People ask me all the time — why baseball cards? Why here in New Brunswick? The honest answer is that this hobby found me, and I’m glad it did.
It Started With a Shoebox
Like a lot of collectors, it started in childhood. A shoebox full of cards from the early 90s, passed down from an older relative. Mostly commons, a few stars. The smell of old cardboard. The thrill of flipping through them one by one. That feeling never really leaves you — and for a lot of us, it brings us back to the hobby years later as adults.
The Canadian Angle
Collecting in Canada comes with its own challenges — and its own rewards. The Canadian dollar makes American card prices sting a little more. Shipping from the States adds up fast. Card shows are fewer and farther between outside the major cities. But there’s a real community here, and fellow Canadian collectors have a bond over shared experience. We understand the struggle and we help each other out.
What I Collect and Why
My focus is on vintage and semi-vintage baseball cards — pre-2000, players I grew up watching, key rookies from the junk wax era that actually have long-term value. I also chase Canadian content: Larry Walker, Ferguson Jenkins, Joey Votto, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. There’s something satisfying about collecting players who represent this country in America’s game.
The Hunt Is the Best Part
People think collecting is about owning cards. It’s really about the hunt. The research, the tracking, the moment you finally land a card you’ve been after for months. I have a Want List — cards I’m actively hunting right now — and every time one gets crossed off, I feel that same rush I felt as a kid flipping through that old shoebox.
Building Something to Pass On
The best collections tell a story. Mine tells the story of a kid from New Brunswick who loves baseball, who hunts cards the old-fashioned way — one at a time, with patience and purpose. I hope someday it passes on that same feeling to whoever comes next, just like that first shoebox did for me.
If you’re a fellow Canadian collector or just starting out in the hobby, reach out. This community is better when we’re connected.
— Canadian Card Hunter | New Brunswick, Canada
