[drc]

These items fall under the category 'Origins of baseball cards.' They resemble baseball cards in ways, but aren't baseball cards as we know them today. They are from the days when baseball cards were being formed, like the intersection of of townball to basesball.

There are a few early items that fit my definition of baseball cards, a few near misses and many that do not. Calling something you own or are auctioning a baseball card only because that means it will sell for more is, of course, intellectually corrupt and following the path of Shop at Home and QVC. I remember when Shop at Home would call about anything a 'rookie card,' because rookie cards sold for more. Joe Montana's first appearance as a Kansas City Chief would be offered as his 'Kansas City Rookie Card.' A Ted Williams 1959 Fleer was his "Fleer Rookie Card."

I'm not an active baseball card collector. It's the baseball card collectors who make the 'baseball card' label such a big issue. I like baseball cards, but tickets, studio CDVs and cricket cards are nice too. Having said that, I have a personal definition of what is a baseball card and sometimes voice my opinion as to whether an item is baseball card.