How did you get started in the hobby

[spaidly]

Ed!

Your avatar caught my eye. I think I am your doppelgänger from bizzaro world because I read your story and it is my story, too. So much so, I'm using your story as a template and just tweaking some of the names and dates from my alternate universe. Here goes...

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My dad bought me a few cards in 1974. I was eight and really didn't know anything about cards at the time. I remember the Dodger's cards stood out because of their blue and white uniforms. In addition, the Washingtion Nat'l cards seemed really cool and, even as an 8-year-old, I realized the Dodgers must be good. Growing up in the Los Angeles area, there wasn't much to get excited about the Angels at the time. Except for Hank chasing the Babe, MLB baseball wasn't a huge deal to me and my friends. When the 1977 cards came out, I began buying a few packs. Once I saw the Dodgers won again, I was hooked! Steve became my favorite player and I began immersing myself in the stats on the card backs. I learned so much about players from reading the '77 backs that I still remember some obscure ones today (ex. Mini Minoso was older than dirt ). I couldn't get enough.

I collected until 1981 when I got older and became frustrated trying to collect Topps, Fleer, and Donruss. Eventually sold all of my 70's cards.

I got back into collecting in 2003. I completed Topps runs for Pete Rose and Steve Garvey (my favorites as a kid). I have now gone back to set collecting. I completed the 1966 Topps set (Birth year) as well as 1971 and 1972. I am about 20% complete on the 1957 set. I will probably buy 1973-1979 to complete the 1973-79 run and have the cards I most fondly remember. Really enjoying my 2nd go round as a collector.

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All of the above is 100% accurate. Amazing how so many of our stories overlap.

Scott