Evolution of collecting habits (aka "slow Thursday")

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Posted By: jay behrens

Like most people I started as a kid. The first card sI remember buying were 1969 Topps football cards that included Jan Stenerud and Larry Csonka. I continued until about 1977, then I got 'too old' collect cards anymore. In 1980, Lee and I came across the annual Beckett, saw that 1972 Carew was $50, and I got sucked back in. Shortly after that I found the book put out by Kieth Mitchell and Roger Erbe. This book got me hooked on vintage cards. the first card show I went to I bought a stunning 1956 Jackie Robinson and one every Pete Rose card from 1963-69. The one card I wish I ahd bought at the show was a n172 Harry Stovey card that was priced at $15, which I thought was too much and would have cut into my Pete Rose budget. I didn't actually buy my first pre ww2 card until I got in the Navy and stationed in Philly. There I met Ron Oser and Bill Bossert who really showed some incredible stuff in the hobby. The first vintage card I bought was actualyl a complete set of t201s only missing the Speaker card. Going to the Willow Grove show in 1982 introduced me to whole spectrum of cards and memorabilia and got me interested in other things than just cards.

My collecting has never been focused until recently. Almost everything I bought was purely a magpie reflex. If it looked pretty and the price was right, I'd buy it. I got out of the hobby/business in 1991 and only recently returned in the past year and half. This time though my collecting is focused on something I had always dreamed about, obtaining one card of every major leaguer that appeared on a card. For now, I narrowed it to 1908-1944. The Post war players will be easy enough to obtain if I ever decide to go that far.

For now, trying to finish off the pre war players will be hard enough given the very limited budget I ahve to work with.

Jay