The first pack of cards I ever opened was 1957 Topps on my 8th birthday. Mom and Dad had a scavenger hunt around the house with various little presents and notes telling me where to look next. I think the pack of cards was on the fireplace mantle. I remember Dick Donovan and Turk Lown being cards in that pack (I still have them). It started my collecting hobby, as the next year I evidently had some mobility and financial (find and redeem pop and beer bottles for cash at the grocery store) independence and was able to buy packs of baseball and football cards at our local drug store.

The 1957 Topps set was the very first pack of cards I ever bought. I remember buying both 5 cent packs as well as penny packs. I was not yet 7 when I was told by a friend that the new baseball cards were in at stores at each end of my block. Growing up just south of Pittsburgh, the Pirates were our home team to root for. I can't say it was the first pack but if not in one of the first couple packs I bought the first Pirate's card I got was #24, Bill Mazeroski who I decided would be the player I would root for. Great childhood memories of a great set of cards.