Cards vs. Memorabilia

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Posted By: T206Collector

I think the Beals Becker uniform thread raises a very interesting issue, which deserves its own thread: why would you collect cardboard images of players when you can collect items that were actually possessed/used/touched by those players? Sure, some people collect both -- but I think pure card collectors are driven by something other than proximity to the player. What is it?



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Posted By: jay wolt

Regarding the Beals Becker, this is probably his lone jersey that remains
while his T206 cards numbers in the thousands. I collect memorabilia as
well as cards. I can't pony up the 10+K for this jersey, if it even will be
offered to the public. But I can buy the low graded T206's all day at $20-$30.

So this is really what seperates us collectors, cash (or lack thereof) & availability.

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Posted By: T206Collector

While cash may be a motivating factor for some, there are plenty of people who would prefer to have a PSA 9 T206 Beals Becker than his pants.

A better way to frame the issue would be -- if you could have a 1 of 1 prewar card of Becker; or his pants, which would you choose and why?



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Posted By: barrysloate

I'd love to get into Beals Becker's pants...as a collector, that is.

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Posted By: T206Collector

...when you work "blue", Barry.



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Posted By: 4815162342

The reason that I am interested more in cards than memorabilia is cost, but also storage space. I can hold a lot of my favorite T206s in my hand, and then put them back into their box. I don't think the wife would be too pleased with dirty 100 year old uniforms everywhere!

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Posted By: Mark L

I myself love the rare game used stuff, but many seem to have a special itch for things that come in sets. Especially sets that can be numbered. Collectors such as these will have a hard time completing the 1911 Giants road uni set.

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Posted By: Jodi Birkholm

Mark makes a very valid point. Ergo, there are many people who collect the autographs of a particular team and year (such as the '27 Yankees). This affords that type of collector to have a "set" to work towards, complete with a few elusive rarities--just like card-collecting!

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Posted By: Dean H

A few years ago I thought about getting into memorabilia and did buy a Game used jersey of Roger Clemens. After getting it, looking at it for a while I kept thinking, how can anybody know for sure this is a "game used" jersey. Bottom line for me is I just don't have faith in game used items. I know my example is for modern equipment but I think it translates over to vintage as well to some degree. Unless there is rock solid documentation, which makes the price, rightfully so, skyrocket, on the item then it's almost impossible to know if you have what you "think" you have. I could be wrong but I just could not develop a level of trust to get into that areana. I know cards can be manipulated as well, but I have a much more comfort level with them. I'm sure glad I sold my Clemens Jersey for what I paid for it a couple years ago.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Cards are for obsessive compulsives and memorabilia is for millionaires.

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Posted By: Marty Ogelvie

Great topic. For me its about staying connected to my youth. As a kid, I collected cards. I was passionate about my cards. I have maintained that passion as an adult. I would certainly love to own some great memorabilia pieces but whenever I am in the buying mood, that 12 year old kid in me is saying 'Buy the cards!!!'...

marty

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Posted By: george gogol

I prefer cards, and always have. I have dabbled in equipment and autographs, in the end, always selling them to get back to my roots, baseball cards. For me the cards not only connect me to the game, but to an American past-time, collecting cards. I feel connected to the people who have owned the card before me, and I thoroughly enjoy trying to guess what the card's history is. I also feel connected to the history of the company who produced the card and like trying to figure out why they produced it and the variables that go into making a set. I must say I don't feel any closeness to the player represented, it is much larger than that one person.

The main reason, it connects me to my favorite escape I had as a youngster.

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Posted By: barrysloate

Collectors often assume that memorabilia only refers to game used equipment and jerseys. But there are many other underappreciated areas, such as early photography, scorecards, and rare books. The latter has always been my passion, and we have had several threads on the memorabilia side about how few people collect rare baseball books anymore. Likewise, vintage scorecards are among the most beautiful baseball artifacts ever produced, but I can't even recall having more than a small handful of scorecard discussions on this board ever. How about tintypes and early CdV's? They offer incredible images of early baseball players, yet I see this as another area where the interest isn't that strong.

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Posted By: Frank A

I love both cards and memorabilia. Though its easier to get a handle on cards and thier value, I would not feel like a true collector without some nice memorabilia items to hold in my hands. A nice early World series program or auto'd ball are a pleasure to hold. Frank

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Posted By: Rawn Hill

I prefer memorabilia. I can find 206 and 205 cards on ebay daily, but newspaper articles and photographs get my attention quicker.

Rawn

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Posted By: Alan

Paul - Excellent thread as usual. As Barry mentioned, there are many, many types of memorabilia. Collectors can focus on autographs, uniforms, equipment, programs, tickets, schedules, pins, etc,.... The list just goes on and on. I also think that memorabilia displays better in a museum or home than cards do & tells more of a story about the cultural & historical significance of the sport.

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Posted By: T206Collector

My collection of signed pre-war cards is sort of a fusion of memorabilia and cards. But while I enjoy pre-war cards "sans siggy", I couldn't really care less about autographs floating around on index cards, photographs, etc. For me, there is just something about card collecting that only escalates when the card I own has been marked by the player featured on the card. Thus, I consider myself a card collector first and an autograph collector second.

As others have suggested, perhaps I collect cards because they are a defined set -- and it is an obsessive compulsive fancy that is only narrowed by searching for signed examples. At the same time, I'm less concerned about getting closer to the player by way of a game used item or article, as opposed to his signature on his card.

I think I like the definitions and structure of card collecting -- sets, grades, comparative values, fluditity of transactions. Heck, I could even limit myself to just unsigned T206 cards. But I've never been drawn to a jersey, or a bat, or a base worn by a specific player any more than I could think that any pre-war baseball artifacts -- be it score card or a watch fob -- can be quite interesting.

Frankly, I wouldn't even know what to do with Becker's jersey other than sell it. I would get virtually no charge out of owning it and would think it a strange display item in my home. But I'd pay $1,000 or more for a T206 card signed by him.

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Posted By: sporteq

I prefer memorabilia .. i like the display and eye appeal.
Cards are cool and have collecting many in my early years. I
like buying a huge photos posters etc for decent money
Have it drape my wall oppose to a wallet size cardboard.
I just find memorabilia more exotic and harder to find IMO.
I do pick up cards here and there ... not much tho.

aL

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Posted By: ;barry arnold

I love T206s
and i've grown to love their packs as well.
In part, the two together make a beautiful display which my walls can certainly attest to.
In part, the packs act as an extension of the cards for me,
a way of rounding out and contextualizing the cards.
My type collecting has done a bit of the same. I love to compare the 206s with other T and E cards of the era and near the era.
Lately, I've been collecting game cards with the actual games, both for display purposes and,once again, for comparative purposes, with respect to
T206s. Just today, i've received the Evers and Chance 1913 National Game cards and have had a great time already, seeing that 'mighty skinny' Evers in all of his glory---and turning to the blue sky and yellow sky of the 206s and seeing that same beloved 'mighty skinny' Evers.

best,

barry

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Posted By: dynarl

I have to say my memoribilia is my favorite. The rare one of a kind items. The 1889 Trophy ball($75) from the game between the Detroit Police and the Cleveland Police, The 1860's or 70's Railroad bat($45) or the Vintage Baseball Stitching Clamp Saddle($150) which has hand carved parts. Finding these at an antique auction or antique shop there is no bigger thrill. D.

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Posted By: Fred C

Neat topic.

Something to consider is that those idiots at the card companies already thought of this, that's why they cut uniforms and bats and made those stupid scrap cards.

Personally, I'd rather have a uniform of a player from the deadball era but you have to think this out, there just aren't that many uniforms around that are for sale. These are in personal collections that may not see the light of day until someone passes on. I guess that's why a lot of us have to stick with a majority of the card board stuff.

The one thing I hate about the uniforms and bats are the lack of good provenance and the numerous amounts of full of crap LOAs, COAs and BSAs out there stating that the stuff is "REAL", "GAME USED", "or what ever it takes to give the PERCEPTION of (false) GREAT WORTH". Oh, BSA is BULL $HIT AUTHENTICATION.

I don't like signatures unless I got them in person or unless they are on a signed contract or document. Even then it's not a guarantee it's absolutely the signature of the person.

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Posted By: Bilko G

Well for me im a card collector first, but also have several memorabilia pieces as well. I prefer cards though over memorabilia. I like the fact that they are small and easy to handle and don't take up much space. I can sit on my couch, handle and look through hundreds of cards, with ease. I like the fact that i can carry a stack of cards with me to work and pull them out and look at them when im bored and just wanna kill time. Memorabilia is great as well, but after you obtain so many pieces, you just run out of run to store or display these pieces.

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Posted By: Mark Evans

I like cards as they seem to be almost the perfect collectible -- picture/artwork of athlete, bio information/stats, easy to handle and display and, perhaps most of all, they remind me of my youthful enthusiasm and innocent excitement in collecting back in the early 60s.

I do have some memorabilia though, including the college basketball jersey of one of my heroes, Bob Dandridge, who played in my home town (Norfolk State) and went on to become the critical addition that allowed the Bullets to achieve their only championship (77-78). I offered the jersey to Bob but he declined, suggesting that he sign it for me instead. Coincidentally, I've arranged to meet with him tomorrow night. My wife, an avid basketball fan, can hardly wait.

Hope to see all in Cleveland.

Mark

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Posted By: Joe_G.

BOTH!

My primary interest resides with a single team, well really two teams, the Detroit Wolverines (1881-1888 NL, 1889-1889 IA). On the card side, I'm lucky that the team is well covered by Goodwin & Co. (N172, N175, N173) together with several other issues (including Tomlinson Studio).

On the memorabilia side, I've been pleasantly surprised at the quality (not quantity) of 19th century Detroit material. I've been able to pick-up a bat (Deacon White collection), game ticket, several scorecards, game-in-progress pics, glass plate negatives, letters from manager, etc. I guess I even like memorabilia of my favorite card set. I like Old Judge packs and scorecards that advertise them.

Both offer challenges that keep me dreaming . . . from Detroit type cards ala SF Hess, G&B, Yum Yum, to World Championship scorecards, Dauvray Cup pins (White & Baldwin) and so on.

Best Regards,
Joe Gonsowski