How long have you been collecting?

[Techniq]

How long have you guys been collecting?

I started around 1988, given I was only 3 years old but my uncle had me into it ever since I could grasp the idea so realistically I couldn't be too deep - but that continued until about 1994 or 1995 when I moved on to X-Men and other stuff as kids do.

Fast forward 18 years later, I'm going through some of my old stuff at my parents house and I came across a big plastic bin full of all my cards.. I figured I'd sort em out and sell em at the flea market. Just to make sure I didn't miss out on any gems I began running them all through Beckett.. 1000 cards in I was hooked again. In the short 6 months I've been back I've completed about 20 sets and have about 30k cards.. Given that's 90% commons but I found some gems along the way - even got lucky breaking a box of 1990 Upper Deck high numbers and found the /2500 Reggie Jackson auto!

So perhaps my most accurate answer would be a very obsessive and aggressive 6 months haha not that the ~6 years as a kid doesn't count.. But it kinda doesn't but I think I'm 100x more in love with the hobby now than I was then.

 

[mrmopar]

i bought my first packs in 1978 and collected from that point, through high School and even a little after i joined the Navy. I took what I consider a break around 1988-89 and didn't buy anything of significance and didn't keep up with what was happening within the hobby until a friend got me reintroduced in 1993, but I kept everything I had collected. I reignited an interest at that point that has continued through today.

 

[DaClyde]

Since roughly late 1986/early 1987 (on and off...took a break from 94-2000 or so).

 

[Brewer Andy]

Always good to hear of people coming TO the hobby! Pace yourself and don't go broke. I way outspent my budget my first year or 2 back until I found focus. Anyhow, collected from about '86 to '93 or '94. Rediscovered my love for cards in 2003 after the Brewers drafted Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks in back to back years and I randomly decided to see what their rookie cards looked like. I was shell shocked for awhile by the variety, options, and value ranges available. So short answer is since '86 with a nine year break chasing girls

 

[BiggioBrooks755]

2007

 

[Dmscards]

05 took a break 09-12.

 

[MansGame]

Probably started in 1990 and collected through like 2002 or so. Like some (or most) stopped for a number of years while I was graduating high school and away at college but after a few years of being in the real world, picked it back up in about 2009 or 2010 - full throttle in 2011 when Topps decided to reintroduce Belle to the hobby after a 10 year period... Which in the end was amazing timing

So I'd say I've been collecting since the early '90s but probably only 15 years total, not including "breaks"


---
Buying Albert Belle cards! PM me!

 

[Yanks2151]

i bought my first packs in 1978 and collected from that point, through high School and even a little after i joined the Navy. I took what I consider a break around 1988-89 and didn't buy anything of significance and didn't keep up with what was happening within the hobby until a friend got me reintroduced in 1993, but I kept everything I had collected. I reignited an interest at that point that has continued through today.

I pretty much matched you. Opened my first packs in '78 and hoarded my Yankees after that. My neighborhood was split down the middle between Yankee fans and BoSox fans. So it wasn't bad pulling Red Sox guys because there plenty of kids to trade with. My break came during my Navy years. When I got out in '93 and before I started my career I lived on selling my non Yankee cards at shows. Somewhere around then I just narrowed the collection to Yankees and Patriots. Then to just yankees the last 15 years.

 

[Enfuego79]

Been collecting for about 16 yrs off and on. Originally Started when my grandfather was buying cards for me when I was still in diapers, I'm 34 now so it's been off and on.

 

[shayscards79]

1988-1994
2006-present

 

[Will Style 13]

Started in 1989 and have only slowed never truly stopped. I have also have retro video game collection which has taken some of my card funds over the years.

 

[Pinbreaker]

1985 is when I got started..

Thank goodness for EBAY as I use it to offset my collecting..

 

[TNP777]

1976 Topps football. Caught the bug bad with 1978 Topps baseball.

 

[dbacksfan4life]

Almost a year now, it's the second best thing that has ever happened to me.

 

[Julz24]

34 years and going strong. I skipped some time for personal reasons, but I'm still in it, still here, and still accumulating. Haven't sold a card yet...

 

[Sig40cal]

I bought a few packs in '82-'85 but really didn't start collecting until '87.

 

[All The Hype]

My whole life. Must have been 2 or 3 when I started and have grown progressively more involved as I've aged. Cards rock.

 

[383astro]

long story skip to the summary if you dont want to read

1987 for me. I was 7 and had an 11 year old uncle who collected. His best friends dad owned the card shop in town. My grandma made him let me tag along. First cards were 1983 Topps allstars of Dale Murphy and Mike Schmidt and my first pack that I opened was 1987 Topps and Donruss pop up all stars. Then I remember really getting into it in 88 when I was getting multiple racks packs of Score at the grocery store every time my mom took me. I continued on until 1996 when I got into other things, but then got back in in 2000. That lasted about 3 months and was broke all the time so I sold it all on ebay. Then in 2003 I stopped at a mall to shop for christmas and there was a show going on. I bought a few vintage and then got back in again full force. Spent thousands on 2004 leaf certified materials and had a huge collection of the fabric of the game auto jerseys. Then when we found out we were going to have a son in 2005 I decided to sell all again to buy everything we needed and get some bills paid off. Then it hit me again in 2009 and am still going as of now. I am getting kind of bored with most of my collection. I will be deciding soon if I will sell off most of it. Sorry for the long story.

Summary
1987-1996
2000 for 3 months
2003-2005
2009-present

 

[gracecollector]

1980, I was eight years old.

 

[carlitoson]

1974.
40 years now.