Why I collect… bringing me back to ‘79

[Harliduck]

Funny you should post that pic of the 79 rack pack. 79 was the first year I was buying packs like mad as a 10 year old...and being in Seattle I couldn't get enough of the Mariner cards. I would sift through the rack packs looking for M's players. The town corner store sold wax packs, but the big Kmart next town over had the rack packs and they were a special treat. That M's Tom House card showing would have had me buying that one, screw Jim Rice...haha.

79 was the first set I completed from packs and for a while I saved some unopened packs when my set was done, only to be opened a couple years later looking for Ozzie Smith cards. 79 will always hold a special place for me, so thanks again for posting that...

[mrreality68]

This was the relationship with Kingman and Boston in 1916

David Ortiz Passes Dave Kingman for Most HRs by a Player in His Final Season

[mrreality68]

This was the relationship with Kingman and Boston in 2016

David Ortiz Passes Dave Kingman for Most HRs by a Player in His Final Season

[Kurri17]

Great thread. Love the personal stories regarding collecting. 1979 was my last year to collect seriously as a kid, I was 15. I started with '71 football, and '74 when I was ten is my cornerstone year. Beautiful rack pack, congrats on a great collection.

[mrmopar]

My throwback year is 1978. I don't recall ever seeing rack or cello packs though when I was buying them, only wax. I wish I had clearer memories of the whole process, but I guess it wasn't all that special at the time. I probably saw my first rack/cello in the early-mid 80s, but even then I don't recall. I do remember finding them around 87 and searching for the stars on top.

I still find a lot of joy in just seeing the various 1978 Topps cards across all of the sports. Raw, sealed in packs, graded, autographed, etc. They are just elevated slightly higher than anything else.

[deweyinthehall]

Originally Posted by mrmopar

My throwback year is 1978. I don't recall ever seeing rack or cello packs though when I was buying them, only wax. I wish I had clearer memories of the whole process, but I guess it wasn't all that special at the time. I probably saw my first rack/cello in the early-mid 80s, but even then I don't recall. I do remember finding them around 87 and searching for the stars on top.

I still find a lot of joy in just seeing the various 1978 Topps cards across all of the sports. Raw, sealed in packs, graded, autographed, etc. They are just elevated slightly higher than anything else.

1978 was my "initiation" year as well...I was lucky enough to have stores swimming in cellos and racks, though.

To this day, when I look through my '78 binder, I think I have stories about at least 80% of the cards - even if only whether I found the card in a pack myself, or I had to rely on friends' duplicates. The ones I really had to hunt for - the last couple dozen or so I needed - still have a different 'look' to me.

The very first cards I ever owned were a quad of '78s that came out of the old Scholastic mag, Dynamite - Cecil Cooper, Darrell Porter, Al Oliver and Tony Perez. I can remember how excited I was when a friend showed me the also came in packs in stores - I was like "wait - there's MORE?" - as my wife can attest today - not only is there more, there's a whooooooole lot more!

[mortimer brewster]

My throwback year is 1978 also. For 27 dollars I purchased the 1977 and 1978 complete sets from an ad in the Sporting News.

First year for packs was 1979. Great memories.

I love threads like these. There are not enough that just center on the love of collecting.

[deweyinthehall]

Since the subject of this thread is 1979, I can say that since 1978 was my first year collecting, I was pleasantly surprised to see 1979 roll around - "Wait - you mean they do this EVERY year??!"

My first look at 1979s was in a huge bin at a Kresge-esque store called McCrory's in Waterbury, CT. The store had emptied what must have been a case of cellos loosely into one large bin. I remember seeing the Prospects cards on top - Black and White? Better not get one of those - they must be something different.

It was interesting seeing cards of guys that had changed teams - Reggie Cleveland is with Texas now? Or of 1978 rookies now on their own cards - Dave Bergman anyone? And then there were those guys I still needed to complete my '78 set and now with different teams - talkin' about you, Mike Jorgensen.

Because it was my second set - and because there's never a set as nice as your first - 1979 has always looked 'lesser' to me - the design, the photography, those darn B&W prospects.