What was your first baseball cards bought?

Just curious what the first single card was that each of you bought other than buying packs.

I bought pack from 1970 but did not buy a single card until Jay and I went to a card show in 1980. My first buy was a 63 Ernie Banks, I eventually bought a Banks from every year paying the astronomical amount of $29 for the 54 Rookie, which ended up being traded for a bunch of T206s including a Matty black cap, Ever Cubs, Chance yellow, Marquard port plus a bunch of commons. I still have the 55 and 57 Banks but have since moved the rest.

Lee

1978 Topps Phil Garner was the first card I could ever remember. Got it from my parents' cousin's son (we were both 7). I can't remember if I bought any packs that year or if it was until 1979 that I got packs. I also don't remember where they came from, my parents must have bought them for me.

I had this card as an eight year old and thumb tacked it to my wall. When I first got into serious collecting I decided to finish my 1967 set which I had started a an eight year old buying packs, actually 6 pack wax trays for 25 cents @ the A&P. Knowing that I needed a card w/o a gaping hole(s), I purchased one for .25. This is the first single I can remember buying and that was around 1981.

1963 Pete Rose rookie at the card show Lee mentioned. I ended up buying a run of Pete Rose cards from 1963-9 and a 1956 Jackie Robinson.


Jay

It had to have been at the flea market around 1980-81...there were no card shops in my town until 1983-84. I have no clue what my first one was, but I bought lots of singles at the flea market. It may have been a Carl Yastrzemski Topps card from the 1960s.

i bought a pack of '89 donruss knowing nothing about baseball. first card i ever bought later was a 1985 fleer darryl strawberry, think it costed $2.75...he was my favorite and i was ecstatic when the dodgers signed him in '91....

My first baseball single bought was a 1974 McDonald's Padres disc of Dave Winfield. I was a big Jays fan at the time (still am) but this was in the early 90's when they were winning world championships back to back. When Dave Winfield was acquired by the team and I saw this disc in a local card shop labeled as his "rookie", I had to have it. Even though I really had no idea what it was. Price was cool 20 bucks - no bargain, but as a crazed fan I happily shelled out the cash. Still have it today.

If I recall correctly in about 1983 (I was 12) I met a very nice card dealer from where I lived in Canada. He had more great hockey than baseball. I spent $10 on my first purchase of 2 "old" cards (both older than I was)...

One was a near mint Phil Esposito rookie ($5), and the other was a 1970 Reggie Jackson AS card in pretty much mint grade (also $5)...those were CDN $ too .

Cheers,
Blair

My first packs were 70/71, and I still have a ton of those beat-up Topps from flipping them and putting them in my bike spokes.

My first individual cards were 4 Mantles. For a whole summer, about 72 or 73, I cut grass and got money for my birthday and saved up for "The Mickey Mantle Fund". Finally, I had enough money and went back to a baseball card store on Liberty Road here in Maryland and bought 4 Mantles -52, 53, 54, and 55 Bowman cards.

I still have those cards, and they are in good condition as they were my favorites. I was about 8 or 9. My mother was up from Florida this week for my oldest daughters high school graduation and we were remembering "The Mickey Mantle Fund".

Dan B

I used to go to a flea market and buy cards in the early 80s. Once I bought a Frank Robinson rookie and when I got home there was 2 Robinson rookies in the sleeve. Didn't have a ride back to the flea market so I gave the extra to my buddy.

Man, Jim. You had a card shop to go to in the early 70's. I know if there was one to go to around me I would have bought up cards. I remember spending my pennies for stamps at a local stamp shop. That probably would have been baseball cards money if that was an option.

Lee

I guess it was more of a convienent store and the owner had a case set up with cards. I do think th eeast coast had more cards only stores and sooner than most other areas.
When I was a kid there were alot of nieberhood stores that sold cards-Topps packs and singles.

neighborhood-man that was some terrible spelling-good thing I collect cards and don't teach English

JR cfc1909

My card buying as a kid was done at the neighborhood Utotem Store. He carried Topps cards, we never got any high numbers though. I remember one time he bought some 1960 Leaf wax boxes but the packs would come open because of the marbles inside. So he would take the cards and the marbles and put them in small plastic bags and hang them on the 45record rack. When he wasn't looking you could thumb the cards inside the bag with your hands and see what was in the pack before you bought it.
Just a childhood recollection