A Little About Me
started collecting baseball cards in 1985 when I saw some Fleer and Topps packs in a Revco Pharmacy while visiting my grandparents in Florida. My dad bought me some packs and I was hooked. One of the first "good" players I got in those packs was Darryl Strawberry and he soon became my favorite player. For years I was disappointed how Strawberry's career ended up... the off field problems, etc. was all very disheartening for me as a fan and collector. However, I've seen more about Strawberry lately and he has turned his life around, became a Christian evangelist and public speaker, and is making a positive difference in people's lives. His story has some similarities with my own. I never had the personal issues like Darryl did, but I grew up as an adamant non-believer all through high school, college, and even afterwards. Then around 2012 perhaps I started to come to the realization that Bible prophecy was coming true before our eyes every day. That convinced me to became a Christian when I was around 40 years old. I am very thankful that both Darryl Strawberry and I had the chance to come to faith in Jesus.
Anyways, I collected avidly through 1993 or so and then slowed down as I started college. During college I still collected, but not at the level I did before. Once Yahoo auction and eBay started up, I bought cards on there... mostly T206s and other singles. After graduation, I re-focused on building sets from the 1950s to 1990s by buying lots off of eBay and then filling in holes at card shows. Around 2021, I started buying some new unopened blaster boxes and such, but that only lasted a short while and I have returned to building sets and buying HOFers and other single cards. I have been fascinated with vintage cards since the late 1980's and now primarily collect vintage cards. I still have all of my mid-1980's through early 1990's cards (probably about 100,000 of them) if anyone needs wants filled.
I bought my first T206 from a classmate in highschool for $5. I have been hooked on those ever since. I have over 25% of the T206's now and completing that set is a lifelong goal of mine.
My dad bought me 100 1965 Topps baseball cards at a card show in Memphis, TN (I think I was there to get Lou Brock's autograph). I have been hooked on those ever since too. I am only missing one card (Sandy Koufax) to complete that set complete. I got the toughest card, the Mickey Mantle (#350), growing up in Memphis from Nostalgia World for $33. That card is raw and maybe grades out in VG/EX grade.
I am slowly building my vintage sets and would like to trade for some of the cards I need. I started a low-grade (aka "beater") set of 1955 Topps which is nearing completion. So any help with those would be greatly appreciated.
My next beater set may be one of the Bowman sets... 1950, 1951, or 1952. Or maybe 1952 Topps (so I could possibly afford the high numbers!). Or maybe the E98 set. There is so much to choose from! I highly recommend all collectors to do at least one beater set project... it has been one of the most fun and rewarding collecting projects I've done. Not having to worry with condition as much and just focusing on finding the cards needed is very refreshing and fun!
I bought my first T206 from a classmate in highschool for $5. I have been hooked on those ever since. I have over 25% of the T206's now and completing that set is a lifelong goal of mine.
My dad bought me 100 1965 Topps baseball cards at a card show in Memphis, TN (I think I was there to get Lou Brock's autograph). I have been hooked on those ever since too. I am only missing one card (Sandy Koufax) to complete that set complete. I got the toughest card, the Mickey Mantle (#350), growing up in Memphis from Nostalgia World for $33. That card is raw and maybe grades out in VG/EX grade.
I am slowly building my vintage sets and would like to trade for some of the cards I need. I started a low-grade (aka "beater") set of 1955 Topps which is nearing completion. So any help with those would be greatly appreciated.
My next beater set may be one of the Bowman sets... 1950, 1951, or 1952. Or maybe 1952 Topps (so I could possibly afford the high numbers!). Or maybe the E98 set. There is so much to choose from! I highly recommend all collectors to do at least one beater set project... it has been one of the most fun and rewarding collecting projects I've done. Not having to worry with condition as much and just focusing on finding the cards needed is very refreshing and fun!
