Do you recall your first card you got in a pack?

[TobaccoKing4]

My dad got me a box of 1998 Topps. I was 7 years old.

[36GoudeyMan]

...Willie Mays (think it was #50).... thought I'd won the 1960s equivalent of Lotto.

[Thromdog]

1981 Topps Paul Molitor.

[Eggoman]

An older kid gave me a 1968 Lou Pinella when I was in "Kinny Garden" and taught me how to flip cards at recess...

[smellthegum]

1971, I was seven. Only knew Red Sox players and was on the lookout only for them. My grandmother bought me my first pack and I remember getting George Scott and a Yaz league leader card.

[cool-vintage]

I don't recall what my first card was, but I do recall some other details from my start in card collecting like my first memorabilia card, a Mike Piazza game-used bat. ( I still have the card somewhere in my collection) This lead to Piazza being one of my favorite players as a kid.

[steve B]

My first pack was also 1969. I only got one pack that year. The card I remember was Reggie Jackson. Dad and I sat in the car while I looked at the cards and he said "Hey this guy is pretty good". That card survived a few years in the toybox, and finally got taken out when I started collecting a bit more in late 73. I still have it, and probably a card or two from the pack but I don't remember who.

I also have the second one I recall, a 1971 coin of Danny Cater, also from the one pack I got that year.

Steve B

[bigtrain]

I don't remember the first card I ever got but I do remember the first baseball card I ever saw. I was six years old when my friend showed me the 1962 Topps Mickey Mantle card he got from his brother. I recently bought one just because it was my first baseball card experience.

[Tripredacus]

I have these memories
1. First football pack (and some of the cards) 1986 Topps.
2. Second baseball pack: 1988 Donruss, only have one card from it still, Mark Grace. I do not recollect my first pack, but I had a couple of 1987 Topps cards, so I can only guess the Donruss pack was my second.
3. First hockey pack. 1989-90 OPC. Do not know if I have any of those cards still.
4. First two cards purchased not relating to packs. 1989 Pro Set Football Chris Miller, 1988-89 Topps Hockey Scott Arniel.

[darwinbulldog]

The pack was 1986 Donruss. I have no idea which card was on top, but I could probably name most of the cards that were in there. My favorite was Johnny Ray because he had the highest batting average.

[Rookiemonster]

1992 upper deck Ryan Klesco

[judsonhamlin]

1975 rack pack - Joe Lis. Just don't ask me where I need to be tomorrow

[Tripredacus]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

The pack was 1986 Donruss. I have no idea which card was on top, but I could probably name most of the cards that were in there. My favorite was Johnny Ray because he had the highest batting average.

Thanks you reminded me! My first pack of baseball was not 1987 Topps it was 1987 Donruss. I remember cards from that pack being Johnny Ray, Andy Van Slyke and Jack Clark.

[sac_bunt]

In 1978 I was 4 when I got my first OPC pack.
However it was a couple years later when I acquired more cards. I figured the reason why I was fixated on this Pete Rose card was because with his haircut he kinda looked like my Dad - minus the frown.

[sterlingfox]

My first baseball card experience was receiving a 1987 Topps factory set. This is really what got me started in the hobby.

My earliest memory of opening up a pack was pulling a Ken Griffey Jr. from a pack of 89 Donruss while in Myrtle Beach with my grandparents - it was traded away long ago.

A little off topic, but a friend of mine who was my father figure when I was a teenager (via the Jewish Big Brothers / Big Sisters program) took me to Cleveland Indians games back in the early 90s. During one game (April 17th, 1993 vs Blue jays) we had seats right on the first base line. A ground ball got near us and he tried hard to reach over and grab it, but toppled over into the field in the process of doing so. As the umpire got close to him, he tossed him the ball and apologized. The ump allowed him to stay in the ballpark (mind you, I was 16 at the time and terrified of the 20k+ people all staring in our direction). He ended up sending the ball to the dugout and it got autographed by the player who hit it (I believe it was Dick Schofield). Just recently, he said he wants me to have that ball. I'm very excited about this, as that day holds some incredible memories for me.

[CW]

Good stories, all.

Not only do I recall one of mine, I still have it:

[Al C.risafulli]

GREAT question.

My mom bought me my first pack of cards in 1977. I don't remember who the first card was, but I remember that there was a Rod Carew in the pack, and to my 8-year-old brain, Rod Carew was the GREATEST player in baseball. To this day, whenever I see a 1977 Topps Rod Carew, I still get that same childlike enthusiasm. As much of a prewar guy as I am, 1977 Topps is probably still my favorite set, because of how much it represents to me.

-Al