Prewar Cards

[old-baseball]

My first vintage cards came my way as I was working on a set of 1974 Topps. My grandmother found my dad's cards as they were cleaning out the garage at the house that they had moved into while my Dad was in the Navy during WWII. It's hard to believe that they lasted as long as they did in a cardboard box in an unheated, detached garage. The box was filled with 1933 through 1935 Goudey's, a few Tattoo Orbits, some Delong's and a bunch of non-sport stuff. I really didn't start collecting these sets until the mid to late 80's, but the cards and his stories of seeing Ruth and Gehrig in Cleveland as a boy sparked my interest. Here's a couple of cards that survived the 30 long years in that garage.

[Peter W Thomas]

I started collecting Leafs in Natick MA 1949 with Bob Olshansky and the aid of construction workers pop bottles. Not long after we started my grandmother and my step-granddad were visiting and he brought out a box of about 50 Goudys that were punched canceled as a part of a promotion that the drugstore that he worked at was a participant and gave them to me. Well with 2 Ruth cards, I was hooked. Still have the cards - Thanks "Uncle Ed ".

[fkm_bky]

I like that story about your father Kevin...very neat!

I collected tons of modern cards from 81 - 89, then got interested in girls and swiping cans of Old Style from the refridgerator in the garage. I picked up collecting again in the late 90's, but was more interested in the shiny crap and inserts (anyone want to buy them off me?). I then found Ebay and the original Vintage BB Card site and started just collecting T206 Polar Bear backs. Now, vintage is all I collect, but I'll keep the modern stuff for my son to see if he has any interest.

Bill Kasel

[Chicago206]

1987 was the year I was "introduced" into baseball cards. All the hype over these 2 guys from Oakland, and this other guy who could play baseball AND football was enough to make any 12 year old want in!

Unfortunately, looking back, I tend to think that speculation, along with a monthly priceguide, made "collecting" cards near impossible for kids new to the hobby in that era. As I read your stories (from the 50's,60's, and 70's) it seems you guys collected out of the pure joy of it. All the kids my age in the late 80's could quote you the book price on EVERY card they owned! We didnt really "collect" cards, rather we invested in them....it was the stock market for teenagers!

I dont ever remember seeing or even being interested in pre war cards though. Although im certain they had value at that time, I just could not relate to a bunch of dead guys who I never saw play. And as a kid, anything THAT old MUST be out of my price range anyway, right? I was much more interested in guys named Bo, Will, and Don than guys named Cy and Ty.

Now, some 23 years later...at age 35...ALL I buy are pre war cards! I still cannot relate to any of those dead guys who I never saw play at Comiskey, or Wrigley, but the beautiful, vivid colors and amazing "artwork" on these cards is light years ahead of anything I ever collected as a kid!

[quinnsryche]

I am almost 44 now and in 1976 my father (Pat Quinn) along with Don Steinbach, Mike Keasler and later Roger Marth opened the first (to the best of my knowledge) baseball card store. As a 10 year old, I was exposed to a myriad of cards from all time periods. Stacks of T cards rubberbanded in glass cases, goudeys in stacks, complete sets of all types in cabinets. Truly amazing to think back at what I actually held in my grubby little hands back then. Saw the only complete set of 1949 Bowman PCL, the original 1919 White Sox team set, Topps, Bowman, Goudey, Playball complete sets multiple times over, items sold TO Barry Halper, teenage Mastro, Lifson, Medema, Forman all come through the shop and card/autograph shows in Chicago. Not to sound brash but almost nothing I see today I haven't seen at on time or another in the past 35+ years. Funny thing is, because I was around it so much, I never really cared much about it until I was in my mid 30's and none of it was available anymore! Oh well, it was quite a time anyway.

[deadballera]

after watching Pride of the Yankees about 20 years ago.


Love that scene when Lou asks to keep the Babe Ruth "rookie" card when giving up some cards to play baseball in the streets.