I don't exactly remember the first pack, but I sure do remember pulling my first Dwight Gooden while sitting in the parking lot of Eagle Foods waiting for my mom to get done grocery shopping. Instead of going in with my mom, I went into the OurX drug store next door because they had baseball packs and Eagle did not.
My birthday is in late September and in 1976 I got a couple packs of Topps. I had no idea what they were but they were cool as hell. So much so that now that I'm rich and famous I bought a 1976 set of probably cropped and creased cards for $150 and got twice that worth of enjoyment looking at all of them.
The next year, since my dad had a tax number due to his stained glass hobby, we went frequently to the local wholesale warehouse - stacks and stacks of candy bars by the case, gum by the box, and 77 Topps by the wax box. I blew my savings on that, took 78 off, and bought several cases of 79, 80 and 81. I'm so old I can remember buying a wax pack with a quarter - you know, the round shiny metal thing - and getting change back.
As for my first card, it was a 73 or 74 I swiped from my friend Jeff (RIP) after he brought his stack into show and tell. I still have it and will probably get drunk and start a thread with it one of these days.
1985 Topps Football -- I remember saving all the Eric Dickerson's because he was my favorite player !!
Buying: Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon 80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name" 90 ProSet Dexter Manley error 90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back 1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”) 81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat) 91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
1962, Not exactly a pack, but same concept, my First, remember it like it was yesterday, in front of the first 7-11 in Sacramento Ca, about a mile from our house was a two sided Vending machine, 1 Penny and it dispensed 5 Cards. 1962 Topps Bubbles Mars Attacks, I put that first penny in and was so excited about the cards I talked my Dad into another 4-5 cents. Every Sunday we went to get his Sunday paper and 20-25 Mars Attacks Cards for the entire Summer. And then the machine was gone! I ended up with hundreds and hundreds and ended up selling them all before I was 8 or 10 for like $5 a set.
Thousands and Tens of thousands of Dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh the Inhumanity!!!!!!!!!
YeeHah
Neil
Actually Collect Non Sport, but am just so full of myself I post all over the place !!!!!!!
Here is the first card I pulled from my first pack. I remember my dad buying me the pack in our little towns only store. The pack cost a quarter and I remember how excited I was opening them in the van and how excited I was that the top card was a Red Sox.
The first pack I bought was at the concession stand at the Little League fields in my home town. I bought a pack of 1986 Topps. The only card I remember getting was Dan Petry (a Detroit Tiger! Wooo!).
Previous to that day, I had only bought packs of Topps Star Wars and Superman cards.
1957 Topps at the end of the year. Couldn't wait until the following year when the new ones came out. And yes, I acquired my math skills by computing batting averages, etc.
Always looking for Mantle cards such as Stahl Meyer, 1954 Dan Dee, 1959 Bazooka, 1960 Post, 1952 Star Cal Decal, 1952 Tip Top Bread Labels, 1953-54 Briggs Meat, and other Topps, Bowman, and oddball Mantles.
1971 OPC hockey. I remember trading a Phil Esposito for a Ken Dryden with another kid in grade 2. I didn't know who either one was but thought the Dryden card looked cooler. It's the only card I still have from that time.
I did not buy it but the first pack I ever got was a 1971 Topps Football. I did not know what football wasat the time, but I got a Bart Starr. Had no idea who Bart Starr was either. But the name Bart Starr was just the coolest thing ever to this 5 year old. This single card started a glorious world of sports for me.
1955 Topps. I was in third grade. I use to carry a shoebox around with my cards in it. I remember trading 25 - 55 Topps for a 52 Mantle. And yes my mother tossed out all my cards including the Mantle.
In 1959 I spent a nickel at the corner store by my house in Northeast Detroit on a pack of 1st series 1959 topps remember getting a Red Wilson and Murray Dickson in that pack for sure.
These stories differ greatly. Thing is, I have no idea which one is the true story. I do know for sure that it was '81 Topps. I've loved that issue ever since. I've recently started collecting 81 Topps again and I'm trying to build a set through trades. Thanks to some board members, I'm awfully close. I am not, however, mixing in any of my original 81 Topps with the new stuff. That would be sacrilegious.
Comments
I'm really impressed people can?
