George has had a passion for baseball ever since he was a young boy. His grandpa took him to his first MLB game when he was just five years old, and from that moment on he was hooked. Baseball became his favorite sport and he loved following all the stats and players in the major leagues.
When George turned seven, his grandparents gave him $20 and took him to the local card shop. There he was able to buy his first pack of baseball cards. Pulling out each card and reading about the players was so exciting for him. Although most of the cards were of players he had never heard of, he still enjoyed starting his collection.
From that point on, George saved up his allowance each month so he could buy a new pack of cards. His goal was to get at least 25 new cards each month to steadily build up his collection. Whenever a new season started in April, he would get extra excited knowing there would be lots of new rookie cards to find.
Over the years, George’s collection grew tremendously. By the time he entered middle school he had thousands of cards neatly organized in dozens of binders. He took great pride in keeping them in alphabetical order by the player’s last name. Every few months he would meticulously go through and update his collection by moving any new cards to their proper spots.
Not only did George focus on getting current players, but he also tried to find vintage cards of legends from past eras. Spending hours browsing through boxes at card shops allowed him to build up his collection of stars from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Occasionally he would get lucky and find a really rare old card that he didn’t already have. Those were some of his most prized possessions.
During middle school and high school, George’s monthly card shopping routine remained consistent. Rain or shine, he was at the card shop on the first weekend of every month to pick up some new packs. Over the years, the shop owners came to know him well and would set aside any particularly rare rookie cards or inserts they got in just for him.
Beyond the packs, George also tried to attend local card shows whenever possible. Wandering up and down the aisles of dealers with boxes organized by team or player allowed him to cherry pick specific needs for his collection. Sometimes he would even find vintage cards in excellent condition at affordable prices. One of his best card show finds was a near mint Mickey Mantle rookie that only set him back $100.
All through high school, George never lost his passion for building his baseball card collection. Even during his busy college years, he made a point to come home on holidays so he could continue his monthly shopping trips. By his mid-20s, George had amassed a jaw-dropping collection numbering over 15,000 different baseball cards.
cards were organized with care in a specially made wooden display case. Going card by card through his vast library of players from over 50 years brought back so many childhood memories of simpler times. Although the card collecting craze had died down in recent decades, for George it remained a lifelong beloved hobby.
To this day in his 40s, George still makes it a priority to purchase a monthly pack or two to stay current. While the card companies don’t produce at the volume they once did, new rookies are still fun to chase. His family now jokes that if a zombie apocalypse happens, George’s baseball card collection will be the currency of the future. For him, the joy found in collecting has never gotten old.
Through dedication over three decades, George’s monthly habit of buying 25 baseball cards allowed him to amass one of the most extensive personal collections around. Flipping through his thousands upon thousands of meticulously organized cards brings him immense nostalgic happiness. And who knows, maybe one of those random purchase from years ago will eventually become a true valuable gem. For George, it will always be about enjoying the journey as much as building an impressive collection.
