I'm offering these terrific and highly collectible pioneering sports card collector's newspapers for a very reasonable price. Before regular card shows, before ebay, before collecting sport cards was even a respectible hobby, there were these newspapers and magazines that enables collectors to keep up with the hobby, and to keep in touch with each other.
The Sport Hobbyist had a short run in the 1950's, published out of Detroit by Charles Brooks. He revived it in the early 1970's as a quarterly tabloid newspaper featuring advertising as well as articles on card sets new and old. The paper also reported on goings-on in the fledgling sport card collecting hobby. Here, you can go back to the days when early Topps and Bowman cards were pennies each and when tobacco cards could be had for under a dollar!
I have:
the Winter 1972 issue, full tabloid size running 16 pages. It's dominated by a great article about the Detroit convention, which was attended by such hobby legends as Frank Nagy and Dick Reuss; the Spring 1972 issue, full tabloid size running 20 pages. It's dominated by a great article about the discovery of a new Honus Wagner T206 card. No dollar value is discussed, but I'm sure it must have been worth at least $500 back then. Topps' test issues are also the subject of an article, which excitedly notes that a set of Topps Great Moments cards had sold for $25! There's also an article by hobby legend Frank Nagy on the subject of matchbook covers, and an extensive checklist of the 1930's era Wide Pen and Fine Pen premiums;
the Winter 1973 issue, full tabloid size running 20 pages. The issue is dominated by news of the big 1973 Chicago convention ($5 admission for all three days, dealer tables for $15.75!). There's also news that Topps has cut their 1973 baseball set down to a mere 660 cards, and there are extensive checklists of various regional sets (remember this is years before there were any Beckett guides, or any other guides for that matter);
the Spring 1973 issue, full tabloid size running 20 pages. The issue is dominated by news of a convention in Southern California, by news that noted dealer and collector Eric Lange had some of his collection robbed (but subsequently recovered), and there's an interesting article on the status (in 1973) of the Exhibit Card Company;
the Winter-Spring 1974 issue, full tabloid size running 20 pages. The issue is dominated by photos of various conventions around the country and the noted collectors attending them. There's also an article rating the then-current baseball annuals out on the newsstands. Overall, there are tons of photos of these pioneer collectors, as well as ads for baseball cards and other collectibles. Don't faint when you see the prices. These papers are pieces of hobby history. Except for a bit of yellowing and a heavy fold across the middle, these are in very nice condition.
Then there's Sports Scoop. Sports Scoop had a short, 20-issue run in the early Seventies, but it was just about the most professional and informative hobby magazine produced up to that time. It featured black and white photos of rare cards and sets, advertising that seems inocent and fascinating today, and informative articles by hobby greats such as Don Steinbach and Keith Olbermann (yes, THAT Keith Olbermann). I have:
issue 5 from June 1973, measuring about 7 x 8 1/2. It's 32 pages long and has articles on O-Pee-Chee hockey varieties, regional issues, and collecting basics.
I also have issue 10 from December 1973, measuring about 8 1/2 x 11. It's 36 pages long and has articles on T210 cards, Riggs Stephenson, and an updated Seattle Popcorn checklist. The magazine itself is in very fine condition, and was never sent through the mail.
My price for this entire lot of seven early collector publications is $50 including shipping.
Contact me at:
akleinb@optonline.net if interested
11-19-2011, 05:42 PM
Old Collector Publications For Sale!
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