How many OBC member do we have here?
 

Ive looked into them a couple times and still haven't joined. I figure there must be a few members on the board. I'm not the most trusting guy and they seem to go against my instincts even though they're website stands for most of the things I believe in and support within the hobby...and now I know what a tipton is, again. Any thoughts out there?

several
 

I know we have several OBC guys on the board and have always had positive interactions and communication with them. I am not a member of their site though. A lot of good guys there, imo.

What is
OBC?

www.oldbaseball.com

Yes, I'm a member. Mostly post-war set collectors (though there are a number a pre-war collectors there too) who don't care much about condition and like helping each other out. I encourage everyone to check it out.

Mac

Hi

I'm a member. OBC stands for old baseball cards, you can find more information here http://www.oldbaseball.com/obcfaq.html

Yes, although I think most of the folks in OBC concentrate on 50s/60s there are quite a few pre-war collectors who are also members of this forum.

Its kinda a trading club, but really more than that. The FAQ should cover everything, but a key component is RAOK (random acts of kindness). One day you go to your mailbox and surprise a 1964 Willie Mays or a T206 SL, or more likely a handful of 1972 commons. Another key component is what comes around goes around, you may hit my wantlist and I might not be able to hit yours, but I can hit Joe's etc.

Its not for everybody, but if you are looking to complete some 60-70's sets in VG- condition or if some of the seedier aspects (greed, shill bidding, selling reprints for genuine, etc.) of the hobby are bothering you then you should check them out. Joining OBC may be for you.

thanks

Bob

I've been a member for a little over two years and just love it. It's not really a place to swap cards in holders, but it is wonderful if you don't care about condition and just like the idea of finding trading partners. For me, someone with a somewhat limited number of older dupes, I like the idea that if I can't hit the wantlist of someone who just sent me some cards, I can just go down the line and send cards to another person who needs them. What goes around, comes around.

OBC makes going to the mailbox a treat every single day.

sounds like a cult!:)

I have been a member from the start (almost 25 years now!). You can read a little about the history on the website as well. OBC was one of the first (if not the first) organized vintage baseball card clubs on the Internet and have had a hobby presence for over 20 years. There is nothing more fun than sending out cards to people who need them....nothing expected in return. It is always fun going to your mailbox after a rough week and finding an envelope with cards in it as well. It is interesting, as well, as several terms that were coined in OBC have made it into the hobby lexicon as well..."plastic tomb" (tpg), "tipton condition" (founding member l.arry tipto.n has a massive collection of the worse condition cards imaginable), etc. Many dealers also give OBC discounts on cards that are not in great condition. Notably, Mark Macrae just sold a fantastic group of trimmed pre-war cards that have been sent around OBC this past month, Dave Henderson, Kevin Savage, Roger Neufeldt, etc. also help out OBCers as well.
If you do not mind condition, are into finishing sets from 1950-1990ish, then OBC might be for you.

Joshua
Proud member of OBC

Peter...not a bad comparison to a cult...we all have differing degrees of obsession with cards and OBC is certainly a way that I "manage" my addiction. But it is more than that. I have attended OBC weddings (had OBC members at my wedding too), golf tournaments, card shows (every year at the national, all OBC members who attend are invited to a large swap one night where members just bring their dup. boxes and just trade...remember trading...like the old days?), have been to OBC dinners, I have opened my house to OBCers (in fact, one of my oldest OBC friends Peter is coming over Sunday to check out my collection and new house), gone to games, Vegas, etc. It is friendship group based on cards...we are open to anyone with a love of baseball cards. People can leave OBC anytime they want (or go inactive as well and come back later when their passion or time or ??? allows for more trading). OBCers are very open and at the National (and other shows) they can been seen wearing pins, hats, tshirts, etc. We even had our own trading card set produced a few times featuring OBC traders!!

Joshua

I used to be a member and it was the best cult I've ever joined. Over time, I started noticing that all the chicks were gravitating towards Net54. Thus, I started hanging around here.............I'm still not convinced that Joan and Julie left Net54 because of me.

Lovely Day...

