[Harliduck]

...first post!

Name is John, and I am one of many I have noticed at the shows and shops who collected as a kid, got disinfranchised with all the "new garbage", and have now come back to Vintage.

Open my first packs in 1978 (8 years old, allowance money!) and put the set together. Did the same through 1990, bought last pack in 1991, yuck. I remember seeing Donruss and Fleer in 1981 show up at the local convenient store, bought them, hated them, but collected them. By 16 I had a few older people give me their collections and was sitting on 500,000 plus cards. I became the local "go to guy" for commons to the local shops for cards 52-current. Hand coalated a 1969 Topps set from 12 years old to finding the final card, Jim Northrup, on my honeymoon in Oregon. Last card I bought. New wife hated cards, but loved the fact I sold a 55 Clemente and Koufax to furnish our new house, and a 65 Namath for the down payment on the house. Moved in, cards stayed with Mom, lol.

5 years later she talked me into selling my prized possesion, the 69 set, for a down payment on a piece of land. Ironically, that piece of land payed for my divource another 3 years later! I bet you saw that coming. Donated my entire collection to the local church and they sold them off piece by piece, which raised a couple thousand, and I won't tell you what was sold. Mom wanted them gone.

Re-married, (still VERY happily mind you) and after three daughters I had a son in 2005. The only card I had left was a 54 Jackie I couldn't part with (not including the 69 Aaron and Mays I have had in my wallet since I was 14, still carry them!), and feeling nostalgic one afternoon, made the decision on a whim to piece together another 69 set to give to my son. Things had changed! After 6 months of ebaying and hitting shops (all the shops dissapeared!) I had a much cleaner 69 set and felt MUCH better about one of my biggest regrets. Being a die hard Harmon Killebrew fan I got all his cards. Then decided I missed all those 80 sets, bought them all 80-90. Found a box in the attic that didn't make it to the church event, my actual 79 set from my childhood (I still don't know how that happened!) and decided to do all the 70s. I have the 78, 77, 76, 74, 73 done. Brought all my 73 doubles to my little brother who used to collect too, and he got the bug. He was born in 73. He now has 15 cards to go...

Got the bug HARDER...went after the 66 set, which seemed impossible in my youth. I now just need the Twins and Tiger team cards (still looking for the right deal!) and need only 80 cards for the 70 set. Chipping at the 72 set, need 125ish. Also chipping away at 54s, unbelievable set, got the Hoyt W card today! Brother dug deep too...his childhood dream was 65s, now needs about 85 left. I also need 22 63 Fleer cards..and am pondering which set will be next, maybe 64s? 67s?

So I don't have the store room full anymore, but just nice neat blue binders of all my years now of sets, and collect with my son, who is now 7. He loves Killebrew too, and his 59 card is his favorite.

Anyhow, sorry to bore...I am just really excited to find this sight and go back read everyone's set quests. I absolutely LOVE it...and I find it pretty cool to see all the guys my age coming back to the hobby. My story seems to be replicated all over the place...and still chuckle I can get an 86 Donruss Conseco for 3 bucks on Ebay...HAHAHA...