First Pack of Cards

[pingman59]

For me, 1968 Topps BB 1st Series Rack Packs, purchased at the Woolworth's department store. I don't remember any of the cards from my first purchase, but do recall anxiously waiting to return later to purchase more. It wasn't until later that summer that I purchased my first 5 cent wax pack (in a different town). Up until then, I didn't know wax packs existed. I was more thrilled with the insert game card than the actual cards in that pack. At Christmas that year, my parents gave me a Topps Fun Pack which had several 1968 Topps BB 6th and 7th series packs (1 card to a pack). I remember getting a Manny Jiminez and a Phil Roof. That would begin a trend of pulling plenty of Phil Roof cards over the next three years.

[FrankWakefield]

1964 Topps. I bought a very few packs at the end of the season. And didn't keep up with them, they were lost before the next season started. I bought a bunch of 1965 Topps, maybe had 300 cards including duplicates. Only a few packs in 1966; then in 1967 I liked the cards, was scrounging up more coins for cards, and eventually had what I recall as being the set. I'm gonna fill those out here sometime soon.

One thing younger collectors miss out on is buying cards as they came out in series. When word spread that there was a new series out, we were on our bicycles with a plan on buying ball cards. A modern equivalent is the internet and eBay. Trading or acquiring cards you lacked was peer to peer initially, then by mail from lists and known card fanatics. Now, many cards are just a click away, and you can pay for them with a few more clicks. I'm sure there are guys on here who sent cash and coins through the mail buying cards in their old days.

[savedfrommyspokes]

1980 Topps baseball wax pack, my great Aunt gave me and my cousin a handful of packs one day on a visit. Still have the 40-50 cards from that day....no Henderson though.

[Tao_Moko]

Originally Posted by FrankWakefield

I'm sure there are guys on here who sent cash and coins through the mail buying cards in their old days.

Crazy thing is that it wasn't that long ago. I remember anxiously waiting to see if my Lew Lipset mail in order would return with cards. Just hoping I got to one on my list before the next guy. I don't think I bought my first card off of the internet until sometime in the 2000's.

[FrankWakefield]

The Lew Lipset boxes.... I have a couple a dozen of those secreted away on shelves and in closets. My family has always given me grief over saving boxes. Until this time of year, before the holidays. Then they'd sheepishly come to me and ask if I had a box about this long and this big, moving their hands as guides. I still have a few cards I'm certain I got from Lew's lists. Those boxes still bring me a smile. He could paraphrase Hans Wagner... "Ain't much to collectin' old ballcards, IF you know about old card collectin'"

[Collectorsince62]

1962 Topps 6th series. My mom let me ride my bike to the "dime store" by myself for the first time to buy whatever I wanted for a nickel. The boxes were right next to the register and the wrapper was so colorful. I kept those five cards together in a desk drawer for many years but somehow misplaced one of them, but having the remaining four is worth more to me than my entire 1962 set.