General Forum

1975 Topps Minis

I am pretty sure I had some cards prior to this, but the first packs of cards I can remember purchasing myself were 1995-96 Fleer Basketball and 1995-96 Stadium Club Basketball.  Unfortunately I don't have many of the cards from my childhood left, as I foolishly threw most of them away years ago as I wasn't expecting to get back into the hobby.  However I do still have the Fleer Kevin Garnett rookie I pulled from one of those packs.  

A pack of 1988 Topps that I received after my first little league baseball game.  They used to give all the kids a pack of cards after each game.  The only card I remember from that first pack was a Sam Horn card which resonated with me because my name is Samuel, my mother's maiden name is Horn, and I was on the Pinto Red Sox.  I've been collecting off and on ever since.

1986 Topps Football were the first cards I bought from a Quik Trip store. I remember not knowing anything about the players being only 10. I looked for QBs, but later I discovered I had a Jerry Rice RC and sold it the next year at school for about $30. 

1986 Garbage Pail Kids were a huge hit in my 6th grade classroom and I wanted some, but my step-mom thought they were too gross and obnoxious, LOL.

1987 Topps Baseball was the first I understood more about the players and trading. I knew Mark McGwire would be a Superstar and that began my collecting. The following year's 1988 Topps Baseball set being my first complete set gifted to me sealed. My Dad said to keep them and they could become valuable someday. I pulled each card and stuck them in a binder. Basically I collected the Junk-ERA in my 10-14 years of age (86-90). "I coulda been a contender! But instead I'm a bum with no class (big-hits)." 

I wish I could remember! I just found a love for baseball when I was about 9 and the cards just became part of it.

A friend gave me his collection of football cards which included which included 1978 Topps.  I remember going to the local 7-11 and buying packs of 1979, and 1980 Topps.  The last 1980 pack I bought included jack Youngblood.  I have been collecting him every since.

My first pack of hockey cards was 1980-81 Topps I bought off an ice cream truck.  The card I only remember was Mike Gartner.  I did scraff off the names off the front of the cards.  This was the only way I can see the player's name.

I was 9, and went to the 7-11 store with my Grandfather, he bought me some packs of 1984 Topps.  So every time we went there I got more packs.  I had a few hundred cards.  I would dump the shoebox out and then re put them in order.  In 1986 my Grandfather and Dad brought home a whole bunch of the 1986 Topps Quaker Chewy cards.  They both worked at Quaker Oats.  I remember being able to make 3 full sets and then trading a few duplicates with a friend, to complete 3 more sets for a total of 7 of the 33 card sets.  It wasn't till 1989 that I started buying Baseball Cards  for myself, I had my own money now. By 1990 I was a full blown collector.  

During the summer of 1987, a friend and I started saving some of our quarters usually earmarked for slurpees and/or credits in the Space Invaders machine at the local 7-11.  We had gained an interest in those green Topps baseball wax packs - gum included ofcourse.  I still regard the '87 Topps set differently and special - too bad it was worthless as an investment...

     I vaguely remember at 7-8 years of age l, my parents buying my brother and I packs of 1983 Topps.  I read the back of every single card I owned and tried to keep up on the value of each.  I cherished all of the St Louis Cardinals I had, but Ozzie especially.  That team had won me over the previous year winning the World Series. My Dad took me first big league game in 1984 and I watched my beloved Cardinals lose to a very good Cub club.  
 

Thanks for the trip down memory lane!!

- G

My uncle got me some 1991 Topps and a binder for Christmas when I was 3 (almost 4).  Still have those cards.  They are in terrible condition, but can't let those memories go.  My dad loved baseball and I would get random packs of cards sometimes when we went to the store.  My parents also started giving me cards to get me to do my chores.