Posted By:
Al CrisafulliCollecting was always a VERY solitary pursuit for me. I've had my collection since I was a kid in the early 80s, buying ratty T206s for a buck a pop from a local card store. As an adult I would sort of drift in and out of the hobby depending on what else was going on in my life.
It wasn't really until I discovered the collecting community on the internet a few years ago that I got into the hobby on a larger scale. Meeting collectors across the country and getting to know their interests and absorb that knowledge really added a whole new dimension to the hobby for me. The various hobby message boards have taught me a whole new way to collect - not only do I have a much greater appreciation for the historical significance of what I choose to collect, but I've met people that I now consider my friends. I never had any collecting friends before, and so there was never anyone to share enthusiasm with - which was probably why I drifted in and out of the hobby for so many years.
Discovering grading, and later discovering the auction houses I choose to buy from, has added even another dimension to the hobby for me. I'm happy to have met some great friends at all those different levels in the hobby, and as a reasult I can't imagine ever drifting out of the hobby again. I'm also very thankful to be able to work in the hobby to a small degree. To me, the hobby used to be just about cardboard - now it's about history and stories and conversations and people.
-Al