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davidcyclebackChad, your point is good. Many early players, and perhaps even teams, would be long forgotten if it wasn't for card and memorabilia collectors. Collecting encourages interest in details of the past that would otherwise be forgotten. At the least, collecting heightens the interest and appreceation of the history.
A non-sport collector commented that the relative prices for vintage baseball memorabilia is a sign that baseball collectors are nuts (Which may be true). I suggested that the high prices show that baseball hobby has far greater appreceation and interest in the history and artifacts of it's genre that in comparable vintage hobbies where the prices are bargain basement. Beyond opinions on price, it's hard to argue that an unusually high appreceation and interest in history and its artifacts is anything but positive.
Some elementary classes have students collecting baseball cards in order to learn about history (of cards, baseball, etc), how to organize and research, etc. The classes use baseball cards to catch the kids' interest. In fact the New York City Department of Education has specific information about baseball cards and collecting to be used for the classes across the city.