Collection Reflection

[Cmvorce]

At the end of the year, I always get reflective - on life and cards. I thought this might be fun. Hope you’ll play along. Leon, apologies in advance if this doesn’t belong on the front page.

First Pack of Cards: 1987 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1956 Topps
First T206: Christy Mathewson dark cap
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1968 Nolan Ryan
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: T206 Walter Johnson portrait
Most Memorable Trade: received: 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle; Sent: Six Nintendo games, including Tecmo Bowl, Bases Loaded, and Double Dribble.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

[realbigfatdog]

I'll play along

First Pack of Cards: 1985 Topps

First Set Completed by Hand: 1956 Topps

First T206: Elmer Flick ($3 in 1989)

First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle ($100 in 1992)

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: W600 Hal Chase ($1100 in 2019)

I can't remember my last trade, unfortunately.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[commishbob]

First Pack of Cards: 1959 Topps
First set completed by hand: 1961 Topps. When I returned to chasing vintage about 10 years ago it was the '59T set
First T206: Same as the OP, a Matty dark cap bought blind from an old The Trader Speaks ad.
First Card To Pay >$100 For: I think it was a Mantle for that '59 set.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: Haven't, likely never will. Most expensive card was a '67 Seaver rookie for about $550
Most Memorable Trade: Haven't done many since my North Jersey schoolyard dealings in 1965 but I'd say getting a nice '62T starter lot for a stack of 50s and 60s star dupes I'd upgraded.

[LEHR]

Here’s mine…

First Pack of Cards: 1979 Topps football wax packs from Rimsteads Hardware store.

First Set Completed by Hand: 1958 Topps football set. I built this complete PSA set card by card with a final GPA of 7.03.

First T206: Mickey Doolan batting pose. I bought this from Sportscards Plus around 1996’ish I believe. It later graded an SGC 40.

First Card To Pay >$100 For: The first I remember was a T206 Charles Seitz PSA 7. I paid $150 around 1997’ish.

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1961 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8.

**(edited to add)** Most memorable trade: Around age 11 I traded a EX 1958 Topps Ted Williams for an EX-MT 1976 Topps Hank Aaron. To the kids in my town Aaron was a much bigger legend than Ted Williams and the guy I traded with was the first kid in town to come up with a Hank Aaron card.

[obcbobd]

First Pack of Cards: 1967 Topps Red Sox Stickers
First Set Completed by Hand: 1973 Topps, last card Jim Kaat
First T206: Ed Abbaticchio - Pittsburgh Pirates
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 33 Goudey Ruth
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: not yet
Most Memorable Trade: Traded a boxfull of 73/74 dups for a 52 Topps Mays

[cjedmonton]

First Pack of Cards: 1978 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1983 Topps
First T206: Rube Marquard - Sweet Caporal
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 2001 Donruss Elite Albert Pujols
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 2008 Topps Chrome Clayton Kershaw PSA 10
Most Memorable Trade: 1975 Topps Pete Rose/Steve Garvey/Johnny Bench for 1970 Nolan Ryan (circa 1980)

[ullmandds]

First Pack of Cards: 1977 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1977 Topps
First T206: white cap matty
First Card To Pay >$100 For: red hindu crandall
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: not sure...some rareish type card of a common player likely???
Most Memorable Trade: 67 brooks robinson, 68 tom seaver for a 77 pinella burger king

[skelly423]

First pack: 1991 Donruss
First set completed by hand: 1950 Bowman
First T206: Nap Rucker portrait
First card to pay >$100: 1985 OPC Mario Lemieux RC
First card to pay >$1000: T206 Cobb green portrait
Most memorable trade: with JStottlemire 1941 Play Ball DiMaggio for T206 Cy Young Polar Bear back

[jingram058]

First pack of cards: 1967 Topps (6 packs, 5 cents each, Safeway supermarket, Dallas, TX)

First set completed by hand: 1967 Topps, plus many duplicates, but my mom gave my cards away when I moved out of the house and (stupidly) didn't care about things like baseball cards anymore

First t206: Addie Joss, Ed Walsh and Nap Lajoie, Coral Square Mall card show, Coral Springs, FL (1993?)