It was your fault Iggy. (Finally someone to take the fall.) I might have to change your title from "rich" as you previously wished you were "rich" to "fall guy".. :)

And thanks Joshua and the other OBC guys. I also correlate Net54baseball to the same thing somewhat. I have met and made many lasting friendships here on the board and in the hobby. I know there are a few folks that don't collect to make friends and so forth, but I am very far from that idea. I love the camaraderie and believe that is why I have done this for as long as I have. As soon as the National, and that 5 day party is over, I am already looking forward to the next one. With a few shows in between, which I meet and hang out with friends at, it is truly a lot of fun for me. Cheers to the OBC guys!! (and boo hoo on any secret clubs in the hobby)

Obc
 

I've been a member of OBC since 98 and have never considered another group. OBC is unique because of the "what goes around, comes around" philosophy. Mostly the group operates by sending duplicates to people who need them, usually without arranging a trade in return. One of our principles, coined by another member, is " I'd rather have a hole in my card than a hole in my binder". The group really is a family of friends who share a common love, old cardboard.

John Harrell "Bama"

Tried
 

I think I tried to join them once when I was working on a '52 low grade set. The issue I had was that there is no message board for you to post your recent wants or pickups for trade so basically you have to go around emailing people you don't know asking what they have, etc and I wasn't hearing back from peeps so I gave up

Not a member, but I've been helped by members
 

Its been a couple years, but I visited the site and found the names and emails of several people who said they collected T206s. Emailed them all, told them my story of I have none to trade, but if you have something I am looking for, please tell me what you would want. Over the next two years, heard back from two of the members who had one each of Howe's cards, arranged trades and added them to my collection.

Never any negative feedback, like "Leave me alone," or anything like that. Heard from almost all saying they would keep an eye out and were all encouraging. Should probably look in to joining again.

I think Will Rogers put it best, "I've never met an OBCer that I didn't like". Not only does the group help members fill in holes in their collection, they unwittingly are a part of hobby history. As Joshua referenced above, if they are not the first, they are the longest lasting website dedicated to collecting baseball cards (all eras). They reach back to the old Prodigy days, Kit Young hosting the Hawaii trade show and $1.25 a gallon gas in California. Plus they possess the largest vocabulary of hobby slang :)

15 years or so for me....and it has been quite a ride. The generosity of guys in the group just astounds me. As for our slang, I think my fave is "moofy".......you know, that musty smell of carboard that has been sitting in a damp basement for so long..............and yes, I agree that you will get great response from anyone in the group should you drop an exploratory email...........any excuse to talk cards is fine with us!

Grant

I've been in OBC since '98. It's a great bunch of guys and when I used to travel a lot for work, I always had a card friend wherever I went, often someone I'd never met in person before, to go to shows and games with. Beyond the cards, it's lots of good times.

Andy

ball card trading clubs
 

I also agree OBC is a great club ( along with VCT,and OCT also) ,
loads of great "true" collectors and card traders, I just never was comfortable with the "unwritten rule" of .. go ahead and send a guy a 62T Mays...he will probably send you nothing back,but down the road..somebody ,somewhere will square up with you.. ??..yes.. I get the kindness thing ( I was a member) ...but I did more sending then receiving....the other thing is...90% of the guys WL's are pretty much the same..everybody needs the shortprinted 67T high #s, the 62T Yaz,the 30s40s Foxx,Ott,Greenberg,etc.., and nobody ever has them in their trading boxes to send .

Ral G

I joined OBC sometime around 2000 I think but went inactive about three years later as I got more into graded cards. I enjoyed my time in it and met up with lots of guys at shows throughout the years. I still run into a core group at the National every year. I got some great cards as a result of my trades there and hopefully gave out some too.

Obc!!
 

I've been a member for almost 20 years and love the group! If you are a collector of high grade stuff, don't bother looking at it. If you like camaraderie and sending cards around (note I did not say "trading"), then it's for you. It's a group centered around baseball cards, but not necessarily about baseball cards. There's probably about 150 guys and we all seem to know each other's life stories, even though we've never met...so when we do meet, it's like a big reunion! I would say the majority of the cards that trade hands are from the 60s and 70s, but pre-war is there too. If you're interested in friends and "random acts of kindness," it's a group for you. If you're interested in what you can get in trade for your T206 Tinker in PSA 3, then it's not for you.

