Why Do I Collect? Turning Back the Clock

[@davidwoodard5294]

That was a lot of fun, Tony. I had forgotten all about the card lockers we all had. I had a Six Million Dollar Man lunch box. I think my brother now has all my childhood cards. I bequeathed them to him when I discovered the guitar. I will ask him today at Thanksgiving. The 58 Topps Hank Aaron with he green background was the anchor card of my collection. I found it in a cigar box from my dad's childhood collection. It was in fair condition as I recall. Thank you for the fun memories.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@davidwoodard5294 hey buddy. Thank you for watching my crazy videos. Haha. You were right in the middle of many of those memories. Childhood/lifelong friends are the absolute best. We cannot tell our life story without each other being in it. I hope Jeff still has that card! Let me know what he says. The Six Million Dollar Man was legit too. Best opening credit scene of any show EVER! Haha. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving my friend!

[@DoubleDvintagebaseballcards]

Tony this was all time !!! Loved every single second of this video. Thank you so much for taking us on this journey back in time ❤️🤙🤙

[@DoubleDvintagebaseballcards]

Yes I still have my childhood collection and all my toys 😍

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@DoubleDvintagebaseballcards thank you Dylan! I really appreciate the kind words. I’m so glad you still have all your stuff too. It’s neat going back in time and remembering that feeling you had as a kid. Thank you so much for watching and commenting.

[@ClementeCollector]

Tony- I really enjoyed this walk down memory lane with you! I do have my childhood collection. It’s definitely fun to go through it and remember the old days. Hope you’re enjoying your time with your family, have a great one!

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@ClementeCollector thank you Theo. Childhood collections are so cool to remind you of the innocence of youth. I appreciate you watching and commenting!

[@mookiechillson]

This is an INCREDIBLE time capsule - as cool and impressive as anything you’ve ever shown. That locker and lunchbox are KILLERS. I hope you had a great day with your grandson Tony - happy Thanksgiving!

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@mookiechillson thank you Mookie! It’s kinda crazy that those two items were just preserved in their original state for over 40 years. Today was a great day with the family. I hope your day was as well. I appreciate you watching and giving me the support you do

[@EverydayCardCollector-Jason]

Great video Tony! I still have all of my childhood cards and love that they are still in my collection. I started collecting in 84 and my cards are still in binders. Wishing you and your family a happy and joyful Thanksgiving my friend!

[@SouthernCollector14]

Thank you Jason! It was a little different type of video. Didn’t show any “bangers”. Haha. Not sure if anyone will watch, but it was something I wanted to do. Yall have a fantastic Thanksgiving as well. Thank you for watching!

[@EverydayCardCollector-Jason]

@ All cards are cool my friend! That’s what makes collecting awesome. They are all bangers in my world.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@EverydayCardCollector-Jason thank you Jason! I appreciate you

[@eddyscardboardchaos]

Excellent video. My wife and I are still waiting for our first grandkid, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting. lol. Love the story of drawing the cards out of the bag, pure joy of collecting there. That locker is something else, say what you want, those laminated cards are in fantastic condition. My bother Fred was the worlds biggest Evil Kenevil fan. The inspiration for him getting a dirt bike when he was 13 and eventually a Hog.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@eddyscardboardchaos that first grandchild is definitely worth the wait! He is precious and has our hearts. We love him so much. The memories are the foundation of our hobby. Without them collecting becomes kinda shallow. Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts with me.

[@hammerforty-four]

I still have my NFL lunch box, Evil Knievel stunt cycle and in the box, mint fresh, Scramble Van. And all of my cards. It just wouldn't be a collection without them. Happy Holidays to you and yours.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@hammerforty-four wow!!! That’s amazing! I had the stunt cycle and wore that thing out! Haha. I’m so glad you still have all those items. Very cool. Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@TJ_Is_Online]

Love this video by another Tony 🍻

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@TJ_Is_Online thank you Tony! I really appreciate our friendship. You are always so supportive of me. I am so thankful that you watched my video.

[@ACollectorsDream]

Thanks for sharing your original collection. Cool stuff

[@SouthernCollector14]

Thank you for watching it Orlando. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family

[@Hodges1455]

Gave a video like. Love the story about turning in the foul balls for cards. Great seeing your childhood collection in the locker and lunch box. Great seeing the ticket stubs and photos as well, Tony. Yes, I do still have my childhood collection. Fond memories collecting growing up. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

[@SouthernCollector14]

Thank you so much for the kind words. It’s awesome you still have your cards too. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well

[@MidLifeCards]

Awesome stuff Tony. Enjoyed this as always.

[@SouthernCollector14]

Thank you Graig. I really appreciate your constant encouragement. It means a lot. Thanks for watching.