First card to pay $100 for: 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144, Chanute AFB, IL, 1988 (bought a Ruth signed ball for $500, and Ruth card and Gehrig card for another $300 (?), all authenticated by Harvey Brandwein), used re-enlistment bonus money, also bought new 1988 Ford Mustang with cash at Rantoul Ford)

First card to pay $1000 for: Have not done that, and likely won't

Most memorable trade: Jay Weaver, September 2020 at the height of Covid, I traded duplicate 1959, 1960 and 1961 Topps cards (including Mantle, Maris, Mays, etc.) for 1953 Bowman color (21, including Mantle, Reese, etc.) and 1952 Topps (9, including Mays, Dickey, etc.), which started my 1953 Bowman color complete set. My real most memorable trade wasn't a trade, it was a gift. An older neighborhood pal (imagine a guy 5 or 6 years older, who was a role model for us younger fellows, who pitch for both sides in our games, and also QB) was going away to prep school and showed up at our house one Saturday morning with a box of mainly 1962 Topps and many older, Hardy Boys tan covered books, comic books and Boy Scout stuff. Dolph Belton is a college professor today.

[Snapolit1]

I don’t know how you guys can remember the first pack of baseball cards you ever bought. I can’t remember what I ordered for dinner last Friday.

[rjackson44]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I don’t know how you guys can remember the first pack of baseball cards you ever bought. I can’t remember what I ordered for dinner last Friday.

Hi steve lol 66 orr last big purchase

[brob28]

First Pack of Cards: 1974 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1956 Topps
First T206: Ty Cobb - Red Portrait
First Card To Pay >$100 For: either 1956 Mantle or Red Cobby, can't remember which was first.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: T206 Nap Lajoie (w/bat) EPDG SCG 60
Most Memorable Trade: Nothing really sticks out: as a kid I traded a '77 Brett for a '75 Aaron which at the time seemed like the steal of the century.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I don’t know how you guys can remember the first pack of baseball cards you ever bought. I can’t remember what I ordered for dinner last Friday.

I remember getting those packs of cards like it was yesterday. Mark Terry, Chuck White and Edwin Jaffe were my closest pals. They were buying and collecting cards starting in 1966, third grade in school. My sister Linda became a "stewardess" for Delta Air Lines and got herself based or assigned to Dallas. My dad and I made a field trip down there in 1967 to see how she was doing. One day she and I went to Safeway, and lo and behold, there at the checkouts, Topps cards. I remember she let me get 6 packs. One of those cards I vividly remember, Jim Barbieri of the Dodgers, swinging a bat with the camera seemingly mounted on the end of the bat! That same trip I saw the outside of the Cotton Bowl, and the inside of 6 Flags Over Texas. Those 6 initial packs of cards lead to a complete set, and many, many duplicates of most, 1967 Topps. Also 1968, 1969, and 1970. My folks let me get one of those plastic (mine was green) two door lockers with shelves for team sets in each league. That's where my 1967 complete set went. All the others went into many shoe boxes.

[commishbob]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I don’t know how you guys can remember the first pack of baseball cards you ever bought. I can’t remember what I ordered for dinner last Friday.

I remember getting my first packs in my Easter basket in 1959. I'd first seen cards the year before, some 58 Topps owned by a kid down the block and I was hooked. I remember getting an Albie Pearson in one of those Easter packs. I got packs for every holiday and birthday after that for quite a few years.

