What is YOUR specialty

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Posted By: Rich Klein

Believe it or not; this thought has lingered for a couple of days and it is because Lee's thread about "what is your favorite color" actually has some merit in a weird way.

In reality; there IS something to what your favorite color on a card is. Or type of pose. I know from reading the board we have at least one dedicated collectors whose specialty is catching poses.
We have others who collect type collections; collect information on T206 sets; collect slate variations on 49 Bowman, one is working on building 100 sets in PSA 8 or better, etc.

So, what is YOUR speciality (It can be whatever you want it to be -- there are no right or wrong answers) when it comes to this hobby. And as for the dealers who read this board; what type of cards (dont say those that make you the most $$ ) are you happiest to handle

Regards
Rich

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Posted By: Steve Murray

Those players who have run up against the establishment and have been suspended and/or banned from the game. Naturally the Black Sox, Weaver, Cicotte, and the gang of eight. But also others such as Joe Gedeon, Heine Zimmerman, Harl Maggert, Hal Chase, to mention a few. When I find them I put them in my Hall of Shame.

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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Nebraska baseball -

Players who came from Nebraska
minor league teams in Nebraska
The Nebraska Indians barnstorming team

http://www.freewebs.com/nebraskadiamonds/

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Posted By: T206Collector

...pre-war cards have been my specialty of late, with an overall emphasis on T206 generally.

Visit http://www.t206collector.com for card galleries, articles and more!

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Posted By: Jason L

Focus is the ultimate challenge, isn't it?

My top points of focus:
1) Family - my cousins Lee Handley and Gene Handley (could also be listed on the favorite obscure players thread!)
2) Cubs (pre- and post-war)
3) Post-war player collections

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Posted By: Al C.risafulli

1938 Goudey.

I have no idea why.

But it's kinda turned into an obsession with me. I'm sorry.

-Al

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Posted By: Jason Carota

Your specialty sounds like a great collection. Good idea!

I specialize in the Boston Red Sox. I eat, sleep, and breathe the team, so I figured I might as well focus my collection around them.

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Posted By: Alan

Jewish players

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Posted By: leon

everything pre-war

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Posted By: Phil Garry

I collect the earliest career contemporary graded collectible of every BB HOF'er, one per HOF'er.

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Posted By: J Levine

Good topic...
I have a dual major-
I like to think my specialty is pre-1980 Phillies cards and the T205 set. 2 1/2 years researching and 20 years of collecting every Phillie card from 1880-1980 has helped me gain a large amount of knowledge on the subject. 7 years of researching and collecting t205s and their backs, production, and scarcity have given me a good handle on that set as well.
I guess my minor would be in Obaks.

Joshua

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Posted By: steve yawitz

Changing my mind about how and what I collect every 12-18 months.

Actually, T206's seem to be the one constant, but I'm hardly an expert. Speaking of the "favorite color" thread, I generally tend to view cards from an aesthetic perspective rather than thinking of them of objects of study. However, I do like to learn about the players and certainly appreciate the knowledge others share about their issues of expertise.

http://imageevent.com/yawie99

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Posted By: Dan Kravitz

1st Real estate brokerage and development
2nd Hapkido
3rd e104-1's, d359's, Cobb, Wagner, Jackson and rare backs

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Posted By: Rob

If I had to pick ONE area, I guess it'd be M101-2s. But mostly I'm a type collector. Trying to pick up a few items from each set, but only if I like them. For example, I've picked up a few 1933 goudeys, and the colors are just so vivid on some of them. And I recently picked up my first T3 (Tenney! Thanks Craig!). Also picked up my first M101-1 recently (Thanks Richard!). A long term goal is to get a card each of the first inductees into the HOF. So far I only have an E95 Matty, but its looking like a Wagner could be on the way soon. I have M101-2s of Wagner and Cobb, but those aren't really cards. And sometimes I'll pick up a card if its not-very-common as long as its affordable and decent looking.

Steve, I agree you have quite an original collection theme -you said you collect items of "Bad Boys ... Those players who have run up against the establishment and have been suspended and/or banned from the game ... " Just wondering who you'd consider the modern day bad boys - those that 50 years from now will be considered the bad boys of our time. I guess names that I'd throw out would be Roberto Alomar, Barry Bonds, Carl Everett, John Rocker. I'm sure there's more, but those came to me the quickest. Do you collect any of their stuff, or strictly pre-war?

