Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards 4th. edition
 

Heads up to let everyone know that the Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards 4th. edition is available from krausebooks.com. I got mine.

Mine is on the way can't wait.

I'm not asking in a snooty way, but am genuinely curious....does anything actually change in these books from edition to edition? I wouldn't think so, but maybe I'm wrong.

Mine is on the way as well. I wish they'd update the digital version. It's pretty handy to have it on my phone, but it's from 2011. I guess they didn't sell enough of those to bother updating it.

+1. Perhaps I am too much of a "doubting Thomas."
Val

+1. Some of the listings don't seem to have changed in a decade.....

You can get the PDF version if you contact Tom Bartsch.

Let's see if the T206 Titus listing has been adjusted upwards to reflect recent sale prices. That would be (at the very least) a first indicator of how "updated" this guide is.

Best,

Eric

Eric, the T206 Titus is listed as VG: $55, Ex: $135, NM: $550 as are all the "common" T206s.

I got my catalog a few days ago, if anybody else needs a price looked up, let me know. Randy

I got mine last week. There are several new additions but mostly they seem to be in the 1970's collectors sets like TCMA sets and other minor sets that very few people collect or care about..

Once again they've failed to correct the 1978 Wiffle Ball set listings. I've provided them all kinds of details and evidence but they still have it listed incorrectly.

Mine comes today but have the 14-15 Cracker Jacks changed? Rob

I don't know what the prices were in the last catalog but here are the new common prices:

1914: $100, $360, $850 (vg, ex, nm)
1915: #1-144 $65, $110, $300
#145-176 $65, $130, $325

Is the catalog still actively managed?
 

I only ask because I am not aware of anyone (since Bob Lemke left) reaching out on this board or elsewhere, to solicit additions and corrections. is someone actively managing and updating the entries? If so, who is it, and what can we expect going foreword?

I am of the opinion that the catalog should list every set and card known, not just the popular ones. Unfortunately, regionals and many other cards get short changed or cut out.

One final question to ponder... If it's not listed in "The Big Book," how can you say something is catalogued? Because it appeared in an edition 8 years ago? Because it appeared in some other tome published years prior to that? I know there are other sources like Beckett and Old Cardboard (which does a fantastic job and is an awesome reference site) but I selfishly want the catalog to have it all published in one annual book, officially Cataloguing all cards and sets.

Real old prices same for at least 10-12 years they need to catch up with current prices commons are way more than that just check ebay. Rob

This is where they have failed to grasp the implications of digital vs physical. I can understand space and cost constraints with regard to the physical book, but there should be no physical restraints in the digital copy. For that matter, they should still include all the modern sets in the digital copy as there is no valid justification for eliminating them if they're not being printed.

I would love to see the Standard Catalog property sold to a company that exists in the present, rather than one that has only just barely entered the mid-1990s with regard to technology. How is there no app by now? Even Beckett's idea of an app is just a digital copy of their magazine, it's not even tied into their database.

Unfortunately your opinion and business fiscal issues aren't on the same plane. The SCD has seemed to neglect vintage since Bob left there. I don't think they care anymore. It is ONLY about selling the catalog *(which is sort of understandable from a business perspective) but that, to me, is a short term view.

As far as something being "cataloged" I (personally) have never used the SCD to say if something is or isn't cataloged. It is only the ACC, or other commonly used system (SCB and Egan for a few) that I have used. So for me, being in the SCD isn't being cataloged or not. I believe SCD has taken out and put in many different vintage issues over the years. I agree it would be nice to have all of the known sets in one place but that is a pipe dream with the SCD current management. I have some that are a few years old that I still use, and since not much has changed in vintage, there is no need to get another one.

Scd
 

I believe Tom Bartsch handles both the SCD magazine and Catalog currently. I know some collectors who have had some successes lobbying him to update certain checklists in the book, typically in regard to some variation. I think his business contact is either bartsch@fwmedia.com, or tom.bartsch@fwmedia.com.

I recently wrote to him about an article in SCD about the Topps 1968 Milton Bradley game and related Toops football and baseball sets that came with it, and did get a reply.

I do agree that since Bob Lemke left the enthusiasm no longer seems to be there. I have saved the last catalog that had post 80 listings and did get the 3d edition of the pre 80 only book, but think I may be done now. It was never a valuable resource on prices in my view

Useless to anyone who has internet...oh, everyone! :)

Cheers,
Blair

Like ALR-bishop said, you can contact Tom Bartsch (Tom.Bartsch@fwcommunity.com) to recommend changes. He'll also send you the electronic version via email, if you want one. Sorry, I was a little slow getting back to him.

