I grew up with parents who liked to spend weekends going to flea markets, auctions and antique shops. So unless I wanted to be bored out of my mind I needed to collect something. I chose baseball cards because when Topps came out with the MVP cards in 1975 I noticed Ernie Banks and realized I have a card of his. I found it and realized I own a card of a guy who hit 512 Homeruns!
Added to this was my dad getting me the book the 50 Greatest Players of All time - and I was hooked.
Always went for HOFers. I knew about the more common players but chose to put my folks' money into players I knew.
And now all these years later - after leaving the hobby because I didn't like when TPG companies came into it - and coming back to it in '09 when I had to clean out my dad's house of my collection - I collect now because it reminds me of all those weekends with my parents from age 9 to about 14.
To this day, my mother reminds me that when Seaver's rookie card went from $3.50 to 5 to $7.50, I was still holding out to find one for that $3.50 I had seen.
I guess I shouldn't have been so diligent to spend their money so wisely.
