Posted By:
mcavoyIf you read the old Card Collector Bulletin from the 1940-50s with the Burdick opinion editorials (you can get an idea of what these were like by reading some of the Vrechek articles), Burdick, who buy the early 50's appeared to no longer even collect Baseball cards, reported all the old material had dried up.
Burdick encouraged all collectors to acquire what they could in collectable condition (cards with no creases, no marks, and no back damage), if for no other reason than to have trade material. He noted new finds, no matter what collectors might think, would be quickly acquired and be soon unavailable. I haven't read the Trader Speaks, I have read the CCBs, and the only important differences I can see between then and today are the prices and a shift to collecting types rather than assembling entire series, but I gather from the above posts these differences appeared before 1979. The information technology is different, and I imagine information is easier to acquire passively today.
I am reminded in the mid-1980s when that huge 1951 red back find hit the market. Those $8 packs now readily trade for much more on eBay. The point is collectors will absorb new finds of vintage material with little apparent long run impact on price.
Best, Mike