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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

In my beginning with cards (1952, NYC) I didn't much care for baseball cards because I didn't yet know any of the players, but offsetting that - I did not care for the non-sports cards either (they were Look and See: historical persons - yuk). It would have ended there and then if it wasn't for the Topps transportation series. Wings and Wheels primarilly. I spent lots of time looking at and playing with those planes and car cards.

As my awareness of baseball increased, so did my purchasing of those cards. I must have gotten the deposit on a lot of soda bottles, because I wound up with hundreds of cards, and I certainly don't remember an allowance - maybe it was unofficial. Not too many from the '52 or '53 sets survived, but my mother managed to hold on to plenty from '54-'57, and some later.

We used to flip cards until enough guys assembled to play ball. And then again as some had to go home for dinner, and then after dinner, unless we played stickball or stoop ball. I remember trading by thumbing through a pack to the chant got 'em, got 'em, got 'em, Need Him!

Who wanted a rookie card? Who was Kaline, Clemente, Aaron, etc?

In part because my father talked about them, but also because their accomplishments seemed bigger than life, I began to study (study is not always a bad word) old time ballplayers, during this period.

Far too quickly girls came and put an end to this fun (in exchange for other fun). That was 1960. I was 15. I never even saw a 1961 baseball card until I was over 50 years old. Sheesh - I am over 50.

It wasn't until the early '70s that I looked at the cards which survived my youth - thanks mom. I remember thinking that Id willingly trade all of the baseball for a set of Wings and Wheels. Glad there was no eBay (nor even computers) then. I continued studying baseball with a renewed vigor at that time. I was designing in my mind what I would collect. It turned out to be a combination of cards which commemorate record performances and other historical baseball stuff. I went to a small local card show. Someone showed me a magazine which included a sale by Lew Lipsett - who was offering an OJ (Grasshopper Maines) which I wanted. I bought it. My first direct purchase. Recently, thanks to board members, I purchased my fourth (of five poses) of Grasshopper Maines.

And here I am. It has been great, and it continues to be so.