The Old Fart Thread

Discussion in 'Professional Trading' started by oldschool, Oct 6, 2007.

  1. Ok, who's an old fart here?

    I consider anyone over 35 and been trading for more than 10 years (fulltime) an old fart.
    I am 42 this year (trading since 1988) but feel like I'm 32 again when I look at the mkts - China, some commodities etc...

    Let's get an old fart thread started and see if this thread can offer anything useful.

    Floor's open......who's an old fart here?
     
  2. 35, but only been trading since 2000
     
  3. cstfx

    cstfx

    44.

    Was on the floor in 87 clerking for Spear Leads. Man how this market has changed.
     
  4. ess1096

    ess1096

    Don't feel like an old fart even though I turned 40 and RETIRED this year. Only 4th year trading but 1st year doing it full time.
     
  5. 1989...in the middle of my "procedure" class in law school, I had a portable quotetrack (anyone remember those?). I lost like $10,000 of my tuition money and screamed like a little girl in class. The next week, I dropped out of law school and started trading fulltime. The best move of my life.

    And YES, how the markets have changed.
    I'm being sarcastic of course, to me, nothing new ever happens in the mkt.
    People never change, they'll always be greedy and always afraid, and always at the wrong time.

    Welcome to all the old farts. :)
     
  6. Boib

    Boib

    I don't think you're a Old Fart unless you were in the market before the crash of 87.

    I was there and survived. It's tough to injure yourself by jumping out of a basement window. :)
     
  7. cstfx - btw...were you on the floor during Oct of '87?

    If so, maybe you can paint a picture for some of the newbies thinking about jumping on the next "sure" thing and say something about how "this time it's different"?

    Though I don't know anyone who committed suicide in '87, I do know some who's lives were ruined by thinking, "this time it's different". People never change...
     
  8. Hi Boib,

    Well, we need to have a cutoff somewhere. :)
    FWIW, it was '87 that drove me to become a fulltime trader.

    My brother also jumped. First floor...lol, and no, he is not trading anymore.
     
  9. cstfx

    cstfx

    The main thing different between then and now is the stock broker has become obsolete.

    Interesting side note: during those years there were 2 quintessential 'broker bars'; Harry's at Hanover and Harry's At The American. (Harry's at Woolworth doesn't count) Both these bars individually sold more alcohol than any other bar in the city in those days. No one came close.
     
  10. i'm not old,just late to the game.
     
    #10     Oct 7, 2007