Getting Back To The Basics

Foo3112

I didn’t go back and find my old box of cards from the late 80’s and early 90’s. I wasn’t going online and looking at forums. I wasn’t checking out eBay. I just really missed the hobby along with the excitement and experience that came with it. I started collecting again out of the blue. I’m really happy that I got back into it. It’s a really fun hobby. One thing that I was shocked about was how collecting has changed. For the better in some ways. Then out of curiosity, I purchased a Beckett mid last year (surprised at how much it was compared to the $2.95-3.95 last time I bought one in about 1994) and I couldn’t believe the prices I saw. How much they have dropped and how guys that were leading the pack such as Frank Thomas were now not even relevant. I wasn’t even aware that people were getting cards graded or who the leading grading companies were. I was completely out of the loop. I then learned of a local monthly card show through craigslist and I ended up picking 1 card that I always wanted as a kid. 1984 Topps Don Mattingly. Lol. Since then I’ve picked up all the major 80’s cards I could never afford as a kid and now I’m slowing moving onto the older stuff which I really enjoy collecting now. Not only that but I’ve spoken to my favorite child hood baseball star on numerous occasions. I’ve learned a lot through this forum and have met some pretty cool and interesting people who are willing to go out of there way just to help you and that is something I honestly didn’t expect so props to many of you who band together in time of need.

This forum should be fun but yet it’s been so combatitive as of lately but it’s really been the same 3 trolls stirring up the pot (same person imo) so let’s get back to the card basics and the reason why were all here in the first place and please share your story of how you got back into the hobby and lets hear some good stories.

Marc

Rudedawg

Nice thread Foo, glad you are happy with your return. My re-entry into the hobby was about two years ago. I was in my 30s, had a triggering event/reminder, came back, got an eye-opening, found things I never knew existed, got cards I never thought I would have.............and on and on. First card I bought upon returning was a PSA Gem 10 1991 Fleer Michael Jordan for 15 bucks.

Coming back to the hobby at this age (and income level) has opened so many new doors, both in knowledge of the hobby and also in the amazing breadth of it. I know more about t205's than I could have imagined and can afford one too!! On the other side of the coin, I can still buy a pack of 1985 Fleer and experience the childhood thrill of simply pulling an Eric Davis RC (which I did recently). We can make it as simple or complex, expensive or cheap as we want. These forums are also a great place to learn and share. I don't have a lot of friends who still collect cards, so I've really enjoyed having access here.

In most ways, collecting now is 10 times more enjoyable than it was at age 11. As you said, it certainly has changed A LOT, though.

Cheers!!!

Albertdidit

One thing that helped me get back into it more is seeing the prices of cards from the 60's and 70's that are graded 6 or 7 and to see how reasonable the prices are for a card that is still in really nice condition.

MrKnowthanx

Great thread... I am doing the same. I recently started investigating the hobby through the net after a 10-15 year break. I was like most collectors who are now in their 30s, growing up going to local card shows and riding my bike to the neighborhood shop to try to sel/trade the same 50-75 cards. LOL, i think he just bought a few from me each week to be nice and get me and my friends out of the store. I always wanted to "get rich from playing in the NFL and buy all the cards I couldn't afford". After buying my first home last year I decided to display my comic and card collection and realized the card collection could be a bit bigger, hahahaha. Hook, line, sinker! Grading and Unopened star packs blew me away! I was astonished how much grading has changed the game. Too bad it also raised the price of all the cards I plan on picking up and also caused my "Collecting OCD" to rear it's ugly head, but I am trucking along and can thank (or blame ) this amazing forum.

Juggs

Good thread. Welcome back to the hobby.

When I got married about 13 years ago I figured I no longer had a need for my card collection. I started selling my stuff on ebay and eventually had nothing left to speak of, except a large amount of regret. 10 years later I started getting back into the hobby like you. I must say, that Mattingly card was one of the priorities for me getting started as well. I eventually pulled a couple out of packs from BBCE. Now, I'm back in full-force and slowly moving into the vintage side of things. I feel like a kid again, except I'm not asking mom and dad for a few bucks to hit the 5 and dime store for some Topps packs.

Foo3112

When I got married about 13 years ago I figured I no longer had a need for my card collection

When I got married about 13 years ago, my wife figured I no longer had a need for my card collection

Corrected it for you

Cheers!

Great stories, keep them coming.

mark34

my story is similar - I'm in my mid 30s, been collecting as a kid from the 80s to early 90s....I got back into the hobby about 2 1/2 years ago once I bought a 74 Topps Harmon Killebrew PSA 7 on eBay....once I received it in the mail, I was amazed how good the card's condition was (a lot of the 70s stuff I had back in the day was really beat up). Ever since then, I became intrigued in graded cards and I was hooked!

I started putting together a collection of star players from the 70s, with a a few cards here and there from the 60s and the 80s - mainly stuff that I was enamored with as a kid, but couldn't afford until now - 85 McGwire, 89 UD Griffey, 84 Mattingly, 80 Henderson, etc.

I was collecting new stuff for awhile as well, for the rookies and autos, and maybe put together a set here or there, but my opinion is that too many different sets are being produced and it is too costly for me to collect new and vintage, so now, I primarily stick to the graded singles and some unopened stuff.

Juggs

The nostalgia around that Topps Mattingly card is awesome. I mean, you can get it for probably $5-10 ungraded today, but it's still one of the most targeted cards from the 80's, IMO. (at least for dudes who grew up in the 80's)

BaltimoreYankee

Marc - Excellent, positive post here. I'm a little older (50 next month) and collected originally in the 1970's (1975 Topps was the first set I put together, back in '75). My childhood collecting stopped in '78 but I got into collecting again around the mid-late '80's. I sold a bunch of stuff several years ago and the rest of my collection lay dormant until recently.

I discovered this forum last summer and that got me interested enough to start buying again (and to post here). There are some great people here with great collections and great stories. I love all the positive stuff.

Albert - Agreed on the prices of mid-grade PSA stuff! To me a PSA 7 is a really nice card (most of my collection is '60's-'70's Hall of Famers) and a lot of people buying PSA cards need to see a 9 in the upper right corner. Thier loss is our gain.

Cakes

<< <i>When I got married about 13 years ago I figured I no longer had a need for my card collection

When I got married about 13 years ago, my wife figured I no longer had a need for my card collection

Corrected it for you

Cheers!

Great stories, keep them coming. >>



That is great