The Card That Started It All

[RGM81]

Always love to see threads like this.

Like many, I collected as a kid, probably from 1986 - 1993. It was a good time, highlighted by flicking cards up against the wall to win from others. Best not to thinking about all the potential PSA 10's. LOL

Got back into it on a serious level (dabbled a little in the McDonalds stuff, but that was just for kicks) in early 2008. Was a cold Halifax morning, and whilst Mrs. RGM81 and I were out for a morning walk we came across a card show at the Halifax Forum. Decided to get out of the cold and take a look.

I bought this card, I can't remember if it was from Doug or Winston, for the low low price of $5



And it all escalated from there. Things really got out of hand. It did, didn't it?

15 years later still collecting, and as Carey's career winds down (he officially moved out of Montreal just this morning) I'm looking at the next generation of collecting Habs.

[mooneyes]

I think 05/06 is when I got back into it and bought 3 or 4 hobby boxes looking for Sid and Ovy YG's. I wish I would have stayed with YG's but some how I later got infatuated with 08/09 Black Diamond Quad Jerseys base and gold and tried to complete sets. Still have them. I recall trading for some of them here, plus always searching Ebay...and 18 years later here we are. It's like crack I guess, still searching for that SSP Alexander Semin card. lol

[scarrman]

I have vague memories of collecting as a kid, but I do remember ripping the packs for the gum. Was a Habs/Dryden fan in the day so those were the main chase. Too late to be pulling his RC, and too early to be pulling any Gretzky RCs, thankfully. Best I can recall is wrecking a bunch of mid 70s cards in the bike spokes, trading, and happily checking off the checklists of cards I had.

Fast forward to the early 90s, McDonalds introduces hockey cards, and bam, a Quarter Pounder with fries gets me hooked. I remember going to card shops in Edmonton, started with packs, then boxes, and more boxes. I was a set builder then, not just the regular series but every insert as well. I still have the "master set" for 93/94 UD hockey.

During that time, I was an Oilers fan, still partial to the Habs, and had a thing for the Nordiques. Well, the Nordiques get moved, Patrick Roy gets traded, suddenly I am an Avs fan - an amazing team, loaded with stars.

It took a few more years, but I gravitated to Forsberg as a PC and am still going with almost 1,700 Foppa cards.

And, still have every card I ever pulled. I have sold off a handful in the last couple of years as the passion is dimming and the costs are escalating.

[creasecollector]

Awesome thread. It's been fun reading about everyone's stories here.

I don't remember the card that started it all, but I was collecting a little bit as a kid and then lost my collection during a family move. I was always drawn towards the goalie cards. My fascination with the position was my first love and this immediately translated to cardboard, too.

Fast-forward to years later, around 2005-06, and I had not only found the cards in a mislabelled box, but I also found out the wonderful world of eBay. The fact I could browse the latest new cards with a click of a button blew my mind. I was still a younger collector at the time, so pocket change and variety store packs would have to do to scratch the collecting itch at that point and "build up" my collection, but I remember those times fondly.

A few years later I discovered card forums, which helped me hone in my collection and get a look into the world of player collecting. Seeing other collectors have that laser beam focus when it comes to collecting a certain player just inspired me to no end... & You could say It's been smooth sailing since then!

What a wonderful hobby this is. I don't collect as many cards as I used to (there's just too many new and shiny cards to chase!), and am more selective nowadays and don't break much, but I hope to still be collecting for many years to come in some capacity, and looking out for those elusive 'White Whales'.

[WillyC]

I collected in the 80s and 90s and sold everything except for one 1959 Johnny Bower card... fast forward 30 years to 2018 when UFA John Tavares signed with my hometown Toronto Maple Leafs and I was easily drawn back into the hobby.

I noticed many of his cards were going for quite reasonable prices as Islander fans were dumping his cards... I also noticed the hobby didn't care much for ITG cards, therefore, it was a great chance to build my Tavares PC. I had never even heard of ITG cards and fell in love with them right away.

5 years later, I don't pickup many cards anymore... as I feel the hobby is absolutely saturated with modern cards. I still prefer ITG cards over the glut of UpperDeck cards flooding the hobby today.

I feel my collection is basically complete and am very happy to have built it when I did,

[dudical]

As a kid 'master blasters' were the coolest cards from Score Baseball I think it was. Gave up adding to collection from 95 onwards through 2011. Then I opened up a moving box with all my cards in it and went online to see what stuff was worth and got hooked again chasing Nugent Hopkins young guns. Stayed active since then :)

[fredso]

Hello, friends.

I collected hockey cards as a kid in the 90s. I didn't care too much whether a card was rare or not as long as it featured Peter Forsberg or Al MacInnis. Sadly all my old cards are long gone after moving cities a few times.

Earlier this week I ordered a couple of singles. Namely these two beauties:







I'm a huge Columbus Blue Jackets fan from Sweden of all places. Naturally seeing these cards in person got me excited, so I decided to order an MVP 2022-23 hobby box. Now I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival so I can do my first box break!