Personal Pre-War Set and Collector Survey

[steve B]

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?
Since late 1977 or early 78. I'n not sure exactly when I bought my first prewar card.

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I'm not sure, maybe 3-400 ish?

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

Pretty much the same, I seldom sell any.

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

It's hard to say. I have a handful or T206 with more difficult backs, and a few oddities. It's hard to choose one, as there are a few maybes, but significant for different reasons.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

None. I don't think I'm even close to 75% in any of them.
One of the hazards of being a not focused collector and more an opportunistic generalist.

[Ricky]

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?
I think I bought my first one, a 1933 Goudey common, around 1980.

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I would guess around 500.

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

Same as above, I very rarely part with any cards.

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

Probably my 1933G Ruth and 1933 and 1934G Gehrig, along with two T206 Cobbs, Wajo portrait, and 14CJ Wajo. But others could be up there, too.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

I'm a type collector with an eye towards stars and HOFers, so I really don't concentrate on building sets, but I do have:
W551
1933 Delong
1935 Goudey
and postwar, 1948 Bowman
complete.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Ricky

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?
I think I bought my first one, a 1933 Goudey common, around 1980.

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I would guess around 500.

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

Same as above, I very rarely part with any cards.

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

Probably my 1933G Ruth and 1933 and 1934G Gehrig, along with two T206 Cobbs, Wajo portrait, and 14CJ Wajo. But others could be up there, too.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

I'm a type collector with an eye towards stars and HOFers, so I really don't concentrate on building sets, but I do have:
W551
1933 Delong
1935 Goudey
and postwar, 1948 Bowman
complete.

Rich,

Great cards and collection. Noticed we have the W551 set in common. I think a sorely underappreciated set, and not that hard to complete at only 10 cards in the set. And a lot of bang for the buck with 8 of those 10 players being HOFers, including the likes of Ruth, Cobb, and WaJo. Very nice.

[Ricky]

Originally Posted by BobC

Rich,

Great cards and collection. Noticed we have the W551 set in common. I think a sorely underappreciated set, and not that hard to complete at only 10 cards in the set. And a lot of bang for the buck with 8 of those 10 players being HOFers, including the likes of Ruth, Cobb, and WaJo. Very nice.

Thanks Bob! I probably should have listed my E95 Wagner and 41PB Williams and DiMaggio as well. And I'm drooling over your collection! Absolutely amazing.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Ricky

Thanks Bob! I probably should have listed my E95 Wagner and 41PB Williams and DiMaggio as well. And I'm drooling over your collection! Absolutely amazing.

Ricky,

Thanks, but don't start drooling too hard. I'm definitely a lower end collector, and have to be when you start looking at all the Cobb, Ruth, Wagner and other superstar cards out there. So I have a preponderance of 1's and 2's (and even a fews A's) amongst my many HOFer and pre-war star cards. Occasionally I mess up and somehow end up with a nicer condition card, but I try to not let that happen too often. LOL

Truth be told, I'm not really into grading cards and would prefer buying them raw, if possible. But when dealing with pre-war cards, especially the HOFers and stars, you generally only find already graded ones for sale. Most sellers get them graded to maximize the potential sales price, and also calm buyer fears of possibly buying fake or reprint cards, especially when being sold online. I've been collecting and handled enough different pre-war cards over the years that I have no real concerns looking at cards in person at a show and determining if they are real or not. Online purchases, unless from a known and trusted seller like a DavidB or Howard, are a completely different story. Another potential benefit of buying lower condition graded cards, besides being able to afford them, is that they are less likely to have been doctored or tampered with. Already enough threads about those concerns and issues out there so no need to comment further on that topic.

[Ricky]

Bob, I’m an old school collector and agree with you. Most of my pre-war cards are raw and I also will collect 1 s and 2s if I really want the card. I try for cards that present well but if it’s a card I need from a tough set that’s normally fairly expensive, like D311s, I’ll buy an affordable examples with creases. Navigating this great hobby on a modest budget can be a challenge but it can be done.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by ricky

bob, i’m an old school collector and agree with you. Most of my pre-war cards are raw and i also will collect 1 s and 2s if i really want the card. I try for cards that present well but if it’s a card i need from a tough set that’s normally fairly expensive, like d311s, i’ll buy an affordable examples with creases. Navigating this great hobby on a modest budget can be a challenge but it can be done.

+1,000,000

[jefferyepayne]

Great reading through this thread! I'm mostly a football guy but have dabbled in baseball through the years if I see something that strikes my fancy. If I was going to pick two sets I don't currently have a card from that I'd really like to have they would be: Turkey Red and Rose Postcards.

Also have a project to collect baseball cards of pre-war professional football players (Thorpe, Neale, Nevers, Abbaticchio, Charlie Berry, Walter French, Paddy Driscoll, Pat Flaherty, etc.) which is a lot of fun.

Here are the answers to your questions

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?

I picked up my first pre-war baseball card as a kid in 1978 (t206 common and a 1927 strip card). Didn't collect between 1983 - 2008 before getting back into the hobby in 2009. Been active ever since.

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I'm at around 400 pre-war baseball items at this point. Over half are t206 cards as I'm at 214 of the monster but haven't actively worked on this set for a few years now. The rest are type cards or cards of pro football players who have baseball cards.

I have cards from these sets: N172 Old Judge, N284 Buchner Gold Coin, 1889 ER Williams, 1895 Mayo, t206, t205, E92 Dockman, E90-1 American Caramel, T201 Mecca, 1914 Cracker Jacks, 1915 Cracker Jacks, 1916 M101-5, 1917 Boston Store, 1919-1930 Zeenuts, W514 strip, 1923 Willard's Chocolates, 1933 Sport Kings, 1933 Goudey, Diamond Stars, 1936 National Chicle Fine Pens, 1939 Play Ball.

