Remember how it was to collect baseball cards as a kid, pack by pack!?

Journeyman · Sep 29, 2006

Unlike today where most kids are given so much more than say 20-30 years ago, and have so many options to occupy their time, Baseball Card Collecting (the old fashioned way) pack by pack is probably no longer a hobby for most kids...Where as when I was coming up, everyone collected baseball cards or so it seemed.

And there was only one way to do it, save your change and after school buy a couple packs at the corner grocery store , or if you were really lucky a couple times each spring/summer you would splurge and spend a whole dollar and buy 10 packs!

In the 10 packs (100+ cards) you were destined to get a couple of the players that seemed to be in every 3rd pack, so you would have like 7 Enos Cabell's or 5 Tom Veryzer cards, and those may end up on the bike spokes...or the card that would have the gum-wax build up on it, you never wanted a good player to be that card that sat underneath the gum.

Certain cards though would take forever to find, I guess Topps would hold back on some cards ...The first time you saw the newest edition of a superstar card that no one seemed to have...and there was NOTHING like seeing some oldtimer's 1950's collection, those cards looked darn near prehistoric.

I doubt 1 out of 10 kids collects baseball cards anymore and you know if they do, it isn't buying them one pack at a time.

Dawoofdaddy · Sep 29, 2006

The first cards I owned were more likely to be placed in the spokes of my pedal bike than in plastic collectors plastic sheets.

uppy:

viking611 · Sep 29, 2006

loved collecting cards growing up...more late 80s, early to mid 90s here though. About the time it was starting to get way too saturated. Still have 1000s in boxes at parents house. I'll never forget the first "box" i got...opening up all them packs...think there were 36 packs in a box.

Rev_Al · Sep 29, 2006

Prolly one of the most enjoyable things to do in life, seriously. Way to spend time w/ my dad...talk baseball and he would take me to baseball card shows.

The goal was to collect every type of Don Mattingly card. That was the fun of it. Trading w/ buddies & such

But it lost its luster when I was getting shoved around at tables, by 35 year old a-holes.

I would imagine they mass produce the hell out of these cards....but I have no idea, since I havent looked at a card since like 1991.

Journeyman · Sep 29, 2006

The entire industry changed when it became an adult business...atleast for the kids.

Dubpoet · Sep 29, 2006

1975 topps was the Bomb!

Loved the Schmidt card with like three different colors on the border.

Journeyman · Sep 29, 2006

I would agree 1975 was one of my favorite seasons, also like the all balck border of the 1971 cards,1971 were my favorites I think.

Railbird · Sep 29, 2006

I had 2 older brothers, one of them posts here {Cal Redwood}

I sort of inherited their collection when I was about 9 yrs old, had some stuff like Hnery Aaron rookie Pete Rose rookie,Al Kaline rookie. never took care of them though. Older neighbor hood kids geesed lot of them too. If kept in mint condiction probably a 6 figure collection. had shoeboxes of them.

Wrigley · Sep 29, 2006

Used to run to the store and get a pack and trade my doubles with other kids.

Remember the pink strip of Bubble Gum that came in each pack

G.MONEY · Sep 29, 2006

I remember taking some of the players I hated and putting them in the spokes of my Bike with a clothes pin....Oh boy what I ruined then could be worth a fortune today.........G.

Journeyman · Sep 29, 2006

G. MONEY said:
I remember taking some of the players I hated and putting them in the spokes of my Bike with a clothes pin....Oh boy what I ruined then could be worth a fortune today.........G.

I'm sure many of us carelessly squandered away small fortunes in those old Topps cards...

We use to 'pitch' them in 5th grade before school started, winging them up against the wall, trying to knock down the leaners , esentially ruining each card's corners and instantly turning a 'mint' card into a 'fair' one in a matter of minutes.

Rev_Al · Sep 29, 2006

according to the industry...anything w/ any flaws (slightly bent corner) is worthless...I never understood that. If you have a Mike Schmidt rookie card...then you have a Mike Schmidt rookie card, bottomline.

I actually did have that card...and adult that looked at it, nearly laughed at me because it wasnt in prestine condition.

I never understood that. Being a kids hobby (which was the intent), its nearly impossible for a kid to keep every card 100% perfect. And then they get laughed & told its worthless because it wasn't to some 35 yr old, living in momma's basement's satisfaction. Totally rediculous, imo.

Journeyman · Sep 29, 2006

Rev_Al_Bundy said:
Being a kids hobby (which was the intent), its nearly impossible for a kid to keep every card 100% perfect. And then they get laughed & told its worthless because it wasn't to some 35 yr old, living in momma's basement's satisfaction. Totally rediculous, imo.

:hahahahah good point.

glennlovecolleen3 · Sep 29, 2006

I put a Michael Jordan Rookie card in my bike spokes. :nohead:

oldmanTED · Sep 29, 2006

Everytime I think of the baseball cards I had in the 50's and 60's when I was a young boy, I can't help but think of what they would be worth today. Rookie cards of Mantle, Mays, Maris, McCovey, and on and on. Use to flip cards daily. Had boxes and boxes and just gave them away to my cousin. Not to mention comic books as well. :cryingcry

TKE683 · Sep 29, 2006

In spring I will just for the hell of it buy one of these overpriced packs just for the memories. Can't find a pack for less than three bucks, they mass produce them then they charge an arm and a leg.
1975 George Brett and Robin Yount cards, GREAT!!
I loved the 1984 donruss and for 12 bucks i bought the 1984 fleer update, within two years being a teenager thought i was gonna be rich, Gooden, Clemens, a ton of young great guys. Well about the only good card left is Roger Clemens and Kirby Puckett decent value.
It's a joke that you have to pay to have cards graded now, it just doesnt seem like it would be fun anymore. That always was a thrill as a twelve year old ripping the pack open and thumbing through them.

Degz · Sep 29, 2006

This is great. I totally collected baseball cards growing up. I remember Donruss Diamond Kings were like the best thing ever to get. Then at the bottom of a box of cards, sometimes they had those huge Diamond Kings. Collecting baseball cards was a hobby of mine and I still have all of them. I have Bo Jackson cards which probably arent worth anything but are still fun to look at. Oh how this hobby has become a dead hobby.

Journeyman · Sep 29, 2006

I think looking over the old cards can send us back in time, whether it be remembering getting that first Vida Blue card when he was in his prime or trading some for a rookie card with some superstar hidden in the trio and beating the other person in the trade of cards ....the memories of those photos never seems to fade, especially the memories as a kid.

I think many sports fans do have good to great memories because sports are like the timelines of our lives so it's always easy to put a time stamp on a certain game or player 'when so and so did this' etc...

Fighting_Irishman · Sep 29, 2006

Its almost impossible to find kids who collect baseball cards anymore. Now its Pokeman cards and some other Asian cartoon cards. Crazy how times and heros have changed. :cryingcry

FI

HalfDaySober · Sep 29, 2006

Journey, yes those are great memories. Mays, Mantle etc. For some reason I really liked White Sox Minnie Minoso too. Doubt many remember him.

Wrigley, as for that pink strip of bubble gum, do I ever remember it. Pure sugar but what a taste blast for the first minute or so. Unfortunately, that gum, the 16 ounce bottle of RC Cola and a Snickers or Mars bar, too many times a week, meant too many trips to the dentist later on. But who cared at the time!