[BuzzD]

first pack: 1955 Bowman
first set completed: 1978 Topps
first T206: Keeler portrait
first card > $100: W551 Ruth
first card >$1000: W600 Chesbro

[Harford20]

First Pack of Cards: 1975 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1987 Topps (nearly finished the 1981 Fleer set from packs in 1981, but actually didn't finish it until 1989)
First T206: Nap Lajoie, Throwing. Still have it. PSA5
First Card To Pay >$100 For: T206 Cy Young Portrait. Paid $150 at a show in Silver Spring in 1991. Still have that card too, PSA2
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams

Dave

[vansaad]

First Pack of Cards: 1987 Topps or 1987 Donruss

First Set Completed by Hand: 1987 Topps

First T206: group of commons, with Larry Doyle portrait being my favorite

First Card To Pay >$100 For: T206 Mordecai Brown (Tolstoi)

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: T206 Christy Mathewson dark cap

[iwantitiwinit]

first pack: 1967 Topps Baseball
first set completed: 1948 Bowman baseball
first T206: Hannifan
first card > $100: 1954 Topps Jackie Robinson -raw
first card >$1000: T206 Red Cobb in PSA 5 thru REA in 2010 I think I paid $1800 for it.

[clydepepper]

[QUOTE=Snapolit1;2167575]I don’t know how you guys can remember the first pack of baseball cards you ever bought. I can’t remember what I ordered for dinner last Friday.[/QUOTE]



Me too...although, I do remember that my first pack was 1964 Topps

...and we ate a lot of POST Cereals back then, too.




Most memorable deal: purchased a binder of 268 T206 cards and several other early issues for $1,500 sometime between 1987 and 1989.

resold most of them for around 4K. Kept one Cobb and several commons...since resold as well.




#

[Golfcollector]

First Pack of Cards: 1977 Topps
I think 1982 topps
First T206: bought a large collection that had a bunch, so take your pick of about any cub player, or non-cobb HOF'er
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1963 Fleer Checklist
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1926 Spalding Champions Walter Hagen PSA 9
Most Memorable Trade: received: Traded 2 Michael Jordan 86-87 fleer RC's for cash at a tri star show in KC about 25 years ago or so and then drove back to Lincoln, went straight to the jewelers and paid off remaining balance on my wife's engagement ring

[Tere1071]

First Pack of Cards: 1969 Topps Baseball

First Set Completed by Hand: 1974 Topps

First T-206: Never

First Card to Pay <100: 1951 Topps Current All-Star Yogi Berra (1979)

First Card to Pay <1,000: 1953 Bowman Color PSA 4 Mickey Mantle #59 (2020)

Memorable Trade(s): 1983- I traded an autographed Babe Ruth baseball and a Star Sticker Salesman sample flipbook for a 1968 3D Roberto Clemente. I got the worse end of the trade but I had to have that Clemente as he was, and still is, one of my heroes.

1983 again: I traded a new satin Dodgers Jacket for a circa 1951 home St. Louis Browns jersey. It came from a gentleman who received it as a gift from one of his customers on his paper route as a boy. He made the offer and with the permission of the store owner, I bought the Dodgers jacket at the retail price and completed the trade. I got the better end of that one.

[Exhibitman]

First Pack of Cards: 1970 Topps baseball
First Set Completed by Hand: 1954 Topps baseball, 1969 Topps basketball
First T206: Walter Johnson pitching (45 years ago and I still have it; the holder came 20 years later)



First Card To Pay >$100 For: I do not recall.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1954 Topps Aaron
Most Memorable Trade: when I was a tween I was really into cards and studied everything I could find on rare cards. One day in the neighborhood a kid got a box of vintage cards and we sat down to trade. I ended up trading a badly creased 1968 Topps Clemente for a 1958 Bell Brand Gino Cimoli. Cimoli is a SP due to an early season trade and is the hardest card of the set. I flipped it for $20 at a local show, which was big bucks in an era when low grade Mantle cards were in the dollar box.

[hcv123]

First pack: 1973 Topps from Jackie's coffee shop or the ice cream man
First set completed by hand: 1978 Topps - Billy Almon was the last card
First T206: Some commons I don't remember that I sold in the 90's
First card to pay >$100: Just don't remember ($48 felt like $1,000,000 back around 1980 for my first Clemente rookie)
First card to pay >$1000: again I don't remember, but I'll go with $800 for a 1967 Venezuelan Clemente (currently 1 of 2 highest graded PSA 5's) in the 90's.
Most memorable trade: TRading a shoebox full of 1972 (including Carew) and 1973 cards including 72 high numbers for a comic book I do not remember back in the 80's at a comic book show.

