October 14, 2006

Appreciation: My First Cards

My collecting started when my older sister bought me a box of 1986 Topps as a Christmas present. As I noted in my Best Set of the 1980s Countdown a few months back, 1986 Topps is by far my favorite set, most likely because it was my first set. The large lettering, the square design, the cheap red dye back, all elements make me yearn for footie pyjamas and the raw emotion of crying myself to sleep after watching Buckner let the little roller scoot between his legs…

Anyway, these two cards were in my first pack. I also got a Carney Lansford and a bunch of others, but they’ve sifted themselves into the outer reaches of my collection. Perhaps someday they’ll pop up again.

What was your first card?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

My first was the 1968 series... I am now currently collecting the 1969 series.

Your first cards -- like everything else -- always seems the best when you're young... I still never forgave the Red Sox for trading away my first hero Ken "Hawk" Harrelson...

Anonymous said...

First card I can remember is "Casey Teachers" with Casey ad Ron Swoboda. We lived in Rochdale Village (you know where that is) and the older kids would throw cards off the terraces at the end of the baseball season, and us younger kids would run after them. If I would have kept the Mantles, Roses, Robinsons, Musials... What might have been!

Anonymous said...

i remember the first pack i got was 1977 topps, and there was a mike schmidt in it. the first single card i bought was at a convention in anaheim, and it was a slightly creased 1971 topps reggie jackson.

Anonymous said...

My first card ever was a '76 Rod Carew. Being 8 at the time, the big star on the card instantly made him my favorite for the past 30 years.
I was at a convenience store with my dad getting milk on the way home, and saw the box of cards at the chekout counter. I really had no idea what I was buying, but it started a hobby that lasted a long time.

Jason Presley said...

My first cards were from a box of cereal in 1984, the Topps Cereal Series (which were identical to that year's Ralston set, just harder to find). I got a Dave Winfield (which I lost), Ron Guidry and Dave Concepcion. Still have the Guidry & Concepcion!

Shortly after that, I bought my first pack at a Fred's Discount Store, a 1983 rack pack. Then I completely forgot about baseball cards until I got back into it at school in '87.

Unknown said...

Not sure my first - probably a 1976 Topps, as that's the first year I collected. However, the sentimental favorite of mine is the 1978 Topps Cubs team picture card. What a classic - instead of a team picture, it features just little bubbles of each player's head above a pinkish-brown background. This card was my favorite when I was 7. I used to carry it around in my back pocket. Needless to say, the one I had originally was ruined long ago, but I've replaced it with a far better copy in my 1978 complete set.

Anonymous said...

My First card was 1980 George Brett. My first credit card purchase was a 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly.