PreWar cards books or catalogs
 

I am trying to spark my kids interest in collecting pre-war baseball cards instead of wasting money on video games. Keep in mind, they never collect cards before. Is there a book that you would recommend to spark their interest? Perhaps a catalog that has illustrations of each cards and their variations?

Here is a great book that shows pictures of prewar card sets.

PreWar cards books or catalogs
 

Hi, I have this book and it is a very useful book for card identification. Lots of fun looking at the old sets. Worth picking up if you could find it. Topps put out large format books like this for their sets also.

To be totally honest with you it may be a bit of a tough sell with your kids. Unless they have some interest in the game of baseball, history or a little bit of both perhaps baeball cards may not be anything more than a passing fad for them (if they show any interest at all).

My father was a VERY well known and studied Lionel and American Flyer train collector for most of his life. His collection rivaled that of any collection in the country HOWEVER I never had any interest in trains at all. When I was young I would almost cringe when my dad would talk to me about them b/c everything he told me went in one ear and out the other but he expected me to remember the stuff and would get so frustrated when I didn't know what he was talking about (I mean does anyone really care about the difference between the Lionel 390E and the 400E?)

What my dad did however do is instill in me the collecting bug. I chose to focus on something that I had a vested interest in... baseball and history. In the past I had tried many hobbies (for example I was a big Star Wars collector LONG before it was regarded as cool) but the one true constant in my collecting life has been vintage baseball cards and collectibles.

I admire anyone trying to instill that love in their children, my son is only a month old right now and believe me I will try. However, don't be surprised or frustrated if, in the end, it doesn't blossom into his passion. Heck, maybe he will become the world's foremost expert on vintage video games!

-Rhett

Re: PreWar cards books or catalogs
 

Pre-War? Perhaps I'm alone on this but I don't know how a
kid whose never been exposed to baseball cards is going to
develope an interest in vintage cards without some exposure to
the hobby for awhile. Here's an example. I have a 9 year old
son who loves playing and watching baseball. It's a thrill for him
to go to a Major League game and see a game in person. He's even
an all-star on his Wii video game too! On a few occassions, I've
brought out some of my pre-war cards to show him. He's only
casually interested in them. He's a typical 9 year old. I've bought
him a few newer card which sparks his interest much more. I think
the reason is twofold. First, he better relates to Albert Pujols
to Joe DiMaggio. Second, the newer cards are flashier, more
colorful and have more eye appeal. (Again, remember, we're talking
about a 9 year old.) The same would hold true for a teenager whose
buying his first car. I'm pretty sure he'd want to buy a newer Acura,
Honda or Toyota versus a beat up 1968 Ford Galaxie (which was
my first car.) The bottom line is I personally believe true vintage card
collecting (as opposed to investors who buy high grade material as a
"hobby") is something that's obtained over a period of time.

ErikV

Books
 

For kids, I'd recommend "My Greatest Day in Baseball", "Strange but True Baseball Stories", "They Played the Game", "Baseball's Unforgetable Games", and "The Glory of their Times".

Developing an interest in the players helps develop the interest in collecting the cards.

Ron R

the first words that come out my 10-year old is "what is it worth ?"

doesn't care who the player is.

I agree w/ Rhett, you cannot teach anyone "passion". You can teach them about history & value. But that may not sustain in being a long time collector.
Kids should collect because of a passion of the game, past or present, not so much about building a portfolio.

agreed collecting todays players to start. My son loved opening Heritage packs, because he knew the players from going to games. Then he started asking about the cards that years heritage was based on ('56 in this case) and from there loved looking at binders and the Slocum book and REA catalogs.
But it's an uphill battle- Xbox's and paintball and skateboards are so much more interactive.

As a teacher, I have found kids need an interest in baseball first, history second, and cards third...If you want books that might spark some interest in baseball cards and more importantly the players and history, there is a very popular series of books written by Dan Gutman. The first book is called "Honus and Me. A Baseball Card Adventure." These books are usually good for 2nd-4th graders and many of the students who read them, asked immediately if I had any of the cards that were talked about. They are readily available at book stores, libraries, or amazon.com. Hope this helps.

Joshua

I agree with the comments about getting young kids interested in vintage cards. You have to start with building a passion for the game and then for history. I don't think you can just go straight to the cards. It can be encouraged but not forced.

I also agree with the books recommended, including Strange But True, but also the newer books by Gutman that bring baseball cards and history to life for kids. Gutman also has one on Jackie Robinson and Shoeless Joe. My son has these. I confess to reading them myself but they are designed for kids.