[rugbymarine]

First pack: 1993 Topps. A few packs a week on the way home from school with my old man.
First set completed by hand: 1993 Topps
First T206: Mathewson Portrait



First card to pay >$100: 1966 Palmer RC PSA 8
First card to pay >$1000: Haven't yet, but with how the hobby is going, I probably will soon.

[egri]

First Pack of Cards: 2005 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: Hopefully, my signed 1953 Topps set (currently at 261)
First T206: Don't own any; first prewar card was likely a 1933 Goudey
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1933 Goudey Jimmie Foxx
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: Signed 1953 Topps Willie Mays
Most Memorable Trade: Not a very big trader

[John1941]

First pack of cards: 2012 Topps Yankees Team set. Or if you're technical, 2016 Topps.
First set completed by hand: None yet. I'm working on 1959 Topps.
First T206: Beat-up Jack Quinn RC I payed $12.25 for in 2019.
First card to pay >$100 for: The most I've payed for a card is $60 for a SGC 1.5 1933 Goudey Waite Hoyt.
Most memorable trade: I don't trade much, and if so, only for low dollar cards.

[peterb69]

First Pack of Cards: 1969 Topps Baseball

First Set Completed by Hand: 1974 Topps

First T-206: McGraw glove on hip

First Card to Pay < 100: would be a T205

First Card to Pay < 1000: T205 Mathewson Cycle

Most Memorable Trade: Recieved: 1975 George Brett. Sent: 1970 Clemente in 1976

[Natswin2019]

First Pack of Cards: 2006 or 2007 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: Havent yet but am awful close on a 55 Topps set
First T206: Bob Ewing for 8$
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1956 Roberto Clemente Im pretty sure
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: None yet, but will at some point, that Clemente Rookie isint free
Most Memorable Trade : Not a big trader and have only done small cards trades

[butchie_t]

First Pack of Cards: 1967 Topps

First Set Completed by Hand: 1974 Topps

First T206: Not yet

First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1969 Mickey Mantle White Letter

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: No chance. I got the Mantle WL a long time ago..

Most Memorable Trade: Have not had one yet.

[Huck]

First Pack of Cards: 1972 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1981 Topps set
First T206: Jack Hannifan - Jersey City $9 first card show at the local VFW
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: None yet.
Most Memorable Trade : In the mid 80's, post college, I was working part-time for a wine distributor. The hours were 4 pm to 10 pm, packing trucks for delivery. I mentioned the hobby and a fellow worker mentioned his childhood collection. I asked him to bring the cards in and he eventually brought the cards to work. Of course he asked the question "How much are the cards worth?" I had no idea, but I said that I would take the cards home and look up each card in Beckett. There was a 65 Mantle (poor condition tack holes), two 66 Mantles (VG), a 68 Mantle (EX) and a 69 Mantle (EXMT). There were a handful of other stars (ex. Clemente) in decent condition plus 150 or so cards from 65-69 in poor to ex condition. After going through all the cards and knowing my broke self could not afford what the cards were worth, I returned the cards to my co-worker. After quitting time, the usual routine was to hammer a few beers in the parking lot, before heading home. So, after cracking the first beer, I informed the co-worker he had some cards of value but I could not pay what the collection was worth. He replied "So you don't want the cards?" I replied, "I would love to have the cards, I just can't pay what I thought the collection was worth." "Well, how much will you give me for the cards?" How about $50 bucks and a case of beer? "Deal!" I think the case of beer sealed the deal. I still have all of the cards.

[Eric72]

First Pack of Cards: 1977 Topps

First Set Completed by Hand: 1981 Topps Sticker Album (betcha didn't see that one coming)

First T206: Nick Maddox & Cy Seymour Batting – December 2011 (purchased on the same day, from the same dealer’s table, at the Philly Show)

First Card To Pay >$100 $50 For: 1957 Topps Hank Aaron – 1987, card show at MacDade Mall. I was 15 and felt like king of the world, spending that much money on one card.

