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John SI was a better collector when I was about twelve. I had stacks of books about cards and old baseball and football players. I knew all the stats and every card purchased was cherished. I used to stash '59 Topps football cards (the first vintage set I ever worked on) under the seat in my parents '75 Malibu Classic so I had something to look at when we were in transit. At 35 I still love the cards but they are much easier to come by and definitely not appreciated as much as they once were. No longer are they stashed in car but usually scanned, inventoried, and stowed away either in the closet or safety deposit box.
I think a great collector is someone who respects the hobby by sharing knowledge and realizing that no matter how many cards he/she has that they are no better than the young kid across the street opening packs of Topps.