I don’t other than my old 1960s and 70s Mets cards but saw this sale in Margate this weekend. Guys got over 100,000 old cards. Auction style for the cards
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I started my paper route at age 9 too, didn't know it was illegal, maybe mom was skimming the profitsHaven’t collected in years but was a collector as a kid in the early 70s. I would order plastic pages from mail order in California while my friends flipped them and wrapped them in rubber bands. Who knew those pages were loaded with acid but it didn’t matter since I sold all of them in the 90s for about $15k when we were moving to a new house. I had multiple complete mint sets from those years including those black bordered 71s with the often chipped edge Nolan Ryan Mets card. I even knew the order of the cards produced by Topps so I would sit in the back of the local krauzers sifting through cello packs with cards that I needed. All of it with my paper route money, which I had illegally when I was 9. (My older brother gave me half of his). At least this was one time where my anal retentiveness paid off…![]()
It was the Home News based in New Brunswick…known then as the Daily Home News. I remember my weekly customers paid me $1.09 each week, plus tip. My best customer gave me a quarter tip each week (wow, I’m ancient).. I didn’t mind it except for getting up at 4:30 Sunday mornings to fold, “rubber band” and deliver the Sunday News before 6:30. It also meant being home every day around 2:30-4:00 during the summers. I believe their “legal age” was 12. My dad just made my brother give me half his customers. Idleness is the devil’s playground, you know..I started my paper route at age 9 too, didn't know it was illegal, maybe mom was skimming the profits
That’s funny, I split the route with my older brother. We called it the long route and the short route for obvious reasons. I got the long route I was told because he was older. When he went to HS I split the route with my younger sister. She got the short route because she is your little sister I was toldIt was the Home News based in New Brunswick…known then as the Daily Home News. I remember my weekly customers paid me $1.09 each week, plus tip. My best customer gave me a quarter tip each week (wow, I’m ancient).. I didn’t mind it except for getting up at 4:30 Sunday mornings to fold, “rubber band” and deliver the Sunday News before 6:30. It also meant being home every day around 2:30-4:00 during the summers. I believe their “legal age” was 12. My dad just made my brother give me half his customers. Idleness is the devil’s playground, you know..![]()
For me it was all about getting Mets cardsI miss the junk wax era where the cards had no value but were cheap and fun to collect whole sets.
I have no money to collect cards now and wouldn't even I did because of the prices and lack of value in ripping open a pack. The rush of completing a set was always my number one priority. It was less about the stars. I remember having my Dad drive me to Rt. 18 flea market, Rt. 1 flea market and Englishtown auction with my numbered Topps list to complete that year's set. That was the freakin' best.
That book is def. a keeper!My Mom gave all mine away while I was at college. I turn 75 tomorrow, so I had Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Yogi, Larsen, Colavito, etc.
When Skillethead Jr started collecting in the 80's we got a bunch of pretty good ones. Have Tinkers, Evers, and Chance, a bunch of Sandy Koufax's and even a Moe Berg!
But the best buy we made in collectibles was a First Edition, First Printing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. That baby has skyrocketed! He still has it.
Covid brought back interest in the hobby. At the height of Covid the card values went through the roof but have since comeback down to Earth. It's definitely not a kids game anymore - Dealers swoop in to Walmart & Target and clean them out after a restock. The stores used to have buying limits on the cards but think that has pretty much gone away.
- I picked up the Dylan Harper & Ace Bailey RC's recently.
-Anyone remember Don West hawking cards on late night TV in the 90s- Classic: )
But what about that flat stick of gum!I miss the junk wax era where the cards had no value but were cheap and fun to collect whole sets.
I have no money to collect cards now and wouldn't even I did because of the prices and lack of value in ripping open a pack. The rush of completing a set was always my number one priority. It was less about the stars. I remember having my Dad drive me to Rt. 18 flea market, Rt. 1 flea market and Englishtown auction with my numbered Topps list to complete that year's set. That was the freakin' best.
Yep, that was some good stuff.But what about that flat stick of gum!
FLea market "shops" were the best. There was one in the Hillsborough on rt 206 somewhere. I bought a Don Mattingly O Pee Chee rookie card for about $10 bucks, was a lot of money.I miss the junk wax era where the cards had no value but were cheap and fun to collect whole sets.
I have no money to collect cards now and wouldn't even I did because of the prices and lack of value in ripping open a pack. The rush of completing a set was always my number one priority. It was less about the stars. I remember having my Dad drive me to Rt. 18 flea market, Rt. 1 flea market and Englishtown auction with my numbered Topps list to complete that year's set. That was the freakin' best.