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: I haven’t gotten that brave yet

Most Memorable Trade: about 30 years ago, I wound up with a counterfeit 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly. Some POS at a card show at Leo Mall in Northeast Philadelphia traded two cards to me: that and a ‘74 Nolan Ryan with a wax stain. It was one of the first card shows I ever set up at. So far as I know, that card is the only fake I’ve ever had. I’ve kept it, to this day. Can you tell it still makes me mad?

[todeen]

I like this thread, very different.

First pack of cards = 1991 Topps at Buttrey's Grocery Store in Billings, MT

First Set Completed by Hand = 2001 Bowman Heritage

First T206 = Karger, Cincinnati, in 2019

First card more than $100 = I think it was a Wheaties Joe Dimaggio in 2012, or also in 2012 a card size photo auto'd by Heinie Groh.... if I spent more than $100 it was usually for a box. I don't buy boxes anymore.

First card more than $1000 = I bought a 1921 Exhibit Ty Cobb SGC 4 that was about $900.... that's close enough to round up. If we are being technical, I bought a portrait red Cobb that was over.

Best trade = in 2001 when I was putting the Bowman Heritage set together, and in the early days of ebay, I would contact winners who bought group lots of the set and ask if they had High #s to trade. Someone from San Diego sent me a bunch of cards plus Cincinnati Reds cards for various Gwynn and relic cards I had.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[pingman59]

First Pack of Cards: 1968 Topps BB
First set completed by hand: 1974 Topps BB. Thanks to the Card Collector's Company for the last 25 +/- cards I needed that year. I remember being amazed at how ultra-sharp those singles were!
First T206: A widow answered my newspaper "Wanted To Buy" ad back in 1978.
I Bought a lot of 20 +/- from her, all with Tolstoi backs, except for one Uzit back. I remember a Cobb Bat off shoulder in the lot (it had a Tolstoi back).
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1950 Bowman Jackie Robinson, to finish my set. $250 back in the early 1990's.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1966 Topps Mantle
Most Memorable Trade: In the early 1990's, I traded my beat-up 1954 Aaron rookie, ten 1986 Donruss BB wax boxes (when the Canseco rookie was a big deal) and a few other star cards for a NM 1954 Aaron rookie. At the time, it was a win-win deal for the card shop and myself. I still have the card and cherish it.

[G1911]

First Pack of Cards: 1994(?) Skybox(?) Batman Animated series, I was 3. First sports was 1997 Topps Football (Marino in the first pack, I recall). First baseball I forget, but was 1999-2000 based on my junk boxes.

First Set Completed by Hand: 1971 Topps Football

First T206: Jack Knight Portrait, P350

First Card To Pay >$100 For: Honestly don't remember, probably a boxing T card.

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: T220 Donovan.

Most Memorable Trade: Trading some Bonds rookies (at their peak) for a T205 Mathewson, and then trading the T205 Mathewson for a big stack of T218's.

[fkm_bky]

First Pack of Cards: 1981 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1982 Topps
First T206: Chance Red Portrait ($28) in about 2002
First card to Pay >$100: E95 Cobb SGC30 - $125 in early 2000’s
First Card to Pay >$1000: T206 Red Cobb (this year)

Bill

[ClementeFanOh]

Hi all- Happy Thanksgiving! Here's the best I can do...

1) First pack- 1976 Topps baseball
2) First set- same
3) First T206- can't remember
4) First card at $100- 1954 Topps Hank Aaron, back in 1981
5) First card at $1000- I should be able to remember. Maybe an E90-1 Cobb?

Trent King

[jefferyepayne]

Baseball focused for this thread. I'm a football guy but collected a lot of baseball as a kid and some a decade ago. Also all pro football players with baseball cards.

