Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark17
Hank, we've discussed The Glory of Their Times before. I would say that book has done for tobacco era cards what the 1952 Topps Mantle has done for post war cards. So, I would say, keeping interest (and value) alive for the old common baseball cards keys on keeping alive the history of the game during that era, through books and movies.
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Yes, Mark, I've always thought that the publication of Larry's book followed shortly thereafter by the beginnings of collecting conventions, SABR meetings, and other manifestations of a heightened interest in baseball history is no coincidence. And baseball and other cards had a long history before that, some of the few mass collectibles you could point to along with stamps and coins, there just wasn't much organization or money to it. I've wondered on occasion if you had a nice Babe Ruth signed baseball in say, 1955, and wanted to sell it, where would you go and what could you get for it? I'd guess an antiques dealer might give you fifty bucks and try to sell it for a hundred, but even that might be overstating the market at that time for something that could buy your kid a college education today.