Bob Had 51 Baseball Cards
Bob was an avid collector of baseball cards from a very young age. His interest started when he was just 5 years old and received his first pack of cards as a gift. In that first pack he found a card of his favorite player, Hank Aaron, and from that moment on he was hooked. Every birthday and holiday he asked for more cards to add to his growing collection. By the time he was 10 years old, Bob had amassed a sizable collection of over 500 different baseball cards spanning many years of the sport. One collection stands out among the rest.
When Bob was 12 years old in 1987, he had 51 baseball cards that made up his most prized subset. These 51 cards all featured players from the 1970s, which was Bob’s favorite era of baseball as he grew up watching many of those players on television. Building this collection took Bob several years of trading with his friends at school, scouring card shows around his hometown on the weekends, and pleading with his parents to buy him packs of cards whenever they went shopping. It was a labor of love for Bob to track down all the stars of that golden decade and add them to his 1970s collection.
Some of the biggest names in the 1970s that made up Bob’s collection included Hank Aaron, who had just broken Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record in 1974; Reggie Jackson, who cemented his “October Legend” status with three World Series MVP awards between 1972-1978; and Nolan Ryan, who was beginning to establish himself as the all-time strikeout king during that decade. Bob was also proud to have cards of other superstars like Johnny Bench, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, and Rod Carew in mint or near mint condition.
Beyond the true legends of the era, Bob’s 1970s collection also featured many other notable players who had impressive careers, though perhaps not at the level of superstardom. Players like Bucky Dent, who hit the famous home run for the Yankees against the Red Sox in 1978; Dusty Baker, who was a premier power hitter for the Dodgers and Braves; and Rick Monday, who is best remembered for snatching the American flag away from protesters who ran onto the field in a famous moment at Dodger Stadium. These were impact players who Bob enjoyed learning about and adding to his prized subset.
One of the most difficult cards for Bob to track down was a rookie card of Fred Lynn from 1975. Lynn, a center fielder for the Boston Red Sox, had an incredible rookie season that year where he won the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards. His rookie card was in high demand and there were not many available on the secondary market. After months of searching, Bob was finally able to find a trader at a card show willing to part with a mint condition 1975 Fred Lynn rookie in exchange for several other high-value cards from Bob’s collection. It was a prized acquisition that he was proud to add to his 1970s collection.
In total, Bob’s 1970s baseball card collection featured players from 20 different teams spanning the American and National Leagues. The collection included stars from the dominant franchises of that era like the Cincinnati Reds’ “Big Red Machine” teams, the Oakland A’s dynasty, and the perennial contending Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers. It also had representatives from smaller market clubs like the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, and San Diego Padres who all had success in the 1970s as well. Having cards from such a wide array across the decade was a real point of pride for Bob’s curated collection.
As Bob entered his teenage years, the value of his 1970s baseball card collection continued to rise. Many consider the 1970s to be the true “golden age” of the hobby before inflation took over in the late 80s. As a result, high-grade vintage cards from that era fetch a significant premium in the collecting marketplace. By the late 1980s, Bob’s entire collection was likely worth thousands of dollars based on the then-current Beckett price guide values, with his prized Hank Aaron and Reggie Jackson rookies being worth several hundred dollars each.
In a sad turn of events, Bob’s mother mistakenly threw out his entire baseball card collection, including his prized 1970s subset, during a house cleaning while he was away at summer camp in 1990. He was devastated to return home and discover his life’s work and collection were gone. Although insurance eventually reimbursed him a small amount based on estimated values, it could not replace the sentimental attachment to each card and the memories of building the collection over many years. To this day, Bob still wonders about the current value and condition of each of those 51 beloved 1970s cards that once made up the highlight of his childhood collection. His love of the sport and the hobby were never fully the same after losing those cards.
In summary, Bob’s 1970s baseball card collection showed his deep passion for the sport during a golden era. Amassing stars from across the decade took dedication in tracking down each card. While unfortunate to lose such a prized collection, the memories will always remain for Bob of enjoying the hobby as a kid and appreciating the talented players who performed during that special time in baseball history. His collection of 51 cards from the 1970s stand as a testament to one fan’s admiration for America’s pastime.