Listings
 

Folks who have managed to get a new variation listed in SCD or Beckett, especially if it then ends up in the PSA registry lists, often see such cards soar in value since then every master set collector has to have it.

Scd
 

sadly, this once quite prized volume for all vintage baseball card collectors has
lost its credibility as an up-to-date resource for some time now. I do use one that is a several years old once in a while for perusal and it does the job of helping a bit with rejuvenating memory. iMHO

all the best,
barry

Catalog
 

I have a PC, a laptop, a blackberry, a kindle fire, and a smart phone, and I love all of them, but nothing compares to having the Standard Catalog in my hand and leafing through the pages. :)

I hope they keep publishing the catalog in spite of it's many flaws.

Rick

It's great that it's still available for purchase, but I'm waiting for an overhaul before buying another one. I haven't consulted mine in three years and don't even know where it is - the internet has sufficed.

Catalog
 

Tom Bartsch is doing a courageous job trying to handle a vast number of responsibilities that once were parsed out to a substantial staff at Krause Publications, now F & W Media. Literally think of a dozen-instrument one-man band. He is in actuality not alone, but the word "literally" is so close to the truth it makes me wince.

The sheer amount of time it takes to list new additions with an accompanying photo to the Cat, as well as try to make reasonably accurate changes to the values is a Herculean task at the least. The time finally came for Mr. Lemke to retire from it, and the job was shoved in Tom's face by corporate----and you think you've got troubles?

As someone else mentioned, I am one who's had success contacting Tom to update the value of a card, not with opinions, but actual sales figures. He thanked me and gave me the impression he not only agreed but would update the Cat. The correct email address for Tom Bartsch is: tom.bartsch@fwmedia.com

It isn't really demanding too much of yourself to do some of the research and make a concise contribution, for no remuneration whatsoever, if you see a glaring, inaccurate valuation---up or down.

You want your hobby to continue to thrive? Then DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF JUST GRIPE ABOUT HOW BIG SCD USED TO BE, OR THAT THE CATALOG IS REALLY BEHIND THE TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To paraphrase a well-known urgent challenge of President Kennedy:

And so my fellow collectors, ask NOT what your hobby can do for you, ask what you can do for your hobby.

That's one of the reasons I wrote my book on post-war regional/food issues. To contribute something to the hobby, rather than wait half a lifetime for someone else to write such a book. And I didn't write just about items I have, either! Of the twenty chapters, I only own 0-3 cards of well over half the sets discussed. It has seemed easier to write the book than get a publisher interested in actually publishing it. That says something "rotten in Denmark" about what the print industry thinks of our once-booming hobby.

So, ponder the matter of what you could do to help our hobby, and yourself at the same time.

---Brian Powell

Contributions
 

Good post Brian

I could and probably will write several paragraphs about this, let's just say that cataloguing is not the important part of the hobby publication world the way it was even 10 years ago.

What do other catalogues do?
 

Maybe I am missing something. Do Other standard catalogs (stamps, coins, records, guns, etc) eliminate entries that were previously recorded in prior editions, for business reasons? I am asking because I do not know. Maybe they do and that's just the way it is. I have personally contributed my limited hobby knowledge to the editor of the Standard catalog over the years and felt really good about doing so. For anyone who has contributed over the years, and then not seen your edits made, or your set removed from the catalog for business reasons, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, though. I will gladly share updates with Tom nonetheless, but I don't think it makes any sense at all to judge some entries worthy of inclusion and others not, assuming they meet the criteria for inclusion.

I owe much gratitude to the 3rd Ed. for bringing me somewhat up to speed on vintage.

I've contacted SCD in the past and Tom has included in this edition some variations that were not in the past editions.

Maybe " Net54Baseball" members can come up with a vintage on-line priceguide to reflect current prices. Experts in the various sets ( E, T, N etc.) could set up the prices.

Each week a new set could be listed with input from all.

I emailed Tom today to get the digital copy to match up with my paper copy and he immediately emailed back with a link. Great service there.

...

I should no better than to get involved in ridiculous conversations.

My experience is limited to the 1995 and 2007 editions, but IMHO, the listed prices have never been up to date with actual sales.

Happy collecting,

Larry

Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards 4th. edition
 

Things that you can do with the digital version:

1. Search for all cards of any player.
2. Search to see if there ever was a card of anyone.
3. Copy text to make checklists.
4. Bookmark favorite sets for easy access.
5. Go to any page quickly
6. Zoom in & zoom out.
7. Edit text, or make your own comments.
8. Print pages.
9. And much more.

Let's see you do that with the book! Even the internet can't do that!

That's why I enjoy the Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards!