And So It Begins

Obligatory salutation goes here.

 

I built this blog years ago but never actually posted anything. Considering I have been reading so many as of late, I figured I would start one up myself.

 

Spring. Baseball season. Baseball cards. Such a wonderful time of year it is. I myself have not historically been deeply involved in baseball card trading or collecting. When I was younger I had several (high five for '90 Donruss!), but my passion for baseball waned with college and graduate school. Over the last couple of years, however, baseball has made its way back into my life pretty heavily. I am pretty sure that the fact that I live less than 3 miles from the Tampa Bay Rays stadium has something to do with it (I've been to 5 games already this season). I grew up in Texas so the Rangers are my first love, but I have lived in Tampa Bay for years or so, so I am also a huge Rays fan.

 

As a gift a year or so ago, my buddy bought me an autographed Nolan Ryan picture plaque as well as a Nolan Ryan autographed baseball. From there I started to gain some interest in baseball memorabilia, and started buying a couple packs of baseball cards. I started with Topps 2010 Series 1 and collected only some of it without actually beginning to immerse myself into collecting and trading. Fast forward to 3 weeks ago, and I started back, this time with more purpose. I have started to collect as much as I can of the Texas Rangers (especially Nolan Ryan) and the Tampa Bay Rays (especially Evan Longoria), and the 2013 Gypsy Queen set. I am still working on deciding what all I would like to collect in regards to the Gypsy Queen set, but as the title says, it's the beginning.

 

I am looking forward to starting collecting baseball cards basically from square one, and I am also looking forward to meeting fellow collectors and hopefully learn a thing or twenty. The trading card culture is a fascinating realm to jump into as it is full of enthusiasts and experts. Some may find it intimidating, but I view it as a place to expand my knowledge of baseball, its players and its history. So, if you read this I thank you and look forward to meeting you on the interwebs.

 

-Joshua

 

As a quick aside, this image is a trip down memory lane for me. I'll be looking for this one on eBay as this one was one of my favorites when I was younger, and is probably in great condition in my parent's attic in Texas: