How modern do you go?

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Most of us are primarily vintage collectors, but are there any of us out there that continue collecting the newer stuff? I resisted for a while buying stuff for the local American Association team (formerly Northern League), until I realized that finding a simple bobblehead from 2002 and team card set from 2004 was turning out to be impossible...I figure if it's impossible now in 20 years from now I'll wish I had grabbed all this stuff from the ballpark, garage sales, flea markets, et cetera...so I've started a mini collection of Saltdogs memorabilia. I finally did find that bobblehead and the team set and I have the complete run of those items, but I am now working on the team photo posters that have been put out every year from 2001-2007 and once again finding that task to be very difficult.

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Posted By: Clint

That's a good question. Most of the memorabilia I collect is pre 1930's with a few exceptions. My Kansas collection primarily stops at the 1960's but I do look for minor league jerseys up to 1990. My Orioles collection stops around their last World Championship.

Clint

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

One thing I'd like to get my hands on is a home and away jersey from every season 2001-2007...just have not seen a single one. They have a jersey auction night every year, but those are special jerseys used only in that single game and they are very lacking in the quality dept. Not to mention people pay outrageously for them in the auction $300+ up to $2,000 for some of the best players. This past season the money all went to the Heart foundation which is good and all, but the jersey's looked horrible with the Heart Association insignia, but no Saltdogs patch anywhere to be found. Just very generic.

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Posted By: Clint

Dan, they sell the jereys here also. I can't bring myself to buy the new ones. I did seriously think about buying an Alex Gordon bat though.

Clint

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

I probably would have liked that bat too, but it's hard for me to want to spend money on a bat from a guy who is good friends with my nephew and grew up just down the street from where I live. Doesn't seem right.

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Posted By: Clint

Dan I know what you mean. It's tough to collect memorabilia of people your older than. I sure hope Alex does great though, the Royals sure need him.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

IIRC I think it was Ken Griffey Jr or Gregg Jefferies who were the first Major Leaguers who were younger than me...just seemed odd from that point on to collect modern cards. Now there are very few major leaguers left who are older than me.

Nebraska just hired a head football coach who is younger than me by about 7 months...that doesn't seem right either.

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Posted By: Mike H

The only modern pieces I have collected are recent autographs of retired players. I have a few modern items in the basement, but I don't display with the vintage stuff. I don't dislike it, I just don't have the room to do both.

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Posted By: Aaron M.

1969 is my cut-off. That was about the time that grass was replaced by artificial turf, unique old time stadiums were replaced by concrete cookie-cutter monstrocities, flannel jerseys were replaced by synthetic polyester blends, and endless expansion took hold (along with the introduction of pre-World Series play-offs). All symbolized the end of the "vintage" era in baseball.

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Posted By: Brock G.

I try to keep a mix of old and new. The more I collect the more vintage my collection becomes though. Most all of my autographs are modern era players. I'm only 21 years old so I grew up watching players like Ripken, Griffey, and Thomas and when I began collecting everything was '90s but when I got my first vintage piece, a Bob Feller photo signed to my father in '74 that he found in the attic, I was hooked.

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Posted By: ErlandStevens

I collect mostly through 1957, the last year of the Dodgers being on the East Coast. I will go as late as 1969, my year of birth.

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Posted By: Mark Steinberg

Ditto to everything Aaron stated above. I would have specified the same exact year as the end of quality, artistry, and creativity. 1969 marked the onset of faceless mass-production.

This was also the year the "powers-that-be" felt the need to make pennants into stiff rigid material (as opposed to soft felt). They also had to add the generic MLB Logo to everything they manufactured. 1969 was the beginning of the end.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I collect non-sport photos and have some from the 1990s-2000s. Technical-wise, modern photos can be just just as interesting as 1800s. You gotta look at them closely and figure out what kind they are. The most expensive modern non-sport photo I bought and that I sold (different photos) were Post 1980. In comparison, the most expensive baseball was an 1800s.

I have some modern baseball stuff, but not for collecting (resale), including some 2000s game used jerseys. Though that kind of stuff scares me (forgery), I can see how people would collect game used jerseys, bats and equipment. The are great for display and as historic artifacts.

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Posted By: Greg Theberge

Red Sox 1901-1919
Red Sox/Narragansett Beer 1916-1968
Modern Red Sox - One Game Used Base 2004 WS and a Johnny Pesky signed ball, some magazines from the 2004 +2007 WS

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Posted By: David Atkatz

Yankees 1903-1927 (Artifacts can be younger than this, but must relate to players and/or teams from this time period; e.g., 4 July 1939 ticket stub to Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day.)