Prewar Cards

[bijoem]

Very early on in my collecting days, at a small local card show - I stumbled across a T205 McGraw.

I couldn't believe how tiny the card was. Much different than the Topps cards I would buy from the candy man.

I bought the card and have been hooked ever since.

[ChiefBenderForever]

My dad bought me my first pack of Hockey Cards in 1978-79 and I have been addicted since then. In 1980 I traded a box of Star Wars cards for a box of 1965-72 Topps baseball cards with almost complete sets from 70,71, and 72. Then in 1981 my neighbor who lived accross the street saw us playing with baseball cards outside and told us we should take care of them, he had complete topps sets from 1951 and up and also had a bunch of Old Judge Cabinets, mayo plugs, t206, ect and other 19th century cards. He quit collecting years ago but still has everything, I was supposed to look at his 19th century and prewar last thanksgiving but he boxed it all up years ago and doesn't know where it is, I'm in the process of trying to buy all his prewar and 19th century if he can find it. When I was 11 or 12 I had the opportunity to buy old judge cabinets for 5.00 and 10.00 each in 1982 but instead ordered Pete Rose, Lou Brock, Duke Snider, Hank Aaron, ect. I did buy a couple T206 an T205 for 1.00 each but blew it on the old judge cards!

[longstreet766]

I bought 3 beat up t206s at the 2003 National at age 13, and have been hooked on them ever since. Seven years later and im only half way done

Mike

[martin neal]

Wow, Mike, I wish I had started that young. Good luck with the rest of the set.

[cfc1909]

Like most in the early 70s I opened pack after pack of Topps cards. Started with the black border 71s-I was six. Continued in to the late 80s. I always wanted a card of Ty Cobb. That happened in 89 or 90 and it was a bat on t206-started going to the Philly show and slowly picking up random 206 cards and some wer not even 206 because I was clueless. Then came the internet, education and ebay . The tough backs started in the later 90s and hard core in 2000...

[steve B]

Pretty similar here. The first I was aware of older cards was 73-74 I saw a buying ad for the Wagner in I think sporting news about the same time the 74 Hank Aaron specials came out. A couple years later a kid at school swapped me a 68 Matthews for a couple cards he needed. Probably came from his older brothers cards. Then in 77 I moved to Arlington Mass, and casually asked one of the kids I met about baseball cards. Turns out I'd moved to one of the few towns with a full time shop. (Halls Nostalgia) There I saw all sorts of wonders! 50's cards, bowmans, goudeys, and t206s. It's been pretty much downhill since then. And yeah, there's loads of stuff I regret not buying.

On the plus side, I hung out there pretty regularly, and got to look at a lot of old cards, as well as getting to see a few old collections as they came in. Great experience.

Steve B

[David W]

Circa 1977 I was 14 and we went on a family vacation to Florida, stopping at an antique/junk shop in Georgia somewhere. The old guy had baseball cards, lots of Topps and other stuff, but also a cigar box full of what I now know were T 206. I bought his McGinnity and Casey for $2 each.

I'd heard about cigarette cards before but never seen them.

After that I'd go flea marketing with my folks, or later as a college student, and buy all the pre 1970 stuff I could find, and ended up with a handful of Goudey's, and a few T 205 and 206.

E bay and the internet has opened the flood gates in this market. It's now quite simple to find Pre War.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by steve B

Pretty similar here. The first I was aware of older cards was 73-74 I saw a buying ad for the Wagner in I think sporting news about the same time the 74 Hank Aaron specials came out. A couple years later a kid at school swapped me a 68 Matthews for a couple cards he needed. Probably came from his older brothers cards. Then in 77 I moved to Arlington Mass, and casually asked one of the kids I met about baseball cards. Turns out I'd moved to one of the few towns with a full time shop. (Halls Nostalgia) There I saw all sorts of wonders! 50's cards, bowmans, goudeys, and t206s. It's been pretty much downhill since then. And yeah, there's loads of stuff I regret not buying.

On the plus side, I hung out there pretty regularly, and got to look at a lot of old cards, as well as getting to see a few old collections as they came in. Great experience.

Steve B

Hey Steve,

I grew up almost next door in Watertown, and discovered Hall's Nostalgia as a 10-year old in 1983. For some reason I really loved their older cards, and I was hooked into buying vintage from them right away! I still go to their monthly auctions - Dave, Joel and Walt are great guys...