1973 – Me and my mom walking through the park to watch my father play baseball.

At the time, it was probably just another afternoon at the ballfield. Looking back now, it became one of the memories that helped shape a lifetime of love for baseball, family, and nostalgia.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who sat in the stands, walked us to the field, supported our hobbies, and helped create memories that lasted forever.

More memories at frankscardcorner.com

Tracy McGrady one of my childhood favorites and one of my earliest memories of my sports fandom. My first basketball game I went to was to see T-Mac and Orlando Magic come to Auburn Hills.

T-Mac excelled at everything on the court and was the definition of a star player. Wether it’s jamming a SC Top 10 dunk or dropping 13 in 35 seconds, the list of memorable moments is extensive in making T-Mac timeless in the story of basketball.

Finding this dope die cut and reminding me of all of this is what is the best part of the hobby.

Nothing says junk wax like 1990s Topps and Ken Griffey Jr. I pulled these old Topps Magazines out of a box of Becketts I recently picked up and was instantly transported back to being a kid trading and collecting with friends. I remembered the cards that came inside the magazine but had totally forgotten about the fold-out poster with the full checklist — such a cool surprise.

In today’s digital world, it’s a great reminder of how we used to do it — flipping through pages, circling cards we wanted, and chasing down that last one to complete a set.

What’s something from the hobby that instantly takes you back to the good old days?

Check the comments for the other issue that was in there.

2000 Upper Deck Kenyon Martin RC’s

My favorite Bearcat of all time is hands down Kenyon Martin. He was just flat-out fun to watch — tough, explosive, and had that classic Huggins edge to his game. Back when we moved away from Cincinnati, my grandmother used to save every newspaper story about him for me, and the day after senior night in 2000 was no exception.

Four days later, at the C-USA tournament in Memphis, my parents and I were sitting just two rows up from K-Mart’s family when he broke his leg right in front of us. One of those moments that just sticks with you forever.

The other day I stumbled across these three rookie cards, and there was no hesitation — I knew I had to have them. A little piece of nostalgia from one of my all-time favorite eras of Bearcat basketball.

Every time my daughter goes out shopping with my in-laws, she somehow finds her way back home with a new football card for me. It’s become this quiet little tradition between us — nothing planned, just something she does because she knows how much I love collecting. This weekend she brought me home this 2024 Donruss Optic Blue Stars Joe Burrow from a local festival.

Those cards have quickly become my favorites in the whole collection. Not because of the player or the value, but because of what they represent — her thinking of me in that small moment.

It’s funny how the things that end up meaning the most usually aren’t the rare ones or the expensive ones… they’re the ones that come from the heart.