Reminiscing about the "Good-Ole-Days" in this Hobby

[tedzan]

I returned back to this hobby in the late 1970's. The TRADER SPEAKS was one my 1st introductions to the tremendous
growth this hobby had become since my youth.





Several years later, I was fortunate to pick-up the GOODWIN CHAMPIONS (N162) set of 50 cards. It's my favorite set of Sportscards. It's Lithography at its best.
Followed by the GOODWIN CHAMPIONS Album (A36).


.



Hey guys,

Let's reminisce about your fortunate experiences in this hobby that make it all worthwhile.


TED Z

T206 Reference
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[FrankWakefield]

When I think about collecting cards as a kid, then the break most of us go through sometime around high school, college, early 20's... and then returning later, as many of us did... For me it was discovering The Old Judge newsletters. I got a subscription, and then got mailings about Mr. Lipset's auctions. That opened a new world of collecting way beyond what I envisioned.

And that lead to making acquaintances with folks who collected the older stuff, people knowledgeable about the old stuff, collectors like you, Ted.

Thanks to all of you guys who share your knowledge and who help a collector with something their after.

[Seven]

I was unfortunately not alive, to experience the "good-ole-days" of the hobby. However., I love talking to some of the older collectors out there, to see what things were like back in the day. The stories and information that many of them have, are second to none.

I do think there are aspects of the old Hobby that still exist. The sense of community that we find on here, at Net54 is one of them. There were definitely certain stores, that captured the hold Hobby feel. One of them was Baseball Nostalgia, up in Cooperstown, which closed down a couple of years ago.

[jingram058]

My first experience with this hobby was, by far, the best for me...buying 5 cent packs of baseball cards practically non-stop for a few years. Paying a fortune for them decades later is not fun, for me anyhow. I can understand shelling out for something like an old car, but for disposable cardboard? Not my thing. Trading? I'm all for that, I guess. But I can't afford to buy cards anymore, and have no desire to, either. I'm happy with what I have, and I will leave it at that.

[RCMcKenzie]

As a kid I subscribed to Baseball Digest. Here's my copy from Sep. 1980. It's sitting right here in my office. I like how they addressed me as "Mr. R McKenzie" when I was 11 1/2.

Re-reading this magazine today, I was struck by how normal, friendly, and informative the articles were compared to today. i.e. Plaschke, etc.

Not from this issue which has 70-80 cards for sale. but from other issues I bought 33 Goudey from dealer ads.

I added a 1980 Topps JR Richard oversized card. I like how it says on the back, "Topps For the Fun of It."

[Rhotchkiss]

I remember Baseball Card Digest.

But my biggest publication memory is the Beckett Magazine and price guide, from the early-mid 1980s. I remember they would come in the mail and I would pour through the adds, articles, and then look at the guide to see how prices had changed (since last month). They were a must at card shows, and YES, people, including kids, cared very much about the values of cards in the early 1980s and looked at them as valuable assets to buy and sell for profit; this kid knew prices inside and out. I remember the price guides would list prices in columns by condition; back the, we determined condition, not PSA and SGC.

In 1984, it was me, a shoe box of cards in plastic holders and boxes, and the most recent Beckett Price Guide. Not much different from today with the kids and their black cases (which I start using in 2016) and their apps and online price guides/tools.

[darwinbulldog]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

As a kid I subscribed to Baseball Digest. Here's my copy from Sep. 1980. It's sitting right here in my office. I like how they addressed me as "Mr. R McKenzie" when I was 11 1/2.

Re-reading this magazine today, I was struck by how normal, friendly, and informative the articles were compared to today. i.e. Plaschke, etc.

Not from this issue which has 70-80 cards for sale. but from other issues I bought 33 Goudey from dealer ads.

I added a 1980 Topps JR Richard oversized card. I like how it says on the back, "Topps For the Fun of It."

Interesting that there's no mention of Willie Wilson in a September 1980 article about there never having been a 700 at-bat season. Wilson surpassed the mark the very next month.

[Johnny T]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

As a kid I subscribed to Baseball Digest. Here's my copy from Sep. 1980. It's sitting right here in my office. I like how they addressed me as "Mr. R McKenzie" when I was 11 1/2.

