I will say that when I was a kid in the late 80s/early 90s and collecting baseball cards, I did it for a couple reasons. One was that they were going to be wor

I will say that when I was a kid in the late 80s/early 90s and collecting baseball cards, I did it for a couple reasons. One was that they were going to be worth something later, but that was near the bottom of the reasons. The major reason was that it was a way to be involved with MLB. It was fun trading with friends to try to get your favorite players and complete a team or a set. It's Pokemon without the game attached - gotta get 'em all! Where the wheels fell off was were kids were priced out of the market. 50 cents would buy you a pack of Topps, Donruss, or Fleer - about 30 cards in a pack. But then the infamous 1988 Upper Deck set that introduced thick white card stock, foil wrappers, and holographic seals. $1.50 or more for a pack of 12 (I think). They were somewhat limited and successful, so everyone followed suit. Fleer Ultra. Donruss made the Leaf name premium. Skybox for the NBA. Eventually Topps came out with their Stadium Club cards that were just plain stupid - $5 for a pack of 12. At that point, I was out.