I don't exactly remember the first pack, but I sure do remember pulling my first Dwight Gooden while sitting in the parking lot of Eagle Foods waiting for my mom to get done grocery shopping. Instead of going in with my mom, I went into the OurX drug store next door because they had baseball packs and Eagle did not.
>
Successful transactions on the BST boards with rtimmer, coincoins, gerard, tincup, tjm965, MMR, mission16, dirtygoldman, AUandAG, deadmunny, thedutymon, leadoff4, Kid4HOF03, BRI2327, colebear, mcholke, rpcolettrane, rockdjrw, publius, quik, kalinefan, Allen, JackWESQ, CON40, Griffeyfan2430, blue227, Tiggs2012, ndleo, CDsNuts, ve3rules, doh, MurphDawg, tennessebanker, and gene1978.
The next year, since my dad had a tax number due to his stained glass hobby, we went frequently to the local wholesale warehouse - stacks and stacks of candy bars by the case, gum by the box, and 77 Topps by the wax box. I blew my savings on that, took 78 off, and bought several cases of 79, 80 and 81. I'm so old I can remember buying a wax pack with a quarter - you know, the round shiny metal thing - and getting change back.
As for my first card, it was a 73 or 74 I swiped from my friend Jeff (RIP) after he brought his stack into show and tell. I still have it and will probably get drunk and start a thread with it one of these days.
<< <i>OK, how many folks on here owe their math skills to the back of baseball cards?
By the age of 11, I could balance a box score. >>
me too. 1 for 8 was .125
made algebra pretty easy.
Always looking for Topps Salesman Samples, pre '51 unopened packs, E90-2, E91a, N690 Kalamazoo Bats, and T204 Square Frame Ramly's
Kiss me twice.....let's party.
Yeah, I'm an old guy.
Joe
Topps White Out (silver) letters Alex Gordon
80 Topps Greg Pryor “No Name"
90 ProSet Dexter Manley error
90 Topps Jeff King Yellow back
1958 Topps Pancho Herrera (no“a”)
81 Topps Art Howe (black smear above hat)
91 D A. Hawkins BC-12 “Pitcher”
1962, Not exactly a pack, but same concept, my First, remember it like it was yesterday, in front of the first 7-11 in Sacramento Ca, about a mile from our house was a two sided Vending machine, 1 Penny and it dispensed 5 Cards. 1962 Topps Bubbles Mars Attacks, I put that first penny in and was so excited about the cards I talked my Dad into another 4-5 cents.
Every Sunday we went to get his Sunday paper and 20-25 Mars Attacks Cards for the entire Summer. And then the machine was gone!
I ended up with hundreds and hundreds and ended up selling them all before I was 8 or 10 for like $5 a set.
Thousands and Tens of thousands of Dollars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh the Inhumanity!!!!!!!!!
YeeHah
Neil
tho I don't remember the first pack...
I DO remember the first time.
Jim Rice Photobucket http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/dpuccio/Collection Jim Rice/"
Luis Tiant Photobucket http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/dpuccio/Collection Luis Tiant/"
Previous to that day, I had only bought packs of Topps Star Wars and Superman cards.
Always looking for Mantle cards such as Stahl Meyer, 1954 Dan Dee, 1959 Bazooka, 1960 Post, 1952 Star Cal Decal, 1952 Tip Top Bread Labels, 1953-54 Briggs Meat, and other Topps, Bowman, and oddball Mantles.
I remember trading a Phil Esposito for a Ken Dryden with another kid in grade 2. I didn't know who either one was but thought the Dryden card looked cooler. It's the only card I still have from that time.
Thanks,
David (LD_Ferg)
1985 Topps Football (starting in psa 8) - #9 - started 05/21/06
Phil
My Hoard of 93 Finest Refractors and 94 Pinnacle Artist Proofs and Museums
"Molon Labe"
Once here: http://jimmygutzman.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/the-one-where-i-didnt-get-my-post-game-snack-but-got-my-first-baseball-cards/
And once here: http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=799963&highlight_key=y
These stories differ greatly. Thing is, I have no idea which one is the true story. I do know for sure that it was '81 Topps. I've loved that issue ever since. I've recently started collecting 81 Topps again and I'm trying to build a set through trades. Thanks to some board members, I'm awfully close. I am not, however, mixing in any of my original 81 Topps with the new stuff. That would be sacrilegious.