What was the salvation of the Prewar card hobby

[Yoda]

Nostalgia for a world less complicated and one in which deals were personal social interactions instead of just mouse pushing.

[homerunhitter]

Im one of those old farts that collected before technology took over and I’ll tell you, it was amazing! We collected for the pure love of the hobby, didn’t care about condition of cards or if we traded a Mickey Mantle for a Phi Niekro. We were just happy getting cards of our favorite teams or players. As mentioned above, interaction and having fun was everything. Nowadays the hobby is all about quick flips, getting one over on someone and graded cards. Old school collecting is the way!

[Vintage Vern]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

Im one of those old farts that collected before technology took over and I’ll tell you, it was amazing! We collected for the pure love of the hobby, didn’t care about condition of cards or if we traded a Mickey Mantle for a Phi Niekro. We were just happy getting cards of our favorite trans or players. As mentioned above, interaction and having fun was everything. Nowadays the hobby is all about quick flips, getting one over on someone and graded cards. Old school collecting is the way!

But how? I'd imagine it was more in the larger populated cities. My family all grew up farming, and living in very modest ways. My Dad was born in 1937, and they had 8 people living in a 4 room house with no running water. He passed away in 1996, and I did ask him questions, and in no way was a baseball card something he would have been able to have had. He told me sticks, and rocks are what they used to play baseball. I'm just trying to imagine the amount of cards that still exist, and it's amazing to me.

[jingram058]

Having been in and out of the hobby 4 times, I have never understood my 3rd return in the late 1980s, and now. Even in the late 80s, you could still buy a 33 Goudey Ruth for $250. I know, because I bought one. I thought it was a lot of money. Maybe I'm just and old fogey, but the thousands of dollars for that same Ruth seems unbelievable. I have never understood the Mickey Mantle phenomenon. But I guess his meteoric rise in value is similar to Lawrence Welk in the big bands. Out of Glenn Miller (who unfortunately disappeared over the English Channel), Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, who would believe that Lawrence Welk would wind up so insanely popular when all the others faded away?

[brunswickreeves]

Originally Posted by jingram058

Having been in and out of the hobby 4 times, I have never understood my 3rd return in the late 1980s, and now. Even in the late 80s, you could still buy a 33 Goudey Ruth for $250. I know, because I bought one. I thought it was a lot of money. Maybe I'm just and old fogey, but the thousands of dollars for that same Ruth seems unbelievable. I have never understood the Mickey Mantle phenomenon. But I guess his meteoric rise in value is similar to Lawrence Welk in the big bands. Out of Glenn Miller (who unfortunately disappeared over the English Channel), Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, who would believe that Lawrence Welk would wind up so insanely popular when all the others faded away?

When I was about 10 years old a friend of mine casually opened a safety box at his grandfather’s house where we were visiting and showed me several 33 Goudey Ruths. Said they were worth about a thousand bucks. That was the first time I had ever seen a vintage baseball card in person and was totally captivated. I also remember a friend telling us his Dad had a 52 Topps Mantle and my brother and I would play in the woods imagining what if we found an abandoned box of 52 Topps cards and THE Mickey Mantle? Funny how these childhood memories are so cemented in memory and a place we collectors go back to for pure unbridled joy.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by jingram058

But I guess his meteoric rise in value is similar to Lawrence Welk in the big bands. Out of Glenn Miller (who unfortunately disappeared over the English Channel), Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, who would believe that Lawrence Welk would wind up so insanely popular when all the others faded away?

I don't think any big band aficionado would compare Lawrence Welk to any of the greats on your list. That would be insulting to the other artists. (And you're obviously saying pretty much the same thing!) Welk was more like Guy Lombardo; extremely popular, but not influential in any sort of progressive sense. All the others you mentioned made huge contributions to music, while Welk and Lombardo were just pablum that some people could dance to. You could say that Welk was to big bands what Pat Boone was to rock & roll, except it dragged on for decades thanks to television.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I don't think any big band aficionado would compare Lawrence Welk to any of the greats on your list. That would be insulting to the other artists. (And you're obviously saying pretty much the same thing!) Welk was more like Guy Lombardo; extremely popular, but not influential in any sort of progressive sense. All the others you mentioned made huge contributions to music, while Welk and Lombardo were just pablum that some people could dance to. You could say that Welk was to big bands what Pat Boone was to rock & roll, except it dragged on for decades thanks to television.

