When I collected, I did the same as many of you guys have said, picked up cards of players I liked, regardless of year, etc. That was more or less how i started, trading with the other kids at school and in the neighborhood for players I liked best. Of course it was the Cubs, Sox, and Bears in those days, as I am from LaGrange, outside of Chicago. As I got older and collected more, it was players from certain championship teams, eras, etc. I got into some customs most recently, though I really lost the desire to continue following our 3rd child's birth, too busy and having too much fun with them. If any of my kids like cards, then I may dip right back into it.
Cards remind me of my childhood, and while I dont collect anything anymore, I have really enjoyed staying in touch with the hobby and with some friends on the bench! Its been 6 years since I joined, and I am always glad I did! I dont have facebook, and my wife kids me that the bench is my version of facebook!
I also agree with a few different posts: this is NOT a cheap hobby! In the 80s it was 50 cents per pack on average, and I remember the card shop right next door to my Aunt and Uncle's beauty parlor selling single cards. I think I picked up Payton, Perry, and McMahon from the 86 Topps football set for 25 cents each, and thinking I got the bargain of a lifetime!
Today, packs are more, individual cards are more, and local card shops are very few and far between. We dont really have convenience stores in our town now in Southern Illinois, walmart is the best bet for packs. As a child, they were everywhere, gas stations, etc. but I think the counter space that once held baseball cards has really been designated now for other things, like 5 hour energy! Not as much desire for it from kids, and it makes me sad. Occasionally, I will have students come in and comment on the cards I have displayed in my offices (I am a school social worker), and it is fun to talk to them about their collections, etc. but VERY few kids collect anymore, I can attest to that firsthand (some see the cards and say "what are those?").
Maybe the next generation will see them differently, but as of now, I think its probably those of us who remember them fondly from our childhood. Its those memories I wouldnt trade for anything!
God bless,
Kevin