What Was The Hobby Like Back In The Day?

[judgebuck]

I first started collecting baseball cards in 1958 by buying packs at the local small town grocery store in west Kentucky. I was heavy into buying cards from 1958-63. Packs of five cards were five cents each, and there were also one-card packs for one cent. A box of 36 five-card packs was $1.80.

Football cards were popular as well, with Fleer joining Topps in 1960. Hartland statutes were special about this time, too. I remember ordering a few cards from Card Collector Company in NY. The 1961-62 Fleer basketball cards were popular with us young collectors, but it seemed they were a little hard to find.

We all liked the 1961-63 Post Cereal baseball cards and the 1962 Post Cereal football cards. We would accompany our mothers to the grocery store and inspect the back of the cereal boxes before deciding which cereal we wanted to eat that week.

I returned to collecting around 1979. I believe that was when the first Beckett softcover price guide came out. I was then in the workforce, and I sometimes bought collections from others who needed or wanted the money for something else. I guess it was early-mid 1980s that I began to go to shows in St. Louis. Often, when someone brought cards into the show to sell, an auction would be held on the spot. I remember turning down an offer from a dealer in St. Louis to sell me two Aaron rookies for $125. I thought that was too high. I would frequently buy lower grade 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth cards at the St. Louis shows for $150 and bring them back home and sell them to other local collectors for $300 each. Local card shops began to pop up in the 80s as well.

Looking back, here is the biggest regret I have: I don't regret having bought any card or collection; but, I regret having sold many cards. The values just seem to go up and up. That's why now, at age 68, I'm having a hard time downsizing my collection. I know I'm not going to be here forever, and I can't take them with me!