How long you collected as a kid ?...

[Leon]

I took moderator liberties and moved this thread to the front page so more folks can read, enjoy and join in it.

I started collecting in about 1968 at 7 yrs old. I kept collecting until about 12 yrs old and then some family stuff happened and I stopped collecting until my mid 30's after I was married....regards

[marcdelpercio]

I was hooked for sure at age 3. My earliest memory is swimming around on the living room floor in a pile of 1978 Topps cards. I would ask for baseball cards instead of toys for every birthday and Christmas (still at the top of my list every year) and would save up every penny of loose change I could find to be able to buy a couple of 20 cent packs at the grocery store each week. I finally completed my first set (1987 Topps), card by card. Putting that final Roy Smalley card in the box and feeling that I had truly accomplished something is my single greatest childhood memory. I still have that set and literally wouldn't sell it for a million dollars. I can honestly say that there has not been one single month I have been alive, from probably age 5 onward, that I have not bought or traded for some baseball cards. Great thread!

[alanu]

I don't remember exactly how long, but I think from about 1967 (6 years old) until 1972. This is based on the mostly football and baseball cards (and lots of non-sports too) that I found when I was out of college, including a complete 1972 Topps baseball set that was mailed to me by series.

I didn't really start back up gain until the late 80's, early 90's when I mostly started trading all of my stuff for Clemente cards.

-Alan

[Tim Fritz]

Started at age 5 in '76 with football, baseball and basketball. My mom got me hooked buying me packs. Started seriously buying packs in '83 and going to shows at the local VFW in '84. Bought 50s and 60s, never remember seeing any pre-war at those shows.

'85 to '89 was the heaviest, collecting every set from every sport. About the only set I didn't collect was '86-87 Fleer basketball. Go figure.

Got back in after college in '96.