Why do you collect what you do?

[Cooper12]

I am brand new to both this board and the hobby, although I have collected everything from antique furniture, decoys, American shotguns, tools, yada yada. Early on I learned that one must specialize to build a worthwhile collection, gain a level of expertise, and really learn about the items collected. Having said that, I am curious as to why you decided to specialize in T206s vs. Cracker Jack vs. 19th century etc. Was it availability, cost, or some connection with an era/issue? Thanks in advance.

[wolf441]

For me, it happened to be T206's in the local hobby shop when I was 12 years old (1st two cards - Abbaticchio Brown Sleeves and Ewing). I was collecting the regular Topps issues and had no idea about cards made back in 1910 and that they were packaged with cigarettes. From there, I got some of the old Larry Frisch catalogues and Bill Heitman's book "The Monster" and I was hooked. I came close to completing the set around 2000 and then sold off my collection to help pay for our house. I got back into the T206 set in 2011 mainly because my daughter showed a great interest in the cards and now we're up around the 300 card mark towards completing the monster. Great thread topic, by the way.

[Leon]

I like variety in things, so in collecting cards type collecting came naturally.

[Cardboard Junkie]

I lived in the glorious wonderful times of the fifties and bbcards and comics and toys are my way of reliving those times. Interest in post war naturally led into prewar.

[campyfan39]

I collect because it makes me feel connected to my late father with whom I collected with until his passing in 2004.

I am writing a book about our experiences :)

[Brian Van Horn]

I'm nuts.

[the 'stache]

Welcome, Cooper12! I collect because I grew up reading everything I could find about baseball. This was long before the internet made a player's lifetime stats and their life story available at the click of a button. I've always loved the sport, and now I'm adding my favorite cards from the players I grew up loving.

[T206Collector]

When I was a kid, my friend had a t206 Matty portrait. I have an eye for finding flaws in cards -- coulda been a grader! -- so he never let me look at it for fear that I'd find something wrong with it. When I got older, a friend of a friend was raising money for a trip to Vegas by selling his grandfather's T206 card collection. I picked up a Matty white cap and a Bender portrait dirt cheap. When ebay hit a few years later I saw how easy it was to keep adding to my T206 collection. Later, when a group of signed T206 Marquards showed up on ebay I bought them all. Having a T206 signed by the player is so much cooler to me than having just a nice looking card, so I have made it my life's hobby to get as many different ones that I can. I'm up to 37 (39 if you count Mrs. Mathewson and Mrs. McGraw). Everything else I collect is a side project, just for fun.... Whatever catches my fancy from time to time.

[EvilKing00]

Love having a piece of history, esp old ones that have been around. Where was this card 20, 50, 100 years ago? Amazing that they survived to this point.

I love the look of the T205 set, as well as the limited amount of cards and the age of the set. Also the different backs, miscuts and print errors add to the dynamic.

I also Love collecting anything Babe ruth. Mostly from the period he was alive in, not like 2013 cards. As a met fan who hates the Yankees I still cant help but love to collect ruth. He was a legend in his own time and is still the top player ever. Amazing IMO.

[conor912]

When I started collecting as a kid in the 80's, all I could afford were wax packs, but every price guide and baseball card book I owned was full of pictures of vintage stuff. I became fascinated with them and dreamed of the day when I was older and had more money so I could collect them. Ironic since now that I'm older and have more money along with a significant vintage collection, I just wish I could be a kid again.....

[ethicsprof]

I began collecting the monster in 82 when I was given a handful of cards by a good friend who had received them as part of an inheritance. I dabbled for years.
I became singleminded about the search around 2000 and tamed the monster
around 2007.
At that point, I moved from the focusing element of my academic mind to the broad brush
strokes/big picture element and moved into type collecting of vintage cards(200+
different at this point)
as well as vintage baseball photos( 1910-1949). I have greatly enjoyed picking
up a photo of each year, representing a large number of world series scenes.
I have also picked up an example of vintage baseball photos from key individual photographers and presses--around 20 different at this point. I should add that
I have picked up a vintage card for the various photos.
I have also enjoyed having all the cards and photos framed for my office walls.
all the best,
barry

[E93]

I loved baseball and read a lot about the dead ball era stars as a kid. When I learned about the hobby and card shows back in '79 I was floored by the older cards from that era. So while I collect a wide span of things, up through '70's Topps sets, my focus is pre-WWI and 19th century.

Within any era I focus on what I like. Aesthetics of sets and cards are important to me. As my knowledge of the history of cards grew, I became more interested in the historically important, and often times rarer issues.
JimB

[steve B]

What's this "specializing" you talk about? :D

I collect pretty much everything, but have reduced the focus as I get older and stuff gets more expensive. I do specialize in a couple other sorts of collectibles, but not as much with cards.

I'm more of an opportunist collector, I'm interested in a lot of things and eras. I also have the sort of luck that if I go to a show looking for something in particular there won't be any. But there will be some other stuff that might be more interesting. So I've bought cards at coin shows, and at a restaurant pottery show (Plus a really neat Cubs Tea/Coffee cup and saucer) As well as stamps and coins at card shows.

I guess I've always been a collector. The stuff has changed, but the hunt is just as much fun as ever.

Steve B

[slidekellyslide]

In the early 80's my dad found three Old Judge baseball cards in a scrapbook and gave them to me...told me to forget about buying the new stuff and look for the old. Took me a long time to take that advice but I'm glad I did.

edited to add: I now focus on the Nebraska Indians and Lincoln minor leagues...I collect that stuff because local history fascinates me.

[auggiedoggy]

I like old stuff. :)

[Exhibitman]

I've collected cards since I was 6.

I got into 'classic' Topps and Bowman after my uncle gave me The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book when I was 8.

I became interested in prewar cards when I got The Complete Book of Baseball Cards by Steve Clark in 1976.

I became interested in exhibit cards due to my conversations at card shows with John Spalding, who was a NoCal collector and writer who used to come down to SoCal to do shows. He sold me my first batches of prewar exhibit cards and graciously spent many hours BSing about them with me at those shows.

I became interested in boxing cards when I saw my first 1948 Leaf cards, bought two, showed them to my father, and he said about one of them [Barney Ross] "I think my cousin Ray fought him." The revelation of a previously non-disclosed pro athlete in the family will get you interested in that sport's cards PDQ.

All that is besides the point, though, if the cards weren't so darned interesting to look at!

[kmac32]

I collect E121 and related sets because my Great Great uncle was poctured on cards from these sets.

[Runscott]

I love pre-wwi color lithograph cards, but I don't really 'collect' them any more. I moved to photographs and real photo postcards, mostly because so many of them are unique, and because I appreciate how much effort it took back then to compose a photo and successfully capture the image and print it. A long way from the current iPhone photos.

When I do buy cards for my 'collection', it's generally a color lithograph - T206's, '33 and '34 Goudeys, and 1800's color lithos are my favorites, for the same general reasons I like old photos - it was a real labor-intensive art form back then, as opposed to the cheap crappy color cards Topps has produced since the '50s.