Sports Cards Mania

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
Got the fabled Mike Greenwell 87 Donruss RC. The shipping was more than the card. It was a prized possession when I was young. I'm 90% sure I bought it in a small suburb of Boston in the summer of '93.

I also bought my brother a Rickey Henderson RC. Going to surprise him for his birthday.
 

Oil Can Dan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2003
8,014
0-3 to 4-3
Here’s my Gibson rookie.
This is what it’s all about.
Agreed! Collecting brought me such joy from 1981 until the mid 90's. Sure, I thought I'd retire off my collection and boy was I wrong about that but I had a blast doing it. And I'm officially back down the rabbit hole now. I can't believe how much vintage has risen in even the last month. I had some duplicate '59s' that I've sold on eBay. One, a PSA 7 Hank Aaron All Star, sold for more than a PSA 8 of the same card like a month or two earlier.

Since we're sharing pics here's one of my favorite cards:

38847
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Here’s my Gibson rookie.

Agreed! Collecting brought me such joy from 1981 until the mid 90's. Sure, I thought I'd retire off my collection and boy was I wrong about that but I had a blast doing it. And I'm officially back down the rabbit hole now. I can't believe how much vintage has risen in even the last month. I had some duplicate '59s' that I've sold on eBay. One, a PSA 7 Hank Aaron All Star, sold for more than a PSA 8 of the same card like a month or two earlier.

Since we're sharing pics here's one of my favorite cards:

View attachment 38847
That is an awesome card! I love the ‘59’s

Edit - I had no idea that was a $5-$8k card now. Wow.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
PSA’s website also tracks sales for a lot of cards. It’s pretty amazing though I have a hit or miss with finding the proper data when I’m on there.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,430
Things that have turned me off from collecting in the last 20-ish years

A. Grading and the costs and time delay
B. Tertiary grading (non-PSA/Beckett) companies
C. Reprints
D. Parallel sets rather than inserts that are identifiable.
E. Topps/Bowman monopoly
F. 35th year anniversary looks (I know most people like this, I don't)
G. TOO MANY sets and its corollary not being able to find cards/sets in Becketts, increased use of star/semi-star and not listing individual players
H. Inflation of monthly Beckett costs and supplies (I could be wrong on latter's existence)
Probably a couple more that I'm momentarily forgetting.
 

Bongorific

Thinks he’s clever
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
8,433
Balboa Towers
I've had this one out since he died..
I have that same card. It’s the only pre 1970 card I have. It was at my local card shop and I saved up lawn mowing money when I was probably 10. I want to say I spent $40 back then? Seemed like a small fortune at the time.

Edit: mine is also very off centered like yours.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
Authentic aged cards are a sight to behold.

I’m angling to get a Yaz rookie. Looks like it was well loved but that adds to the charm.
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
I have that same card. It’s the only pre 1970 card I have. It was at my local card shop and I saved up lawn mowing money when I was probably 10. I want to say I spent $40 back then? Seemed like a small fortune at the time.
THAT is what card collecting is to me. Connecting to your youth.

I’m only buying cards that I wanted as a kid but couldn’t afford or find outside of the pages of Beckett. Every time a card comes through it’s a shot of dopamine.

Nice to have in these crazy times.
 

Bongorific

Thinks he’s clever
SoSH Member
Jul 16, 2005
8,433
Balboa Towers
THAT is what card collecting is to me. Connecting to your youth.

I’m only buying cards that I wanted as a kid but couldn’t afford or find outside of the pages of Beckett. Every time a card comes through it’s a shot of dopamine.

Nice to have in these crazy times.
Yeah. All the excitement lately has led me to think about the hobby again. I’ve been going through my boxes since the weekend. I collected several Bobby Doerr autographs on photos and balls that I have in the man cave. Obviously I never saw him play but I played second in high school and was always drawn to his career. It’s just funny that they are worth so little compared to a modern middle infielder prospect signed card when those guys can only dream to have a good of a career as he did.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Things that have turned me off from collecting in the last 20-ish years

A. Grading and the costs and time delay
B. Tertiary grading (non-PSA/Beckett) companies
C. Reprints
D. Parallel sets rather than inserts that are identifiable.
E. Topps/Bowman monopoly
F. 35th year anniversary looks (I know most people like this, I don't)
G. TOO MANY sets and its corollary not being able to find cards/sets in Becketts, increased use of star/semi-star and not listing individual players
H. Inflation of monthly Beckett costs and supplies (I could be wrong on latter's existence)
Probably a couple more that I'm momentarily forgetting.
Grading is at least a 6 month turnaround now, for normal subs.

My biggest issue was and is focus. I am all over the place. I like modern, I like vintage, I like raw, I like graded, autographs, rookie cards, and so on. I am all over the place, and not a multi-millionaire so cannot collect it all.

