Why Do You Collect Pre-War??

[ronniehatesjazz]

A friend asked me earlier today about this and it made me think real hard. I'm 31 so I have no obvious connection with the players. Growing up I was a sports nut and big time collector but I really haven't followed the game closely since I was a teenager; though I still casually watch games here and there (ironically I know more trivia than my friends who are still diehard fans). I think what really makes me so interested is not the game as it currently is and perhaps not baseball at all; it seems to be history.

I love seeing the blurbs on the back of tobacco cards (my favorite is the Marquard t207 which calls him the "$13,000 beauty" lol). I'm fascinated with the diamond star cards Art Deco style and love the fact that you see factories blowing chimney smoke in the backgrounds. It's like taking a brief step back in time before all the nonsense and confusion of the world we live in today came into effect. I love looking at t206 beaters and wondering what the story behind the card is. Sometimes I imagine a guy popping out a smoke and throwing the card on the floor of his model-t where it gets destroyed before his son finds it months later. Other times I imagine kids begging for the cards from people leaving the general store. It's just so interesting to think about.

I also enjoy finding out more about the players themselves and their view of the game and life in general. I read "the glory of their times" a year or so ago and couldn't put it down. So much history that most people, diehard fans even, have no clue about.

Sorry for the drawn out post, but I'm curious to know why you all collect.