Newbie Question
 

Hi,

I have been looking at everyone's collections and have loved every single one. Now, I want to start picking up vintage Yankees stuff, but with a limited wallet, I am kind of lost as to what I can pick up. I have been mainly a baseball card, bobblehead, pocket schedule, pins and figurine collector. All modern. Any advise on what I can start picking up that is vintage(ish) that won't break the bank?

Thank you for the advise ahead of time

Mike

Hey Mike. First, Good Luck and have fun! You may want to first ask yourself why vintage Yankees and what appeals to you? The answer will help you narrow. Is there an era you want to focus on? Let say for discussion you like the 50s. There is a lot that is available that won’t break the bank - game programs and tickets, pennants, press photos, schedules, buttons and pins. If you want to venture into autographs and game used, the rent and risk and drama increases exponentially. I would start with some generic items and go from there. Maybe pick a player(s) or decade.

Hi Mike,

If you like the modern items you've listed then you can start with some like vintage items. Some of the more common vintage pocket schedules, pins, buttons, etc. are relatively reasonable in price. If you get into some of the more obscure examples then the price goes up. Also, some of the Yank nodders are relatively affordable as well. If your into yearbooks, programs, tickets, posters, etc. some are not too bad as well. Personally I think there is a lot of items you can acquire on a limited budget when it comes to memorabilia. You can start with these lower end items and get your feet wet with vintage items.

Welcome Mike, I won't hold the Yankee thing against you. I'm a Pirate fan and limit my Pirate memorabilia collecting to the 1971 team. That particular team has much personal meaning to me. Collecting with such a limited scope can be difficult and requires much patience but I have enjoyed the hunt. Collecting this way has been affordable but occassionally a special item has surfaced and stretched my budget. Is there one Yankee team that was your favorite?

For simplicity, go to ebay and just type in "Yankees 1971" (or whatever year you want) and then sort by lowest price first. If nothing else, you'll see a wide, disparate range of things and it will very likely provide you with a slew of new ideas, leading to more specific searches and what not.

Good luck!!!

Hey Mike - I collect SF Giants so, by definition, none of that stuff is pre-1958. I also have some NY Giants and SF Seals stuff but my collection is probably 95% post-1958. I'm sure we all have different definitions of "vintage" but, for me, it's probably the SF Giants' first 15-20 years. In many ways, I kind of consider the 1960s a golden age of baseball and it is nice to be able to find stuff from that era without breaking the bank. I have very few items in my collection that date to this century but still have thousands of items from the first 42 years. I would echo the sentiment that you try to focus on a particular era and/or item(s) e.g. pins, pennants, bobbers, etc. If you are getting into a new era, do your homework and don't overpay. That said, the "good" stuff is drying up so get it while you can.

Original vintage photos. Lots of good Yankees stuff there, and it can be very affordable.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I have a few ideas now what I should focus on thanks to everyone's advice.

ooo-rbiay-Great Giants Room! I love seeing pics of collection rooms.

71buc- Favorite Yankee team would either be the 1977 Yankees because that was my first World Series winner I watched as a kid (my first Yankees WS was the '76 team and that did not go so well for us, lol) or the 1996 Yankees, just because I loved the way the team played and came back from 2 games down to beat the defending World Champs Atlanta Braves. BTW, I am a huge Clemente fan.

Mike

FWIW- my budget has averaged out to about 10 bucks a day, for 20 years. :p

Are you sure you aren't a New York Yankees fan? Holy SF Giants stuff! Now that is what I would consider a memorabilia room! I certainly don't think my wife would let me do that.

So, after serious thought, I decided to concentrate on Yankee collectibles from the 70's and 80's as those were the years I grew up with the team. I also plan to dabble in collectibles from the 50's and 60's, as long as I can afford it.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I made my first purchase today.

Mike