Any advice for vintage beginners?

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Posted By: Rob

I have a friend who wants to start collecting vintage items (pre-war). He saw my small collection of tobacco cards and he liked them. He's in his mid-teens and really doesn't know anything of sports so modern card issues don't interest him. He likes the way a card 'looks old and antiquish' and how portraits look like miniature paintings. Is there a way he can start without denting his pockets like a tobacco starter set or something? One idea I had given him was he could collect off-grade T-206 common portraits with red backgrounds. They look nice, the red stands out, and he could get one of them a month for about $20/per on average. I am also going to give him a copy of Mr.Mint's book on investing in collectibles (I would highlight the parts which seem most important - yeah, I know some of you like him and most of you hate him, but his book is how I got started into tobacco issues) so he can at least get a little knowledge of what he going into and what he's up against. Any suggestions?

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Posted By: Bob D

If as you say, he doesn't care for sports, why collect baseball cards? There are tons of non sport tobacco cards from the same era which would be quite a bit cheaper.

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Posted By: Rob

He says he likes the way the baseball issues look.

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Posted By: Darren J. Duet

Refer him to Ken Burn's Baseball documentary, have him watch the first few of the series(thru the 1930's). If it sparks his interest, starting out with some t206's, t202's, and t205's will get him going.

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Posted By: jay behrens

you might want tos how him some Goudeys and Diamond Stars if he like the fact that they look like paintings. There also a lot of great non-sport issues that con be pursued quite cheaply.

Jay

I like to sit outside drink beer and yell at people. If I did this at home I would be arrested, so I go to baseball games and fit right in.

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Posted By: Zach

The red portraits seem like a good way to go...here's a great example that is at 5 bucks with 2 hours left. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=86841&item=5197289281&rd=1

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Posted By: Alan

Rob --

Just tell him to collect what he likes & enjoys & can afford. Tell him not to worry about the stuff in auction catalogs quite yet.

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Posted By: Rob

Thanx. That's why I suggested to him to start with 'red portraits'. They can be beat up (not FUBAR'd), inexpensive, and I think the red background gives it eye-appeal.

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Posted By: pete

I started with the portraits of cobb, young, johnson, mathewson all in PSA 4 or better, thinking the same thing, that they looked nice, cool and better than the other variations....then went to the less expensive portraits, I now own all 4 cobbs, 2 youngs, both johnsons, 2 mathewson's and about 25 more "batting", "throwing", "catching", "hands over head", etc., etc., etc., than I have portraits. Its very addicting and freakin' fun at the same time. I have to limit myself to about 100 per year or I'll go broke!
pete-

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I would recommend collecting non-sports cards: actors, etc. A lot cheaper.

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Posted By: Rob

Pete: it IS fun; because of the huge-ass number of cards in the set you can collect any which way. I just bought him a graded Elberfeld NY portrait, a $12 raw T206 common, and a book - Mr.Mint's Guide to Investing in Baseball Cards and Collectibles (don't hate me, because I enjoyed reading that book and it's what kicked my common sense into collecting tobacco issues) - to get him started so he can see what it's all about. The kid is a good chessplayer so I figured he'll get it right within the first few tries.

David: I might just suggest that to him, thanx! I'll probably give him a victorian sewing tradecard (it has horses on it) for him to get a 'feel' of an item that is older than any living human, present day.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

run away from anything not by SGC-GAI-PSA (and maybe BVG). Especially run far and hard away from anything PRO graded.

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Posted By: Rob

Good point! I will reiterate that to him!