Posted By:
William HeitmanI don't want anyone to think that I believe Old Timers are the only collectors who are passionate about collecting. Heck, I've known some really Old Timers who were anything but passionate about collecting. And it is clear to me that there are many who are not Old Timers who are very passionate about collecting and very knowledgeable as well. Time produces experience and knowledge. In the age we live in, it would seem a lot easier to gather information which can provide valuable knowledge to everyone. I've known plenty of Old Timers who were just terrible at grading cards; but, that didn't matter too much because if they sold a card, or traded it, it was always on approval if through the mail or it occurred in person. When I was auctioning a lot, I never hesititated to refund someone their money if, after they actually received the card, they disagreed with my grading or even if they just decided they didn't like the card.
Taking part in these discussions has lead me to go try and find a whole lot of material that I've put away. Last night I found one binder with about 10 years worth of the Monthly Card Collector's Bulletins, first published by Burdick and later by Bray. That binder covered the time period when Burdick was getting out of it and Bray was taking over. That was fun to look at.
While I will not assume that someone who is not an Old Timer can't possibly know what they're talking about, please don't assume that every Old Timer is just some old guy with an axe to grind.