What do you do with your cards???

[Archive]

Posted By: glenv

After picking up some expensive pieces of cardboard, it seems a shame to throw them in a box
and rarely see them. However, if I put them out I worry about fading and theft.
Besides, most of us have too many cards to put up on a wall (We would run out of tacks!)

Just wondering what everyone else does.

[Archive]

Posted By: Lee Behrens

My felling is why buy something like a baseball card and lock it away, I want to be able to see it and show it off whenever I please. I have most of my T3's (13) framed and numerous other cards framed, I love them as wall decorationThe rest are in either albums, or boxes. Yes it would suck if there was a fire or someone stole them but if you can't enjoy them, go buy some stock and put the piece of paper in your safe deposit box. I am proud of what I have collected and why not show it off.

That's what I do with my cards.

Lee

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie Vognar

I put each card in a Mylar holder, which I buy from Mark Macrae, who buys them in large quantities. Mylar is an acid-free, inert, archiaval grade stuff, which also makes your cards and photos look prettier. They come in various different sizes. Large cards, like T202s or A 35s, I put in different versions of Mylar comic book holders (modern, silver age, golden age, magazine, newpaper size) which I buy at my large local comic book store. Ditto with photos. AND, each photo has its own holder, to be put inside a larger holder, which I punch 3 holes in, and stick it in the OLDEST, CRUMMYIST looking 3-ring notebook I can find. The cards, in their Mylar holders are put in Vario pages from Subway Stamp Shop (I prefer the clear fronts and black backs)800-221-9960. They have many kinds of page divisions: My Colgans are in 4-layer pages, my T202s are in 3-layer pages, most cards are in 4-to-a-page division pages, my T3s are in single pocket pages. You can get as few as 5 pages at a purchase, and they are not expensive. The sheets of cards, appropriately divided, are also put in 3-ring binders (the sheets you buy from Subway have various holes at the left-hand margin.)

Then, everything goes in my son's ex-stereo case, part glass, part wood, about 4 shelves. Over this, I pt 3 linen tablecloths, and an A'[s towel over the back. Why?

BECAUSE I SMOKE, that's why.

There are some flat pieces that are simply too large for ready-made Mylar holders. I recently bought 5 bag-and-back (they're supposed to be archival, but they're not) huge holders for 1) Mullin original artwork, 2) The CIA Moe Berg poster, 3) a sheet of Jaspanese Menko cards--and I can't remember what else. If you have a really valuable large piece, an art shop will make you a Mylar holder at considerable expense.

SO, though my baseball stuff is not on display, it's easy to grab an album, or a bag=and-back, and bring it out to the livingroom for me or someone else to look at.

I only have two baseballs, and I haven't the foggiest what to do with them. One is from DiMaggio's last year (? 1949, anyway), a Yankee ball (no Mantle yet), which is fading a=pace, and the other is a Willy Mays, Willy McCovey and, er, Al Lopez (well nobody's perfect!) signatures, which hasn't begun to fade yet. Wish someone could tell me how to store them so they won't go away...

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie Vognar

I have the com[plete Topps '56 set in Mylar, and all HOF players (and those to be), up through Nomar. Beginning with the '60s, I dispense with the Vario pages, and use real skinny plastic pages. But nobody else I know keeps anything post-war in Mylar.

Last month, Mark was out of Mylar, so I had to robn Jeter of his for Puid Galvin. Hope he doesn't mind. Thast's the PINNACLE Jeter, not the (ugh!) SP.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jaime Leiderman

I have almost 80 signed baseballs all stored inside ball cubes.
The earliest signature ball I have is a 1930's Yankees w/ Ruth and Gehrig, and ball cube has worked so far.

[Archive]

Posted By: David

I have six 1930s-50s baseball photos individually framed/matted and on a wall in my office. There is a large window, but the shades are usually closed, so the photos receive little direct sunlight

[Archive]

Posted By: vorthian

I have about a dozen Hank Aaron forgeries from Stan's Sports. Thank you Operation Bullpen!

Bring a bat to this year's National, maybe I'll serve up some BP.

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

I smell my cards mostly..... and have a not too high of value sampling out on display in my office at home. A few big names so folks that don't have a clue at what they are looking at will gawk a little...a '33 Ruth, '16 Cobb, '39 Williams, '38 Dimaggio, '49 Robinson, a few Mathewsons..... some old judges and some other cool ones....but nothing of real high value as I am a little cautious...plus who the heck is going to know about some of the rare ones anyway? Peck and Snyder means absolutely nothing to all but about 1 in 20,000 so why stress about having it out? I also have my new found cig packs collection on prominent display......and then I go back to smelling the cards again hey is there a pattern here??.......regards all

[Archive]

Posted By: john

im the bad one is this group because i keep my good cards in a safe and not even at my house and very rarely take them out,but i would like to finish my t206 set and make some sort of a display for all of them.I do have a couple old judges that i hate to take out because they are badly faded,including a tim keefe

[Archive]

Posted By: Doug Allen

My wife decorated the family room in vintage baseball motif and bought me a glass top display table with a velvet lined drawers. On the walls is my framed 1900 to 1911 Cub collection (e.g panoramas, uniforms, bats, framed cards, autographed pieces etc) The display case houses the tobacco card collection and my favorite card...the autographed T206 of Cobb.