Take Care,
Geno

Thanks for all the replies. OBC sounds like a gret place to make some buddies, it would be nice if there was a message board up. I do not think its the place for me though. Im not into 50s and 60s, and the cards I collect are somewhat common but do not cover tons of sets as I am not a ttype collector in any way. Ive read heir stuff 3 times now and never joined...sounds like a wonderful group to be part of. Enjoy boys!

OBC since 2001
 

Not much else to add that hasn't already been said. A great group of folks interested in the history of baseball and old cardboard. A group of guys and gals that enjoy tracking down the last card you might need for a set--or the elusive short-print for an obscure set you might be working on. You have to love NCAA pools and Super Bowl pools where the winners receive cards.

A ton of knowledge across a wide spectrum of the hobby--pre-war, regionals and food issues, variations, you name it there is an industry expect in the group. Some OBC friendly dealers do occasionally provide boxers of beaters to be distributed to the larger group.

I agree with Josh, Geno, Grant, Bob, and the other guys who are also members of this board. Long-term friendships that go beyond cardboad with folks with with common interests. It doesn't get any better.

as you can tell from my post count, I am always eager to share my wealth of hobby knowledge here. :D

OBC member since 1996. So many cool things about this particular gang. RAOK. The amazing things that show up on the mail with no expectation of return fire (funny how it all just works out in the end). However, what I treasure most are the personal get-togethers, whether they be at card shows, ballgames, a drive through a member's neck of the woods, or topgolf's backyard for barbecue, camaraderie and an innocent game of half-rubber (hide your dogs & young 'uns). A fantastic group of gentlemen (and the occasional lady) - I'm proud to have been a small part of it for so long.

We are OBC, and we come in peace.

I've been a member of OBC for the last five years and I just joined net54 today! It is the best thing, as collecting goes, I ever decided to do. I'm not much into prewar stuff since I'm poor and in the US Army. :) However I'm getting more interested in it everyday.

I am an inactive member of OBC but have been in it over 20 years. I stopped collecting postwar baseball sets a while back and went inactive but ad mentioned previously if you collect VG or under post war sets and like to trade it is a wonderful resource.

Obc
 

Im not knocking the club..nor the members..but again ..this RAOK.. In a prefect world..yea maybe...but in the real world....it does NOT all work out in the end. I can give you dozens of current and former members that are ( or were) very careful to NOT just send out high value cards..because they dont get equal value back. And I can tell you first hand how many times a member " tried to follow the concept" and sent a lot more then they got back. Maybe 15 + yrs ago..it was different, and maybe the early members did OK, but not for a long time now
Great guys..yes.. fun club to belong to..yes...but sending out big name high value cards..and expecting equal in return....it dont happen

RalG

Big names, maybe...high value, not so much
 

Yea, if you send out an SGC 60 Goudey Ruth, I doubt you'll be happy with what you get back, because the OBC guys don't collect stuff like that for the most part. Like I said before, if that's what you want, then OBC is not for you. That being said, you just might get a few Goudeys with hole punches in them to knock them off your list. OBC is more about friendships than cards...always has been, and always will be. You never hear the bickering over there that you sometimes get on N54.

Both groups are great...for different reasons.

Cheers,
Geno

Hmm...expecting equal value in OBC is just silly...OBC used to burn becketts for fun...I recently sent out a package that included several high number '55 bowmans...what i got in return was a package with a few rough '57 phillies...was it a fair value trade...nope...do i care...nope...i was happy to have the phillies.

I will always owe OBC because a former member organized a purchase of my really rough magie about 15 years ago. never would have owned one without obc.

Also, obc just cut a check to the Make A Wish foundation (thanks to Geno) in the name of a former member who recently passed away. Another OBC tradition that I embrace and love.

It is more than just fair value trading...

Joshua

I've been an OBC member for about 15 years. A great group with a terrific philosophy. Without OBC, my collection wouldn't be close to what it is today, but what really makes it great is the interaction between members - both on line and personal.

