I wrote in a post yesterday that the Wonder Bread Star Wars cards being released in 1977 was key for starting me on my collecting journey, but it actually was much broader than that:

- Star Wars wasn't just my favorite movie, but spawned my collecting cards, comics, figures and everything else connected to it.
- The Royals were on their way to winning an MLB-leading 102 games, with George Brett becoming the hero of every kid within a several hundred mile radius of Kansas City and the focus of every baseball card hunt (including mine).
- I had read enough Spider-Man comics (and watched him on The Electric Company - Hey You Guys!) that my parents got me a subscription starting with issue 171.
- Freshman Darnell Valentine, who played in the inaugural McDonald's All-American game, electrified Kansas Jayhawk fans by helping to lead the team to a first place finish in the Big 8 and a Top 10 ranking. His was the first autograph I ever got and started me on my collection of Jayhawk memorabilia.

In many ways, my collecting journey is simply the extension of a seven year-old kid who experienced an amazing confluence of fun in eastern Kansas (of all places) in 1977. Anyone else have a similar story?