Re-reading this magazine today, I was struck by how normal, friendly, and informative the articles were compared to today. i.e. Plaschke, etc.

Not from this issue which has 70-80 cards for sale. but from other issues I bought 33 Goudey from dealer ads.

I added a 1980 Topps JR Richard oversized card. I like how it says on the back, "Topps For the Fun of It."

Loved Baseball Digest as a kid!!! Couldn't wait for the next issue to come and I read it cover to cover!!

[bammerbb]

The post about Baseball Direct brought back some memories for me. I too subscribed, maybe for 2 or 3 years until i got into high school. My dad would even pick one to read if there was a Cardinals article in it.

And then another memory popped up in my mind. There was one store in the little town I live in that had some boxes of Topps baseball to sell. I would clutch my 25 cent allowance in my hand and run in when mom would take to the store. Once she got used to me, if she saw us coming she would take the box off the shelf for me. I believe there was a 1% sales tax in Iowa at the time. So every so often she would let me have 5 packs for my quarter.

This brings up another memory, fast forward 30 years to 1993. At the time, I started a small small baseball card shop, a buddy of mine let me have space for one 6 foot table. At the time my friend was doing the die-cast Ertl race cars. So I figured out my best decision by ordering a couple boxes of a couple brands of racing cards. So when he would come in, he bought some die-cast and then the next time buy some cards from me. One day (a Saturday) he came down to see us, just so happened I told him about doing a small card show in a city about 20 miles from us. So he asked me if he could come along and I said sure, (this gentleman was a really nice and my buddy and I enjoyed his company. Well the next day we got to the show and set up. As the day progressed, we had some down times and we would chat, and he asked how I got started in cards. So I told him about the grocery store and Topps cards.

The next day was Monday, and I worked at my part time job, and it just so happened that I had a delivery to take to her in the senior housing. So I told her I hoped I didn't make her ears burn too bad and told her about the card show and told her about the conversation I had. She looked at me quisickly and then started to laugh real hard. When she stopped,her reply was she hadn't thought about the cards for a long time and asked about how long it was, so I told her about 30 years.

I have other memories which also came back, and it made me smile. Sorry for the long post.

Brian Blankenburg

[jcmtiger]

The 1st issue was 1985. I still look thru these have the complete set. Lots of info at the time.

[zimp]

I got back into the hobby in 1967....so many great finds back then,,,,
T3 FIND
THE YEAR WAS 1971 AND SOME FRIENDS AND I WERE GOING TO THE ANNUAL GETTYSBURG STREET FLEA MARKET ON A SATURDAY…..WE LEFT AROUND 2:00 IN THE MORNING SO WE WOULD GET THERE ABOUT DAYBREAK….IT HAD BEEN RAINING OUR WHOLE TRIP AND WE WERE WORRIED THAT THE FLEA MARKET WOULD NOT GO ON……WHEN WE ARRIVED WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FORECAST WAS RAIN ALL DAY SO THE FLEA MARKET WAS CANCELED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY….NOW WE HAVE TO KILL A WHOLE DAY IN GETTYSBURG…..WE STARTED HITTING ANTIQUE SHOPS IN THE AREA BUT FOUND NOTHING…..THEN WE STARTED BRANCHING OUT TO THE COUNTRYSIDE…..ABOUT 1:00 IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER RIDING AROUND FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE 50 TO 75 MILES WE SEE A SIGN THAT SAID ANTIQUES BUT ALL IT WAS, WAS A FARMHOUSE AND A GREENHOUSE…..MY FRIEND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT UP TO THE GREENHOUSE AND CAME BACK AND SAID THERE WERE OLD BASEBALL PICTURES LINING THE WALLS OF THE GREENHOUSE….I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND SEE WHAT WAS THERE…..IT WAS NOTHING BUT T3’S LINING THE WALLS…..I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES….AT THAT TIME I OWNED ONE T3….JUST MY LUCK THE PLACE WAS CLOSED….WE WENT TO THE FARM HOUSE AND KNOCKED FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES…..FINALLY AN OLDER GENTLEMAN ANSWERS THE DOOR AND LET US IN TO THE GREENHOUSE……THE GENTLEMAN SAID HE WANTED $5.00 EACH FOR THE PICTURES….NOW I ONLY HAD $300.00 SO I STARTED PICKING CARDS FROM THE WALL….THE FIRST ONE I PICKED WAS TY COBB FROM THERE JUST NAMES I KNEW….I GOT UP TO 25 OF THEM AND THOUGHT I’D BETTER SAVE SOME MONEY FOR THE FLEA MARKET TOMORROW….SO WE LEFT AT LEAST ANOTHER 25 OF THEM ON THE WALLS…..HEADED BACK TO GETTYSBURG FOR A MOTEL AND REST….THE NEXT DAY AT THE FLEA MARKET WHICH LINED THE STREETS OF GETTYSBURG…..SEARCHED HALF OF THE DAY AND ONLY FOUND ONE OLD JUDGE CABINET CARD OF HARRY STOVEY FOR A DOLLAR…..NOW WE ARE GOING TO HEAD BACK TO THE GREENHOUSE TO BUY THE REST OF THE T3’S……WE RODE AROUND FOR HOURS AND NEVER FOUND THE PLACE AGAIN…..WELL AT LEAST I GOT 25 OF THEM…..WISHED THEY HAD GPS’S BACK THEN..

