I have never been too keen on collecting things. I am sort of a simple guy at heart, so I love having only what I need. I have one running collection, however, that only seems to get bigger as the years go on. Sports cards. I really love gathering, trading and owning sports cards.
My love for sports cards began as a young child. My dad would reward me with sports cards when I did well at my chores or when I studied well for school. It was one of the only rewards he offered, and it quickly became the only reward that I was interested in. I remember the joy of buying my first binder to hold my sports cards in. I had saved my allowance for a couple of months and could finally buy the special sports cards holder that I had been looking at in the sports cards store.
As I got older, I phased in and out of looking for new sports cards, but I continually cherished my sports cards collections and I spent many hours of free time looking at them and memorizing everything I could about them. Some of my brothers and my friends made fun of me for loving my collection of sports cards so much, but I didn’t care. I collected cards from baseball and basketball players mostly, but I’ve got small collections of cards from a variety of players.
When I had my own children, I could hardly wait to begin sharing my love for sports cards with my sons. I bought them sports cards within a week of their births and I continued to start small collections of cards with them. As they have gotten older, they have truly started to love sports cards like I do. Some of our best times together and our best conversations are surrounding our collections. No one else seems to understand their value quite like we do.
Once a year I take my three sons to a huge exhibition that is focused solely on sports cards. We bring our big binders and we make purchases and trades all weekend long. It is our favorite weekend of the year. We have a great time together and I love that I have something in common with my sons. They love asking my advice about particular trades and purchases, and I love giving my advice to them about sports cards.
It is never too late to start a collection of sports cards. It is a fun hobby that will keep you entertained for years to come.
