How old are we all?

[tufcprogs]

Five and In wrote:

I'm a recycled teenager....55. Collected since about 8 years old and after a bit of a gap, restarted a couple of years ago and driven by ticking off a complete season and moving on to another. One missing is one too many!!

This is sorta my approach too. Otherwise you could just buy anything and everything.

[stfcprogman]

Now 53 - started collecting when I went to my first game (Swindon v Fulham 18/09/71) and bought a programme. Now have all Swindon H & A since the war bar 1 (Northampton away 47- and a few pre-war. All covers are available on Flickr

[Harjoe]

73 started in 1955 when I joined Charles Buchan's Boys club still have the cert remember they had a page for swaps in the mag , put progs away in 60s but returned in the 80s getting too old to bother now but have some good ones when I die my wife will have a big bonefire.

[WBA57]

Now 59, started collecting speedway & football programmes when i was about 7 or 8, i remember lots of local programme shops about in the late sixtes/early seventies, stopped collecting when I started to play football at a decent level on a saturday from the age of 16 to 30, after recovering from a serious injury just watched non league for about 10 years didn't really collect, then played sunday/indoor football for another 10 years+, then started collecting seriously again

[CUSA]

63 and counting. Blame my old chap for starting me on the journey. He was a copper and his overtime was alternate Saturdays at Highbury and White Hart Lane, with the occasional Wembley attendance. Brought home programmes from every game, sometimes autographed by Blanchflower, Greaves etc. Started taking me when he wasn't on duty and the collection grew and grew.
Like others, i slowed when hormones kicked in, but now am still as keen as i was fifty years ago. Having been retired for a couple of years, i can devote more time to searching for what i need, rather than buying stuff it turns out i already had!

[Paul Johnson]

48 and started off when the old man used to bring me a programme back from Hull City even though i was Arsenal !!!!!!

started buying and selling in 1996 after a few years away from the hobby

[littlewiggy]

48 and a very handsome alcoholic.

['Littlewiggy' was my pet-name for my cherished little Yorkie Terrier, now sadly living in the great big kennel in the sky]

Always had the collecting bug, started around aged ten when instead of buying crisps and Black Jacks, I used to squander my meagre pocket money on stamps and write to opposition clubs, pestering them for a used ticket from their home match against Newport County.

[Thanks once again News of the World Football Annual 1978 for all those addreses!]

Then booze, women and life intervened and I lay dormant, like the volcano on Mount St Wiggy, which eventually erupted in 2000/1 after my ex had kicked me out, and I've not stopped collecting since.

What used to be "everything Newport County" has now been whittled down to those 'first loves' of tickets & badges, as I grudgingly came to accept it was probably better to have a brilliant collection of those, as opposed to a tidy collection of everything.

Collecting like others have said is in the blood, it's not really a choice.
It can even be an affliction - you know full well you can't really afford that mega-rare item that has just surfaced, but when will you see another?
Go on, buy him and worry about the consequences later says that inner voice within you!
Who cares if you end up living underneath the railway arches with a beard, or exist entirely on Pot Noodles for a month, you'll own that item!

That's the collecting bug.
The hobby can also be extremely therapeutic during tough times, and is much better for your liver than a bottle of grog.

[Pete’s Picture Palace]

26 entries so far - average age 50.7.

That's about 10 below what I thought it'd be.

[SeasideMark]

55. Sold my collection to pay my first wife off 20 years ago. Now dabble and run my little shop by the sea!

[TheMusic]

33. Started with magazines and annuals 20+ years ago and now focus on a few different types of older tickets, programmes, postcards and menus...

[daiward]

67

Dad brought back a programme each time he went & I was introduced to a live game in 1960. Then allowed to go on my own for the next when Watford changed the prog from brown to golden yellow. Oh how that cover shone in the sun as I approached the seller. Worthless now in monetary terms but it kicked me off into the bug that we are all sharing.

Amassed a huge collection up until 15 years of age when I thought I was an adult so gave it all away. Well I didn't grow up as far as the collecting goes & have ever since tried to put it back together. But it'll never be the same as all my personal mementoes. Written on as you do as a kid. Signed, so many signatures gained after matches. And daft one day expecting another kid to look after my rattle when I boarded the coach. Never saw each again!

