Being new to vintage, what should I know? + Pickup

[SethY]

Clearly vintage is a whole new animal for me compared to the modern stuff that I am getting out of. What should I know? Maybe you guys can base some of your suggestions, insight, and tips off my new pickup, and SGC 40 Zack Wheat T201.

http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/LJ_Hoes/PC/WheatT201.jpghttp://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu215/LJ_Hoes/PC/WheatT2101Back.jpg

[Leon]

Since you asked I might offer 2 bits of very sound advice that will always ring true.

1. Collect what you really enjoy. Then no matter of any downturn, upturn, or sideways turn of monetary value you still have cards you enjoy.

2. Collect as you are in a marathon and not a sprint. Sprinters in our hobby tend to burn out rather quickly. Most of us on this board, for many years, have taken the tried and true approach of taking it easy while smelling the roses on the journey. If you get burnt out for a while go focus on some other aspect of your young life, don't get totally out of collecting (by getting rid of your collection) and come back when you feel the urge again. It happens to almost all of us.

[leftygrove10]

Learn how to spot a fake card so you don't get duped into buying one. There is a link at the top of the forum page where you can find more information.

[Bill Stone]

When you acquire any new card do some rersearch on the player. There are many sources that are easy to search. When you find the team they played on that year then look to see who his teammates were, how the season ended for the team. In other words put the card in context and I think you will enjoy it even more.

[Cat]

Brad, Bill and Leon had great advice, but let me add a couple:

1. Learn the search function on this site. Nearly every topic has been covered, to some degree, at least once.

2. Don't start to many new threads on this board. At some point they'll get ignored (or worse than that). Posting within existing threads is always free game. This is just a persepective from one guy that's been here for awhile (but mostly in the background).

[Matt]

If you're going to be buying a lot, do research on what things have actually sold for - SMR is wildly inaccurate for most pre-war issues. Once you see what things have sold for, understand that "sold for" prices can be the result of many factors, only one of which is the grade of the card. Eye appearance, shill bidding, image registration, whale sausage fests and a host of factors all can play a part.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Have fun ! Nice T201, I would pick up a raw T201 so you can see how it bends to show the other player. I have four T201 Benders, SGC, PSA, and two raw. Nothing wrong with getting some dupes on the journey when the price is right, then you have future trade bait and always good to compare grades of the same card. Keep an eye on all the sales of cards you like so you know a fair price. Lastly, don't let your girlfriend know how much your cards are worth, she'll be dreaming of a 5 carat ring and want you to sell your cards to get one !

[V117collector]

Buy the card and not the grade; this basically means some cards might sell for a premium based on condition and or presentation.

For example; some cards might be OC (off center) or have paper loss which would bring down card value. Buy the card and not the grade especially with lower graded material.

[SethY]

Wow, this is one of the best sites I have seen on the net. You guys are fantastic and I greatly appreciate all the tips! I am definitely buying the card over the grade and make this a good experience! I appreciate all that you guys have to say!

[Anthony S.]

You might consider subscribing to vintagecardprices.com. Free plug, I have no affiliation with it, but if you're just starting out it's a great resource for finding out how much people are paying for cards on Ebay, as well as the major auction houses. And I concur with Cat (every time I look at that photo of John Goodman from "The Big Lebowski" I get the phrase "Shut up, Donny" stuck in my head), that the search function on this site is a fantastic resource.

[chiprop]

Get a second job. This sh*t is expensive!

[yanksfan09]

As others have stated, take it slow and do your homework. I personally don't subscribe to any price guides and feel ebay is the best guide (auction prices not BIN's) Be careful with some of those overpriced Buy-It-Nows on ebay.

I try not to pay to much attention to prices altogether. As long as you have a general sense of the $ range of the stuff you're collecting you should be okay.
Just start out slow and collect what you like at prices you're comfortable with.

Of course if you're buying more for investment purposes, a very strong knowledge on accurate pricing would be more essential.

I would start slow and buy a card or two of a few different players, sets, eras, etc.... and see what you really like. If you're thinking of collecting a set buy a lower end cheaper version so that you can see one in person and decide if that set's for you. Make sure you have fun and don't be scared to take a brake for a while and then come back later.

[deadballpaul]

Leon is correct. I was a sprinter going after the Novelty Cutlery set. I got burned out, but have regained my footing. I now view it as a "marathon", & It feels good to take it slow and easy. :)

[B O'Brien]

Enjoy/understand the history of the game, the times, and the players.

If you don't understand who you are buying and the times in which they played, then cardboard is only an over priced commodity. The real fun comes from knowing about the guys, both on and off the feild and what was going on in the surroundings of the game.