[@jlbaseballcards]

Fantastic story! 1986 Topps was my first exposure to baseball cards. Freshly settled in New Jersey, I was a new kid in an unfamiliar country. Initially, I didn't have friends and didn't adjust well in school because I couldn't speak much English. TV was my friend after school and it was that time I was exposed to professional sports. Football was too rough and hard to understand. Ice hockey was too quick and violent for me. But baseball was different. It was exciting to watch and, being a skinny kid, I could relate to Strawberry and Gooden. Most importantly, it was a sport that was easy to start playing with just a baseball bat and a ball. Strawberry, Gooden and Mattingly left an indelible mark in my mind and ever since then I am forever a Mets and Yankees fan.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@jlbaseballcards wow. Thats amazing story. I can’t imagine how you must have felt being a kid in a new country. It’s cool how baseball gave you something to enjoy. The fact you are watching a video of a guy talking about random baseball memories prove that love is still there. Thank you for watching and sharing your story

[@timothylittle8876]

great memories. ive got alot of my cards from my childhood. they have my initials on them . i guess my brother would try to claim them. so i intialed all mine.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@timothylittle8876 that’s awesome!! I never did that with mine. My brother and I did a pretty good job of keeping them separate. I really appreciate you watching and commenting

[@timothylittle8876]

@@SouthernCollector14 i saw you on mid-life. im right down the road from you. i live in alabama. moulton.

[@SouthernCollector14]

@ awesome! Graig has become a close friend. He is as nice a guy off the camera as he is on it. I appreciate you watching. It’s great knowing more southern collectors out there!

[@southern7002x]

Fantastic video Tony! Enjoyed the trip down memory lane! We’re the same age - I had a Scooby Doo metal lunchbox when I was a kid. I seem to remember Evil Knievel trying to jump a row of school buses one time, crashing, and getting injured pretty seriously. I only have two albums of baseball cards left from when I was a kid. I’ve got a good many stars from the late 70s and 80s but my brother and I played with our cards as well. Like you said, those memories are some I still cherish to this day. Keep up the good work, looking forward to your next video!

[@SouthernCollector14]

Sounds like we had similar childhoods Brian. Evil Knievel was the dude! Haha. We used to jump ramps over bikes we laid down on their sides or even our friends who laid on the ground. 😂 So much fun. Scooby Doo was cool too. Thank you for watching and commenting

[@southern7002x]

We spent many hours riding our bikes around town. We’d ride down to the nearest convenience store and get pouches of Big League Chew. We thought we were cool! Growing up in the late 70s and early 80s were fun times! Back then we didn’t have all the distractions we have now, it was definitely a simpler time. Were those Fleer stickers you had stuck to your sports card carrying case? I remember those. My brother and I had a book we got through mail order that was divided by teams and you could put the different player stickers in it. I had completely forgotten about those!

[@SouthernCollector14]

@southern7002x yes!! Those were the Fleer stickers. I liked the back parts and saved them. Haha. We rode bikes for miles. Those were great times.

[@Vintage_Dave_T]

Thx for sharing your childhood memories. My Dad helped me make a cardboard box with dividers for all 16 teams, similar to your box. Yep still have my childhood cards from late 50s and early 60s-baseball and football. Happy thanksgiving with your family and new grandson!

[@SouthernCollector14]

Thank you Dave. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well. It’s awesome that you still have your cards. The memory of your dad helping you is even better. Thanks for watching

[@stephentedesco8042]

I am a little older than you but collected in a similar way. I was a big Roberto Clemente fan.Enjoy all of your posts, I noticed one thing you did not pull from your wood box was the Beatle card. They were another source of enjoyment in my youth.Looking forward to more of your posts.By the way I also owned and operated a custom cabinet shop in New York for 20+ years.

[@SouthernCollector14]

Oh wow! Another cabinet man in the house. It is the only job I have ever had. I never put mine in my bike spokes. I just liked to read them and sort them. I used to have a stack of Beatles cards. I’m sure they are in another box somewhere. Thank you so much for watching and commenting

[@Collector.Not.Hoarder]

This was a great video Tony! I really enjoyed seeing your childhood collection - we had a lot of similarities. I still have much of mine as well. I started collecting in ‘91 (7 years old) and only collected baseball as a kid. I have my storage box, my Beckets, and tons of commons. The one thing you showed that really struck me was the ‘95 World Series ticket. I have one too! I grew up near Cleveland and my Dad went to Game 5, but I didn’t get to go because he was invited with only one ticket. The kicker was that it was my birthday that day! Super sad then, but I understand now. Anyways, I think I need to do a similar video on my channel. Keep it up! 👍🏻

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@Collector.Not.Hoarder that is awesome that you still have your stuff too! Do that video and take us down memory lane. Thank you for watching and commenting.