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by zimp

I got back into the hobby in 1967....so many great finds back then,,,,
T3 FIND
THE YEAR WAS 1971 AND SOME FRIENDS AND I WERE GOING TO THE ANNUAL GETTYSBURG STREET FLEA MARKET ON A SATURDAY…..WE LEFT AROUND 2:00 IN THE MORNING SO WE WOULD GET THERE ABOUT DAYBREAK….IT HAD BEEN RAINING OUR WHOLE TRIP AND WE WERE WORRIED THAT THE FLEA MARKET WOULD NOT GO ON……WHEN WE ARRIVED WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FORECAST WAS RAIN ALL DAY SO THE FLEA MARKET WAS CANCELED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY….NOW WE HAVE TO KILL A WHOLE DAY IN GETTYSBURG…..WE STARTED HITTING ANTIQUE SHOPS IN THE AREA BUT FOUND NOTHING…..THEN WE STARTED BRANCHING OUT TO THE COUNTRYSIDE…..ABOUT 1:00 IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER RIDING AROUND FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE 50 TO 75 MILES WE SEE A SIGN THAT SAID ANTIQUES BUT ALL IT WAS, WAS A FARMHOUSE AND A GREENHOUSE…..MY FRIEND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT UP TO THE GREENHOUSE AND CAME BACK AND SAID THERE WERE OLD BASEBALL PICTURES LINING THE WALLS OF THE GREENHOUSE….I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND SEE WHAT WAS THERE…..IT WAS NOTHING BUT T3’S LINING THE WALLS…..I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES….AT THAT TIME I OWNED ONE T3….JUST MY LUCK THE PLACE WAS CLOSED….WE WENT TO THE FARM HOUSE AND KNOCKED FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES…..FINALLY AN OLDER GENTLEMAN ANSWERS THE DOOR AND LET US IN TO THE GREENHOUSE……THE GENTLEMAN SAID HE WANTED $5.00 EACH FOR THE PICTURES….NOW I ONLY HAD $300.00 SO I STARTED PICKING CARDS FROM THE WALL….THE FIRST ONE I PICKED WAS TY COBB FROM THERE JUST NAMES I KNEW….I GOT UP TO 25 OF THEM AND THOUGHT I’D BETTER SAVE SOME MONEY FOR THE FLEA MARKET TOMORROW….SO WE LEFT AT LEAST ANOTHER 25 OF THEM ON THE WALLS…..HEADED BACK TO GETTYSBURG FOR A MOTEL AND REST….THE NEXT DAY AT THE FLEA MARKET WHICH LINED THE STREETS OF GETTYSBURG…..SEARCHED HALF OF THE DAY AND ONLY FOUND ONE OLD JUDGE CABINET CARD OF HARRY STOVEY FOR A DOLLAR…..NOW WE ARE GOING TO HEAD BACK TO THE GREENHOUSE TO BUY THE REST OF THE T3’S……WE RODE AROUND FOR HOURS AND NEVER FOUND THE PLACE AGAIN…..WELL AT LEAST I GOT 25 OF THEM…..WISHED THEY HAD GPS’S BACK THEN..

