Sentamental Value

[albrshbr]

Some great responses already. Here's mine (copied and pasted)

I've got 2. They are 1979 Topps Clint Hurdle and Mike Krukow. Both are in pretty bad condition, so there's no chance of anyone else even wanting them. I started collecting in 1977, and finished my first team set (Orioles) in 1978. In 1979 I was just 2 cards short of finishing the whole set. I checked with other kids in the neighborhood, but no one had the cards. I went to a local card shop (yes...there was one near me in 1979), and there were 2 other collectors who already had them on their "need" lists, including 1 who also only needed these 2 cards. I then went to visit my grandparents for a week, and brought my cards with me. Everyday my grandfather and I would walk to the store and buy 5 to 10 packs. Still no luck. The day before I went home, my grandmother came back with an entire box. I broke them open, and found my 2 treasured cards. My first set was complete. My grandmother died in 1981.

These cards will be buried with me.

[steve B]

Some wonderful stories here.

My card is a 69 Reggie Jackson. In 69 I bought one pack, the 5c was my entire penny candy budget for that trip. (Old fashioned town, with an old fashioned pharmacy that carried all sorts of penny candy wonders. Plus a grocery where Marilyn sometimes had shopped)

Getting back to the car after another errand or two dad asked what players I'd gotten. When I showed him he remarked that Reggie was pretty good.

I pretty much forgot about the card, and somehow didn't buy any in 70, maybe one pack in 71, and another in 72. The cards ended up in the toybox, and about the only thing I kept track of was the 71 coin, which was usually in the toybox, but sometimes in the typical boys box of interesting stuff.

Forward to 74, we're in a new town, and I got into cards in 73 right after we moved. The Hank Aaron specials are making me interested in older cards. Remembering the other cards I had a "search" was on. (Probably started with the toybox, so a brief search) I found the coin, and most of the cards. Including the Reggie Jackson. It's pretty beat from the 5 years it spent in a box with tonka trucks, Hot wheels, lincoln logs and a bunch of whatever else I'd gotten, but I still think of it as my first card.

Steve B

[scmavl]

The first card I ever remember owning was an '81 Donruss Ron Oester. I'm sure my mom must've bought a pack of cards for me (I would've been 4 at the time) but I don't really recall. I just remember that card floating around my room for years as a kid, pen marks all over the back. Unfortunately, I have no idea where that card is, as we moved in the late 80's and I'm certain it didn't make the trip with me. But I did recently buy an entire '81 Donruss set just so I could get that card (as no one sold it by itself).

The first "good" card I remember buying when I got into collecting in around '89 was an '84 Topps Mattingly rookie. I still have that card it the screw down holder I put it in back then thinking it would be worth a fortune. It may be worth $5 now.

Some great stories guys, keep them coming.