Postcards vs Cards

[ls7plus]

Baseball cards have always come in all different sizes, and as Rob Lifson has said in at least one of his REA auction catalogues, some of the most dramatic actual photo cards of Ruth and Gehrig are in the 1920's Exhibits series, including the 1926-1929 Exhibits Postcard backs. In my opinion, the Exhibits cards feature the best photo images of players from the '20's and '30's, to the point that I consider them to be truly "high-end" cards! Two of the factors running against postcards being accepted as "real" baseball cards in the past had been the inability of PSA or SGC to grade them for quite a few years until developing suitable slabs for them, and their lack of listing in Krause's Standard Catalogue of Baseball cards in some cases. Those have been overcome for some time now, and as other members of this site have pointed out, Exhibit cards look really good in SGC holders!

Another thing that collectors have had to come to grips with is that some of the most significant cards in this field of collecting are postcards, or postcard sized baseball cards. Lou Gehrig's actual rookie card is found only in the 1925 Exhibits set. As at least Barry and I agree, Jimmie Foxx's rookie card is his 1926-1929 Exhibits Postcard Back card (the 1927 W560 is just so UGLY!), as I believe, is Lefty Grove's rookie. What most have come to consider to be real Ty Cobb rookie cards include his 1907 Dietsche Postcards (although I admit I'm a bit biased here, having both the 1907 batting and fielding poses!). They also are somewhat to exceedingly rare in some instances (see the 1931-32 Portrait, with tie, Babe Ruth, and to a lesser extent the 1939 Gehrig, which was almost certainly pulled from production with the announcement in May of '39 of his fatal illness) and can present quite a dedicated challenge to obtain. I also like the fact that the Exhibits company was making cards continuously from at least 1921-1966. As a kid, I liked the "bigger" baseball cards I obtained from the Exhibits machine in the nearby penny arcade better than the Topps issues! My favorite Mantle card is easily, to me, his most beautiful--the 1953-1955 Dormand Postcard, bat on shoulder--that one comes out only when I've taken the long dirt nap!

Boy, I did'nt even realize the extent of my passion for these cards until posting this reply! Best to everyone,

Larry

[ls7plus]

PS: I love the Max Stein Honus Wagner postcard, which, by recollection, featured him in an batting action, follow-through pose. A dealer at the 2009 National in Cleveland had one, but wanted either $3,000 or $4,000 for it then, and it didn't fit in my budget at that time. So if you can pick up some major HOF'er's at the right price, I don't think you'll go wrong in terms of their value down the road.

Larry

[Touch'EmAll]

Nice to see values for these "secondary" cards increase.

My most important determining factor when buying a vintage card/item is eye appeal - I like a card that looks neat - nice picture - nice centering - not a goofy unappealing looking thing.

Black & White is perfectly acceptable - what does/did Ansel Adams think of Black/White - can be pretty darn nice.

I don't have to go shopping thru hype priced Cracker Jacks, T206's & Goudeys to find nice eye appealing stuff. Don't get me wrong - CJ's, T206's & Goudey's are super duper nice -just not the value you might find in Exhibits.

psst.....there are really not all that many nice pre war Exhibit HOF'ers out there.......shhhhh.....keep it quiet

[Touch'EmAll]

I think PSA got the Hornsby wrong - oh, well