What was your first pre-war purchase?

[theshowandme]

I am currently on the fence about making a larger purchase (~$1500) for a relatively scarce item.

I have wanted this player's T206 portrait card for quite some time, but a unique D/E/W card has presented itself.

What was your first pre-war purchase? What made you pull the trigger on that copy?

I'm 75% likely buying this card, just want to hear some others stories first.

[53toppscollector]

My first prewar purchase was a T206 Krause Portrait with an AB 350 back.

I had done a few months worth of research on the T206 set, and I was in the process of selling off my near complete graded 1953 Topps set. I had done my research, set up my spreadsheet in Excel, and was watching what was listed regularly on ebay. The Krause was part of a large assortment of cards offered all ending around the same time. Something about his portrait stuck out to me, and I knew I wanted my first purchase to be an off back, because I knew the backs would be something I would be focusing on with my T206 collecting project(s)

No regrets. I had almost a complete Krause portrait back run assembled before I shifted my collecting goals in the last 6 months, but I kept the AB350 back, and always will, since it is my first. It was originally in an SGC 4 holder (though it was probably overgraded) and has since been snapped out and put in my binder

[Alaskanmade]

My first pre-war cards was a T205 Bresnahan. I had decided I wanted to build the T205 Hall of Fame set, and this was the first card in that set which went up for auction.

My first "expensive" pre-war card was a T205 Mathewson (photo attached).

No regrets

[BobbyStrawberry]

Originally Posted by theshowandme

I am currently on the fence about making a larger purchase (~$1500) for a relatively scarce item.

I have wanted this player's T206 portrait card for quite some time, but a unique D/E/W card has presented itself.

What was your first pre-war purchase? What made you pull the trigger on that copy?

I'm 75% likely buying this card, just want to hear some others stories first.

Mine was a cheap, low grade T206 common. I took a similar approach to E and other T sets, to help me decide if I wanted to try collecting more of them later. In hindsight, I'm glad I approached it that way. Good luck with whatever you decide, and I hope you'll share pics! -Matthew

[bbcard1]

I bought a random T206 from Card Collectors Company, which turned out to be a Snodgrass batting. That was the mid 1970s. Still have it.

[Tyruscobb]

A T-206 Red portrait Ty Cobb Polar Bear back. $250.00 seemed like a great deal at the time. I made this purchase around 2002.

[Tyruscobb]

A T-206 Red portrait Ty Cobb Polar Bear back. $250.00 seemed like a great deal at the time. I made this purchase around 2002.

[brianp-beme]

These five from one dealer at a show some decades ago, back when you could get such cards for some spare lawn mowing money (and I didn't charge that much). Having begun in a more collector friendly era, I can't imagine starting up now, but I applaud anyone that goes into vintage thinking of the long haul, and not just the possibility of a quick turnaround.

Still have them all.

Brian

[commishbob]

This Matty Dark Cap. I bought it in the late 70s, maybe early 80s thru an ad in one of the hobby publications. At the time I had plans to build a Hall of Fame collection using playing era cards whenever possible but even then, with prices laughably low compared with those today, it proved to be an impossible task once we began a family.

I still have it although I'm considering letting it go after all these years.

[Eric72]

I was at the Philly Show in December of 2011. While I didn't set out to purchase a Pre-War card, this one caught my eye. I still have it.

Since that fateful day, I've picked up more than 100 additional T206 cards. It's a fun addiction hobby. I can stop any time I want...honest.

[Casey2296]

The first pre-war i picked up when I was 21, always gravitated towards pre-war after the seed was planted in my head as a 10 year old kid looking at the Kellogg's all-time greats 3D set, couldn't help thinking "who are these guys?!?"
_

[Rhotchkiss]

I have been collecting on and off for over 40 years, so I do not remember my first pre-war acquisition. I do recall that my first T206, which may have also been my first pre-war card as well, was a Bresnahan with bat (raw of course bc this was in the early-mid 1980's).

It was pretty beat up, but I remember thinking it was so cool because it was so old- almost as old as my grandparents, and they were old!

[theshowandme]

Okay, I pulled the trigger

1909 W555 Christy Mathewson. 14 known copies between PSA and SGC

I consulted Bluejacket66, John Mangini, and ThoseBackPages on this one. They were a huge help.

I am so happy!

[abothebear]

Twelve years ago I bought this one for $28.



.

[abothebear]

Nice card!

[jingram058]

I've been collecting on and off for something like 53 years. As a kid it was all Topps. My first pre-war cards were 1933 Goudey Ruth and Gehrig for $500 in 1988, using re-enlistment bonus money at Chanute AFB. I thought at the time it was highway robbery. Who could know?