Rob

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Posted By: Steve Murray

Interesting, as I too collect M101-2's and just last week picked up my first M101-1...James "Deacon" McGuire to go with my extensive McGuire collection.

As for the "Bad Boys" I am strictly pre-war as pre-war comprises 99% of my collection and collecting interests. (I should say that I do have a 59T set but that's just because of a personal nostalgia).

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Posted By: Jeff Mohler

I have been collecting Pinkerton postcards for the last couple of years. I got started when I picked up three at a local estate sale. The rest is history!

My two most recent pickups are the blank backed Chief Bender (Philly show) and Babe Adams(courtesy of fkw).

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Posted By: barrysloate

Pre-1876 memorabilia and early books, even more so than vintage cards.

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Posted By: boxingbaseballgolf33

all types of pre-war items including cards, photos, gloves, balls, bats, programs and anything else in-between - I just love the history

Jimmy

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Posted By: Bob Pomilla

Brooklyn (Dodger, Robins, Superbas, et al.) cards and a little memorabilia.

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Posted By: LenK

pre-war beaters that are asthetically pleasing to the eye or thrashed pre-war hall of famers, especially Rube Waddell (my budget dictates)

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Posted By: Scott

Love the tobacco issue rarebacks (e.g. T205, T206, etc)

Also love very visually appealing cards, like T206 Pattee, T3 Matty (heck most T3s look great)

-SGL

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Posted By: Bob

T207 set

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Posted By: DJ

Centering and it has to have good color.

Is there anything prettier than the 1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese?

DJ

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Posted By: Ken W.

My goal is to obtain 1 contemporary card of every HOFer, including managers, umpires, negro leaguers, executives, and pioneers. Doesn't have to be their rookie card, and my niche is that I don't care about condition. Keeps prices down. Also, I typically will choose the card of a type that I have the least examples of, as long as its affordable. So, I guess that I would be considered a HOF Type collector. Been at it for about 4 years now, and am about 95% complete.

My collection:
http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s290/triwak/

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Posted By: James Feagin

I collect Mormon players and lately have been branching out into depression-era cards.

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Posted By: Andrew

In regard to cards/memorabilia:

Portland PCL
California "Cal" football programs/postcards
Holland/Indonesia/Dutch East Indies, especially N-T-R cards
Laughlin/Fleer Cartoon sets: there are 23+ sets plus some rare variations

SOLD
1965 - 1994 O-Pee-Chee set run (1965/1968 100% PSA graded), still a specialty, but holdings are thin
Type set: one card from 1900-2007

"Take your life in your own hands and what happens? A terrible thing: no one to blame." -- Erica Jong

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Posted By: Darren

pieces of cardboard or paper with images (paintings, drawings, or photos) of subjects (people, places, art, etc.)

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Posted By: Scott

...only White Sox

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Posted By: Aaron Seefeldt

Good topic...

I like to collect the scarcest possible cards from the 1900-1925 era. I focus on Cobb, Wagner, and sometimes Jackson/Ruth. I also focus on the scarcest possible issues from this era.

With prices being so high these days I sell a card to buy a card, usually.

Aaron Seefeldt

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Posted By: Jason L

only the 1951 Bowman Larry Doby!

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Posted By: Dan

I keep jumping around with my collection. I seem to pick up different type cards when the mood hits. Regardless I always seems to come back to the 1914 - B-18 Blankets. I find them unusual and still relatively affordable.

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Posted By: fkw

Oddball Type Cards is what I like best.

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Posted By: Kevin Saucier

"I collect Mormon players"


cool...and here I thought there was only Dale Murphy. There are actually quite a few, just never bothered to check. I'm the worst Mormon Jew I know. You just gave me an inspiration to collect LDS players as well. Thanks.

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Posted By: DMcD

"I'm the worst Mormon Jew I know."
Imagine the possibilities. Oy! I had one Jewish mother, God bless her, and that was plenty.

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Posted By: andy becker

pre-nfl (and early nfl) professional football….cards, postcards, cabinets, & trade photos.

i dabble in a few baseball cards too

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Posted By: Brad Green

Lefty Grove.

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Posted By: Paul

Dead ball era postcards.

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Posted By: Turner Engle

T205's.

