I have been wanting to post this for a few days, but I wasn't quite sure how to word it. I'm still not completely sure, but here it goes. A couple of years ago, I first started thinking about collecting prewar instead of the postwar I have traditionally collected. I started some threads about T206 (first) and later T205. I own a few of each, and of the two I like T205 better for me. When I asked around about T206, some of you advised me to look around and pointed out to me that there is so much more to prewar than T206 (no offense at all to T206 collectors..hats off to you). That is what I have been doing...looking around in prewar, while still buying some postwar. The Obaks, especially the 1910 variety, have grabbed my attention, and I have been buying them. They are completely addictive! It may seem weird for someone in the South to become interested in the Pacific Coast League, but that is what is happening. Today, I purchased The Grand Minor League: An Oral History of the Old Pacific Coast League by Dick Dobbins, as I want to learn more about the PCL and the players. There are other books on the subject that I will be purchasing and reading. The reading and research might just be the part that is the most fun. In addition to the Obaks, I have "discovered" the D310s and D311s, and they are breathtaking, especially the D311s! I want some of those as well.
You guys have said many times that there's no right or wrong way to collect, that we should all follow our interests and collecting passions. I understand that the Obaks and D311s are "just" minor league/PCL cards in the eyes of many. I look at my postwar collection now and see a lot of mid to high grade cards of HOFers, many of which are graded. But to a great degree, there's nothing especially unique about anything I have. Most of what I have is a dime a dozen. Am I crazy to enter prewar not caring all that much about HOFers, focusing instead on these minor league sets with their history and art work? There might also come a time when I sell off many of the postwar stars and sets and use those funds to continue remaking my collection, again focusing heavily on the Obaks and D311s. I guess I could take a time out from these sets to pick up the occasional HOF card from another prewar set, but my primary focus would be on Obaks, D310s, 311s, and perhaps a Zeenut or two
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I know how elementary this sounds to many of you who are advanced prewar collectors, and all of this is cardboard when you get down to it. However, this is a really big deal to me. After all, we do allocate a lot of resources to this hobby of ours. This is part of a journey and change of thought for me that has been gradually rolling out over the last year or two.
What do you guys think?