Sometimes I think about just going back to being strictly a flipper - just opening for fun, and selling it all off. But then again, I enjoy the hobby of prospecting.

Like many others though, I have gone back and just started picking up raw cards of guys I liked growing up that I could never afford to buy. Whether that be rookie cards, or just autographs of guys I liked.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
I am also a sucker for the rookie cup cards, like this one:

5E01C0DF-BDEA-4873-8B5B-78FCE2312FBE.jpeg

And I am constantly just buying random cards from vintage sets that I like the look of, like 65 Topps for example:

38852

Or 1959 Topps:

38853
 

Oil Can Dan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2003
8,014
0-3 to 4-3
I am working hard on trying to figure out what my focus is too. I love it all and am all over the map too. Glad to see I'm not the only one!

Love that Mays! (and the Rice!)
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,430
Things that have turned me off from collecting in the last 20-ish years

A. Grading and the costs and time delay
B. Tertiary grading (non-PSA/Beckett) companies
C. Reprints
D. Parallel sets rather than inserts that are identifiable.
E. Topps/Bowman monopoly
F. 35th year anniversary looks (I know most people like this, I don't)
G. TOO MANY sets and its corollary not being able to find cards/sets in Becketts, increased use of star/semi-star and not listing individual players
H. Inflation of monthly Beckett costs and supplies (I could be wrong on latter's existence)
Probably a couple more that I'm momentarily forgetting.
I. Digital cards, what is up with that?
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
That McGwire card is one of my favorite cards of all time. I love McGwire though, regardless of the steroids. I have the PSA 10 version of that Nomar. Again, one of my favorite players, ever.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
I am working hard on trying to figure out what my focus is too. I love it all and am all over the map too. Glad to see I'm not the only one!

Love that Mays! (and the Rice!)
I literally cannot count the number of times I have switched focus and sold, or just thought I am tired of the hobby and sold. I wish I had all those cards back now.
 

Oil Can Dan

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2003
8,014
0-3 to 4-3
My own personal lineup card for first game ever at Fenway in '58. Ted batting 3rd, natch. Brewer went 9 for the win.
That is so cool. I wish I knew which my first game was because that's an awesome idea.

That Nomar...man, I love that card. Varitek was in that set too.

Dug these out of my collection last night. If there had been a fire in my house back in the late 80's these would have been high on my list of must-grabs on my way out the door. Now you could own both for around $200. I remember I bought the Fleer Update set and the initial USFL set together in the mail in '84 and they were like $10 each. Greatest deal of my life back then!

38860
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144
That is so cool. I wish I knew which my first game was because that's an awesome idea.

That Nomar...man, I love that card. Varitek was in that set too.

Dug these out of my collection last night. If there had been a fire in my house back in the late 80's these would have been high on my list of must-grabs on my way out the door. Now you could own both for around $200. I remember I bought the Fleer Update set and the initial USFL set together in the mail in '84 and they were like $10 each. Greatest deal of my life back then!

View attachment 38860
The Fleer Update is the GOAT. I'm still working on getting that.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,430
I remember I bought the Fleer Update set and the initial USFL set together in the mail in '84 and they were like $10 each. Greatest deal of my life back then!

View attachment 38860
It's dusty in here. And I didn't even know about the existence of that Pawtucket set.

And apparently someone else values that card (well, a higher graded version thereof) on the right more than us.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-Fleer-Update-Roger-Clemens-Rookie-PSA-10/203041549213?hash=item2f46382b9d:g:aFcAAOSwV~1fA6ql
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2006
7,873
SS Botany Bay
That is so cool. I wish I knew which my first game was because that's an awesome idea.

That Nomar...man, I love that card. Varitek was in that set too.

Dug these out of my collection last night. If there had been a fire in my house back in the late 80's these would have been high on my list of must-grabs on my way out the door. Now you could own both for around $200. I remember I bought the Fleer Update set and the initial USFL set together in the mail in '84 and they were like $10 each. Greatest deal of my life back then!

View attachment 38860
The designs of the minor league cards of that era were so terrible.
 

Tim Salmon

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 24, 2005
3,293
Dang it, you guys gave me the bug, so I went digging through storage totes in my basement. I haven't gone through some of this stuff in years, and I found cards I didn't know I had, like this Ortiz. I lovingly caressed my autographs from the likes of Matt Burch and J.D. Durbin and kept them in a separate tin, but somehow David Friggin' Americo Arias Ortiz was stuck to the back of a 1991 Upper Deck Pittsburgh Penguins team set. At least he was in a case.

