Some mothers threw them away and some kids put them in their bicycle spokes.

Nonetheless, most sport fans have a story about their baseball card collections. Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Paul Wagner is no exception.

"I used to (collect cards) when I was a kid," said Wagner as he signed autographs at the Nittany Mall on Sunday. "I don't have any horror stories about my mom throwing away any million-dollar cards, but I had a few (cards) -- just the local hero cards."

The trading card industry is now in a slump, partially because of labor disputes in baseball and hockey. Many dealers at the card show this weekend were selling single cards at up to 50 percent off.

Nathan Conklin (junior-exercise and sport science) made enough money the first time he sold cards that he decided to continue doing it. But it's not that easy anymore.

"Back in 1988, you could sell just about anything for double your money," Conklin said. "Today, football is real strong and basketball is average, but baseball is dead."

Still, several hundred fans still ventured to the mall last weekend to meet Wagner and Pittsburgh Steelers' running back Bam Morris.

"Bam was a great draw," said John Micknich, co-promoter of the show. "We probably had a good 400 people here to see him.

"We had more than the average Sunday crowd here for Paul. When people are as personable as Paul, it makes it easier on everyone. A lot of die-hard Pittsburgh fans had a good time."

The show was organized by The Great American Sports Page, Inc., a chain of trading card stores which will open a shop in State College in a few months.

They promote three shows a year at the mall. All-Pro Steeler safety Rod Woodson plans to attend a show in April. That reputation for bringing high-profile players helps the shows flourish despite the strike, Micknich said.

"We're pretty established with this show now," Micknich said. "We never have a problem selling it out."

Trey Long, a 10-year-old card collector, traveled with his family from East Renovo to see the players. He has been a collector for about five years and said he has 233 cards of Atlanta Braves outfielder David Justice. While Long said he was disappointed by the strike, it has not affected his purchasing habits.

But without nightly television highlights and a World Series, the baseball card market has suffered. Most dealers agree that if the strike ends before spring training, the card industry will recover in the same manner that hockey cards recently have.

Dan Nolte, a wholesaler from Baltimore, said hockey cards did not sell well during the lockout. But after the NHL season started last Friday, Nolte already noted a pick up in sales.

Non-sports cards have also benefited from the baseball strike -- role-playing cards have become very popular. Magic Cards allow kids to become fantasy characters with certain attributes outlined on the card.

"The non-sport stuff has really taken off," Nolte said. "There's also a Star Trek game you can play just like Magic, which is getting hot."

The strike has led several baseball players to do more personal appearances to make up for lost salaries, Wagner said. He said he sees it as a way for him to get out in the community -- but he doesn't like the image of making money for autographs.

"I grew up in Milwaukee and midwestern views are very similar to Pennsylvania's," Wagner said. "People aren't afraid to say hello. That's why I enjoy Pittsburgh so much. I like to meet people, but I don't like the greedy baseball player tag."

Still, many younger players have been hurt by their lost income. Not only are they not receiving their salaries, but they also lose any extra money they could make from the World Series or pennant race, Wagner said.

"Because of the money crunch and losing 30 percent of your salary, first-year players tended to do as many appearances as they could for less money," he said. "Everybody's taking a big cut."