[BioCRN]

A beat the hell up (major corner rounding and a crease) T206 common of a Cubs player (Del Howard). Piedmont back, nothing special. Got it at a card show for $25 and I was blown away simply handling it.

I traded it for a slightly off-center 2001 Bowman Pujols in 2001. Financially, it was a good deal for me at the time, and it was still a good financial deal when I sold the Pujols a couple years ago for $80.

That said, I'd rather have that card back than the $80. It's a part of my personal journey as a collector that's no longer around.

I'm glad I still have my first overall "vintage" card I bought in 1988 as a 12 year old...a slightly beat up 1972 Reggie Jackson. I paid $35 for it and I could probably get $15-20 today. I wouldn't even take $100 for it, though.

[glynparson]

Street t206 portrait. Maranville Cracker Jack and speaker t206 were next purchases.

[ldrunner27]

Purchased this Foxx around 1993. The owner allowed me to make payments.

[darwinbulldog]

1933 Goudey Rabbit Maranville. Figured cards that old would cost a fortune and that this seller on eBay was a fool for selling one of a Hall of Famer for under $100.

That was about 20 years ago. It's probably still not worth what I paid for it then.

[CobbSpikedMe]

My first prewar card was this T206 Hannifan Sovereign back. I had wanted a T206 since I was a kid and when I was in college I got a catalog from Kit Young. I picked out the Hannifan because he was on the Jersey City team and I thought that was cool. No mention of the back in the catalog. I was so excited when it showed up I looked at it for weeks. Still have it to this day. I'll never part with it. Since then I've started a Jersey City team collection which I love.




.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

T206 Kisinger, purchased for $1. I still have it somewhere.

[pokerplyr80]

Well I may have bought a couple common t206s on Ebay, this was my first significant prewar purchase, and the first card I ever bought from an auction house. I believe it was actually the last auction that Legendary ran. I still have the card, and as I've mentioned on a few threads it's my all time favorite image on a baseball card. Pictured next to my '27 Ruth

[90feetaway]

1914 Cracker Jack Evers SGC 40/3 bought roughly 12 years ago for $300 saying I wanted to own one expensive card after climbing back in the hobby. I thought I would be done after that but...we'll not so much.

[pete zouras]

paid $18 and remember thinking I was overpaying. Probably would pay about the same today.

[rats60]

Bought this Matty with a Speaker and a year later I had 519 t206s.

[Jason]

T206 Killian portrait. Good memories from the start.

[jcmtiger]

T206 red Cobb $100.00 in the 1980’s. THe other 3. Cobb’s in an SCD auction for $265.00 also in the 1980’s. Collected the complete Detroit set, since sold.

[Yoda]

When I re-entered the hobby circa 1990 and decided to make Full Count a pre-war dealer, my first card was a 1914 Cracker Jack Fred Clarke. The pose just seemed to me to capture the spirit of baseball at the time. Still have it and will never part with it.

[metroac]

When I graduated from college in 1970 and got my first job, I bought some cards sets that I'd collected as a kid. I bought complete sets of '55, '58, and '60 Topps from Stan Martucci for about $35-50 each. A few years later, maybe 1974 or 1975, my then-wife, who was an arts administrator, mentioned my interest in cards to Tom Akins, who I remembered as the double-bass player for the Indianapolis Symphony. (When I googled him just now, I learned that he was, in fact, the tympanist.)

He invited me to go to a card show with him where I passed on a 1959 Bob Gibson for $3, since I didn't understand the concept of a "rookie card" (although I think I got "high number.") At the end of the show, Tom gave me a T206 Cobb with the bat off shoulder that had a large diagonal crease the width of the card. He reckoned it was worth about $5. I sold the card (with most of the rest of my collection) around 2009 when my younger daughter was off to college. I remember the card fondly, though, and Tom, if you're out there, thanks so much for taking me to that card show.

[kkkkandp]

Bought my first two - WG5 National Game John McGraw and a T206 Jimmy Collins - on the same day (1/14/1995) at a Parsippany, NJ card show.

[BCauley]

I consider mine an indirect and lucky purchase. I had picked up a couple of boxes of 2004 Topps Cracker Jack while building the set. They had some sort of bonus pack in each box that contained a mini card, or mini sticker, I can't remember. It was acting as the typical prize you'd find in a Cracker Jack package. They had randomly inserted an original Cracker Jack card into those packs and I was able to pull one. Unfortunately I got rid of it about ten years ago.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

1933 Goudey Bing Miller and 2 others that I can't remember anymore fr $2.50 each at a mall show in about 1987.