Posted By:
Jeff LichtmanI started collecting in the early 70s in NJ wherein my mom would occasionally drive me to the Lin-Den in Linden, NJ where I would score a few packs and beat them to death. After collecting pack by pack until 1977 (I recall nearly every birthday present I received in 1974 had scores of those red, wax Topps packs with the white baseball on the front piled inside), I discovered the Sporting News and, of course, Renata Galasso. I would send my 13 bucks away (I also ordered plastic sheets) and wait for what seemed like an eternity (usually 6 - 8 weeks) for the box to come with my complete set. I'd then sit on the floor of my bedroom and study each card and sort them into plastic sheets team by team. What a ritual that was for me. All of those old sets sat around until I got older and got the bug again. I started by buying mint sets back to 1969..and then realized that I just couldn't be satisfied with the cards of my youth and I began putting together sets back to 1954...and then I began satisfying my lifelong yearning for tobacoo cards, Old Judges, CJs, etc...and now I'm a full fledged, addicted collector...but not a single card of my youth was every thrown away and I can't wait to give the entire set (especially my own collected cards as a kid) to my two sons...I just hope they catch the bug like I did.