She is the best thing that ever happened to me...

[Archive]

Posted By: Trevor Hocking

I am fortunate enough to have a den all to myself. I'm also very fortunate that the room has no windows, this helps with the light issue. It's pretty deck out with baseball memorabilia. I have three six and a feet tall curios, my computer, desk, and of course the big screen and lazy boy. As far as safety goes, I recommend investing in a large and very heavy fire proof filing cabinet. The one that I have is five feet tall, three feet wide and weighs about 900-1000 pounds, this makes it very hard to steel, that is if you make sure to remove the casters and place it on thick carpet so it can sink in. I also picked the one with a ten number digital code to open it, and just for a little more security I called a locksmith to add an additional key driven lock as well. This makes a great place to store you collection and it has a lot of room then a traditional safe, but my father does have a walk in safe at his house and that's where most of the sets reside. Also make sure to add a dead bolt to the rooms door and buy heavy duty hinges. To secure it in your home place a motion sensor, that's connected to a paging monitoring system, right in the middle of the room on the ceiling, just make sure to turn the ceiling fan off when you leave. As you can tell when it come to security I'm a little obsessed, but hay when it comes to cards who's not! I will try to get some pictures scanned and post them. Great topic!
Trevor

[Archive]

Posted By: runscott

I have my 5 t206 catcher gear cards in a nice frame, matted using cut-down SGC black inserts - it looks great! I also have a glass coffee-table with a 8" area beneath - displays a ring bat, old cabinet team photos, old gloves, old cards, baseball tintype, etc. Some of my better SN and Baseball Mag supplements are framed on the wall - cream-colored acid-free mats with simple black metal frames look great. I also have numerous displays of cards with autographs, magazine pics, ticket stubs, etc. And my old '73 Phillies and Giants ball is sitting on my desk with Steve Carlton and Mike Schmidt's autographs looking like the day they signed it for me!

This stuff is for looking at!!!

[Archive]

Posted By: Marc S.

One of the things I find very amazing is the dramatic change in Schmidt's signature from his early years to his later years. The change started to occur in 1975 and developed over the next two or three years to basically how he signs today. I guess this is the case for many players, though. I know Mantle is a good example -- and, heck, I've even seen the minor league signature of Roger Maras -- with two "a"'s.

[Archive]

Posted By: runscott

Prior to '73 he had only 1 hr! I had no idea who he was when he signed the ball, and had to look him up in the program - 1 hr lifetime and batting under .200 and he had the nerve to write his name over the entire side of the ball! Guess he knew he would be huge. Bill Robinson hit a game-winning HR in the 9th that day, so the Phillies were signing away happily...except Jim Lonborg.

I also have a Cincinnati Reds ball from '74, but almost all of the signatures have faded. I think it's a combination of ink and ball surface. The Giants signatures on the Phillies/Giants ball are "spreading out" a bit, but the Phillies look fantastic (better ink?). So I knew to use a good pen for the Reds the next year, but I used a cheap ball! DOH!

[Archive]

Posted By: Bill Cornell

Scott - Gentleman Jim is now a dentist practicing close to Boston. If you still want the signature, a root canal could get you into his office...

[Archive]

Posted By: Andy Baran

I scan all of them, then post them on my website (free at Yahoo Geocities). Unfortunately, the cards spend most of their time in my safety deposit box. I had many cards stolen years ago, and I don't plan to let it happen again.

[Archive]

Posted By: mike mullins

I keep all my cards in a small metal lock-box under my bed. Anyone could walk off with it, but I put a large red and yellow sticker from my lab on the lid that says:

"DANGER! RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL"

People might think I'm keeping uranium in my apartment, but no cards. Not that I have anything worth stealing anyway...

mm

[Archive]

Posted By: john

just hope your house doesnt get raided some day and fbi goes tearing through your cards looking for uranium

[Archive]

Posted By: MW

In fact, I think they're one of the most sensible hobbies, not least sensible as some non-collectors might think.

With some hobbies, your money is used for enjoyment, but ultimately, you have nothing to show for it. With vintage baseball cards, I feel there will always be value.

To me, vintage baseball cards are more than just "collectibles." They provide a valuable historical cross-section of life from a different time period -- a time period when life was less complicated and money was less of a motivating factor. When I look at a vintage baseball card, I see more than a piece of paper; I see a historical footprint -- a glimpse into the past. That's why I keep my cards everywhere. They surround me in tall stacks where I work. They find their way into my pockets. I sleep with my favorite card (not telling what it is) under my pillow. During breakfast, the newspaper takes a back seat to the reverse sides of Cracker Jacks and Goudeys. And yes, like Leon, I occasionally smell one too.

Best regards,
Michael

[Archive]

Posted By: runscott

change it to: "caution: naked photos of Bill and Monica"

[Archive]

Posted By: runscott

I'm guessing you sleep with the entire Virginia Brights female set, and maybe an occasional Vampirella magazine.

