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

Rhotchkiss · #1 07-09-2023, 05:55 PM

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.

Peter_Spaeth · #2 07-09-2023, 06:06 PM

I followed the trajectory Frank mentions, but my return was pretty mundane. One day on a whim or a compulsion I bought some packs in a CVS, I think they were 1992 Score. The next time I bought some more packs and a price guide which for some reason they carried. From there it was a Beckett magazine with its list of local shows. I went to one, met Peter Lalos, and immediately became interested in vintage and that was that. Three decades later, still at it.

RCMcKenzie · #3 07-09-2023, 06:36 PM

Speaking of Beckett, I had this sitting here, so I scanned a few pages. What I remember about Beckett, just a few years before their monthly price guide magazine, was their annual guide. I would find a vg/e Connie Hawkins in a dollar box, go home, look it up, and see 28 cents. Fun times.

Also, look at Kareem.. $2 in MINT and $1.40 in VG/E

Peter_Spaeth · #4 07-09-2023, 06:42 PM

Odd that Brian Sipe would be the featured card on the cover?

RCMcKenzie · #5 07-09-2023, 06:55 PM

Rich Klein · #6 07-10-2023, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Odd that Brian Sipe would be the featured card on the cover?

There is more than the AFC MVP award to Brian Sipe. I would not be surprised if the official publisher of the early books (Sports Americana) was a man from Cleveland named Bill Dodge and he was a big Cleveland sports fan. I actually sat a couple of times in his old Indians (Now Guardians) season tickets on show trips to Cleveland.

So, it could just be that Mr. Dodge played home team favorite and snuck a Sipe card on the cover.

Regards
Rich

2dueces · #7 07-10-2023, 08:39 AM

You mean $1 T206 commons when everyone was hot for Pete Rose and Johnny Bench? Opening 5 and 10 cent packs looking for your favorite team. Then again in the 80�s $10-20 T206 HOFer�s (Cobb was always more) while everyone was clamoring for 86 Donruss Jose Canceco? When most didn�t realize back scarcity ( I didn�t) and just collected T206�s. How about scores and scores of unsold 1986 Fleer Basketball at $15 a box and Namath rookies for under $100.
1990 ish bumper stickers I�ll trade you my house for 1952 Topps set. (Valued at $40k) then.
Many phases of olden days in my collecting years starting in 1966 when at 10 years old I opened my first pack of wax. Monster Laffs.

Seven · #8 07-10-2023, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2dueces

You mean $1 T206 commons when everyone was hot for Pete Rose and Johnny Bench? Opening 5 and 10 cent packs looking for your favorite team. Then again in the 80�s $10-20 T206 HOFer�s (Cobb was always more) while everyone was clamoring for 86 Donruss Jose Canceco? When most didn�t realize back scarcity ( I didn�t) and just collected T206�s. How about scores and scores of unsold 1986 Fleer Basketball at $15 a box and Namath rookies for under $100.
1990 ish bumper stickers I�ll trade you my house for 1952 Topps set. (Valued at $40k) then.
Many phases of olden days in my collecting years starting in 1966 when at 10 years old I opened my first pack of wax. Monster Laffs.

What a time to be alive! Is there a word for being nostalgic for a time you didn't get to experience? Because if there is, that totally fits the bill, for what I'm feeling.

bigfanNY · #9 07-09-2023, 07:06 PM

I am very lucky in that my Dad cought the card collecting bug with me. I was very into cards starting with a few packs in 1968.1969 saw me buying packs almost every week with my 25 cent allowance. I learned that year that cards were issued in series. And in 69 you got the checklist for the next series in packs. I remember how excited I was seeing Mickey Mantles name on a checklist. I made sure to head over to the Westbury deli the week his series was set to come out. Denied!!@ they were sold out. The manager knew me by then and promised to put 4 packs away for me when the next box arrived. Naturally when I went back I had 4 packs of high series 69....and had missed Mantle.
I told my tale of Woe at dinner and my Dad shared my pain. But more importantly my Mom shared my story with her friends at the Library she worked in part time. One very nice lady mentioned that her boys had collected cards and that the box of them had been designated for the trash. She bought them in and my Mom bought them home. About 2500 cards from 63 to 67. Mantles from 64 65 66 67 in small batches. My dad insisted we put them in order and we found we had a full set of 64's close on 65 66 and 67. Two of the older boys friends heard this and dropped off their collections same vintage. And older kid directly across the street bought over a bank bag filled with 64 Topps coins and a few Old Londons. My dad went in his closet and pulled out a couple of cigar boxes. In there was his collection 1 1934 Goudey ( Mickey Chochrane) some 39 and 40 playballs including a Dimaggio, and a complete set of 1941 Playballs. I was in Awe.
My collection kept growing and when I had a big enough pile I would bring them down to the family room and put them in order with my Dad. 1970, 71 72. By this time most of the kids in my neighborhood had given or sold me their collections biggest one was Ricky S up the street. Cost me $8 for all his cards. By that time I cut lawns and delived the Afternoon newspaper in 74 I took on the weekly Atom Tabloid as well.
But it all changed in Jan 1973. My Dad read in NY Times that an antique show was coming to MSG and ot mentioned that some Baseball card Dealers would be there. He asked if I wanted to go. Well of course I did.

To be continued..

brian1961 · #10 07-09-2023, 07:58 PM

Jonathan Sterling----Thanks for sharing your boyhood collecting story. I was fascinated. Can hardly wait to hear of your exploits at your first card convention!

--- Brian Powell

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