Backs

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Post-war cards (and some pre-war) typically contain information on the player, frequently including his seasaon and career statistics as well as other information relevant to aspects of his career.

For some collections, this information is the reason a specific card is selected. For example, rookie cards, record breaker cards, etc.

The backs of cards which do not contain this type of information are far less interesting to me. Actually, they hold no interest. That is, I do not understand why a card which cites one product supplier is anymore desireable than another; or more desireable than a blank back.

I fully realize that much of the hobby places emphasis on the supplier's name which is on the back, as well as overprints and I suppose other back aspects as well. I watch the discussions of rare, scarce, uncommon, etc. backs and I wonder: why bother? They all depict the same ballplayer. It is not as if any of these companies are of historical importance. Or maybe they are.

I just feel that I am missing something important here. Burdick seperated these similar cards by the advertisers, and combined several into t206, and perhaps other groups.

What is this all about?

[Archive]

Posted By: Scott

What would you rather have - a 1908 Indian Head penny, or a 1908-S ? The front is the same on both, just that silly little "S" on the back bottom

Back to cards - would you rather have a t206 common with a Sweet Caporal back, or with a Drum back?

[Archive]

Posted By: Gilbert Maines

Scott: Thank you. You have crystallized my understanding of the situation. It is as I feared. But there is hope. I formerly collected by date and mintmark, as you surmised. But I got better.

But there is worse than just backs, as you know. There is color variations, and as one Corcoran collector recently stated: there are always different stages of wear for each example.

[Archive]

Posted By: martindl

Its all about the diversity and nuances of collecting and collectors.

I'm not a type collector or a back collector, but i certainly get it. Its not about baseball and its usually not about the particular player - its all about identifying a certain trait and then collecting it.

Gilbert - you get it. For you its about the stats and their historical significance or just the player himself - thats your trait. For someone else, its about factory numbers in combination with branding - thats their identified trait.

If we all collected the same thing, for the same reasons, it would be a lot more boring.

Anyone got any no-ad back T'3 they want to move along?