Because of what these cards meant.
I collect '52s, having picked up the bug from my Dad who saved all his cards from '57 to '63. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, by which time baseball had lost its luster. I never really fell in love with the game, never had a great sports team I followed. The players were all rich free agents who'd abandon their team and town for another if the money was good enough, and would do roids if it meant they'd accumulate homeruns that much faster. Baseball cards of the period were prefab collectibles that went straight from the shelves to dealer's cases. Never loved, never cherished, and frankly they were quite ugly.
I fell in love with the old cards because they represent a different time that I sorely wish I could've experienced. Each card I handle, I think of the kid who bought it, using allowance money or lawnmower money, and always to the chagrin of his parents. I think of how he admired those players, who all worked regular jobs in the off season, who were equal parts athlete, greek god and older brother, rolled up in one.
I think of my dad who tells me stories of how he and his friends would bike all over town in search of the the latest series of cards. He'd tell me about his most cherished players (Joe Adcock and Stan Musial). When I ask him what baseball was like in the 50s when he was growing up, he gets a distant look in his eye and says, "Oh baseball was *everything*."
I think of how these cards in their own subtle way helped push civil rights forward. Look at the '52 set...the black players aren't treated any differently from the whites. The vaunted sixth series kicks off with the stars of each of the three New York teams: Mantle, Thomson and Robinson. That HAD to have had an impact on kids, even if they didn't realize it. It didn't matter that Robinson was black. What mattered was, he was a damn good player.
I wish I could've known that feeling of a kid in the 50s. Wish I could've gone to a Dodgers game at Ebbet's field. Wish I could've seen a team chock full of players who made their whole careers with a team, who had some semblance of loyalty. Of course the players had their vices..they drank, smoked, slept around and swore. They might scuff up the ball or steal signs. But they didn't shoot up and become monsters to slug homeruns. They were regular guys, and the cards captured that.
And lets not forget the cards themselves, which I collect as works of art. Gorgeous colors and wonderful design, and not with the intent of being instantly collected, but made to be enjoyed and swapped. Made to be fun. Sure I have to watch my budget, and I don't spend carelessly. I'd like to make my money back if and when I sell a card. But ultimately I have fun doing this, and I love looking at and reading these cards, and imaging where they've come from, and where they'll go to next. It's a hell of a hobby.
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