Man, I miss the days of coming home from the corner store with wax packs of 1970s Baseball, Football, and Hockey cards, opening them up, and getting hit with that lovably noxious bubble gum smell. Those packs felt like bars of gold. 1973 will always be the magical year for me, card-wise, because that's when I started collecting. I didn't buy my first pack until 1974 - the others were acquired from some casual stealing from other kids. The top card in the first pack was a 1974 Hank Aaron. I still have that card. Probably PSA -10 because it is well-worn.
As far as I am concerned, any baseball cards released after 1975...and maybe 1976...are worthless to me, regardless of their market value. It was great knowing about every player - even the fringe players - because of the back of the cards. Knowing who Juan Beniquez, Juha Widing, and Doug Dieken were just added that little extra to watching a baseball/hockey/football game for me. Nowadays, there are players who have been in the game for a decade or so whom I never heard of. Baseball, Football, and Hockey cards connected me to the games to a degree I have not since experienced since I stopped collecting, but now that it is more of an "investment" business than a joyous hobby, I haven't had the desire to re-acquaint myself with it.
As far as I am concerned, any baseball cards released after 1975...and maybe 1976...are worthless to me, regardless of their market value. It was great knowing about every player - even the fringe players - because of the back of the cards. Knowing who Juan Beniquez, Juha Widing, and Doug Dieken were just added that little extra to watching a baseball/hockey/football game for me. Nowadays, there are players who have been in the game for a decade or so whom I never heard of. Baseball, Football, and Hockey cards connected me to the games to a degree I have not since experienced since I stopped collecting, but now that it is more of an "investment" business than a joyous hobby, I haven't had the desire to re-acquaint myself with it.
