Collecting Pre-War Baseball Rookie Cards

[bcbgcbrcb]

What do you feel would spur more interest in collecting Pre-War Baseball Rookie Cards in general and more specifically Pre-War Baseball Hall of Fame Rookie Cards?

Or maybe the question should be what prevents collectors from doing the same right now?

To me, this segment of collecting represents less than 5% of all serious collectors in the Pre-War Baseball Card hobby.

[novakjr]

I think there's two main obstacles. One is the subjectivity involved in determining what qualifies as a rookie card. Or at the very least, what cards are acceptable for consideration. The other issue is the extreme rarity and cost for a certain number of players....Or in some cases it's simply the perceived cost. There's certain players who have quite affordable rookies, that even I myself was surprised at how affordable they could be had, as long as your willing to give a little on condition..

[yanksfan09]

I think with prewar stuff you're dealing with more obscure and regional issues and a lot of different opinions regarding what is a rookie. There is still debate for what is a "Rookie" with new cards but I feel that it's more easily defined with new cards.

I think people mostly just want to collect the "best" cards they can of prewar players. I like early issues of players but am not overly concerned if some consider it a rookie.

A good example is the Grover Alexander "rookie" cards/ issues. They range in years from 1911-1914 and the materials range from paper to cardboard to silk to leather to poker style game cards. all of these have been called rookies at some point and it's up to the collector to collect what they like.

[HRBAKER]

1. Lack of consensus on what constitutes a card much less a "rookie card"
2. Cost
3. Inability to complete many sets if you let anything but mainstream issues in
the door
4. Rookie card collecting is a hobby created niche

[bcbgcbrcb]

It seems that the single biggest factor preventing more collectors from joining this endeavor is the lack of identification of "Rookie Cards" for each player.

If there was the ability to get the Standard Catalogue of Baseball Cards and Beckett Baseball Cards Guide, possibly along with the major grading companies, to include Pre-War Baseball "Rookie Card" identifications wherever applicable, do you feel that more collectors would feel comfortable with starting this type of collection?

[Exhibitman]

Nope; still subjective. I'm a Zeenuts collector. How do I reconcile the high price of a "rookie" of Joe DiMaggio with the existence of multiple cards that predate his MLB cards? I'd rather have his earliest card than his "rookie" card. And what is a card anyway? Is Al Simmons' rookie the 1923-24 Exhibit? Is that a card? Does a team-issued photo count?

[HRBAKER]

It seems that the single biggest factor preventing more collectors from joining this endeavor is the lack of identification of "Rookie Cards" for each player.

If there was the ability to get the Standard Catalogue of Baseball Cards and Beckett Baseball Cards Guide, possibly along with the major grading companies, to include Pre-War Baseball "Rookie Card" identifications wherever applicable, do you feel that more collectors would feel comfortable with starting this type of collection?

Wouldn't you need a consensus of what "wherever applicable" is? This is not like saying I collect T206s where there is no subjectivity.

[Bicem]

Like others have said, a list, or rules, would be way too subjective.

I would much rather collect early cards of players vs late in career, but the absolute rookie card classification is a little silly to me personally since it's really IMPOSSIBLE to determine a definitive rookie card for each HOFer.

[Matthew H]

For me, cost was the only reason I decided to not even try. Perhaps, like Novak Jr stated, it was only perceived....

How many collectors out there can actually afford a bunch of e107, w600, a Ruth rookie etc. 5% seems about right. After I looked into it I decided I'd be just as happy with HOF types, maybe others have gone through the same thought process.

-Matt

[drc]

There have long been minor league cards collectors, though they're a small segment.

As was already noted, a lot of the Pre-Rookie cards are odd balls and regionals and two few in number to support a major crowd of collectors. And most minor league issues, even in the 1980s, are quite limited in number.

I've long been a fan of odd balls, so odd ball rookies interest me. 1978 Kellogs Eddie Murray, 1954 Johnson Cookies Hank Aaron, etc