2008 Woodie Awards
Collecting topps is tops for Nick
Nick Hartley
Issue date: 2/6/08 Section: Sports
My wonderful girlfriend Jessica was spending some time at my place last week when she noticed some boxes in my closet, and we pulled them out wondering what might be in them. A look inside revealed my massive baseball, football and basketball card collection that had been left alone and forgotten for the past five years since I came to college.
Like many boys my age, I was hooked on sports card collecting at a young age. The collection numbers close to 10,000 by my estimates, including a size 16 shoebox full of various cards and several albums full of organized cards.
Then all of a sudden, the passion for collecting those valuable cards went by the wayside as I went through high school. Time and other money commitments took away from interest in the cards, as it did with countless other teenagers across the United States. With the invention of the Internet and eBay, one could easily get the cards they needed or wanted for dirt cheap instead of spending upwards of $3 on a pack of cards, hoping to get their favorite player. The market became overpopulated, driving away many collectors.
So this past weekend, Jessica, her friend Amy and I went to Sioux Falls on a whim. We stopped at Target while there, and I picked up 12 packs of cards to relive the days of the past. As we drove back listening to the women's game, I got to thinking about some of the joys of opening packs from my childhood. Most of the time was spent hoping for an elusive Kirby Puckett, Michael Jordan or a Ken Griffey Jr. card in the pack. Sometimes I got those cards; most times, I did not. I can even recall my first card; a 1991 Upper Deck Kirby Puckett card #544, which today, is held together by tape.
While at Target, the first pack of baseball cards I opened was a 2007 Topps. The first card was a Carlos Silva card and a precursor to the rest of the experience, as I was filled with disappointment. Along with the pack of Topps, I also bought a pack of 2007 Bowman Heritage and a pack of 2007 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects that contained an Albert Pujols and a Chipper Jones card, along with many valuable rookie cards.
Like many boys my age, I was hooked on sports card collecting at a young age. The collection numbers close to 10,000 by my estimates, including a size 16 shoebox full of various cards and several albums full of organized cards.
Then all of a sudden, the passion for collecting those valuable cards went by the wayside as I went through high school. Time and other money commitments took away from interest in the cards, as it did with countless other teenagers across the United States. With the invention of the Internet and eBay, one could easily get the cards they needed or wanted for dirt cheap instead of spending upwards of $3 on a pack of cards, hoping to get their favorite player. The market became overpopulated, driving away many collectors.
So this past weekend, Jessica, her friend Amy and I went to Sioux Falls on a whim. We stopped at Target while there, and I picked up 12 packs of cards to relive the days of the past. As we drove back listening to the women's game, I got to thinking about some of the joys of opening packs from my childhood. Most of the time was spent hoping for an elusive Kirby Puckett, Michael Jordan or a Ken Griffey Jr. card in the pack. Sometimes I got those cards; most times, I did not. I can even recall my first card; a 1991 Upper Deck Kirby Puckett card #544, which today, is held together by tape.
While at Target, the first pack of baseball cards I opened was a 2007 Topps. The first card was a Carlos Silva card and a precursor to the rest of the experience, as I was filled with disappointment. Along with the pack of Topps, I also bought a pack of 2007 Bowman Heritage and a pack of 2007 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects that contained an Albert Pujols and a Chipper Jones card, along with many valuable rookie cards.
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