Why do you like pre-war cards?

Al C.risafulli · #1 09-30-2016, 10:28 AM

This is such a great question.

My love of prewar cards and memorabilia has nothing whatsoever to do with money. I love prewar cards because I love the history of the game, I love all the colorful stories of its early days, and I love trying to envision a time when baseball was in its infancy, just beginning to write its legend. The idea of this new game, sweeping across towns and factories, and eventually turning into a thing that could provide a CAREER for people, is amazing to me. There's nothing I love more than a crisp, sharp photo of people from the early days of the game, where you can make out faces in the crowd, writing on signs, and other little details to help you get a feel for what it must have been like to be there.

I love the mysteries that the early game provides, over bits and pieces of the game's story that have been lost to history. I love trying to rediscover those stories by researching names and places, and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of putting together the pieces to a puzzle - whether it's a big, significant find or a minor detail. It's like detective work to me. Detective work mixed with poetry.

I also love the techniques that companies used to manufacture the memorabilia and cards we collect. Who can deny the beauty of a colorful 19th Century lithograph, or a well-composed studio cabinet photo, or even the writing, design and assembly of a vintage book? Even looking through things like old Spalding guides, full of pictures of small, regional teams - it's amazing to think of how many mysteries could be solved by those old guides, and how many answers to so many questions that there are right in our own collections.

It's also amazing that we have this forum, so that we can connect the dots and get answers to all those questions, while building relationships in the process.

As I'm writing this, I'm immersed in research and photography and copywriting for a catalog, and I've got to say, all I can think about how how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing, amazing hobby.

-Al

packs · #2 09-30-2016, 10:39 AM

I've always been interested in history and myth. I've heard about Babe Ruth since I was a little kid, and he always seemed like this mythic person who was just a character in history, like Joan of Arc or something. But when I bought my first Ruth card he seemed to actually exist as a person. Same with Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. I also like the artistic aspect to many of the early sets. You just don't see that type of artistry anymore.

Manny Trillo · #3 09-30-2016, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by packs

I've always been interested in history and myth. I've heard about Babe Ruth since I was a little kid, and he always seemed like this mythic person who was just a character in history, like Joan of Arc or something. But when I bought my first Ruth card he seemed to actually exist as a person. Same with Ty Cobb, Cy Young, etc. I also like the artistic aspect to many of the early sets. You just don't see that type of artistry anymore.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5gPjChNAwV4

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G530AZ using Tapatalk

EvilKing00 · #4 09-30-2016, 10:39 AM

i love pre war cards because they are old. Yes very simple answer but there is something about a piece of cardboard that actually survived over 100 years. so my love of baseball and old stuff draws me to some old baseball cards. love the t205 set which im working on, as well as the T3's which will be next if i ever finish the 205's lol

I also love babe ruth cards which will be 100 years old soon enough, lolol

anyway heres my oldest baseball card - just something owning anything that was made in the 1800's

1878.jpg

rhettyeakley · #5 09-30-2016, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

This is such a great question.

My love of prewar cards and memorabilia has nothing whatsoever to do with money. I love prewar cards because I love the history of the game, I love all the colorful stories of its early days, and I love trying to envision a time when baseball was in its infancy, just beginning to write its legend. The idea of this new game, sweeping across towns and factories, and eventually turning into a thing that could provide a CAREER for people, is amazing to me. There's nothing I love more than a crisp, sharp photo of people from the early days of the game, where you can make out faces in the crowd, writing on signs, and other little details to help you get a feel for what it must have been like to be there.

I love the mysteries that the early game provides, over bits and pieces of the game's story that have been lost to history. I love trying to rediscover those stories by researching names and places, and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of putting together the pieces to a puzzle - whether it's a big, significant find or a minor detail. It's like detective work to me. Detective work mixed with poetry.

I also love the techniques that companies used to manufacture the memorabilia and cards we collect. Who can deny the beauty of a colorful 19th Century lithograph, or a well-composed studio cabinet photo, or even the writing, design and assembly of a vintage book? Even looking through things like old Spalding guides, full of pictures of small, regional teams - it's amazing to think of how many mysteries could be solved by those old guides, and how many answers to so many questions that there are right in our own collections.

It's also amazing that we have this forum, so that we can connect the dots and get answers to all those questions, while building relationships in the process.

As I'm writing this, I'm immersed in research and photography and copywriting for a catalog, and I've got to say, all I can think about how how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing, amazing hobby.

-Al

+1
Al, I couldn't have said it better! These are the same reasons I love this hobby.

aljurgela · #6 09-30-2016, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

This is such a great question.

My love of prewar cards and memorabilia has nothing whatsoever to do with money. I love prewar cards because I love the history of the game, I love all the colorful stories of its early days, and I love trying to envision a time when baseball was in its infancy, just beginning to write its legend. The idea of this new game, sweeping across towns and factories, and eventually turning into a thing that could provide a CAREER for people, is amazing to me. There's nothing I love more than a crisp, sharp photo of people from the early days of the game, where you can make out faces in the crowd, writing on signs, and other little details to help you get a feel for what it must have been like to be there.

I love the mysteries that the early game provides, over bits and pieces of the game's story that have been lost to history. I love trying to rediscover those stories by researching names and places, and I LOVE the sense of accomplishment of putting together the pieces to a puzzle - whether it's a big, significant find or a minor detail. It's like detective work to me. Detective work mixed with poetry.

I also love the techniques that companies used to manufacture the memorabilia and cards we collect. Who can deny the beauty of a colorful 19th Century lithograph, or a well-composed studio cabinet photo, or even the writing, design and assembly of a vintage book? Even looking through things like old Spalding guides, full of pictures of small, regional teams - it's amazing to think of how many mysteries could be solved by those old guides, and how many answers to so many questions that there are right in our own collections.

It's also amazing that we have this forum, so that we can connect the dots and get answers to all those questions, while building relationships in the process.

As I'm writing this, I'm immersed in research and photography and copywriting for a catalog, and I've got to say, all I can think about how how fortunate we all are to have such an amazing, amazing hobby.

-Al

I agree with Al completely and i find the dearth of negro league stuff particularly alluring.... the uniforms, the photo and the (few) cards.... what an amazing eyeglass into an important time in baseball history.

Al

Exhibitman · #7 09-30-2016, 12:40 PM

I don't have the wall space or money to collect art but I enjoy having beautiful artworks around me so I collect small pieces of art. Just look at them, what's not to love?

nat · #8 09-30-2016, 05:56 PM

This isn't specific to pre war really, but I like to think about the history of the specific cards that I've got. 1933 was in the depths of the depression. I like to think that's it's entirely possible that my Goudey was some kid's prize possession once. His dad spared the penny to indulge his son, even with work so hard to find. Of course I don't know if that's true of any particular Goudey that I own, but it's surely true of some of them.

#9 09-30-2016, 07:27 PM

The evolution and or progress of the baseball card, and the game through the years with the stars.

steve B · #10 09-30-2016, 06:02 PM

I like pretty much all eras of card. They're all very different and products of their time.

The way I answered one of my friends who asked several years ago was to lay one card from almost each decade on the table and explain it as a historical artifact and what it showed about that time and the prevailing attitudes/interests of the country at the time. Almost, because the Old Judges had to make do for both the 1880's and 1890's. A point that also showed how things in general moved a bit more slowly without the level of communication that was developing.

They finally understood my collecting not just of cards, but all the other stuff as well. And they thought the cards as historical artifacts were pretty cool, even if they didn't want to collect themselves.

Steve B

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