Pat Boone's version of Tutti Frutti outsold Little Richard's. Times have changed.

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I don't think any big band aficionado would compare Lawrence Welk to any of the greats on your list. That would be insulting to the other artists. (And you're obviously saying pretty much the same thing!) Welk was more like Guy Lombardo; extremely popular, but not influential in any sort of progressive sense. All the others you mentioned made huge contributions to music, while Welk and Lombardo were just pablum that some people could dance to. You could say that Welk was to big bands what Pat Boone was to rock & roll, except it dragged on for decades thanks to television.

I agree with you. What I'm saying is who would have believed that Welk would be the one out of the hundreds of big bands to get the popular (to a huge number of viewers, not me) TV show that was on TV seemingly forever after all the others, Lombardo included, faded away?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by jingram058

I agree with you. What I'm saying is who would have believed that Welk would be the one out of the hundreds of big bands to get the popular (to a huge number of viewers, not me) TV show that was on TV seemingly forever after all the others, Lombardo included, faded away?

I understood!

At the same time, Mickey Mantle contributed far more to his profession than Welk did to his. If I could actually think of the baseball equivalent to Lawrence Welk, I might laugh for a week straight! Just the thought of this premise was enough for a great chuckle.

[Tony Gordon]

My dad was born in 1937 as well but on the near North Side of Chicago where he could obtain just about anything he wanted. He collected cards. I suspect he had Bowmans, Exhibits and Leafs from the late 1940's. When I got into collecting in the mid-1970's, we went to my grandmother's house to look for his cards. Her basement was stacked with junk from her entire life, except for my dad's cards. She threw those out.

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by Tony Gordon

My dad was born in 1937 as well but on the near North Side of Chicago where he could obtain just about anything he wanted. He collected cards. I suspect he had Bowmans, Exhibits and Leafs from the late 1940's. When I got into collecting in the mid-1970's, we went to my grandmother's house to look for his cards. Her basement was stacked with junk from her entire life, except for my dad's cards. She threw those out.

Ouch! When my dad passed away in 1979, my Mom redecorated the house I grew up in. I don't remember her calling me to say "please come get your boxes of cards, scorecards, etc." although it's entirely possible she did, perhaps more than once. At some point, I went looking in my old room and elsewhere for my stuff, and it was all gone. I'm not sure I even asked her about it because I knew the answer already and didn't want to make her feel bad.

[DeanH3]

I think Beckett helped a ton pre-internet. I think the visuals of iconic cards allowed many of us young collectors to be exposed to and dream about cards we may not have known about otherwise.

Beckett also helped usher in the focus on the monetary end of it as well. But that probably went hand in hand.

[icurnmedic]

Originally Posted by DeanH3

I think Beckett helped a ton pre-internet. I think the visuals of iconic cards allowed many of us young collectors to be exposed to and dream about cards we may not have known about otherwise.

Beckett also helped usher in the focus on the monetary end of it as well. But that probably went hand in hand.

This was my exact thought!
Man alive, I loved looking through those as a youngster.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Tony Gordon

When I got into collecting in the mid-1970's, we went to my grandmother's house to look for his cards. Her basement was stacked with junk from her entire life, except for my dad's cards. She threw those out.

Did you ask her what she'd been using for a brain? "Oh, I'll keep all my own junk but I'll just throw out the stuff my son treasured."