Spoken like a true Ex History Major! When other folks see the things I buy and sell, all think is "you paid how much for that little piece of cardboard". Once you get the history of the players and the times, it makes the expense not really matter, as long as it is diposable income.

If you don't understand the history, then Walter Johnson (or one of the thousands of others that we collect) was just another guy that died a long time ago that liked to train dogs when he wasn't playing a game that most folks don't love or understand.

I have some pie charts and a couple graphs that the wife put together to try to pull me away from what I enjoy, if I need to share, let me know. I stopped golfing, gambling (sort of), and something else that needs not be mentioned here to justify the expense!

Case and point: I spent way to much loot today on a Cobb card. The wife says "who is Ty Cobb anyway". I says other than being played by Tommy Lee Jones is a pretty solid movie (relate to their knowledge), we live in Cobb County and you drink Coke every day, which he helped support in the early days.

This is just one man's opinion, and that man is,
Bob
upperhandisforemost@yahoo.com

[White Borders]

If you haven't done so already, download and read Scot Reader's "Inside T206" (it's free).

http://www.t206.org/dl/InsideT206-Centennial-edition.pdf

Best Regards
Craig

[Brian Van Horn]

Seth,

Know what is out there of your player. I see you like Wheat. He is an excellent choice. The following cards from the E121, E220, W504 and W590 are not for sale, but offered as preliminary guideposts.

[tbob]

The only thing I can add to all the great comments above is to make friends with fellow collectors. They can provide a wealth of knowledge, find cards for you that you are looking for and help keep you sane. :)
tbob

[GrayGhost]

Buy what you can afford, not over it. Above all, enjoy the history behind the players and the cards. Baseball is the greatest sport of them all, because of its rich history. One can't help to get immersed in it, when they collect vintage stuff. Enjoy, and we look forward to more entries of yours in the pickup threads.

[steve B]

Learning all you can about the cards themselves is a good start. And buying inexpensive ones is a good way to do that. It's a bit tougher now, with everything at least in a holder if not slabbed. I learned by seeing the cards loose - or - rubber banded into small stacks (Yeah, that was a long time ago!)
But handling them loose gives you a feel for how something should be.

And don't worry too much about your mistakes, we've all made several I'm sure. One dealer I know told me something interesting after I was lamenting a purchase of something I liked at a pretty steep price for the time. " You didn't pay too much, just too soon"
Being budget conscious, most of my mistakes have been in not buying something.

And the comments about learning the history of the cards and the times they were made is a really good one. Anything made is a product of the society that made it at a particular time. The design of cards from any era tells a lot about our country at that time.
1880's -90's Photos! a relatively new technology to print them on paper, in quantity, and cheaply enough to give away combined with the beginnings of people being celebrities (aside from royalty, the very rich or powerful etc)
1910 ish - A nation gripped with a light and exuberant mood, having figured out how to toss off the heaviness of the victorian age, and with several new technologies aiding in liberating large groups of the masses. The T206s are a perfect fit, with their idealised scenes including sunsets etc often in sort of pastel like colors.

When I explain my cards to non collecting friends in terms of being bits of design and general history and how they represent more than just a tiny picture of a baseball player - That's when it makes sense to them.

Steve

[Fred]

Your choice of the T201 card was great. This is a T card set that can be easily completed. The T201 cards are widely available and relatively inexpensive.

Collect what you like. Don't be drawn to what everyone else tells you to collect. If you like a particular card because of the appearance then you'll have a greater appreciation for the card.

One thing you need to do is learn about what you are collecting and know how to identify fake and altered cards. Welcome to the wacky world of vintage cards.

[fkw]

Go SLOW! Take your time, and dont burn out and become broke.

Shop around, there are many deals if you learn to not always buy the first card that shows.

Most Important..... Read every single vintage guide, auction catalog, internet post you can, learn all you can.

****Buy Lew Lipsets "Encyclopedia of Baseball Cards" (originally it was a 3 vol. set, but now it has been reprinted in one large book...yellow cover) best buy you will ever do!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Encyclopedia-of-Baseball-Cards-by-Lew-Lipset-BONUS_W0QQitemZ320288679043

good luck and happy collecting!

[iggyman]

Whoa! A bunch of fantastic advice here... This thread should be a "must-read" for a newbie prewar collector (too bad it will soon scroll-off...). Great stuff!

For me, this little nugget from Leon is key........ "Collect as you are in a marathon and not a sprint." That sums it-up nicely. Prewar cards are not like job openings at your local fast food restaurant. They are not a dime a dozen.

Lovely Day...

[Republicaninmass]

Learn about each player, in the last week or so I have been infatuated with Hugh Jennings and his EE-YAAHHH pose. His has such an incredible story including filling in a manager for John McGraw, and his demise through mental illness.