Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark
I think that cards have an allure because nearly every boy collected them, they come in sets that can, in principle, be readily completed, and because it’s easy to get started collecting them because they are plentiful. Almost anyone can get a 1968 Topps Aaron. If you have some money, you can pursue better and better versions and rarer cards. But with bats, I would guess that there are only a few dozen Aaron or Mays bats to be had, and it’s not cheap or easy to begin collecting those bats.
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Agreed.
The hobby is built around cards. Everything else is a niche. The hobby psychology is tied to cards. Has there ever been a "black swamp" find of bats, pennants, jerseys etc.? Who gets excited over a cache of game used bats found in the attic of this old house? Over the decades there have been plenty of finds of cards. Maybe it has to do with the picture on the front and stats on the back. Perhaps the collective is always on the hunt for the next big find. Cards were available to everyone, buy a pack and see what is unearthed. A collection of cards is far more portable, than bats, jerseys, pennants, fans (ok pin guys, pins are portable as well). Bats, jerseys, pennants and other memorabilia are cool as heck, but few collectors (Halper excluded) had the foresight to collect memorabilia by the truckload. The market for cards is just bigger than the other collectibles. For most, cards are the gateway drug to the insanity of collecting.
I always amazed at the non-card memorabilia on this site that collectors managed to save. Check out the pennant or man cave thread, there are some incredible items there.