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by Vintage Vern

But how? I'd imagine it was more in the larger populated cities. My family all grew up farming, and living in very modest ways. My Dad was born in 1937, and they had 8 people living in a 4 room house with no running water. He passed away in 1996, and I did ask him questions, and in no way was a baseball card something he would have been able to have had. He told me sticks, and rocks are what they used to play baseball. I'm just trying to imagine the amount of cards that still exist, and it's amazing to me.

The cards were stored in bags and put away in attics, Garages, and even barns. I started collecting at a 9 year old in 1973 and by the end of the decade my dad and I were putting ads in local papers offering to pay cash for cards. At that time people were shocked we would pay for the very things they were likely to throw out and eagerly allowed us to come to their home with cash for their cardboard. This was before the Beckett guides and you struck a deal with the seller based on nothing more than common sense. We bought unbelievable collections with unbelievable cards. We had nearly a complete run of Topps sets, both football and baseball from 1954 going forward just from these purchases. When we had doubles we would do the old fashioned thing and take them to the monthly collectors shows held at Holiday Inns, VFW halls and even school cafeterias and trade others for the cards were needed for our sets. Looking back, we didnt spend a great deal of money but back then the cards were only worth what someone was willing to pay for them. To be honest, those were some pretty awesome times to be a collector as you got to know so many other people and what they collected and we would help each other out with want lists.

I remember spending 50 dollars each on two 1933 Ruths. I spent the same on a '34 Gehrig and thinking I over paid. I have a vivid memory of a older gentleman who still had his collection from his childhood which was mainly a large cigar box filled with '33 and '34 Goudey's. As we were goin g through the cards I saw several beautiful hall of famers and even a pristine Lajoie that he remembered getting through the mail. The gentleman decided to put the cards in a safe deposit box and pass them on to his grandkids.

The cards were out there and they survived. They are still out there and are waiting to be found. Sadly, its all about the money and the grade the cards will fetch and not about the people depicted on the cards and it certainly isnt about the relationships that so many of us formed in the days before the internet and price guides.

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by whitehse

The cards were stored in bags and put away in attics, Garages, and even barns. I started collecting at a 9 year old in 1973 and by the end of the decade my dad and I were putting ads in local papers offering to pay cash for cards. At that time people were shocked we would pay for the very things they were likely to throw out and eagerly allowed us to come to their home with cash for their cardboard. This was before the Beckett guides and you struck a deal with the seller based on nothing more than common sense. We bought unbelievable collections with unbelievable cards. We had nearly a complete run of Topps sets, both football and baseball from 1954 going forward just from these purchases. When we had doubles we would do the old fashioned thing and take them to the monthly collectors shows held at Holiday Inns, VFW halls and even school cafeterias and trade others for the cards were needed for our sets. Looking back, we didnt spend a great deal of money but back then the cards were only worth what someone was willing to pay for them. To be honest, those were some pretty awesome times to be a collector as you got to know so many other people and what they collected and we would help each other out with want lists.

I remember spending 50 dollars each on two 1933 Ruths. I spent the same on a '34 Gehrig and thinking I over paid. I have a vivid memory of a older gentleman who still had his collection from his childhood which was mainly a large cigar box filled with '33 and '34 Goudey's. As we were goin g through the cards I saw several beautiful hall of famers and even a pristine Lajoie that he remembered getting through the mail. The gentleman decided to put the cards in a safe deposit box and pass them on to his grandkids.

The cards were out there and they survived. They are still out there and are waiting to be found. Sadly, its all about the money and the grade the cards will fetch and not about the people depicted on the cards and it certainly isnt about the relationships that so many of us formed in the days before the internet and price guides.

I don't think this is universally true. I got into collecting vintage last year, and I've enjoyed reading about every player whose card I purchase. My main takeaway from Year 1: There sure were a lot of guys who died of TB in the 1890s-1920s.

I gotta think there are more people like myself who love the history behind the cardboard.

[Vintage Vern]

Is there any data of production run numbers of many of the older sets? Example the 1922 American Caramel E120 set of 240 cards. Did they keep track of how many sets they produced.