[Archive]

Posted By: Jay Miller

I will never again read the chat board while I am eating lunch. Is there a card equivalent of the ASPCA that can be contacted concerning your card abuse?

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie Vognar

especially thje 19th century ones. I think I could never keep them in a bank, but then I've never been robbed. Then I might change my mind.

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie Vognar

The Peck and Snyder (Sp?) is the only card that I like the back of better than the front. Your collection oboyoboyoboy...

[Archive]

Posted By: john

mw is right about other hobbies. I have 2 antique cars and between paying for insurance,upkeep,car shows,gas(including $3+ racing fuel a gallon) you end up losing most of your money while cards the longer you keep them usually the more they are worth....anyone wanna buy a 69 z/28? wins trophies everytime! will trade for cards of equal value

[Archive]

Posted By: Lee Behrens

I also enjoy reading the backs of the cards, I bought a Cracker Jack reprint set just for that purpose. I also enjoy reading the T202's, the style of english used is kind of entertaining to me. I am certain it is not Middle English!!!! Just the way they describe the game compared to today is interesting.
How did these guys ever field as well as they did with the conditions they had to play on, and the equipment they used? i wonder if our modern players would even be willing to play on the same fields?

Sorry I got off the beaten path

Lee

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

how about I have you a good beating to get you back on the right path?

[Archive]

Posted By: jay behrens

I'll race ya with my '73 240z. Gotta sell it, or trade for cards, after I get moved to MN. No way that car survives a winter out there after having spent all its life in CA.

Jay

[Archive]

Posted By: runscott

I have been collecting 1900-1914 baseball articles and one I read recently points out that fielders were usually given errors if they touched the ball and didn't make the play. Because of this, a lot of the better fielders (and team players) had WORSE fielding pct's, since they could dive and touch balls to slow them down or stop them, limiting runner advancement, whereas the weaker fielders (or non-team players) avoided such blotches on their fielding percentages, or simply couldn't reach as many balls. Of course, it was also tougher to dive and make a play with poorer field conditions and smaller gloves.

I have loads of these articles - I'm planning to go through them at some point and create a paper that highlites these differences and some of the "inside baseball" that was prevalent back then and which today's players don't give a hoot about.

[Archive]

Posted By: leon

I appreciate your kind words about my collection but it is really no where near the collections that many folks on the board have. My response was not for that point though, it is concerning your thought on the 1869 Peck & Snyder card. I think it is one of the greatest looking fronts of all time. The back is cool too but man ....the players and their uniforms on the front is almost unbeatable......just my opinion as we all have our own thoughts.....and I smelled and fondled it (very gently) before it got imprisoned so my senses were very satisfied....and I can always crack it if I need a fix.........regards

[Archive]

Posted By: John

I would race you,but i'll admit first that my car is far from stock,was raced alot but looks stock on the outside,so instead,maybe we can make a package deal for someone....and now to get totally off the original subject,does anyone else have antique cars that i dont know about? i know doug allen does and mr scott forrest does too besides jay(dont let the wife sell the firebird scott!),i also remember talking to someone on the old fullcount board about car shows..... doesnt seem like 2 hobbies that would mix,but i guess both are male dominated(sorry julie) so its possible

[Archive]

Posted By: runscott

I promised her last night I would put it up for sale next week. I've had my '67 Firebird for 20 years now, so I guess I'll have to spend the last night sleeping in it...perhaps with my "proof" t205 Reulbach for company (no Leon, I won't be fondling or sniffing Big Ed!)

The good news is, part of the proceeds will sit idly by, waiting for an e95 Wagner!

[Archive]

Posted By: Julie Vognar

this is a male-dominated hobby? When I call Mastro at 8:00 in the evening, and the person answers "Hi Julie," I can hardly forget it. There are, however, a disproportionate number of women sellers on e-bay, or men using women's names (?)

Kit Young has a young lady working for him. A few weeks ago, I ordered an 84 Fleer extended Puckett (very cheap--"nrmt"), and she pulled an '85 Puckett for me. Fortunately, nobody had bought the '84 by the time I called to return it. Unfortunately, the '84 had a short turquoise line near the left-hand border, so I returned it too. Just think about it a while: how can anyone pull an '85 Puckett when asked for an '84? Thnik of all ther things you would have not to know...

Not that I know nearly enough.

[Archive]

Posted By: Marc S.

who are men using women's names to sell their items. I always wondered about that. One of the sellers of old was "semana3" who provided a P.O. Box address with an addressee of "Deborah Kim". That same person now sells under "dana4" or "dana-4" or something like that.

I could never really figure out how/why they did that, unless they were simply so paranoid, they didn't want anyone who potentially knew them as a dealer tracking them down...

[Archive]

Posted By: John

maybe "male-dominated" was the wrong phrase? just going by my personal buying and selling about 1 out 15-20 buyers/sellers is female,at car shows it might be 1 in 30 or more... how about predominately male?

[Archive]

Posted By: Elliot

I've got a red '68 Corvette and it's definitely not for sale (my boys would kill me). I think we should have a combination car and card show and tell.