Appeal of pre-war minor league issues?

[goudey1933]

I'm considering expanding my pre-war focus from 1933 goudey's into a different area namely the T210 series.I'm drawn to the old photography..has a tremendous eye appeal.Since many players are relatively "no names" ,what attracted you to that set and similar minor league sets.Also any experiences/ tips would be appreciated.

thanks,
scott altland

[tbob]

Scott- certain pre-war minor league sets have experienced a marked rise in prices over the past few years, although lately the economy seems to have tempered things a bit. The early Zeenut sets went through a flurry of activity and dramatic rise in prices but have leveld off a bit in the last 6 months. 1911s and 1912s in particular had been pretty hot. The Obak cards from 1909, 1910 and 1911 featuring PCL an NWL players have shown a marked increase in price but I think a lot of this was because collectors had finished basic pre-war major league sets and wanted to move to other sets and the Obaks are beautiful and have long been underrated and underpriced.
The economy seems to be leveling off a lot of the prices lately and now is a good time to buy. Pacific Coast Biscuit cards are much more reasonable than 1 year ago and the D311s are very colorful and desirable.
In my mind the most stable set of the pre-war minor league issues, as far as growth and prices, has been the T210 set. After an inital spurt, they seem to be available at a good price now, even the tougher Series 4,6,7 and 8 cards. Some collectors don't like the lack of color (only the red borders) but these Old Mills are very nice, especially in nice condition.
Other sets such as the E99s, E100s, etc. have dipped a little in price although they are still very sought after and are still pricey compared to the others I have mentioned.
If I were going after pre-war minor league cards right now, I would be buying up Obaks and T210s. Try finding them in lots in you can, either on ebay or in auctions. Several collectors I know collect the T210s by teams (towns).
Good luck!
tbob

[Bill Stone]

Scott --what I find most attractive about the T210 set is that many of the ballplayers , although they weren't big league names, were very much a part of the community where they lived. My hometown of Frankfort, Kentucky had a number of players ( Series 6 )who flirted with the majors but eventually came back home to marry and live. A little research shows they took regular jobs in local factories, their wives took tickets at the movie theatre, just guys with regular lives ---and it is so easy to research.Most libraries have local newspapers on microfilm from the 1910 era and baseball was a standard story during the season. Plus a few minutes at the local cemetery kind of completes the story.

[goudey1933]

Are there any good books on the leagues and players?Googles an option but i like having books as reference.Having a solid historical background makes it more enjoyable to me...beyond just having the cards.

Thanks for the responses so far.
Scott

[Exhibitman]

My take is a little different since I only collect HOFers and popular MLB players in the minor league sets. I like them because they often represent the first or final cataloged card of a major baseball personage, were issued on a far smaller scale than a national mainstream set, and are often very difficult to locate, yet are paradoxically often worth far less than the player's "rookie" card (though this has definitely changed in the last few years). With some players, like Ernie Lombardi or Lefty O'Doul, I like to "bookend" their careers with Zeenut cards issued before they hit the show and Zeenut or other cards after their MLB careers were through.

[tbob]

Scott- I missed the point of your query which was more centered on the aesthetics and the personal interest of a collector in collecting T210s.
For me, the T210 is an interesting set not only because so few of the players are "name" players or ever made it to the show but their appearance on cards reflects the era and each card has its own story if you want to do a little research and find out about the history of a particular player, as has been mentioned above by other posters. I agree with you that the cards are very interesting and attractive despite the lack of color.
There have been several posts through the years by collectors who had a grandfather or great grandfather in the set. Truly an interesting set (and yes, still very affordable).
tbob

[Kawika]

I'm drawn to the old photography, too. The minor league cards seem to have been a little more homespun and low-down in their depictions, and somewhat more evocative of the era (which matters to a nostalgic old fut such as myself). I also love the peripheral stuff that shows up like the fence advertising, wooden out-buildings, the odd old car etc. The '20's Zeenut issues, the Contentnea black'n'whites and the Billikens seem to have alot of that. The T210s not so much but they are to be appreciated as much or more for their rustic quality. You can't beat Obaks either as little works of art. The Billikens and Contentneas are expensive and don't show up with any great frequency but the others are much easier to be had.

[dstudeba]

For prewar, 20th century I only collect minor leaguers and PCL cards. I am simply drawn by the thrill of the chase and the design of the cards. Since I don't care about major league history or the players in that time period, there is no reason for me to collect them. Cards that are common such as T206s provide no thrill of the chase for me. I find minor league cards are scarcer and PCL cards are from the region of the country that I live in.