Deployed
 

Just another example of OBC work happened a few years ago when I was deployed with the Air Force over Christmas. One of the best events we have is the Holiday Exchange, which is supposed to be a card worth about $10, but it never is. I was totally bummed that I wasn't going to get to participate, since I was sitting in the Middle East and not a card in sight. But sure enough, I got bombarded with hits to my T202 set, along with some other pre-war cards! I sat in my hooch and looked at those cards for weeks...that's OBC.

It's hard to believe, but we all derive as much pleasure getting a thank you (they are always public) from somebody that you sent a card to as we do from getting one of our own.

If anybody is interested in the group, let me know and I'll point you in the right direction...

Take Care,
Geno

OBC Link
 

Here's the link if you want it:

http://www.oldbaseball.com/

Take Care,
Geno

Grading Scale
 

I found this today and thought I'd post it to give you a taste of OBC, courtesy of Larry "Guru" Tipton!


In an effort to standardize OBC grading procedures, I have been asked to post my Condition Guide. Dealers are hereby warned that reading any further is likely to cause stomach pains.

Mint (MT): The front of a Mint baseball card will include most of the original paper. Normal "in the shirt pocket" creases are allowed, as are thumb tack and staple holes. You should also be able to read most on the back of the card. The only writing allowed on a Mint baseball card is scratching off the old team name and inking in the new team. I have received numerous e-mails asking about "gloss" and "centering". Since I do not know what these are I cannot comment on it. Any Mickey Mantle card grades Mint. Early 1900 tobacco cards can never grade lower than Mint.

Near Mint (NM): A Near Mint baseball card will at first appear to be perfect, but upon closer inspection some minor flaws may be discovered. For example, your favorite Milwaukee Braves pitcher is Joe Jay, but you can never pull a Joe Jay from a pack. You have seven cards of Braves pitcher Don McMahon, so you carefully cross out Don McMahons name and replace it with Joe Jay. It goes without saying in this example you would also have to thicken up Don McMahons eyebrows a little too. When examined closely, staple holes may actually be nail holes which would downgrade a Mint card to NM.

Excellent (EX): An excellent condition baseball card should have at least three corners. Hole punched cards and cards with BB holes will normally not grade above EX. Any kind of writing is allowed on cards in excellent condition. Added nasal hair, arrows through the players head, black eyes, and blacked out teeth are certainly allowed. I have a 1958 Topps #5 Willie Mays with a penciled in goatee, blacked out teeth, and a large chip out of Willies left nostril. When the dealer told me he would take five dollars for the card I replied "Excellent Dealer Dude!" Bicycle spoke creases are allowed on EX cards, and any stain from any source are allowed on EX condition cards. To read my award winning dissertation entitled "Baseball Cards and Stains Accomplished By Ten Year Olds" click (http://www.tenyearold.stain/ballcards.htm). ANY BROOKLYN DODGER CARD CAN NEVER GRADE BELOW EXCELLENT!

Very Good (VG): If less than 10% of the card has been burned up, this would classify as a VG card. Cards that have been cut in two and taped back together normally grade VG. EXCEPTION: 1941 Double Play Cards that have been cut in two. If both sides have been taped, stapled, or glued back together, these normally grade NM. If only half of the card remains, it grades VG. Remember your least favorite card when you were a kid? Somebody like Frank Zupo? You take your Frank Zupo card and lay it down face first in the street and then get on your bike and get going real fast. Just before your rear tire runs over your Frank Zupo, hit the brakes! You could drag that Frank Zupo card ten feet if you timed it right! Mouse damaged cards normally grade VG, however, cat damaged cards (if you know what I mean) normally grade a lot lower than VG.

Good (G): Good condition cards can be bent, cut, hole punched, taped, stapled, wrote on, eraser damaged, torn, ripped, scuffed, stained, creased, chipped, chewed, and glued. G cards could have been used for target practice, dunked in the toilet, set on fire and dropped from your upstairs bedroom, used to mix model airplane paint, and definitely thrown at your sister. No matter WHAT a card looks like, if you need it for your collection, it looks GOOD to you!