What was your path to what you currently collect?

[old-baseball]

Ken - the E121's were completely by accident. In the early days of Ebay I was buying anything that seemed like a decent deal. There was a seller that had several lots of both Series of 80 and Series of 120 cards and I bought several of them. Shortly there after Clean Sweep had a huge lot of Series of 80 cards that I bought for a relatively cheap price. At that point I was hooked. Unfortunately I sold several of cards that I chasing today - they were in lesser condition and didn't fit with everything else that I had. Still kicking myself for that.

[alanu]

Collected when I was a kid up until about 1972 when I was 11. Got back into it in the late 80's and mostly collected Clemente and Ripken and did some shows. Started collecting vintage in the 90's but mostly collect anything now, vintage to about 1967, that catches my eye.

[ghooper33]

I was mainly a 1950's Topps & autograph collector, but I have recently began a journey into pre-war cards after a buddy and I decided to build a T205 set together after buying a couple at a show. (We also thought it would be fun to make a point to have our families vacation together using the National as an excuse).

Being new to genre I have purchased as many different cards as I can find. After sampling different cards I have settled on the T207 set for myself.

[ls7plus]

I'd collected cards as a kid, beginning in 1958, as I recall, and continuing through 1969, and got back into them when a younger attorney in my office used to bring his cards in from time to time, circa 1989 or 1990. He was into new cards, which were of course all the rage at that time, and I initially gravitated in that direction also, although simultaneously buying back some Mantles, Mays and Aaron cards, etc. But I really didn't know much about pre-Topps cards until Alan Hager came out with his "Guide to Rare Baseball Cards 1886 to Present," in 1993. While Mr. Hager was certainly a controversial figure in this hobby's past, the book, if one disregarded the prices he quoted, was really quite informative regarding the incredible variety of cards from days long past that were out there, along with his expressed opinion of their relative rarity (which was not always accurate, but decently within the ballpark, IMO, in most cases). I was just fascinated by these cards, and the quality photo reproduction of examples from each set that Hager included. Been buying pre-war ever since!

Happy collecting,

Larry

[peterb69]

Started collecting in 1969 with that year's Topps set. But my mother threw them away by mistake as I kept them in a brown paper shopping bag. I started up again from 1974 to 1979 and then went off to college the next year. In 1986, the Red Sox were making a run towards the World Series and there was a huge flea market near me. I stated to collect again, mostly Red Sox team sets. I bought the yearly Beckett price guide for the various checklists. It was there I saw the T205 Jimmy Collins card pictured above the T205 checklist. I am originally from RI and I never kenw there were baseball cards of Providence teams. I caught the T205 fever and from the mid 80's to mid 90's I was able to almost complete a master set. I am just Wilhelm 'suffered' and Hoblitzell no stats away. I also collected other various type T-cards & N-cards.

The mid 90's and early 00's there was so much garbage coming out of the various card manufactors that I really got turned off and stopped collecting until about 3 years ago. I found this website and started up again. I love seeing the various t206 backs and I am now trying to collect the Providence T206 team with as many backs as I can. Every time Leon shows that Moran Drum card, I start to drool.

[Fred]

Early 70s I started collecting Topps (of course). When I first started I had no clue that there were any cards before the 50s. My older brother collected around 65-68 and he gave me his stuff. After I saw my first T206 (mid 70s) I was hooked on the old stuff. I collected new and shiney until the early 90s. I never really got into the chase cards or the rookie cards too much.