package deal. Then within a week, I had bought back to '75. I quickly bought '74 and '73 and then the prices started going up. I found a guy that sold me '66 and '72. I then found another guy that had near complete sets of '71 and '68 which I bought and completed. By Christmas time I had '70 and '69 and within a couple of months I had completed '67 as well (from which I still have a nervous twitch due to the high numbers). She has reminded me that I can stop now that I have the cards back from my 8 year old cars show mistake, but I have kept going and am getting near complete on my Topps/Bowman run.

I have bought the boys the factory sets from 2006 for baseball and football. I have told them that I will leave them my cards but they have to promise never to sell them. I upgrade my lower condition cards but hold onto the doubles as I have an unhealthy attachment to them and don't want to repeat childhood mistakes. When I complete the run, I will begin getting some of the major stars of the pre-war era and really build out the collection. I am having a blast buying all of the cards that I used to stare at longingly in the display case.

Thanks for the contest - way TMI on my part, but it was great getting a chance to reminisce about it.