That was a great story and find. It is almost as if it was yanked out of a vintage collector's dream. And like a dream it can't be all fulfilling (of course you can't locate the place when you go back to buy the rest).

Thanks for sharing! And at least you probably rescued most of the real good ones.

Brian

[kailes2872]

Originally Posted by zimp

I got back into the hobby in 1967....so many great finds back then,,,,
T3 FIND
THE YEAR WAS 1971 AND SOME FRIENDS AND I WERE GOING TO THE ANNUAL GETTYSBURG STREET FLEA MARKET ON A SATURDAY…..WE LEFT AROUND 2:00 IN THE MORNING SO WE WOULD GET THERE ABOUT DAYBREAK….IT HAD BEEN RAINING OUR WHOLE TRIP AND WE WERE WORRIED THAT THE FLEA MARKET WOULD NOT GO ON……WHEN WE ARRIVED WE WERE TOLD THAT THE FORECAST WAS RAIN ALL DAY SO THE FLEA MARKET WAS CANCELED UNTIL THE NEXT DAY….NOW WE HAVE TO KILL A WHOLE DAY IN GETTYSBURG…..WE STARTED HITTING ANTIQUE SHOPS IN THE AREA BUT FOUND NOTHING…..THEN WE STARTED BRANCHING OUT TO THE COUNTRYSIDE…..ABOUT 1:00 IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER RIDING AROUND FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE 50 TO 75 MILES WE SEE A SIGN THAT SAID ANTIQUES BUT ALL IT WAS, WAS A FARMHOUSE AND A GREENHOUSE…..MY FRIEND GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT UP TO THE GREENHOUSE AND CAME BACK AND SAID THERE WERE OLD BASEBALL PICTURES LINING THE WALLS OF THE GREENHOUSE….I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR AND SEE WHAT WAS THERE…..IT WAS NOTHING BUT T3’S LINING THE WALLS…..I COULDN’T BELIEVE MY EYES….AT THAT TIME I OWNED ONE T3….JUST MY LUCK THE PLACE WAS CLOSED….WE WENT TO THE FARM HOUSE AND KNOCKED FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES…..FINALLY AN OLDER GENTLEMAN ANSWERS THE DOOR AND LET US IN TO THE GREENHOUSE……THE GENTLEMAN SAID HE WANTED $5.00 EACH FOR THE PICTURES….NOW I ONLY HAD $300.00 SO I STARTED PICKING CARDS FROM THE WALL….THE FIRST ONE I PICKED WAS TY COBB FROM THERE JUST NAMES I KNEW….I GOT UP TO 25 OF THEM AND THOUGHT I’D BETTER SAVE SOME MONEY FOR THE FLEA MARKET TOMORROW….SO WE LEFT AT LEAST ANOTHER 25 OF THEM ON THE WALLS…..HEADED BACK TO GETTYSBURG FOR A MOTEL AND REST….THE NEXT DAY AT THE FLEA MARKET WHICH LINED THE STREETS OF GETTYSBURG…..SEARCHED HALF OF THE DAY AND ONLY FOUND ONE OLD JUDGE CABINET CARD OF HARRY STOVEY FOR A DOLLAR…..NOW WE ARE GOING TO HEAD BACK TO THE GREENHOUSE TO BUY THE REST OF THE T3’S……WE RODE AROUND FOR HOURS AND NEVER FOUND THE PLACE AGAIN…..WELL AT LEAST I GOT 25 OF THEM…..WISHED THEY HAD GPS’S BACK THEN..

Bill,
I remember you telling me this story at the National in Cleveland. Wayne was there as well - wonderful times!