But I am at the wrong end age-wise now of hoping for an answer as to why I still bother. At times I step back & shake my head when looking at the mass of paper items. Then I see something I fancy listed so just head on back in & here we go again!

[pafcprogs]

58 ( so that will help push the average back up Peter)

Third time around...sold first collection to put deposit on a house with then girlfriend, second time after a painful redundancy about nine years ago and current divestment which is the practical we need to clear this out before we need to downsize/emigrate.

Even now I am finding odds and sods I forgot I even had which shows the joy and folly of this hobby.
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Currently disposing of my collection so please email any wants lists to [email protected].
Most Plymouth post 1959 but plenty of others including reserves, friendlies, Cup Finals Internationals and Club issues, handbooks and other sports.

[Ann Orack]

My birth certificate would record the fact I’m 59 but my real age is 12.

This thread is veering off into a general about us so here goes

Some time ago I was given a book ‘Dull men of Great Britain’. To be fair the guys in there don’t seem unusual. I’ve always had the philosophy of 2 items is the start of a collection and when you’ve got 2 why stop?

I collected Wednesday programmes with my brother from the mid 60’s to mid 70’s. By the mid 70’s I’d discovered punk music and he’d gone off with some woman. In 2001 I went to Tiverton to watch Worksop Town in the FA Trophy bought the programme read every page and was hooked again. The next few Saturdays were spent in Mick Brodies shop in Sheffield stocking up on 25 years of programmes. Mid 2001 my brother was diagnosed as having a brain tumour and he subsequently passed away mid 2002. Some time before that I’d pledged to him we’d have the best Wednesday collection around. I’d like to think that I’d achieved certainly the most complete post war collection then I woke up and thought what’s the point. Off it went to Sportingold. I’ll not rub salt into wounds but I was really uncomfortable with Andy Lanes’ promise of zero sellers commission provided I left it with him there and then

That was slightly after the start of my infatuation with Belgian beer and slightly after picking up a fly fishing rod for the 1st time

Current collecting interests, Belgian beer and glassware. I’ve sampled over 400 different Belgian beers and have over 100 unique Belgian beer glasses. In addition to approximately 250 other beer/alcohol glasses

I have in excess of 3,000 fishing flies despite the dealer who I bought my 1st stuff from saying I’d need about 20. Theres over 400 fly fishing related magazines dotted about the place.

I refuse to mention my beer mat collection. Still have to get them for every different beer I see. I also refuse to mention my match books. I still have them somewhere

Previous stuff that’s found it way to the skip in excess of 4,000 general magazines ( mostly body building and course fishing weeklies – including complete runs from 1977 to 2003)

My stamp collection cannot go since I’ve fond memories of going to Woollies on Saturday with my spendo and buying selection packs.

Obviously my punk 7” singles and LP’s will have to stay as will concert tickets from the early 70’s and 80’s. I only hope that 1 day I’ll be able to wear my old punk clothes – some of which are in the loft.

Theres even a bag of ball bearings somewhere. I had dealings with a bearing distributor some time ago and I recall you were special if you had bollies in with your marbles

Finally complete run of Goal and Charles Buchans to stay. I half expect Nick Knowles to have question on 'Who Dares Wins' - collecting interests of Ann_orack - its on the list!

I’ve been married for nearly 35 years and my Mrs thought I was weird back then. She has a little more resolve now refers to me as very weird. I blame my granddad. Not only did he have brilliant sporting memory but he also collected stuff, from newspaper cuttings, cigarette cards and also football programmes from the late 20’s and 30’s. Although I understand these were binned as worthless around the time I was born.

Must go I have an appointment with my councillor.

[PhilWBA]

47, started collecting Baggies programmes when I started going to games with my dad in 1976 just from games I went to then when he stopped buying them gave me his collection which I added to until I got married in 1992 and sold it on to pay for a honeymoon, regretted it ever since (selling the collection not the marriage !! ) often think how it would be looking now as homes were complete back to 65/6 and almost complete away with the exception of around 10 aways plus a good number more back to mid 50's.

