Why do you like pre-war cards?

[mouschi]

A question was posed a while ago (maybe just in my head!) as to if OLD cardboard will decrease in value, once older generations pass away ... and with them, the vivid memories of Cobb/Wagner/Ruth/etc. I believe this has happened in part to older toys from previous generations ... the newer generations simply don't have the same attachments to a 1960's rudimentary boxed game as those who grew up with them.

My thinking is that it is apples and oranges. There is just something about pre-war cards that is alluring to many. Whether it be solely because it is so alluring to everyone, or that it is a piece of history of the national pastime, I don't know. The baseball bloodline that ran through Christy Mathewson runs through Clayton Kershaw, and frankly, I don't think the cards of yesterday will ever lose anything.

For me, holding a piece of history that has survived through so many wars, eras, etc. is truly fascinating ... it tells a story of an entirely different time for our sport.

There is something so different about a 1910 T206 when compared to a 2016 Triple Threads auto/patch. I respect both, but for entirely different reasons. I'm so glad and thankful we have such a diverse hobby :)

So, what about you? Why do you like pre-war cards?

[Al C.risafulli]

This is such a great question.

My love of prewar cards and memorabilia has nothing whatsoever to do with money. I love prewar cards because I love the history of the game, I love all the colorful stories of its early days, and I love trying to envision a time when baseball was in its infancy, just beginning to write its legend. The idea of this new game, sweeping across towns and factories, and eventually turning into a thing that could provide a CAREER for people, is amazing to me. There's nothing I love more than a crisp, sharp photo of people from the early days of the game, where you can make out faces in the crowd, writing on signs, and other little details to help you get a feel for what it must have been like to be there.

I love the mysteries that the early game provides, over bits and pieces of the game's story that have been lost to history. I love trying to rediscover those stories by researching names and places, and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of putting together the pieces to a puzzle - whether it's a big, significant find or a minor detail. It's like detective work to me. Detective work mixed with poetry.

I also love the techniques that companies used to manufacture the memorabilia and cards we collect. Who can deny the beauty of a colorful 19th Century lithograph, or a well-composed studio cabinet photo, or even the writing, design and assembly of a vintage book? Even looking through things like old Spalding guides, full of pictures of small, regional teams - it's amazing to think of how many mysteries could be solved by those old guides, and how many answers to so many questions that there are right in our own collections.

It's also amazing that we have this forum, so that we can connect the dots and get answers to all those questions, while building relationships in the process.

As I'm writing this, I'm immersed in research and photography and copywriting for a catalog, and I've got to say, all I can think about how how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing, amazing hobby.

-Al

[packs]

I've always been interested in history and myth. I've heard about Babe Ruth since I was a little kid, and he always seemed like this mythic person who was just a character in history, like Joan of Arc or something. But when I bought my first Ruth card he seemed to actually exist as a person. Same with Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. I also like the artistic aspect to many of the early sets. You just don't see that type of artistry anymore.

[EvilKing00]

i love pre war cards because they are old. Yes very simple answer but there is something about a piece of cardboard that actually survived over 100 years. so my love of baseball and old stuff draws me to some old baseball cards. love the t205 set which im working on, as well as the T3's which will be next if i ever finish the 205's lol

I also love babe ruth cards which will be 100 years old soon enough, lolol

anyway heres my oldest baseball card - just something owning anything that was made in the 1800's

246788

[Manny Trillo]

For the same reason people like stuff fron the 1800s. They are works of art, and dont necessarily reflect significant players as much as they do baseball itself, and more broadly, sport. People will always be into old stuff.

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[Manny Trillo]

I've always been interested in history and myth. I've heard about Babe Ruth since I was a little kid, and he always seemed like this mythic person who was just a character in history, like Joan of Arc or something. But when I bought my first Ruth card he seemed to actually exist as a person. Same with Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. I also like the artistic aspect to many of the early sets. You just don't see that type of artistry anymore.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5gPjChNAwV4

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk

[rhettyeakley]

This is such a great question.

My love of prewar cards and memorabilia has nothing whatsoever to do with money. I love prewar cards because I love the history of the game, I love all the colorful stories of its early days, and I love trying to envision a time when baseball was in its infancy, just beginning to write its legend. The idea of this new game, sweeping across towns and factories, and eventually turning into a thing that could provide a CAREER for people, is amazing to me. There's nothing I love more than a crisp, sharp photo of people from the early days of the game, where you can make out faces in the crowd, writing on signs, and other little details to help you get a feel for what it must have been like to be there.

I love the mysteries that the early game provides, over bits and pieces of the game's story that have been lost to history. I love trying to rediscover those stories by researching names and places, and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of putting together the pieces to a puzzle - whether it's a big, significant find or a minor detail. It's like detective work to me. Detective work mixed with poetry.

I also love the techniques that companies used to manufacture the memorabilia and cards we collect. Who can deny the beauty of a colorful 19th Century lithograph, or a well-composed studio cabinet photo, or even the writing, design and assembly of a vintage book? Even looking through things like old Spalding guides, full of pictures of small, regional teams - it's amazing to think of how many mysteries could be solved by those old guides, and how many answers to so many questions that there are right in our own collections.

It's also amazing that we have this forum, so that we can connect the dots and get answers to all those questions, while building relationships in the process.

As I'm writing this, I'm immersed in research and photography and copywriting for a catalog, and I've got to say, all I can think about how how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing, amazing hobby.

-Al

+1
Al, I couldn't have said it better! These are the same reasons I love this hobby.