Regarding memory lane, I have told the story before, so forgive me for any redundancy... But, my first memory of baseball was game 6 of the '77 world series with Reggie and his 3 home runs. I suddenly saw him everywhere, Reggie bars, wheaties boxes. I don't remember how it happened but I ended up with a couple of '78 packs and got the Reggie with the AS badge and homering off of one knee. It will probably always be my favorite card. I got a couple of packs in '79, but as an 8 year old in 1980, that was where I caught the bug and started buying packs. I had amassed a hundred or so and took them to school to show them off to the 2nd grade class. Our student helper, Melanie Lain came back to look at my cards and told me that she used to collect as well and asked if I wanted to trade. I was immediately suspicious but agreed. A couple of days later, she brought me a shoebox full of cards from '70 to '75 in all sports. I got the Squires Erving, a bunch of Wilt's and Kareem's. I had Aaron and Mays. She gave me Clemente and told me his story. He became an immediate favorite. Every card was awesome - all super stars and Hall of Famers.

After showing them off to friends and giving them some (I particularly remember giving my '71 Mays away), I saw that a card show was coming to town. Everyone who I showed my cards to would tell me how valuable cards were and how I should sell them. As an 8 year old all I did was buy baseball cards, so I am not sure what I was so excited about as I would just buy baseball cards and the ones in my shoebox were my favorites.

I asked mom if she would take us to the show. Melanie went as well. I think that she was a junior or senior in high school, but mom was going to drive. I went in and showed my shoebox to the first tale I saw that had a buying sign on the wall. He picked the best of the best and offered me $8. I really wanted a 1980 complete set and it was $14, so I accepted. I then took my shoebox to the next table. He looked at the remaining 100 or so and offered me $5. I needed 6 for the 1980 complete set that I would buy from him. He told me $5 or nothing at all. So, I took it. I then went and borrowed the $1 for mom to go back to that guy's table and buy the 1980 complete set. I wish that I could tell you that I kept that set sealed and the Henderson graded out as a 10, but alas, I would set players up at positions and play mini-baseball cards in my room. Given that it was 1980, George Brett was my favorite player, so he played every game. He was quite tattered by the end of the season (despite his .390 average). I loved Rod Carew so he was always my first basemen. And, unfortunately because he was on the way to 100 steals that season, Ricky got a lot of work in the outfield. I continued to buy sets starting about 86 (I also had all three makers of 82), but I lost the love and only thought about the transaction. I was bitter for giving up my cards. I'm sure it was a decent deal at the time, but I think they saw me coming. I sold everything I had in college in order to buy a big screen TV.

In 2012, I took my two boys to Cooperstown. There was the Ken Kendrick display of his incredible collection. They also had a room dedicated to every year and make. I would point to the cards and tell the boys the ones that I used to have and my memory kept taking me back to those cards in the shoebox. When I got back home I was on ebay looking up cards and prices. I told my wife about about all of the ones that I used to have. She said "If you want them so badly, just buy them." She meant the cards in the shoebox. I took it as permission to buy all the cards! That was when the race began and I started buying and building sets. It has been glorious and I love looking at them. We are looking at some major outdoor renovation stuff and I have, for the first time, contemplated what the world might be without them, but those last 10 years were so special building the collection, as it allowed me a make good for letting those cards get away in 1980. The craziest thing about that was that Melanie did not try to steer me away from the deal or discourage me to sell. She figured that she gave them to me and it was my choice. Very sweet of her, but I wish she would have knocked some sense into me back then!

[ty_cobb]

Bought a lot of T206s out the Trader Speaks newsletter for like $200 bucks no scans you just get a money order for these sight unseen cards and hope for the best when you reply to the ad. 170 cards arrive with 3 Ty Cobbs , many Polar Bears and Sovereigns, Cobb Batting was a Polar Bear. cards came from Michigan area. The good old days! would be fun to see if the Trader Speaks issue with the ad still exists. 1980 or 81 I would guess

[orioles70]

Phil,
I enjoyed reading your story of your hobby beginnings...thanks for sharing.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[Mark]

Back when I was a little younger, I attended my first card show in 1971. It was the 2nd Annual Midwest Sports Collectors Convention. We wore pins with our names, etc. There weren't all that many tables by contemporary standards. They didn't circle the room. But everyone was very friendly, and card trading was common. I don't remember what I bought or got in a trade, I think I picked up some Giants and Pirates Play Ball cards. I remember that I was very glad that I went. I remember meeting Frank Nagy and talking to him about his Wagner t206. He told me that someone had just offered him a station wagon for it, but he turned it down.