A question for the REAL old-timers!

[56Horsehide]

I am 72 and bought my first cards when I was 9 from a really small neighborhood grocery/gas station - way before convenience stores were formed. My board name, "56Horsehide" is based on my first purchases. I was certainly aware there were white and gray back cards but figured it was just the type of paper they printed on. I can not say for sure a certain pack (5 cents) was all gray or all white. I still have all my cards from 56-60.
I often wonder which cards I put in my bike spokes, which I shot at with my BB gun, or what I traded away. Back then card values were not a concern - it was the player or the team.
I still enjoy my childhood cards and have added to my collection over the years. My childhood cards are all identified and such and my family is well aware of which ones they are.
Thanks for the post, it is always fun to enjoy looking back in time.

[BruceinGa]

I just turned 70 and most cards that I bought were 1961 and 1962 Topps. We would go to town and buy 1962 Fleer cards. Every once in awhile some 1959 and 1960 Topps would show up from friends. I would assume that it came from an older brother of one of my friends.

[tedzan]

As avid BB card collectors when we kids, most of us were interested in the players' pictures and the informative bios on the backs of the cards.
Variations in colors, printing errors, etc. didn't phase most of us. For example, the 1952 Topps set was issued in 6 series. The first three series
[#1-80....81-130....131-190] had front and back variations. Here is an example of the Black and Red backs of a first series card. In the Spring
of 1952, as a young kid in Hillside (NJ), I remember getting only Black backs of the first 80 cards in this set. A friend of mine in North Carolina
collecting 1952 Topps 1st series cards got Red backs. This back color change occurred during Topps press runs of their 2nd series cards (which
they printed with Red backs). Circa Summer of 1952, Topps re-printed their 1st Series cards (#1-80) due to the tremendous demand for their
product. This time with Red backs (as cards #81 - 407). You had to be collecting 1952 Topps cards back then to really appreciate how popular
they were that year.

Note the subtle color difference on the front of these two cards. This is true for all 1st series cards.
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TED Z

T206 Reference
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[AustinMike]

Like you, I'm 65. Unfortunately, I can't help with your question very much. I don't recall buying all that many packs of cards. My main collecting dealt with going to the commissary with my mom and picking out which Post cereals to buy. Although there are variations in some of the Post cards, I wasn't aware of them at the time and focused only on whether I had the player's card already or not. I'm sure I probably also had some '63 Jell-Os thrown in the mix but I don't recall if I realized they were different sizes. My wife claims I'm not very observant, I'm sure I was even less so back then.

[Leon]

My wife says I can't hear well. I hear everything well I just don't listen to her . It is called selective hearing. Great stories so far. And to the original question, when we pulled cards from packs as kids, in the late 60s and early 70s I don't ever recall hearing about errors. We just looked for the players we wanted.

Originally Posted by AustinMike

Like you, I'm 65. Unfortunately, I can't help with your question very much. I don't recall buying all that many packs of cards. My main collecting dealt with going to the commissary with my mom and picking out which Post cereals to buy. Although there are variations in some of the Post cards, I wasn't aware of them at the time and focused only on whether I had the player's card already or not. I'm sure I probably also had some '63 Jell-Os thrown in the mix but I don't recall if I realized they were different sizes. My wife claims I'm not very observant, I'm sure I was even less so back then.

[swarmee]

Not the 1969 Topps White Letter variations or the loop on the Graig Nettles RC, Leon?
I was 10 when the Fleer Billy Ripken card ruled, so kids my age were very tuned into errors growing up.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Not the 1969 Topps White Letter variations or the loop on the Graig Nettles RC, Leon?
I was 10 when the Fleer Billy Ripken card ruled, so kids my age were very tuned into errors growing up.

I traded my 10 Ripken FF cards when they came out for a Seattle Slew of vintage cards that are now worth $$$$. Error cards and variations are for morons, IMHO.

[pingman59]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Not the 1969 Topps White Letter variations or the loop on the Graig Nettles RC, Leon?
I was 10 when the Fleer Billy Ripken card ruled, so kids my age were very tuned into errors growing up.

Errors and Variations were something that didn't even occur to me when I was buying packs in 1968-75. Then, a sample of Sports Collectors Digest arrived and WOW, what an education. Ralph Nozaki would write about E's and V's and it was very interesting reading.

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Leon

My wife says I can't hear well. I hear everything well I just don't listen to her . It is called selective hearing. Great stories so far. And to the original question, when we pulled cards from packs as kids, in the late 60s and early 70s I don't ever recall hearing about errors. We just looked for the players we wanted.

and the reason my grand pa tuned out my nagging grandmother with the transistor radio w/ ear plug for 50 years. Would you rather be listening to Vinny & Chick or a nagging shrew.

[frankbmd]

Originally Posted by Leon

My wife says I can't hear well. I hear everything well I just don't listen to her . It is called selective hearing. Great stories so far. And to the original question, when we pulled cards from packs as kids, in the late 60s and early 70s I don't ever recall hearing about errors. We just looked for the players we wanted.

The wife button on my hearing aids is labeled OFF

[dabigyankeeman]

I dont remember anything about variations back then, and I collected.

What I remember most was the 1955 Bowman set, the oldest set I remember. I can still remember opening packs and thinking how neat it was that they looked like little color tv's, very advanced for those times!!!

But again, I dont remember being aware of any of the variations when I was growing up.