Net54baseball.com Forums - "When It Was A Hobby"

Posted By: bruce dorskind I have been an active collector of super-rare baseball items in top condition since 1974. I have always strived to find the very rarest items- and for countless years have advertised in Trader Speaks, SCD, VCB and now Old Cardboard under the branding of "America's Toughest Want List." My real interest has been the history of baseball and how baseball cards, advertising signs, sheet music, buttons, programs etc have been used to promote both the commercial and non-commercial interests of the game. In the 31 years that I have collected, I have spent thousands of hours researching the hobby, rare items and the companies that manufactured them. In 2006 I am planning a major book..."When It Was A Hobby." A profile of the collectors, dealers, collections, and companies that shaped so many lives In addition to my own experiences, I would love to see correspondence or very early articles and hobby publications. I own 50 different copies of the Card Collectors Bulletin and some other pre-1950 hobby items- the first 10 years of the Trader Speaks, have over 200 articles from 1920-1989 on baseball cards- including a rare 1923 New Yorker story on Collecting Old Judges... Also, have original correspondence from Charles Bray, Buck Barker, Lionel Carter, Lew Newman, Frankj Nagy, Goody Goldfaden and countless others---as well as letters from Howard Delong and the last Presidents of Goudey Gum and Tatoo Orbit (Wrigley). Finally, I am personal friends with the CEO of Topps and many long-retired baseball collectors- who still have their entire collection in tact. Most of them have agreed to contribute to the book I am looking for other collectors who have similar materials -for research purposes only. My intent is to auction all the original materials in mid 2006-probably through one of the top three auction houses---My understanding is that the material will bring between $75 and $100,000. Your comments, questions and assistance is welcome. Bruce