[aljurgela]

This is such a great question.

My love of prewar cards and memorabilia has nothing whatsoever to do with money. I love prewar cards because I love the history of the game, I love all the colorful stories of its early days, and I love trying to envision a time when baseball was in its infancy, just beginning to write its legend. The idea of this new game, sweeping across towns and factories, and eventually turning into a thing that could provide a CAREER for people, is amazing to me. There's nothing I love more than a crisp, sharp photo of people from the early days of the game, where you can make out faces in the crowd, writing on signs, and other little details to help you get a feel for what it must have been like to be there.

I love the mysteries that the early game provides, over bits and pieces of the game's story that have been lost to history. I love trying to rediscover those stories by researching names and places, and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of putting together the pieces to a puzzle - whether it's a big, significant find or a minor detail. It's like detective work to me. Detective work mixed with poetry.

I also love the techniques that companies used to manufacture the memorabilia and cards we collect. Who can deny the beauty of a colorful 19th Century lithograph, or a well-composed studio cabinet photo, or even the writing, design and assembly of a vintage book? Even looking through things like old Spalding guides, full of pictures of small, regional teams - it's amazing to think of how many mysteries could be solved by those old guides, and how many answers to so many questions that there are right in our own collections.

It's also amazing that we have this forum, so that we can connect the dots and get answers to all those questions, while building relationships in the process.

As I'm writing this, I'm immersed in research and photography and copywriting for a catalog, and I've got to say, all I can think about how how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing, amazing hobby.

-Al

I agree with Al completely and i find the dearth of negro league stuff particularly alluring.... the uniforms, the photo and the (few) cards.... what an amazing eyeglass into an important time in baseball history.

Al

[Exhibitman]

I don't have the wall space or money to collect art but I enjoy having beautiful artworks around me so I collect small pieces of art. Just look at them, what's not to love?

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/T213-2%20Cobb%20bat%20off.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/T206%20Evers%20portrait.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/1933%20DeLong%20Terry.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/1935%20Wheaties%20Jackson.jpeg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/Gehringer.jpg
http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/dropins/websize/1922%20V61%20Heilmann.jpg

[nat]

This isn't specific to pre war really, but I like to think about the history of the specific cards that I've got. 1933 was in the depths of the depression. I like to think that's it's entirely possible that my Goudey was some kid's prize possession once. His dad spared the penny to indulge his son, even with work so hard to find. Of course I don't know if that's true of any particular Goudey that I own, but it's surely true of some of them.

[steve B]

I like pretty much all eras of card. They're all very different and products of their time.

The way I answered one of my friends who asked several years ago was to lay one card from almost each decade on the table and explain it as a historical artifact and what it showed about that time and the prevailing attitudes/interests of the country at the time. Almost, because the Old Judges had to make do for both the 1880's and 1890's. A point that also showed how things in general moved a bit more slowly without the level of communication that was developing.

They finally understood my collecting not just of cards, but all the other stuff as well. And they thought the cards as historical artifacts were pretty cool, even if they didn't want to collect themselves.

Steve B

[rgpete]

The evolution and or progress of the baseball card, and the game through the years with the stars.

[sreader3]

A question was posed a while ago (maybe just in my head!) as to if OLD cardboard will decrease in value, once older generations pass away ... and with them, the vivid memories of Cobb/Wagner/Ruth/etc. I believe this has happened in part to older toys from previous generations ... the newer generations simply don't have the same attachments to a 1960's rudimentary boxed game as those who grew up with them.


Interesting post. Hardly anyone alive today has "vivid memories" of Cobb/Wagner/Ruth/etc. So something else must account, at least in part, for the staying power of prewar cards. Many have offered valid reasons on this thread.

That said, I am fearful like others that the fate of prewar card collecting is somewhat beholden to the fate of card collecting in general. The undeniable fact is that the younger generation has not "taken up the Mantle" (pun intended) of card collecting en masse. That will be a drag on prewar to some extent. The best thing we can do is not just collect but advocate card collecting in general, and prewar card collecting in particular, in every way possible. A business is not viable without marketing; neither is a hobby.

[Leon]

I agree wholeheartedly, Scot. It is also why this board has always been very pro-hobby in almost every way possible. I love collecting and love reading the old stories of the ballplayers. However. it is probably the artwork/photos on the little gems that really draws me in. There is a lot to love about collecting pre-war baseball (cards) but I agree it could be dwindling and it is a shame.

Interesting post. Hardly anyone alive today has "vivid memories" of Cobb/Wagner/Ruth/etc. So something else must account, at least in part, for the staying power of prewar cards. Many have offered valid reasons on this thread.

That said, I am fearful like others that the fate of prewar card collecting is somewhat beholden to the fate of card collecting in general. The undeniable fact is that the younger generation has not "taken up the Mantle" (pun intended) of card collecting en masse. Thati will be a drag on prewar to some extent. The best thing we can do is not just collect but advocate card collecting in general, and prewar card collecting in particular, in every way possible. A business is not viable without marketing; neither is a hobby.

[kcohen]

I think that the answer is multi-faceted for most. For me, it connects me with my late father, born in 1908 and having grown up in the DC area, who saw play at Griffith Stadium many of the players of the tobacco, caramel, and early gum card eras. His recounting of seeing Walter Johnson, Same Rice, Bucky Harris, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, etc. evokes warm memories and brings those cards to life.

Furthermore, none of us ever saw these guys play. The cards, along with some footage, is as close as we'll ever get to touching them.