Tried a few times to start again both Albion and different collections (Cup finals, Oldbury Utd non league etc) but just couldn't get into it with the same enthusiasm again so now have a few bit part collections of Spanish badges, Spanish cards, Baggies cards
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ebay - https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/footballstickershop

websites - www.footballstickershop.com

[Posh1959]

57 started collecting when I was about 14 had a few years off in my late 20s early 30s.

[foxes1]

64 and its been a long wait to see Leicester City in Europe's top competition. Although I don't collect programmes anymore only specials to do with LCFC I tend now to try and buy older items like handbooks etc.
I still go and watch them home & away and been following them since the late 1960's. I have even managed to get 2 of my grandchildren into supporting Leicester as it's like my dad used to say you don't pick your team your team is picked for you.

[Tynie Topics]

Pete’s Picture Palace wrote:

26 entries so far - average age 50.7. That's about 10 below what I thought it'd be.

One of those occasions that I’m glad to be below average

Since others are expanding………1982-83 was the first full season I went to Tynecastle as a 12 year old, before that I had been given a bundle of programmes at some point which had aroused the collecting bug, and the Steve Earl catalogue was obtained. Edinburgh dealer Alan Cunningham had a stall every home game and I used to pick-up the programmes from the games I hadn’t been to that season, then I moved onto getting his lists as the pocket money was stretched to the max.

Moved south with the parents in 1986, first job, and by this time I was buying Hearts programmes from Alan Cunningham and Peter Rundo and this continued for another couple of years until I realised I was in effect wasting my money on buying current season programmes and chucking them in a pile hardly ever to be read, so that stopped. By 1989/90 I had a season ticket for Wimbledon, discovered beer and nights out and effectively the collection lay dormant, apart from Wimbledon programmes from games I’d go to which went in a box and picking up the odd older Hearts programme from catalogues and PM offers which still came through the letter box. Thankfully at no point did I chuck out my collection or sell it.

Fast forward to France 1998 WC, my first experience of following Scotland abroad along with a permanent move back north saw a house purchase that enabled me to have a programme room (future wife didn’t move in until 2001) which kick started the collecting bug again. A Hearts season ticket was purchased and for the first time in a decade I bought current season Hearts. I also began attending Scotland games home and away and I decided to add to the programmes and tickets from those games I had been to and fill in the gaps, which kinda grew arms and legs and I now only need a handful back to the war and is my main collecting interest.

Hearts ST was binned about 2007 (along with the brief flirtation with current season collecting) in favour of non-league (Junior) football and I edit my clubs programme, as well as following Scotland home and away. Hearts games are still attended occasionally, and my Hearts collection has been pruned to only Edinburgh derbies, Finals/Semis and European games so I don’t actually add to it much. Have dabbled in Gibraltar programmes and tickets which provides a bit of fun hunting them down, and recently Scotland match shirts.

Thankfully the wife just rolls the eyes and leaves me too it, with no kids I think she’s hoping the junk in the spare room will one day pay for a round the world cruise. Mibbees aye, mibbees naw……
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/footballprogrammes/albums

[Superblue]

I believe I could be the youngest on here , I'm 25, 26 end of January.

Kyle

[DySporting]

42 - watched my first match Norwich v Wrexham on the 6th February 1982

[CHRIS GIBBS]

Luton Town will be at Fratton Park on January 2 to help me celebrate my 58th birthday and probably take the 3 points.
First started collecting in early 70's when the legend that was Val West (older pompey fans will know who she was),from the programme Hut at the Fratton end of the ground sold me a job lot of pompey programmes. Paper round money brought more and this week I got one of three I needed back to the war, so still collecting.
In-between I have moved on to anything pompey as programmes grew harder to get. Also collected West Ham for a while as used to go and see them when on holiday with relatives in London. Then all games at Wembley until they got to big. Also non league from games watched when ground hopping now just if a new ground, Pompey not in FA cup so off to Amesbury tomorrow.
Only get one a season from local non league due to space.
As for my wife, met her on way back from a pompey game at Middlesbrough, she had gone on her own. We got talking and I told her about my collection of items, she told me about her collection of key rings, and Stevenage took the points when we celebrated 30 of marriage last week. Nothing changes.