Alexander’s Baseball Card Collection

Alexander has had a passion for baseball ever since he was a young boy. Growing up, he loved watching games with his dad and learning the history of the sport. One day when Alexander turned 10 years old, his dad surprised him with his very first pack of baseball cards. He was instantly hooked on collecting.

That first pack included some common players but also a star rookie card that got Alexander excited about the hobby. While most of his friends at school were into trading Pokémon or football cards, Alexander was solely focused on building his baseball card collection. He spent hours organizing his growing collection in binders by team, position, and year. On weekends, he would go to the local card shop and trade duplicates with the shop owner to earn store credit to buy more packs.

Over the years, Alexander’s collection grew exponentially. He started going to more card shows around his state to search vendor tables for rare finds. Some of his best cards came from trades he made at these shows. Alexander was always on the hunt for legendary players from past eras like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Cy Young. He enjoyed learning about the early days of the game and admired the trailblazers who helped grow baseball’s popularity.

By the time Alexander entered high school, his collection had grown to over 5,000 individual cards neatly stored in multiple binders. He took pride in having full sets from the late 80s and 90s Fleer and Topps series that brought back memories of his childhood. But Alexander’s real prized possessions were his vintage cards from the 1950s and 60s that showed the evolution of the sport from its earliest days. Some of his favorite vintage finds included a ’57 Topps Willie Mays, ’64 Topps Johnny Bench rookie, and ’59 Topps Bob Gibson rookie.

In addition to building his collection, Alexander became very knowledgeable about the business side of baseball cards. He understood concepts like print runs, serial numbers, card condition, and how all those factors impacted a card’s monetary value. By his junior year of high school, Alexander’s collection was appraised at over $10,000 due in large part to his valuable vintage cards. He realized his hobby could potentially help pay for college if he ever decided to sell portions of his collection.

After high school graduation, Alexander enrolled at a large state university to study sports management. He joined the campus baseball club team to stay connected to the game while furthering his education. To help pay for school, Alexander started selling some of his duplicate modern cards online. He networked with other serious collectors through Facebook groups and regional card show forums. Through these connections, Alexander was able to trade up for even harder to find vintage gems to bolster his collection.

Now in his senior year, Alexander’s collection has grown to over 8,000 total cards valued at nearly $20,000. While he sold some duplicates online for tuition money, his prized vintage pieces remain in his personal collection. After graduating soon, Alexander hopes to land a job working for a minor league baseball team or in a sports card company’s marketing department. His dream job would be as a buyer for a large national card shop or sports memorabilia store.

Alexander’s lifelong passion for the game of baseball and collecting its cards has brought him knowledge, joy, and even a potential career path. While his initial pack from his dad kicked off a huge hobby, Alexander’s collection stands as a testament to his dedication to the sport over the past decade. Whether enjoying nostalgia from his childhood cards or seeking out the rarest vintage finds, Alexander’s baseball card collection is a treasure trove that will be passed down for generations. His love for the game started with a pack of cards and grew into a lifelong connection to America’s pastime.