Does Pre-war mean pre-1939?

[Huysmans]

Originally Posted by joshuanip

Really!? For all intensive purposes cards stopped after the US entered WW2, roughly after Pearl Harbor (sorry moe berg fans). That’s when paper rationing started, men’s pro baseball went on haitus, and cards production died off (unfortunately as playball was starting to get it right with their 1941 release).

Baseball and it’s cards were primarily US culture (sans the odd ball Cuban and Ruth tobacco issues) back then, so I follow US history in determining prewar.

There is this "little" area north of the US where cards - mostly hockey - were just as big a part of the culture as baseball cards in the US.

[leaflover]

Are "Prewar" and "Vintage" synonymous?

[ALR-bishop]

What we need is an official hobby definition of terms such as pre war, vintage, variation, master set, and rookie card. Whoever is in charge of this hobby should clearly define these terms

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

What we need is an official hobby definition of terms such as pre war, vintage, variation, master set, and rookie card. Whoever is in charge of this hobby should clearly define these terms

I thought "True Rookie Card" took precedence

[oldjudge]

LOL, for me pre-war is pre-April 1917 when the U.S. declared war on Germany.

[Rich Falvo]

Originally Posted by oldjudge

LOL, for me pre-war is pre-April 1917 when the U.S. declared war on Germany.

[familytoad]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

What we need is an official hobby definition of terms such as pre war, vintage, variation, master set, and rookie card. Whoever is in charge of this hobby should clearly define these terms

Well I always assumed that Leon, Frank B & Brian P ( beme) were in charge of this hobby along with you, Al...

What’s your Official “ PreWar Monster Kraken “ number? And how do you define that count?

[JollyElm]

(I'm going to take a pseudo-intellectual approach to the topic...)

Everything is always about hindsight. Looking back, it is generally accepted that WWII 'began' in 1939. However, if you took a time machine back to 1939, I highly doubt the events going on were thought of as a full scale war to the vast majority of the world. Since (as I'm sure others have noted) we know how the war escalated, eventually consumed the planet, and finally came to an end in 1945, finding the true beginning is nothing more than a scholarly pursuit. But since the US is the center of the baseball card collecting universe, WWII began for us on December 7, 1941 (FDR/Congress declared it as such the following day). So, unless card sets were produced and distributed in the last month of 1941, you would almost have to say pre-war is anything before 1942.

[insidethewrapper]

I thought pre-war was anything before 1861.

[JollyElm]

Time to change the name to the "Antebellum" section.