Why Do I Do What I Do?

Fuji has asked us all to answer a simple question.

How did you first decide to collect sports cards, and when?

I'll ignore the obvious flaw in the question, where it assume that collecting sportscards is a choice. It assumes it's not a calling from a higher power, or something I was destined to do. But, assuming it was a choice, where did I make it?

I was probably eleven, when I was at a friends house. He was a comic book collector. Had them in plastic sleeves, and everything. I didn't understand it, but whatever. He asked me if I wanted to go o the comic book store with him. Why not? So, I tagged along. While we were there, I noticed a flyer on the counter. The shop was looking to buy baseball cards. Huh. I had some of those at home. My dad would get me some packs here and there when he went to the store. So, I brought the flyer home, and looked it over. As it turned out, I had one of the cards on the list! A 1985 Topps Dwight Gooden. The store was offering $3.50 for one! I convinced my mom to bring me back to the store. I handed the card to the woman behind the counter. She looked the card over. She started talking to me about thinks like condition, and mint. My card, she'd only offer me $3. Deal!

Now, before you assume I started collecting because I was money hungry at 11, that's not exactly the case. It was more the realization that collecting cards was a "thing." I had been getting cards here and there for years, so I had a bunch of cards. I also had a bunch of Masters of the Universe action figures. But, they weren't a "collection." Baseball cards were something different. The could be collected. Bought, sold, organized, traded. I never traded my matchbox cars. They weren't a collection. baseball cards had a life of their own. That was pretty cool.

And it still is.