Found this set locally for a steal and just couldn’t pass it up. I don’t usually collect much basketball, but come on—it’s MJ. Some cards are just too iconic not to grab.

Couldn’t pass this up. While I was finishing my Barry Larkin rookie collection, I came across this full set and it immediately brought me back to my childhood. There’s just something about seeing all the cards together that makes the memories come rushing back.

I finally finished my quest of owning one copy of each of Barry’s rookie cards. Growing up in Cincinnati during the 80’s and 90’s, how could Barry Larkin not be my favorite player? He was the guy I looked up to on the field—smooth at shortstop, clutch at the plate, and loyal to the Reds from start to finish.

It feels pretty special to have all his rookie cards together now, almost like a piece of my childhood has come full circle.

If you haven’t seen @Brews_and_Breaks latest post, stop now and go give it a read. https://app.onmantel.com/PFE9Cn6HPVb

The section about how to get the hobby back really resonated with me. There’s nothing better than hearing the stories and the reasons why people collect what they do.

I can remember the exact day, just a couple of months ago, when something finally clicked in my head and I asked myself, “What the hell are you doing?!”

That day, I went to a local card show. After walking around for a while and not finding anything that truly spoke to me, I decided to swing by one of the LCSs in my area—simply because I felt like I had to buy something. My buddy and I ended up grabbing two blasters of highly overpriced football cards, sat down, and ripped through them in just minutes. As soon as it was over, I felt that all-too-familiar sting of disappointment. No big hit. No rush. Just an empty feeling.

As I was walking out, I passed a little boy with his mom. He was looking at the boxes behind the showcase when I overheard his mom say no because they were just too expensive. That’s when it hit me—the path the hobby is on right now has started to phase out the love, joy, and memories it’s supposed to offer, all because of the constant urge to make a profit.

I stopped, turned around, and handed the little boy my box. The look on his face was all the reminder I needed. He didn’t care about resale value, odds, or ROI—he was just happy to have cards. That pure excitement… that’s the heartbeat of this hobby.

I’ve never shared this story before, because that’s not really who I am. I’m a relatively private person about certain things. But this article struck something deep inside me—something that’s been sitting there for months.

So thank you, @Brews_and_Breaks, for that reminder of why we started collecting in the first place.