First Pack of Cards: 1977 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1978 Topps
First T206: Lefty Leifield Batting (bought in 1979)
First Card To Pay >$100 For: T206 Ty Cobb (bought in 2012)
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: M101 Jim Thorpe (bought in 2013)
Most Memorable Trade: received: 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle; Sent: Twelve doubles I had (trade in 1980)

jeff

[kailes2872]

First Pack of Cards: 1978 Topps (I got Reggie in my first pack)
First Set Completed by Hand: 1982 Topps (1967 when I got back into the hobby)
First T206: 10-12 Commons in a 2014 deal
First Card To Pay >$100 For: Nolan Ryan Rookie - Bought Raw, eventually became a PSA 4. 2012, $246.50
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1954 Hank Aaron PSA 6. $1600 March 5, 2015.
Most Memorable Trade: In 2nd grade, I traded a trash bag full of 1971-1974 basketball in trash bag condition for an old catcher's mitt. I got the worst of that one, even though the cards were in lower condition.

[Lobo Aullando]

First Pack of Cards: '88 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: '92 Upper Deck McDonalds basketball
First T206: Christy Mathewson dark cap
First Card To Pay >$100 For: '55 Topps Jackie Robinson (although if you factor in three decades of inflation, it would be a '60 Topps Clemente)
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: W517 Babe Ruth
Most Memorable Trade: a couple of the then stars for an '89 Donruss Griffey, because no Mariner would ever be any good (Thanks, Kevin.)

[Cmvorce]

Great stories, guys. Thanks for sharing.

[butchie_t]

Updated tonight!

First Pack of Cards: 1967 Topps

First Set Completed by Hand: 1974 Topps

First T206: 29 Nov 2021 - Jim Delehanty with a Piedmont 150 back. Thanks to philliesfan

First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1969 Mickey Mantle White Letter

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: No chance. I got the Mantle WL a long time ago..

Most Memorable Trade: Have not had one yet.

[Cmvorce]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

Updated tonight!


[B]First T206: 29 Nov 2021 - Jim Delehanty with a Piedmont 150 back. Thanks to philliesfan

Congratulations! It’s a magical set.

[abothebear]

First Pack of Cards: 1984 Fleer baseball. My dad would bring them home from the Marathon station. I’d write my friends names on the back intending to give them out when I saw them next.
First Set Completed by Hand: 1934 Gold Medal Foods WS set.
First T206: Large Ass Herzog
First Card To Pay >$100 For: haven’t paid over a hundred. Highest I’ve spent is $85 on a Cochran’s noteboook cover and also on a Churchman Ruth (that one ended up being a good buy). I spent $127 on a lot of 30s R cards that included a Foxx, Dean, Cochrane, Cronin, and more.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: can’t imagine being in a position to pay >$1000 for a card. But I’d like to find out.
Most Memorable Trade: in 88 or 89 I received stack of 86, 87, and 88 Fleer basketball including 86 Jordan sticker and Bird stickers, 87 Ewing, 86 Wilkins, 86 Bird, for a bag of popcorn.

[bbcard1]

First Pack of Cards: 1970 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1973 Topps
First T206: Snodgrass batting (for $1 from the old Card Collector's Company)
First Card To Pay >$100 For: low grade 1933 G Babe Ruth (still have it)
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: I think T206 Ohara...overpaid.
Most Memorable Trade: received: 1974 Jack Billingham for 1963 Pete Rose rookie...but I've made more bad trades than good, I think.

[yanks87]

First Pack of Cards: 1987 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1988 Topps, still have doubles if anyone is looking for some......
First T206: Home Run Baker
First Card To Pay >$100 For: 1985 McGwire Rookie, whoops
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson
Most Memorable Trade: Traded an expired parking pass for the student lot at Penn State for a 1960 Carl Yastrzemski (later graded a 6)
**Worst Trade** - T206 Mordecai Brown (I had 2) for a Sammy Sosa rookie card. it was 1998, everyone was doing it....right?!

[bnorth]

It is amazing how many remember all this. These are going to be best guesses for me.

