How did you get started in this hobby?

[Gkeenan]

When I was 9 years old, I went to my first MLB game, Dodgers vs. Phillies at Dodger Stadium, and got hooked on the Dodgers. Shortly, I discovered baseball cards being sold in the local drugstores and mom & pop stores. My mom would buy me a few packs now and then and I always got excited (still do) whenever I got a Dodgers card. My cards were also a good way to pass the time in my room whenever I was grounded, too--lol. Baseball cards bring me closer to the game. Whenever I'm watching or listening to the game, I feel more familiar with the players, thanks to my cards.

Andy

This is why baseball is considered as American as Apple Pie...thanks for sharing that.

G

[baller4life]

When I was 9 years old, I went to my first MLB game, Dodgers vs. Phillies at Dodger Stadium, and got hooked on the Dodgers. Shortly, I discovered baseball cards being sold in the local drugstores and mom & pop stores. My mom would buy me a few packs now and then and I always got excited (still do) whenever I got a Dodgers card. My cards were also a good way to pass the time in my room whenever I was grounded, too--lol. Baseball cards bring me closer to the game. Whenever I'm watching or listening to the game, I feel more familiar with the players, thanks to my cards.

Andy

WOW!I Agree With Him.LOL

[StainLss]

my dad used to buy me baseball cards when i was younger maybe when i was three or four. i no longer have those but then in 2002 a new card show opened in my local mall. so i bought a few packs of topps here and there. then every week. i was like 12 at the time and i got stoked when i pulled brett farve and terell davis base cards. i didnt even know what a jersey card was. i miss those days, i never felt like i wasted my money buying cards.

[jabatech]

i started collecting back when i was about 7 or 8 from kids at school bringing cards to school that i would buy from them, i was a only boy in a single parent (mother) household so i unfortunately never got to buy cards or watch baseball on television even. I think my first baseball game was when i was 17 and old enough to take myself. I started collecting out of necessity to keep "cool" with the other boys at school. Then after middle of high school i sold them all to buy other stuff i thought was necessary at the time. Then about 5 years ago i met my wife who loved baseball and i started collecting again from retail packs at walmart and target. Then i sold all my cards again when we moved. Then last year when my son was born i started collecting again. I really wanted to start something that he could enjoy when he was older and something we could do as a family when he is a youngster. My wife loves opening cards, and we collect tons of vintage stuff luckily we are able to afford some of the better stuff. My son is 1 year old now and I just can't wait to take him to the ball park and open packs of cards with him :)

[Bonderman FANatic]

Cute story Gail. I started collecting about 29 years ago. When I was around 7 (oops I think I just told you I'm old), my best friend Todd collected baseball cards and he got me into it. Every weekend we'd stay at each others house and trade cards. He knew way more than me about values and such so he really got some good trades until I learned what I was doing. Going to the local dime store to buy packs was like Christmas for me. Can you believe I still have cards from 29 years ago?

[Lik555]

when i was about 12 i went on a trip with my firend and his family. he already collected cards so we went into a card shop in the town we were in. i had nothing better to do so i started looking thru boxes of commons. at the time the bulls were the team. and i came across a 1990 john paxson fleer and a 1989 craig hodges. i just bought them since they costed next to nothing. (still have them to this day) by the end of the trip i had a complete bulls team set of 1990 skybox. since then my collection has grown...but it was that day that i was hooked!

[Gkeenan]

I think you are very fortunate to have cards from 29 years ago.

I am just touched by all of these stories. There are strong emotional ties to this hobby. Each story seems to touch me so. Let's keep this going...I bet there are even more touching/interesting stories out there.

Wow...jabatech...you have a very lucky little boy...make sure you get pictures of that first game with you and your little boy.

What a great bunch of people.

G

[jabatech]

i will take pictures of his first game for sure and his first pack of cards. my son was born in june of last year at only 24 weeks of gestation, yes that is almost 4 months premature. He was in the hospital in the NICU for 5 months before i could bring him home, heck i did not even get to hold him till he was two months old. he had lung surgery, eye surgery, 14 blood transfusions, several illnesses and infections that i will not write out cause they are mostly to complicated to pronounce anyways. So yes anything my son does i take pictures and just can't wait to see him playing ball :)

PS yes he is totally healthy now and has no lasting effects of his prematurity other than a little touch of asthma (which should clear up) and he is taking a little longer to get his fine motor skills tuned up although he is crawling and talking a bit now :)

[mess0312]

Wierd, I am trying to think of what actually brought me to collecting cards, it seems like it was always apart of my life, I have cards from 1977, when I was three years old. The first time I actually remember getting cards was from my father when I finished mowing a lawn. They were 1979-1980 Topps Hockey (gretzky rc year) I still have those cards and remember buying cards ever since

As far as organized collecting I would say 1986 when I fell in love with the 86 Donruss cards.....god this story is boring I will leave it at that.........lol

[sweetdizzel17]

Well i have been collect for 14 years....since I was one (i guess it was just in my blood)

My grandpa would buy me packs from target and would get everybody he knew to give their old cards to me...I think I had ten thousand before I was ten

Ever since I was old enough to know what baseball was (i sat through an entire braves game at two...but no that's not when i started buying) I would spend my three dollar allowance every week to buy a pack of cards...usually topps...either baseball or football depending on the season

I remember being so happy to pull a braves, dolphins, or any greg maddux cards. Inserts and Rookies were the BEST. I would always show my mom my pack and explain to her how good it was.

As time went on I kept amassing my card stacks. I think I got my first three jersey cards when I was about 10. I still remember that they were deltha o'neal, tre johnson (ya who?), and chipper jones.

In January I really started back up again...I bought a lot of gu and autos from my friends and off ebay and I am amazed how I have grown my collection.

This Hobby will always be great even from the days of AWESOME inserts to now when if it's not #'d, gu'd, or auto'd it's a disappointment...It is both sobering and exciting to see the leaps and bounds card collecting has been making