Is there a more undervalued card in vintage?

[seanofjapan]

Originally Posted by rhettyeakley

I don’t think he was boring, nor was he probably considered “boring” during his time. That being said I can’t really remember ever hearing a romanticized story regarding Eddie Collins ever being told. It seems he just hasn’t carried with him the same aura of historical significance into our time as many of his contemporaries did so he could be viewed as “boring” by today’s collectors. Whatever the reason, I don’t think I have ever met someone that focuses on Collins... but I have met quite a few Lajoie, Foxx, Speaker, etc collectors. Collins is considered one of the top 25-30 players in the history of the game by many Experts.

For me at least part of the problem with Collins is that his overall life story is very uninspiring. He has some racist baggage, which wasn’t unusual among players of his day. But what sets him apart is that there is no “redemption” part of his story in that regard. Other guys like Ty Cobb or Tris Speaker mellowed out and became way more accepting later in life, especially after Jackie Robinson came around. Speaker was a former Klansman who later helped Larry Doby break the color barrier in the AL for example. So you can find something redeeming in their life story that makes them a bit more appealing despite their rough edges.

Collins doesn’t have anything like that in his story. Later in life he played a key role in blocking desegregation on the Red Sox way after most of his contemporaries came around. He was just plain on the wrong side of history. Its really hard to get enthusiastic about a guy like that. Its particularly the case since when you read his bio this is basically the last chapter, so his story ends on this negative note.