great card found in Japan

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Posted By: warshawlaw

First of all, the guy comes into the forum happy and some folks pee on his parade. Not nice. It never hurts to be polite, even when rebuking someone. You want to create more vintage enthusiasts, educate. You want to drive away people, scold.

Second, while I loathe the destruction of memorabilia, I do have an appreciation for certain modern cards, the certified autograph cards. With all the bogus garbage floating around out there, the card companies that either obtain HOF and popular signatures on nice looking cards and vouch for their authenticity or who put together a nice presentation for cut signatures and vouch for their authenticity are doing a good service to collectors. I have many such autographed cards. The best part is that they sell for a fraction of what it costs to get an item signed at a show and enable people who cannot get to shows to participate. I've been very happy with some of the modern products that enable me to collect autographs of my boyhood favorites (the late 70's Bronx Bombers) that I know I'd not otherwise get. So don't slam all modern stuff in one breath.

Third, in that vein, I am willing to bet that this particular card holds quite a bit more of its value than some have suggested because it contains a cut signature of a very popular HOFer who died during his career and is in demand and often forged. The cut signature cards of deceased greats have held up quite nicely since issuance because people like the presentation and the certainty of what they are buying. I would LOVE to pull a 1/1 cut of Ruth or Gehrig or Clemente and I would undoubtedly keep it despite the fact that I could sell or trade it for a vintage card.

Fourth, modern cards have a very important role to play, creating future vintage collectors. My nephew is almost 6 and a baseball fanatic. I'm not gonna give him a T206 to toss around but I buy him boxes of modern cards all the time. If he stays on track like he is, he will be going to shows with me in a few years.

Finally, I confess to occasionally buying a box of cards (always a year or two after issue and at blow-out prices) because opening packs is part of the fun. I give the cards to my nephew.