It's National Baseball Card Day! What's Your Favorite All-Time Card?

Today, August 8th is National Baseball Card day. For many growing up collecting baseball cards was as much of a pastime as watching baseball itself. From going to "card stores" to malls for shows with local players past and present, growing up with boxes and boxes of cards was as special as anything a child could ever do. Do you still collect? Do you have a special card and made the sport fun when you were young? If so, you're likely one of the dying breed that now has just memories to look back on.

Baseball cards are a huge part of the industry, and something that has over the years brought many dads and sons together.

My dad (who is now 79 years old) started collecting cards as a teenager, then when he married my mom at 19 years old (she was 17) he went into the military and the cards sat up in the attic at my grandparents house.

He found the cards around 1985 - and by then had me and my three brothers to share them with, but really I was the one that took to the cards like a fish to water.

While the condition of the cards varied, he had some sweet Mickey Mantle cards, a number of 1973 Mike Schmidt rookie cards, which at the time were worth over $100 per, and at the time I think he had 7-8 of them. 

Mike Schmidt 1973 Rookie Card (Ron Cey and John Hilton also on the card)

Back in the late 80's early 90's the card industry was at its peak. It seemed like every weekend there were card shows at the local malls, and a lot of time there was the incentive not only of cards, but also a chance to meet a current or old Cleveland Indians player who would be signing autographs.

I can recall meeting the likes of Jim Thome, "Mudcat" Grant, Omar Vizquel, Bob Feller (who I got to know and spoke to at length when I got into the media), Greg Swindell, Doug Jones, Bob Lemon, Gaylord Perry, Joe Carter, and many more. 

There was one show out in Elyria once where Indians outfielder Mitch Webster was signing autographs.

My friend Tom Holbert and I made the trip to the show with my dad, and I remember poor Mitch signed for about 10 minutes - then there was no one left in his line.

Tom and I must have gone up to get cards signed about 15 times - and eventually Mitch seemed a little annoyed with us, but still hung in and signed each card we asked him too.

It was a weekend ritual to stand in line for at times 1-2 hours to wait for an autograph, and my dad and I would switch back and forth so we could browse the tables of thousands of cards and other memorabilia. 

My mom would often go too, visiting the big box department stores like Jc Penny, Dillards, May Co. and others. 

Often if my dad would buy an expensive card or buy me something I really wanted, he would tell me "hide it, don't tell your mother." Which was funny since she would often come with bags of merch from a store herself. 

Ah the memories.

Topps was back then and even today are still the kings of the card industry. They are the best in the industry, and while a lot of the card companies have gone under due to the crash in the market, Topps always stayed consistent and you could count on them having their set every year. 

My dad at one time had every year of Topps complete baseball set from 1970 on. We've sold a lot of them since then, but it was so fun to look through those cards, or to tear open a pack and see if you got a rookie or "chase" card (a high priced card that might have a short print).

When I started collecting, I probably did the wrong thing which was collect just about every favorite player, every type of card and every brand.

One player for me defined the industry though, and that was 19-year-old wonderkid Ken Griffey Jr., who was taking the industry and the game by storm back in 1989.

It was back then there was a new card company coming out, and Griffey was the player they built around - Upper Deck.

The cards were slick, were awesome in color, and just had an amazing feel and look to them. 

In 1989 the Griffey card was the very first in the entire set, and when it came out it was a collector's dream.

Many did whatever they could to get their hands on a Griffey rookie, and that very first year that card was going for over $100.F

Griffey Upper Deck 1989 #1 rookie card

Now in doing some research, you can get the card for $10. 

The business of baseball cards lives on to this day, but the magic of being young, going to those card shows and standing in line for a players autograph has gone away.

Now with malls across America closing, there's less and less shows, and in going to the National Sports Card Convention here in Cleveland a number of times over the years, people now are more into "stuff" like jerseys, helmets and memorabilia and not cards.

Sure you'll have some that want that special "chase" card that could net you a couple of hundred bucks, but for the most part if you're still collecting cards you're one of a dying breed.

That hasn't stopped Topps, the industry leader in cards, in promoting today being "National Baseball Card Day."

Today's the day! Head to your local hobby shop for a FREE pack of National Baseball Day Cards!

Visit https://t.co/shMXePIzSS for a full list of participating stores. Plus, don't forget to use the hashtag #ToppsNBCD to post your packs! pic.twitter.com/4IKbVh7LaF

— Topps (@Topps) August 8, 2020

If you remember cards back in the 1980's and 90's, it was a special time in the industry, and it was fun to go out and collect your favorite players, teams, or go on the search for that one "chase" card that could get you a small fortune.

Now, it's mostly just memories, and for some like me, some of the best memories of their lives.