Also have some RPPCs as well. Also a few Pittsburgh Pirates memorabilia items from their pre-war World Series wins. Go Bucs!

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

See above. I'm a hoarder, not a collector so don't sell anything ;-)

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

Probably one of my Thorpe cards ... but I don't track prices so don't know which one is currently the highest.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

None.

jeff

[Clydewally]

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?

I started off in the early 90s trying to get one of every Hall of Famer during their active playing days and got most of the way there except for some pre-1900 Hall guys and Negro Leaguers. Stopped for a while and restarted with everything Hall of Fame

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I am somewhere over 1,000.

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

Still over 1,000, though I did consign cards for the first time ever to LOTG and do have some plans to down size generally.

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

I have all the Hall of Fame Cracker Jack poses except the vertical Mathewson, so the Wagner and Cobb would be included. Also all the 33 and 34 Goudey except Lajoie, so the Ruths and Gehrigs. But I have other Ruth, Gehrig, Cobb, Wagner, Johnson and Mathewson cards.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

No prewar sets. Some post-war sets. With the way I collect, I consider a set complete if I have all the Hall of Famers. So I would be 75% complete, for example, by my count on T 206 (needing the Plank and Wagner that I will never own) and completed T-205, T207 and some of the E series (E93,95 and 96). As noted, I am beginning to sell, but still collecting some sets like Uncle Jack's and Worch, where I have quite a ways to go.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by jefferyepayne

Great reading through this thread! I'm mostly a football guy but have dabbled in baseball through the years if I see something that strikes my fancy. If I was going to pick two sets I don't currently have a card from that I'd really like to have they would be: Turkey Red and Rose Postcards.

Also have a project to collect baseball cards of pre-war professional football players (Thorpe, Neale, Nevers, Abbaticchio, Charlie Berry, Walter French, Paddy Driscoll, Pat Flaherty, etc.) which is a lot of fun.

Here are the answers to your questions

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?

I picked up my first pre-war baseball card as a kid in 1978 (t206 common and a 1927 strip card). Didn't collect between 1983 - 2008 before getting back into the hobby in 2009. Been active ever since.

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I'm at around 400 pre-war baseball items at this point. Over half are t206 cards as I'm at 214 of the monster but haven't actively worked on this set for a few years now. The rest are type cards or cards of pro football players who have baseball cards.

I have cards from these sets: N172 Old Judge, N284 Buchner Gold Coin, 1889 ER Williams, 1895 Mayo, t206, t205, E92 Dockman, E90-1 American Caramel, T201 Mecca, 1914 Cracker Jacks, 1915 Cracker Jacks, 1916 M101-5, 1917 Boston Store, 1919-1930 Zeenuts, W514 strip, 1923 Willard's Chocolates, 1933 Sport Kings, 1933 Goudey, Diamond Stars, 1936 National Chicle Fine Pens, 1939 Play Ball.

Also have some RPPCs as well. Also a few Pittsburgh Pirates memorabilia items from their pre-war World Series wins. Go Bucs!

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

See above. I'm a hoarder, not a collector so don't sell anything ;-)

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

Probably one of my Thorpe cards ... but I don't track prices so don't know which one is currently the highest.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

None.

jeff

Great collection Jeff. And even though you may not think of it in the same way of what is normally thought of as a set, I think your collection of baseball cards of football players is actually a very specialized, and unique set. Heck, I even just put a bid in on an Earle Neale card I saw online just a couple days ago myself, talk about coincidences. LOL I imagine you have a complete list of everyone in that set somewhere? Might be cool to share it with everyone if you ever feel so inclined. I'll bet you'd see more interest in it from some other collectors than you might expect. And does that unique set go all the through up to today? And if so, did Tebow ever get a baseball card of himself issued? If he did, I imagine he must be the most recent addition to your list.

And just think, you might have now passed on the idea to someone else to maybe start collecting baseball cards of basketball players. Doesn't go as far back in time as it does for football players, but right off the top of my head I can immediately think of Dave DeBusschere, Danny Ainge, and of course, Jordan. And I'm sure there are others I can't even think of.

And as for what significant cards you have, it isn't necessarily all just about the money. We've discussed that already in earlier posts of this thread.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by steve B

1. How long have you been collecting pre-war cards?
Since late 1977 or early 78. I'n not sure exactly when I bought my first prewar card.

2. What is the approximate largest number of pre-war cards/items you've
ever owned at any one time?

I'm not sure, maybe 3-400 ish?

3. Approximately how many pre-war cards/items do you currently still own?

Pretty much the same, I seldom sell any.

4. What is/are the most significant card(s)/item(s) you currently own?
(Not what you may have owned at one time.)

It's hard to say. I have a handful or T206 with more difficult backs, and a few oddities. It's hard to choose one, as there are a few maybes, but significant for different reasons.

5. What complete sets or near complete sets (say 75% or more) do you
currently own? (Again, not counting sets you used to own, and only
counting the baseball cards in multi-subject sets in determining the
percentage complete. And not including as sets any issue with only 1 or
2 listed baseball cards/items in it.)

None. I don't think I'm even close to 75% in any of them.
One of the hazards of being a not focused collector and more an opportunistic generalist.

Steve,

I'm not really a focused collector either, but if you saw my set list you can see what trouble it has gotten me into. LOL Great collection, keep it up.