First Pack of Cards: 1986 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1986 Topps and I still have it in the binder I put them in WAY back in the day. For vintage the only set I ever done was the 55 Bowman.
First T206: Some common that I bought from the BST section
First Card To Pay >$100 For: No idea what exact card but it was a Wade Boggs card in the mid/late 90s when they started doing the 1/1 cards.
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1952 Eddie Mathews
Most Memorable Trade: This one was fairly recently. One of my favorite guys in the hobby and very long time collecting friend is getting older and decided to sell everything. We have made countless trades over the years and he had a card I had been trying to trade him out of for many many years. I received a very rare 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken variation graded Gem 10. I sent him a couple cards I knew he could sell for way more and we were both very happy.

[thatkidfromjerrymaguire]

Fun thread! I've enjoyed reading through everyone's responses. Here's mine:

First Pack of Cards: 1986 Topps

First Set Completed by Hand: None yet. I ALMOST completed 1987 Topps, 1988 Donruss, 1989 Fleer etc. back in the day just by buying countless wax packs, but never got around to picking up the last batch of commons I needed. However, I am only two cards away from 1952 Bowman now...so that one will be my first.

First T206: Germany Schaefer (only man to steal 1st base)

First Card To Pay >$100 For: 2001 Babe Ruth bat relic card (I know these are controversial around here, but I LOVE the early HOF relic cards)

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1952 Bowman Mantle

Most Memorable Trade: received: 1982 Topps Cal Ripken Rookie; Sent: 1987 Kraft Mac and Cheese box with Wally Joyner card on it. I got the better end of that deal, and at the time the Ripken Rookie was a pretty big card. However, since this was in 1987 pre-ebay, it was a lot harder to track down specific odd ball issues, and my trade partner was a HUGE Wally Joyner fan. So we were both happy about that trade.

[smellthegum]

First Pack of Cards: 1971 Topps
First Set Completed by Hand: 1976 Topps
First T206: Arellanes w/Piedmont back
First Card To Pay >$100 For: Don't remember
First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1941 Play Ball Ted Williams
Most Memorable Trade: Traded a nm Maris rookie for a nm 54-55T Gordie Howe and 6 Ted Williams autographed baseballs, about 1989. I kept one ball but, unfortunately, the Howe is long gone. Wish I still had it.

[ASF123]

First Pack of Cards: 1986 Topps

First Set Completed by Hand: 1986 Topps. I got hooked quickly! And then 1987 Topps, and then 1988 Topps, and 1988 Fleer, and 1988 Donruss, and 1988 Score, and 1989 Topps, and 1989 Fleer, and 1989 Donruss, and 1989 Score...you get the picture .

First T206: I've bought several since I started up again about a year ago. Maybe Bresnahan was the first?

First Card To Pay >$100 For: I don't think I ever paid that much for a card as a kid, so it would be either an E90 Bender or T201 Collins/Baker, both late last year.

First Card To Pay >$1000 For: 1954 Topps Aaron, this past Feb.

Most Memorable Trade: Ha. When I was about 10 years old, there was a kid who I had to be "friends" with because our moms were friends. He also kind of collected baseball cards, and he had a Topps Mattingly rookie that was a big deal in 1987. He was also a bit gullible.

I had an old "Tom Seaver Price Guide" book from 1984 that had the Mattingly listed at like $1. Using the argument that "who would know more about the ability of hitters, and thus their card values, than Tom Seaver,"* I convinced the other kid to trade me the Mattingly and some other cards for a stack of 1987 Topps, mostly commons, that he needed for his set. If memory serves, later that afternoon he told his mom and she unilaterally rescinded the trade.

Now, I am not proud of this story today, but it does make for a memorable trade.

*And yes, I did (eventually) end up becoming a lawyer. Could have seen that one coming, I guess . But of course I would never do anything like that now as an adult.

[skil55voy]

First Pack of Cards: 1962 Topps Baseball John Demerit, Ray Washburn, Don Schwall, Carroll Hardy, Al Schroll. (Still have them)

First Set to Complete by Hand: 1965 Topps Baseball

First T206: Addie Joss

First Card to Pay 100.00 dollars for: 1963 Post Cereal Carl Yazstremski

First Card to Pay 1000.00 dollars for: None