I grew up watching the four major Philadelphia sports teams during the late-80s and early 90s - falling in love with some of the characters of the day, such as Charles Barkley, John Kruk, Buddy Ryan and Lenny Dykstra. There were certainly highlights, like the Phillies great run in 1993, but most seasons of my youth ended in bitter disappointment (1993 World Series, 1988-1990 Eagles Playoff games - and every other season that just ended). Despite this, it was a great time to grow up a fan of Philadelphia sports.
I have always been a collector - buying pieces at yard sales and flea markets for as long as I can remember. My collection started with baseball cards and I had a lot of fun traveling around the Delaware Valley attending card shows with my dad. I focused my collecting on Phillies team sets, Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton cards. Dad did a good job of making me aware of players from his era - and though I never saw them play an inning, his stories made me a big fan of both Johnny Callison and Dick Allen.
Some of my favorite memories are of meeting players at Eagles Training Camp (it was in West Chester back then) and tracking down Phillies as they escaped to their cars after games at Veterans Stadium. Or, making my way around the Vet's seating bowl after games - racing against the cleanup crew to scoop up extra SGAs that had been discarded by exiting fans. It was fun, and laid the groundwork for a lifelong love of memorabilia collecting.