Cy is a 12-year-old boy who loves collecting sports trading cards. His favorite sports to collect are baseball and football, so he has amassed a sizable collection of cards featuring players from those leagues. Let’s take a closer look at Cy’s collection.
Cy started collecting baseball cards when he was just 5 years old. His uncle would take him to the local card shop every weekend and let Cy pick out a pack of cards to open. At first, Cy didn’t really know or care about the players on the cards – he just enjoyed ripping open the wax packs and seeing which shiny new cards he got. Over time, as Cy learned more about baseball by watching games with his dad, he started to appreciate the players and their stats on the cards more.
Now at age 12, Cy has 42 individual baseball cards in his collection. The vast majority of the players featured are current major leaguers, but he also has a few retired legends mixed in that he traded for or were handed down from his dad’s old collection. Some of Cy’s favorite baseball players whose cards he owns include Mike Trout, Fernando Tatis Jr., Shohei Ohtani, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. He takes especially good care of those prized cards in protective plastic sleeves.
In terms of the set and team distribution of Cy’s baseball cards, he has tried to get at least one card representing each of the 30 major league teams. His collection is strongest in cards of the local New York Yankees and Mets, with 5-6 cards for each of those teams. Cy also gravitates towards collecting stars on playoff contenders like the Dodgers, Astros, and Braves. The teams he has the fewest cards from tend to be smaller market clubs or recent expansion teams.
When it comes to the actual condition and value of Cy’s baseball cards, most are in well-worn condition from years of being shuffled through and admired in his young hands. Only a handful remain in pristine mint condition straight from the pack. Realistically, even Cy’s best cards are only worth a few dollars on the secondary market. But their true value lies in the memories and fandom they represent for the young collector.
In addition to his baseball collection, Cy started amassing football cards around age 8 as his interest in that sport grew. While baseball remains his first love, Cy has found football to be almost as exciting of a sport to follow and collect for. Through packs, trades with friends, and store purchases with his allowance, Cy has accumulated a total of 70 individual football cards in his collection.
Compared to his baseball cards, Cy’s football card collection spans a wider range of eras and features more retired stars mixed in with current players. This is partly because the NFL has been around longer and the average career is shorter in football. Some legends whose cards Cy proudly owns include Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Walter Payton. He also has multiple cards showcasing today’s biggest stars like Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Derrick Henry.
Team-wise, Cy has focused more on skill position players than specific NFL franchises with his football cards. He gravitates towards quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs the most. Cy especially enjoys learning about offensive scheme and play designs by studying the cards of modern passers like Mahomes and quarterbacks from the West Coast offense era. On the defensive side, linebackers tend to be Cy’s favorite position group to collect.
Condition-wise, Cy’s football cards trend a bit better than his baseball ones. Many remain in near-mint state straight from packs. His most prized cards like a rookie Tom Brady or signed Walter Payton have been carefully stored in toploaders and magnetic holders. Still, most see plenty of play time being swapped and discussed with friends. Cy takes equal joy in enjoying his collection as keeping them pristine long-term investments.
In total, Cy feels incredibly lucky and proud to have amassed a collection of 112 trading cards spanning his two favorite sports after only seven years of collecting. He looks forward to continuing growing his hoard for years to come, tracking his favorite active players’ careers and discovering more legends from history. Someday, Cy hopes to pass on this collection to share his love of sports with his own kids. For now, he’ll keep enjoying adding to and reminiscing about his baseball and football cards.