388633886438865
 

JoePoulson

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Feb 28, 2006
2,755
Orlando, FL
Like the reset of you I was crazy into the hobby back when I was a kid. 1986 was really the first year I hit the shops and ripped open packs (I was 12). Unfortunately because I was cheap I focused on Topps buy hey what can you do. Anyway I've sold the vast majority of what I've had over the years but this thread inspired me to look through what I have. Nothing major but still a couple of fun things:

38868

I lived in Arkansas for 16 years from 1984-2000. Brooks is obviously a legend in his home state and back in the late-80s "peak" of collecting he would show up at card signings frequently. My dad had a co-worker who was into collecting and knew we were heading to a show to meet Brooks and get his auto. My dad's buddy handed him this '61 and said see how your son likes getting this signed. Such a cool gesture and I about fell out when my dad brought the card home! We took it that weekend to the show and met Brooks and, like usual, Brooks was SUPER-cool and chatted us up for a bit. He signed the card and tried to remember posing for the pic haha. A memory and card I of course will always cherish. What's funny is like immediately after getting the card signed my like 14-year-old brain was like hmmm should I have gotten a pic signed instead and kept the card clean???

38869

Took me a while to put this set together about 10 years ago I guess. Love it so much, Teddy is the best of course. I used to have the Wade Boggs one as well that spells "CHICKEN MAN" but I unfortunately sold them many years ago.

38870

Speaking of Wade, he was without question my favorite active player growing up. Teddy was always my all-timer but Wade was the one I obsessed over in real-time. I used to have PSA 10 of his Pawtucket minor league card but again, sold it for around $150 like 9 years ago. I see it sells for $300-500 now so now bad I suppose. I love the talk of finding cards in the 5-8 range or whatever because I agree, those look amazing and you save SO much money.

38871

Another fun set that took me a while to put together...it's the 2007 Sox World Series team with the fun jerseys. Nothing authentic, just a fun cheesy card that I absolutely love.

38872

OK not a card but a fun story. Again back in Arkansas, had just graduated college from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. That area (Bentonville, etc. the northwest part of the state) is home to Walmart, Tyson Foods, JB Hunt, etc. Lots and lots of money. One thing they always do are the Walmart shareholder meetings and they would always roll out the celebs. One year they had Pete Rose and Mike Schmidt and me and some friends saw them out eating at some seafood place. The bartender was a friend and pointed them out and gave us some of those bar tabs. We hit them up as they were leaving and they actually signed FOUR of those things just like that! I felt SO SHITTY hitting him up and didn't realize it until I asked. They both rolled their eyes but proceeded to sign. Pete looked at us and said "You know these are costing me money!?" I didn't say a word and thanked them profusely after they signed them. We got back and gave the bartender one and me and my buddies got the others. Again been meaning to frame this with some cool cards of theirs for, like, 23 years now haha.
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Awesome stuff! That Signatures Ortiz seemed familiar. Here is the one I have:

38876

Some of my other favorite Ortiz:

388773887838879
 

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Wade Boggs was my favorite player growing up as a kid. While looking for the Ortiz, dug these up:

388803888138882

And I forget who mentioned they loved Greenwell (another favorite of my youth) but I found this in the same box as well:

38883

And one of my all time greatest ever pulls froma box ever

38884
 

Mugsy's Jock

Eli apologist
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 28, 2000
15,069
UWS, NYC
That is so cool. I wish I knew which my first game was because that's an awesome idea.

That Nomar...man, I love that card. Varitek was in that set too.

Dug these out of my collection last night. If there had been a fire in my house back in the late 80's these would have been high on my list of must-grabs on my way out the door. Now you could own both for around $200. I remember I bought the Fleer Update set and the initial USFL set together in the mail in '84 and they were like $10 each. Greatest deal of my life back then!
I have an uncut sheet of 1985 USFL cards, currently in a storage locker in Connecticut. It's the ultimate throwback -- a few HOFers (Reggie White, Jim Kelly, Steve Young)... along with a bunch of HoVGs (Herschel Walker, Mike Quick, Doug Williams, William Fuller, Gary Clark, Sam Mills, Brian Sipe, Anthony Carter) and some guys who are just cool to see (Marcus Dupree, Doug Flutie, Kelvin Bryant, Bobby Hebert, Maurice Carthon, Vince Evans, Mike Rozier, Rick Neuheisel). And Boston Breakers hero Marcus Marek!
 

brandonchristensen

Loves Aaron Judge
SoSH Member
Feb 4, 2012
38,144

NJ_Sox_Fan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 2, 2006
10,736
NJ
Speaking earlier of my collecting (lack of) focus I’ve always loved the 52 Bowman cards as well

3889438895
 

JoePoulson

Well-Known Member
Gold Supporter
SoSH Member
Feb 28, 2006
2,755
Orlando, FL
Yep that was the hottest card of my peak collecting time. Replaced eventually with the Griffey UD rookie I suppose, and before that the Mattingly 84 Donruss was the shit.