How we react to collectibles

[cmoore330]

I got to see Wagner as a kid...in rural Oklahoma...at Walmart. This was at the height of the hobby and it was some sort of promotional tour. Pretty cool experience for a kid! In fact, I think there is some sort of promotional card from the event hiding in my collection.

[tonyo]

Loved the story Blitzu!

This pales in comparison, but just answering Steve's question:

I started collecting pre-war in 2009. Since that time, I have only been to one show and zero b&m stores. The show was a small one in a hotel conference room and as per usual only one, two, or three tables with any vintage cards.

One guy had some t206's and also had a Fatima team card and a T3 or two. It was the first time I had seen either type in person. I remember staring at those two for a pretty good while and being surprised at the actual size of the cards. Made me smile and to put it simply, I thought it was pretty cool.

That's about the extent of my reaction, but I do love to receive new type cards that I have never seen before. Have similar feelings when that happens. It's one of the things I love about type collecting, unfortunately I must have gotten all the "easy" pre-war types (up to 89 now) because it's pretty infrequent that I'll score a type that I don't already have an example.

As far as seeing a t206 wagner? It would probably be similar to when I saw the Stanley Cup..... pretty cool to see and now I can say "I have seen the Stanley Cup up close and in person" but not much beyond that.

My prevailing thought would probably be: Perplexed that anyone could/would spend 6 or 7 figures on that little piece of cardboard.

[t206blogcom]

I've been fortunate enough to have seen and held a few Wagners over the years. While they were neat experiences, the wow factor quickly faded. I'd love to own one of course, but I no longer get giddy over them.

[hangman62]

Not to kick the " holy grail" T206 Wagner whens its down...but ..I too would look at it with awe...( actually I think I saw one in the baseball hall of fame years back)..but after a bit ..move on to stuff I - a) had more intertest in,b) I could afford..

Ive put together many olders sets over the years...1952T....after a while it started bothering me..paying for/trading for so many "incredibly no name" players,..
same with the 1933 Goudey set..to a lesser extent here..as this set is filled with HOFers.
Id have a real tough time with a T206 ( not that I have the money or desire).. but so many obscure names..just dont think id be able to have a passion for that set

[wonkaticket]

The way we react to collectibles has changed thanks to the digital age. As has most of our experiences to media, sex, violence and anything else that we today think of as ehhh and 30-50 years ago would have a been a shocker.

In terms of many rare items we are bombarded with images, auction catalogs, websites, and forum experts both real and claimed. This gives common collectors way more insight, experiences and information both good and bad than most collectors from the past. Many of these collectors put collections together via the US mail and hand written letters along with the occasional local paper want ad.

Now we have the information and inventory at our fingertips. Along with access and insights to rare items within folk’s collections that were simply not available 20-30 years ago.

It’s not surprising that items like the Wagner aren’t as exciting to many anymore. Just remember at one time just a sight of a woman’s ankles got men excited.

Cheers,

John

[steve B]

THanks everyone.

Blitzus story is a really great one.

John touched on some of what makes things a bit less special, And he's got a good point.

The Wagner I saw was I think before internet. At least before internet for me. I'll have to figure out exactly which one it was one of these days.

I suppose I might as well hijack my own thread and put out a handful of the stuff that's left a lasting impression, in no particular order, and a few from the same time/place that I'm sure aren't there in that form anymore.

A few Old Judges at the HOF in 75. Just maybe 10-20 of them in a couple frames hung in of all places the stairwellleading to the modern baseball displays in the basement.

The whole set of uncut sheets of 75 topps in that modern section of the HOF.

And upstairs, the old display of balls from no hitters. Just in shallow homemade looking cases with pegboard backs. Each ball was on a dual pegboard hook like you'd hang a hammer on with a typed 3x5 taped underneath giving details. Seeing every no-hit game represented in maybe 12 feet of framing somehow massively outshone the oddly unimpressive display.

The 74 Hank Aaron specials showing all his Topps cards. They're probably responsible for me continuing to collect after The then usual 3 years or so.

The first Prewar cards I really recognized, mostly T206s. At the first card shop I ever saw. (Halls Nostalgia, if you're reading, Hi Guys!)

Many of the stamp collections displayed at both the Olympic stamp show in 1996 and the huge international show in 2006 in DC. The olympic one had some collections that had stuff like the envelopes and leters inviting a particular country to send athletes to the first modern Olympics.
The one in 2006, nearly every collection had multiple things that were just incredibly rare. Not necessarily expensive, but the sort of stuff that there's only one or two of. And that somehow survived despite being exactly the sort of stuff that gets thrown out, recycled or just lost because nobody realizes just what it is.

Steamtown when it was in Vermont. I mean till then, who knew something as big as a train could be collected?

Certain pieces of art seen in person. I'm not big on modern stuff or impressionists, but the first time seeing a Van Gogh for real was amazing. The same for Norman Rockwell, and realizing he got that sort of detail in a very short time.

Standing next to a real drag racing car from the 60's. I think a 65 Hemi car. Being able to feel it running throught he ground from 30+feet away And knowing that it was actually only a couple parts away from being street legal
(The owner had taken it a couple miles from the dealership to get ice cream the year before but not the years I saw it.)


Steve B

[Exhibitman]

The most excited I've ever been to see a card was when I pulled this card from a pack in 1976 [it has since been entombed]. I was 11:



I think I've been chasing that rush for 36 years...