Typical delinquent kids that we were, we were flinging stuff around, punting boxes, etc, when something caught my eye, it was what turned out to be a 1973 Topps card of former catcher Carl Taylor, shown here:
Why is this a big deal?
This was literally the very first “old” card I ever saw. That is, the first card I ever saw that was NOT from a year I bought cards, which I started in 1976 when I was seven.
It boggled my mind.
In the days before card magazines, or even the internet, unless you had an older brother, etc, you were not going to just come across older cards.
I grabbed the card and instantly adored it, walking home and putting it with my other cards of the past few years.
My friends, I was HOOKED!
I knew right there that I had to try and find “older” cards to collect, and that year I began something I’m still doing today, collecting vintage baseball cards.
I still have this card somewhere, stashed away with what I consider “commons”. But I realize I have to find it, dig it out, and frame the bastard so I can always remember when this obsession of mine began, 40 years ago.
To this day I can still tell you what my “first” cards of ever year were as I started hunting them down in 1979, 1980.
I remember getting a 1963 Bob Bruce, a 1960 Johnny Callison, a 1966 Bob Henley, 1970 Hank Allen and Jack Aker, a small stack of 1971’s that included Dick Drago, Dick Such and Tommy John, and the list goes on and on.
What a ride!
Any of you out there have a similar story? Would LOVE to hear it!