[@ericlindenmuth7517]

Hi Tony! Love this video!!! Taking us down memory lane was so much fun! I collected the 1978 Baseball set. Back then you had to do via packs. I got the whole set and many doubles. My friend needed some so I traded him and then I was going to go back and replace the traded ones from my doubles. Never did it, and then my Mom threw out my doubles and my Wacky Packages...bummer! But I still have the most of the set from 1978. I collected briefly again in 1989 when Upper Deck created the boom in the card business. And then started up again around 2000, when I discovered Ebay. Unfortunately, just like most of my childhood stuff Mom tossed it out, so I don't have my old metal lunch boxes! Evil Knievel was the coolest guy around in those days....

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@ericlindenmuth7517 we have very similar stories. The 1978 set was the first packs I ever opened as an eight year old. I’m so glad my mom didn’t do that with my stuff. My Star Wars stuff was done that way. Most of that was my fault though. I played with them so much that they eventually broke or got lost. I don’t know what happened to my 1977 Star Wars cards that I opened from packs as a kid. I still have the memories though. Thank you so much for sharing your memories! I appreciate you watching and commenting.

[@jeffgerbracht4186]

Do you still have the signed 59 Mantle?

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@jeffgerbracht4186 yes. I absolutely still have it! I finally had it graded this summer while I’m was at The National. I will do a show about it sometime. It is one of my most prized cards. Thank you so much for watching and asking me that question.

[@jeffgerbracht4186]

@@SouthernCollector14 Great, glad to hear that Tony. I'm a fan of the channel and congrats on the birth of your grandson. I also picked up the hobby again during COVID so a lot of what you said resonates with my own story. My time capsule was keeping cards in old shoe boxes. I started in 1974 and paused in 1986. I've been downsizing my collection and using those funds to pick up the 50's/60's cards I could never afford when I was younger. I especially related to your comment about the feeling I have when I'm sorting cards. Everything else really does fade away and it's just the same feeling as when I was a kid. Keep making great videos and I'll keep watching!

[@SouthernCollector14]

@@jeffgerbracht4186 sounds like we have similar stories and feelings about collecting. I’m guessing a lot of us collectors fall into that boat. I wish more collectors would share their stories. It is interesting to me how similar, but very much their own stories are. Stories and memories are what true collections are built on. Thank you for the kind words, for sharing part of your story and for watching my videos!

[@Redneckclector]

Great stuff Tony! Great minds think alike. My latest video was talking about how I started collecting and some of my first cards. I love seeing childhood collections. Thanks for sharing.

[@SouthernCollector14]

I somehow missed that one. It’s great to revisit your “why”. I could have spent an hour showing all my junk wax, but didn’t want to put anyone to sleep. Haha. Thanks for watching

[@BrianBlankenship-f6l]

Awesome stuff a lot of memories and nostalgia in this video I still have some my cards I still have my first grail card the 1988 UD Griffey

[@BrianBlankenship-f6l]

Sorry 1989

[@SouthernCollector14]

Thank you Brian. I am glad you liked it. I am so thankful you watched.

[@dmo1964]

Nice video Tony! I still have my collection from childhood. My brother and I would open packs from 7-11 from around 1970-77. He was 3 years older than I and if he pulled a star like Bench, or Chamberlain, or Butkus, he would write his name on the back of the card so I wouldn’t take it for my collection 😂. Of course it devalued the cards for today’s purposes but those cards with his name on the back are priceless to me because he died in a car crash at age 24 so they are tangible pieces of history of the fun times spent together as brothers calling out the names of stars as we pulled them from our packs. Keep up the great videos from a fellow Tennessean. David Moss Lakeland TN

[@SouthernCollector14]

Hey David. Thank you so much for sharing your story and memories with your brother. I’m so sorry you lost him at such a young age. It is so cool that you still have those cards and they of course mean so much to you. Tennesseans always find each other. Haha. Thank you for watching and commenting. Happy Thanksgiving.

[@jeffs8614]

Thanks for taking me back to my childhood. I sometimes have dreams similar to your vlog, where I go back and relive my experiences meeting my "heroes". My best cards ended up in the spokes of my Schwinn and many of the others were traded for Cubs or White Sox players (since I grew up in the burbs of Chicago). I did keep my finest/rarest cards in a small metal strongbox which I kept padlocked - however it was stolen. I continue to collect cards & autos but its getting really expensive now to maintain. Thanks for sharing this video and enjoy a Happy turkey day with your friends and family. PS I too like evil kneivel and saw him jump at Kings Island in Ohio back in the 70's. I also met him years later and had him sign a baseball. He was a hoot. (He would probably be in cancel culture if he existed in today's culture).

[@SouthernCollector14]

I appreciate you watching and commenting. That stinks that your nice cards were stolen. I’m so sorry. You have an awesome Thanksgiving Day as well. I would have died to meet Knievel!! That’s amazing!! I hope you still have the ball. Thanks again