My 12-year old cousin recently had the idea to write an article to one of his favorite magazines, Beckett Trading Card Monthly. He and I have spent a lot of time in recent years collecting baseball trading cards and it has become a fun hobby for both of us. The editor liked his article so much that he put it on the front page of Beckett.com over the last couple of days.

Here is link to the article as it was posted on Beckett.com but below you will find the article in its entirety.

Why kids should collect baseball cards

By Parker Stenseth

Baseball card collecting is a hobby for all, but in recent years it has gone a little more toward adults than kids.

There are still many reasons kids should collect, though.

There are so many reasons kids should collect baseball cards that I won’t be able to address them all. Of them all, I feel the most important is that it helps you connect with others.

As an example, I got started on collecting after my cousin, who I now consider one of my best friends, took me to a Twins game and bought me a team set of cards. (I later dropped that set in the sink being six, but my cousin was kind enough to buy me another.) That set of cards sparked a fascination in me that is still there today.

Cody and I still go to card shows, still trade and still go to the local store together. I have also heard a story of a dad with a mentally handicapped son and couldn’t relate to him that well but when his son got interested in cards they had something to spend some quality time together with.

Another reason kids should collect baseball cards is just the feeling of pulling a good card is like no other. I remembered when I pulled my first autograph, David Wright. I seriously couldn’t stop smiling the next two hours. Also being at a card show is one of the most fun things I can think of. It’s amazing being surrounded by so many pieces of baseball history and knowing you could buy some of what’s there.

Then there’s also trading cards with a friend. It’s so much fun looking through your friend’s collection and hearing the stories behind each card and then finding a card in their collection that you want and trading for it. Baseball cards give so much happiness and enjoyment that everyone should feel.

Next, I feel cards improve academic skills. I’m currently a seventh-grader that’s doing some mid high school work at school and I give a lot of credit to baseball cards for that. With all the numbers on the backs of the cards for stats and then sorting your cards and finding how much they’re worth, it would be hard not to learn anything about math, logistics or marketing skills.

Finally, I feel it’s a better way to spend your time than video games, Internet or anything like that. Baseball cards can give you a longer-lasting satisfaction and you can enjoy them with others. It’s also not dangerous, and there’s no negative influence on younger kids.

All things considered, baseball cards are a great hobby for kids and anybody else. It’s something you can do with others, it gives a ton of happiness, could teach you a thing or two, and anyone can enjoy it.

The only reason cards went towards adults was because of the money-to-spend factor, but it is still a wonderful hobby.

And the biggest thing is to remember that most adults that collect were once kids.

I remember back when you got a single card and a stick of gum for a penny. We would religiously keep track of our purchases on checklists. Cards were released monthly, a new checklist, over the summer. We would actively trade.

(A side note, my dad, during the thirties, told stories of the local store that would open all packs and for your pennies you could choose a card that you wanted out of those available and a stick of gum).

We learned math. Those stats on the back. We would play dice games.

Eventually, you could but a whole set at a time and "real" board games were introduced for cards.

I still remember my first autograph, and then attending the 60s welcome home banquets for my hometown Twins. The players got a kick out of seeing their cards. Another side note: Twin players used to park in the lot surrounding Metropolitan Stadium and small group of kids wee always on hand looking for that autographed card or ball.

Sadly, what something is worth, condition, and all these other factors have made cards a big business. But as long as here is baseball and kids, there will be cards.

Check out: Minnesota Twins Baseball Cards, Autographs, Publications, Memorabilia, Players, Stats, History, Collectibles to see the labors of lover of a few now adults!