Baseball Card Museum?

[Bill Stone]

Has anyone ever been in discussions about creating a baseball card musuem exhibit? I would think someplace like the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, Kentucky might have an interest in hosting a special exhibit--maybe for 6 months or so----has this been done? Would you be willing to lend some of your cards for the limited time to create the exhibit? I know the Hall of Fame has some significant cards on display but I am thinking of entire sets being available? Oh well just an early morning thought.

[Rich Klein]

Once tried a baseball card museum in Cooperstown. After a couple of years; he realized it was not a success.

There have been many BB Card and memorabilia exhibits and thus that has been done! IIRC; Mark Macrae was involved with a PCL exhibit earlier this year. If not, Mark correct me on exactly what the PCL exhibit entailed

I think a BB Card museum would have to be interactive and not just pictures of cards. And where are you going to find interactive activities from on baseball cards.

That may be the biggest issue of all. Museums nowadays need to be interactive and we don't have enough video history to make them that way.

Maybe in another 20 years or so; we can have a small building with a rotating type cards; Hobby HOFers and some interactive activities involving the PLAYERS, not the collectors

Regards
Rich

[barrysloate]

Gary Cypres has a museum in Los Angeles, and part of it displays baseball cards. But it features memorabilia from all sports, and cards are just a small portion of the exhibit.

[FrankWakefield]

The Louisville Slugger Museum contacted me once about displaying cards. I took a bunch of stuff up there, and they displayed a bunch of it. Another fellow had some really nice T206s displayed. They took good care of it, kept a guard near. It was shortly after DiMaggio died. They used my 39 Playball on their site as they promoted the display.

They were super nice to deal with. When it was over and I retrieved my cards, they gave me a bat. They'd lifted my signature from a letter I'd sent, and customized a bat for me, signature with name printed, powerized pro model.

I don't think they want a full time display...


And I had some cards and stuff loaned to the St. Louis Baseball Hall of Fame. They still have some stuff on loan, although I think they've returned the cards. Ernie Orsatti's bat, Pepper Martin's 1934 contract, and some more stuff is still there. They are super nice folks, and have security and preservation in mind.

Maybe the place for a museum would be Washington DC... not as far as NYC for most folks, less expensive, would keep with the 'National' or 'American' theme... Cooperstown seems obvious, but there's insufficient traffic, I think. It might survive in DC.

[Jay Wolt]

Jim Crandell has talked about opening a museum when he retires to house his collection.

[barrysloate]

For a sports museum to be successful, it would need to display more than just baseball cards. Cards are great, but that would limit attendance. A museum needs to appeal to the largest possible audience, and not everyone would want to spend a day looking at baseball cards.

[FrankWakefield]

I agree with that, Barry... and it would take more than adding in boxing cards, or non-sports. Probably a museum of sport.

[oaks1912]

Rich...You are correct. Eight collectors including myself just wrapped up a 6 month exhibit on the history of the Pacific Coast League that was on display at San Francisco International Airport. The exhibit features a balanced selection of cards, programs, uniforms, equipment, photos and paper. I currently have (with two other collectors) another exhibit ,highlighting the Lefty O'Doul SF Seals Tour of Japan in 1949, running in downtown San Francisco.... These types of themed exhibits are successful for the short term. In order to get return visitors, you have to constantly rotate the exhibits. As you pointed out, Larry Fritsch had a card museum located in Cooperstown , New York which was open briefly in the late 80's. I enjoyed my visit there, but it was not profitable for Larry and was closed down after about a year of operation. I think the lessen learned here is that if it can't work in Cooperstown , New York, during the hobby's most populous years, it's a tough sell anywhere. A wiser person would be better off opening a restaurant....