Tag Archives: month

GEORGE COLLECTS 25 BASEBALL CARDS EACH MONTH

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.

BASEBALL CARDS OF THE MONTH CLUB

Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over 150 years and are one of the most popular collectibles in the world. With millions of different baseball cards in existence, it can be daunting for new collectors to try and build a complete collection. Baseball cards of the month clubs were created to make collecting cards more organized and affordable. These subscription services mail collectors a curated package of cards each month focused on a specific theme.

Some of the earliest and most well known baseball cards of the month clubs include Sportlots, Beckett, and Topps. Sportlots began mailing monthly packages of baseball cards to subscribers in the 1980s. Each month subscribers would receive 10-15 common and rare cards focused on a certain year, team, or player. This helped collectors fill gaps in their collections in an organized way. Beckett, famous for their magazine and price guides, launched their club in the 1990s. Subscribers could choose between vintage or modern card packages each month with guaranteed hits of star players.

Topps, the largest baseball card manufacturer, started several different club options in the 2000s. Their flagship club mailed packages themed around that month’s new series release. For example, if the May series focused on All-Star shortstops, the club package would contain cards of Derek Jeter, Cal Ripken Jr., and other top shortstops from past years. They also offered specialty clubs centered on rookie cards, autographed cards, and complete team sets over multiple months. These clubs helped drive interest in Topps products and made collecting more of an event each month for subscribers.

In the 2010s, several new baseball cards of the month clubs launched to cater to different collector interests. Clubs like Quarter Box, Hobby Box Breaks, and Blowout Cards offered packages containing random assortments of cards from wax packs, boxes, and cases from the past 30+ years. Subscribers enjoyed the surprise of not knowing which era or players their monthly package contained. Other clubs like Player Collections and Hall of Famers Club focused on curating complete career collections or retired star players over 6-12 month subscriptions.

Some clubs like Stadium Club and Gray Flannel also offered the option for collectors to pick their monthly themes. Subscribers could choose between player collections, team sets, rookie cards, autographed memorabilia cards, and more depending on their areas of interest. This personalized approach allowed collectors to efficiently fill gaps in their collections at their own pace. As the popularity of collecting has grown, so have the options available for baseball cards of the month clubs.

In the 2020s, monthly subscription clubs continue to evolve and meet the needs of today’s collectors. Digital clubs have emerged, mailing packages containing digital cards that can be stored, traded, and enjoyed online. Services like Hobby Loader and Bunt offer club subscriptions focused on curated releases from top brands like Topps, Panini, Leaf, and more. For collectors wanting a mix of physical and digital, clubs like Pack a Day send packages with a few physical cards alongside download codes for dozens of digital cards each month.

As the costs of boxes, cases, and memorabilia cards have risen in recent years, monthly clubs provide an affordable way for any budget to enjoy the hobby. Prices typically range from $15-50 per month depending on the number of cards, rarity levels, and inclusion of extras like autographs or relic cards. Clubs have also expanded beyond just baseball, with options focused on basketball, football, soccer, hockey, and mixed sports. Whether wanting to build full collections or sample a wide variety, baseball cards of the month clubs continue delivering the thrill of the rip each and every month for collectors around the world. The future remains bright for these subscription services to keep fueling the booming passion for sports cards.