Posted By:
barrysloateJason- nobody laments the lack of interest in rare baseball books more than me, as that was always my collecting passion. I think part of it has to do with the way the world, and our culture, has changed.
This whole hobby exploded when the baby boomer generation came of age and began to earn enough money to afford baseball collectibles. When I wrote my baseball article in 1995, a rare baseball book was a very valuable commodity, while an Old Judge was a rather inexpensive baseball card. I can remember selling Old Judge commons in the $25-75 range and HOFers for $150-200 at a time when I could sell some baseball books for thousands of dollars without much trouble.
But the baby boomers are getting older and many are retiring, both from their careers, and subsequently from the hobby. And a new generation of 30+ year olds are the core collector base. And for whatever reasons, they collect much differently then we did. I wish I could figure out exactly what it is, but everything in a slab is golden, while a copy of The Base Ball Players Pocket Companion is a complete mystery. And I regret to say it very well may not change. With newspapers and books slowly giving way to the internet, we are undoubtedly entering a new cultural phase.