Does any information show a break down of what parts of the US were supplied more. Say New York, California, vs Kansas or Iowa. It had to be more regional I would imagine.

[akleinb611]

It's not as though vintage cards were considered worthless junk right up to the creation of the internet. The "worthless junk" perception era ended by the late Sixties, and cards of all sorts were barreling up in price by the late Seventies, The end of the Topps monopoly in 1981 supercharged everyone's awareness of the hobby, and that's where the prices began to rise. If you're asking about the mechanisms of collecting before the internet, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Sports Collectors Digest, which absolutely dominated the hobby from the late Seventies to the mid-Nineties. Every week saw a huge publication, hundreds of pages long, featuring auctions and sales of all sorts of material, much of it vintage. Smaller collectors could place ads in the classified section for very little cost. SCD was absolutely the center of the hobby for about 20 years, even more so than ebay is today.

[Vintage Vern]

Originally Posted by akleinb611

It's not as though vintage cards were considered worthless junk right up to the creation of the internet. The "worthless junk" perception era ended by the late Sixties, and cards of all sorts were barreling up in price by the late Seventies, The end of the Topps monopoly in 1981 supercharged everyone's awareness of the hobby, and that's where the prices began to rise. If you're asking about the mechanisms of collecting before the internet, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Sports Collectors Digest, which absolutely dominated the hobby from the late Seventies to the mid-Nineties. Every week saw a huge publication, hundreds of pages long, featuring auctions and sales of all sorts of material, much of it vintage. Smaller collectors could place ads in the classified section for very little cost. SCD was absolutely the center of the hobby for about 20 years, even more so than ebay is today.

I'm actually more curious about the late 1800s to 1950s on how so many where saved before they had value or means to trade. How did people amass so many, and keep them in such good condition. Was there even a thing like collecting or a hobby in those time periods? I just think about USA history, and what took place in those time periods, and how people lived. I just find it amazing so many made it. I know 1939 is the cut off for prewar, but just wanted to expand to the 50s to include WWII, and many that held those prewar cards.

[ALBB]

Originally Posted by akleinb611

It's not as though vintage cards were considered worthless junk right up to the creation of the internet. The "worthless junk" perception era ended by the late Sixties, and cards of all sorts were barreling up in price by the late Seventies, The end of the Topps monopoly in 1981 supercharged everyone's awareness of the hobby, and that's where the prices began to rise. If you're asking about the mechanisms of collecting before the internet, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Sports Collectors Digest, which absolutely dominated the hobby from the late Seventies to the mid-Nineties. Every week saw a huge publication, hundreds of pages long, featuring auctions and sales of all sorts of material, much of it vintage. Smaller collectors could place ads in the classified section for very little cost. SCD was absolutely the center of the hobby for about 20 years, even more so than ebay is today.

Oh wow yes... that SCD..loved it..from the " big guys" full page ads, the show calendar..which we used to " plan our weekend "...and tons of classified ads .made loads of buys/ connections thru that also

[whitehse]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

I don't think this is universally true. I got into collecting vintage last year, and I've enjoyed reading about every player whose card I purchase. My main takeaway from Year 1: There sure were a lot of guys who died of TB in the 1890s-1920s.

I gotta think there are more people like myself who love the history behind the cardboard.

You are probably right as my take was a raw generalization and a yearning for the days when this was a true hobby for nearly everyone involved and trading was more common than a cash transaction.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by homerunhitter

We were just happy getting cards of our favorite trans or players.

Trans though? I don't think there was any rule banning them from MLB, but I don't think many were good enough to make it to the majors.

[homerunhitter]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

Trans though? I don't think there was any rule banning them from MLB, but I don't think many were good enough to make it to the majors.

Darn autocorrect! It’s suppose to be teams. Will correct it now! Thanks for the catch!

[packs]

In the early 90s when I started collecting pre-war aside from card shows I would always be on the look out for ads in the classified sections of newspapers. There would always be a handful of ads for garage sales that said they had baseball cards and for sale ads of people trying to unload their collections.