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Posted By: davidcycleback

I collect fashion photographs. Below is a fine and desirable example, a 1941 Vogue photo by Russian photographer Serge Balkin. Putting it in Net54 terms, this would be the fashion equivalent of an original photo from the Baseball Magazine archives.



Interestingly, the first female staff photographer for Sports Illustrated, Toni Frissell, was also a photographer for Vogue magazine. She remains the only person ever to shoot covers for both SI and Vogue.

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Posted By: Max Weder

My only specialty is baseball books, both fiction and non-fiction. I have been collecting diligently for the last 20 years.

In baseball cards, no real specialty other than obscure Vancouver and Pacific Northwest cards

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Posted By: Marty

On 1915 CJ`s .....Have some?..... Scfarmop@aol.com


GO YARD

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Posted By: Joann

Images of female players and teams - actual players not models used in ads.

Also any Detroit players. I'm going for one card from each set pre-1920 or so, but I know I won't get there on some sets. For sets that inherently don't include Detroit players (minor leagues sets, etc), then any player for that set that ever played for DTW.

J

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Posted By: Joe_G.

My specialty/interest resides with all things 19th century Detroit. Both the National League Team (1881-88) and more recently, the International Association Team (1889-90), both of which were known as the Detroit Wolverines. While my collection is primarily cards, I also enjoy scorecards, tickets, letters, and cabinets that some might consider cards (like team cabinets or game-in-progress cabinets). I greatly enjoy the rich history of the Detroit ball clubs.

As far as "sets", I'm most fascinated with the Goodwin and Company N172, N173, & N175 issues as well as the Tomlinson Studio issued cabinets.

Best Regards,
Joe Gonsowski

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

I Also collect Mormon ballplayers...

-Rhett

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Posted By: Dave Hornish

OK, in approximate order:

1) Topps test and oddball issues through 1980

2) Brooklyn Dodgers, especially 1939 onward.

3) Old Reference Books on early to mid 20th century popular culture(not just baseball or hobby related)

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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Rhett and James: care to share with us who you're voting for in 08?

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Posted By: Jeremy

Focus on 2 Themes :

1. Nashville Baseball (Nashville Vols - 1870-1964), Nashville Sounds - 1978-Present) including Pre-War to Negro Leaguer's to 2 Hall of Famer's that were former Nashville Vols, KiKi Cuyler and Waite Hoyt. Also anything Nashville Baseball from Ticket stubs to post cards to T206, T210, & T211 cards.

2. HOF Collector - Specifically I have narrowed my HOF interest to a Exclusive HOF club of 40 players. What I consider to be the Top 40 of all-time. Obviously it is a bit subjective, but I used Sabr and Sporting News to back up my own thoughts on who the best of the best were/are and I collected my absolute favorite card or what I consider to be one of the player's best cards (Eye appeal)of each of those 40 HOFamer's.(Still have a few to go...) With in this Top 40, I kind of played GM/Mgr/Coach and put a line up together for the AL and NL with my all time line up 1-9 with a DH and then 7 pitchers representing 7 game series. So basically, I have a Top 9 Line up for the Al and NL with a Top 7 Pitching Rotation for the Al and NL which leaves 4 bench spots for each league (20 players per Al-NL) (very necessary as I labored over roster spots like Dimmagio, Mantle, Speaker, etc...Some great ones just missed the cut, like Sisler,Simmons,H.Wilson,etc.) Then to to top it off - I made Joe Jackson and Pete Rose respective Captains of these All-Time HOF teams and added them in my Top 40 list as I think they are obvious HOFer's on paper. (Micro-managed enough ??) Absolutely Quirky, but a lot of fun and very hard to squeeze so few into a starting line up. Especially in the AL where I have Williams-Cobb-Ruth in the OF, therefore putting Dimmagio, Mantle, and Speaker on the bench. Travel back in time and imagine that !?! From an economic standpoint this keeps my budget in the black but allows me to have a HOF collection! A All-Time HOF collection if you will...

~ Jeremy ~

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Posted By: Rhett Yeakley

Mitt seems like a good guy, but not sure he is the right guy.
-Rhett

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Posted By: akupfer

Thinking of one main focus, it would have to be players with some connection to film or theater- Turkey Mike Donlin being my favorite example

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Posted By: Brent Butcher

19th century boxing! Shoot me an email if you have any. Have some baseball to trade.