Originally Posted by Eric72
I think there are several dividing lines between the eras of cards people collect. Using two that are significant to me, I propose the following:
Early Post-War Baseball (1945 - 1956) This section would include all of the early Bowman cards, along with non-standard sized Topps issues. Additionally, there would be others included (Leaf, Berk Ross, etc.) For me, those oversized, horizontal, artwork themed cards Topps put out in '56 somehow seem like they are from a distinctly different era than the ones they produced the following year.
Vintage Baseball (1957 - 1980) Along with regional issues and a few of the somewhat more mainstream sets, this section would encompass the majority of the era during which Topps began to use color photographs on their cards, shrank them to the "standard" size we still see today, and enjoyed a virtual monopoly. Along with other differences mentioned already, I also believe that it is much easier to find cards from this era in better condition. I am not talking about Gem Mint 10 examples that rake in huge bucks at auction. I simply mean that finding, say, a '59 Whitey Ford in NM 7 is quite a bit easier and cheaper than finding his '56 Topps cards in the same grade. Personally, I attribute this to the advent of individual card storage supplies in the late '70's/early '80's.
Modern Baseball (1981 - Present) Whereas it concerns mainstream sets, there were suddenly three (instead of only one) in '81. Over the following six years, generally speaking, all three companies printed increasingly more product. Then, in 1988, Score joined the fray. The very next year, Upper Deck threw their hat in the ring. The year after that was the start of the '90's, when all hell broke loose. Autographed chase cards, parallels, game used materials (pieces of jerseys, bats, etc.) And so on, and so on, and so on.
Just my two cents here. Others have offered some great suggestions. Whatever Leon decides upon will be fine with me.
One last thing...I agree with Barry Sloate. People should make an effort to post in the correct section. I believe if this was done consistently, the entire board would benefit greatly.
I personally navigate around the entire website and thoroughly enjoy many of the various forums. Personally, it would be much more enjoyable to me if everything was in its proper place. What I find most surprising is the occasional presence of threads within the main forum (for discussion of Pre-War cards) where people open up a conversation (in the wrong forum, of course) about someone on eBay selling modern fantasy cards that appear in their searches for Pre-War material (complaining that the eBay seller is listing their product in the wrong place.)
Oh, well. C'est la vie. Have a great evening, everyone.
Best regards,
Eric
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