Catalog idea I've had

[Rich Klein]

I'll also say that print to demand for lets say T206, Topps, etc might reduce the price and make your life easier as well. and keep costs down

[steve B]

Thanks Rich.

I'm thinking print on demand or nearly that. The first few I'd probably print myself - good ink on heavy acid free paper.

And I'm figuring on doing each set individually. My notes on 81 Topps are I think 5-6 pages hand written and would be a good deal longer printed and including pictures.

I sure don't consider it something that would work any other way than self published. I also don't see it being a money maker. If I make enough for a few packs of cards I'll consider it a success. Anything beyond that would be fantastic. (Yes, low but probably reasonable expectations- I know a few stamp guys who have done books and they all say anything beyond break even is a huge win)

I'm sort of hoping the technical section would maybe do 50-100 units and each set I got done maybe 10-20. A loseleaf general catalog with little detail isn't something I picture working. There's so much available - Beckett, standard catalog, The big three TPG registries (Great for checklists! ) And a lot of websites like sportscardradio etc.

I'd also thought of making it in electronic format. A bit more prone to being copied, but far easier to update. I'd have to do it in some electronic format anyway.

Steve B

[ALR-bishop]

Great idea Steve. I will subscribe. I have several printed lists from several sources but personally have quite a few variant cards not on any of them. Any easily updated format would be great. I am personally interested in any recurring variants , whether they are viewed by the hobby as variations or not.

[steve B]

Looks like I need to start typing.

Main section plus 81 Topps first. Others later and in no particular order.

Steve B

[goheels]

I will subscribe and best wishes Steve

[Footballdude]

Being one of those "stamp guys" I fully understand the importance of having top notch reference books. They enhance the enjoyment of a hobby, in my opinion.

In the stamp world there have been literally thousands of such specialized reference works written over the years, many of which are considered essential reading.

Frankly, I am surprised the sports card hobby has gone as long as it has without reference books, beyond the yearly catalogs.

I for one would welcome anything of the nature that is being described. Although I probably don't collect many of the things that would be written about, there are certain topics that could be applied to almost any card set, such as the various printing techniques and production processes.

Over the 40+ years I've been collecting cards, I've noticed, to a certain extent, an unwillingness to share knowledge. I find it refreshing to see collectors who are so willing to share what they know. I have especially noticed this since joining this forum.

Some of the things I would find interesting to know about individual sets are:
- Are there common fakes to look out for (such as 1971 Topps baseball cards with Sharpie touch-ups on the borders) or commonly counterfeited cards.
- Which cards might be easiest/hardest to find in higher grades.
- Wrapper varieties and display boxes.
- How were they sold (such as wax packs, cellos, grocery trays, vending factory sets etc..)

I would fully support any reference material that pertains to any of the sets I collect. Please keep us informed if this project get's off the ground.

[Rich Klein]

I don't want to go into a ton of different issues but we are not as developed as the stamp issue in that way and the ONLY issue most people care about is:

"How much is this worth and can I make money with this?"

That's why the catalogs with pricing are the only aspect which have survived.

We've had tons of variation books, an counterfeit detector book from the 90's; and even a vintage price guide tome which is doomed to eventual failure because they are not adding enough new items and keeping the page count at just 700 pages.

There is such limited "educational" interest in cards at this time, that the pricing is the only thing that sells.

Rich