When did you start collecting pre-war/vintage?

[Bilko G]

Originally Posted by hangman62

Im finding it hard to believe that so many 5-15 yrd old kids started collecting ' PRE WAR" cards at that age .

i have a feeling many people who voted are confused.

[Mark]

Originally Posted by Bilko G

i have a feeling many people who voted are confused.

That could be. But I voted in the 5-15 yr old category because I took up vintage collecting when I was about 11 or 12. Back around 1971, a handful of sellers advertised pre-war and post-war cards near the back of the Sporting News and Baseball Digest. I knew lots of the players names both from my dad's stories about Waner, Traynor, Hubbell, Sisler, Ruth, et al and had read both The Glory of Their Times and 8 Men Out. After I bought some cards from the sellers in TSE and BD, the sellers would send around mimeographed sheets of cards for sale every couple of months. Back then, they would sell t-206's by the player's name alone, omitting any reference to whether it was a portrait or not or what back it had or even its condition. And at a local flea market, there was a guy who always had a box of cards and a cat with him. He introduced me to a couple of Goudeys. Somehow, I learned about the existence of the Trader Speaks. I ended up with a lot of t-206's and a number of Goudey's and Playballs, but never ran across most of the issues from the 20's that I collect now.

[Leon]

I admit I am quite surprised by the poll numbers too. I would have thought the #2 spot would have been the #1 spot by quite a bit and that is the spot I fell into. That is when my (little bit of) discretionary income and boredom set in . It's hard to imagine so many on the board started collecting PRE-War/vintage so young and never stopped. Thanks for all who have responded so far...and sorry for my tangent of going off topic....Those early little league days bring back some very fond memories (obviously). regards

[David W]

Originally Posted by Leon

I admit I am quite surprised by the poll numbers too. I would have thought the #2 spot would have been the #1 spot by quite a bit and that is the spot I fell into. That is when my (little bit of) discretionary income and boredom set in . It's hard to imagine so many on the board started collecting PRE-War/vintage so young and never stopped. Thanks for all who have responded so far...and sorry for my tangent of going off topic....Those early little league days bring back some very fond memories (obviously). regards

What you've got to remember is that in the 70's when I was in my early teen's, pre war stuff was readily available at flea markets. It was available at garage sales, and it was cheap. I got a whole scrapbook full of newspaper clippings from pre WW2 with several cards, including a Bottomley Goudey in it for $5 once. So if you were a kid like me who loved baseball you'd buy it. I had friends of my dad give me their cards from when they were kids. People just gave away the 70's cards to who ever would take them.

It wasn't until the Beckett annual guide came out around 1980 that the casual person had any idea cards might be worth something some day.

[tonyo]

Maybe the poll should be re-taken to just include "pre-war"

I owned 1 pre-war card prior to 2009 and have collected pre-war almost exclusively since then. I answered 41-45.

However, I started collecting as a kid in 72, buying all the current stuff, but I did end up with several cards from the 50's and 60's. So I suppose I could've answered in the 5-15 category depending on the definitions of "collect" and "Vintage"

[brianp-beme]

I polled under the 16+ category. I almost qualified for the 5-15 year old category, as I had just turned 16 when I picked up my first pre-WW2 cards, after years of collecting contemporary issues. And since then I have never stopped vintaging.

Brian

[jbsports33]

I started when I was 19 in College, would save all the money I could during my summer job to buy Goudeys and T206 cards. Then when I got out and had my first real job, I would spend Friday afternoons going to the local Boston Shops buying more of the same (many not around anymore). I had to sell my first collection when I got married and bought my first house. I was real happy that the PSA 7s and 8s from the 1933 Goudey cards started getting real high prices, it really helped. I wish I had some of those cards back, but feel if I did not, I would not know as much as I do now- what to buy and sell!

Jimmy