Baseball HOF Says No to Slabbed Cards

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Interesting article.

Would have liked to know The Hall's method of cracking out: tinsnips at the corners for PSA and screwdriver wedged into the seam for SGC?

Also, why all the conservation? They are like a iceberg - the majority of upstairs exhibits are permanent and the vast majority of stuff I'd really like to see remain hidden in perpetual storage and never see the light of day. The first time I visited a was a treat and my second visit years later just redundant.

The article said it was preserving for future generations, which I get. But, to your point, if it never sees the light of day, what's the point?

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by conor912

The article said it was preserving for future generations, which I get. But, to your point, if it never sees the light of day, what's the point?

Fifteen years ago was the first time I visited The Hall. We were vacationing about and hour from there with another family. My son was five years old then so he stayed behind and my friend and I went over. Flash forward to last year and my son was just a few months shy of turning 20. It so happens that again he we were not all that far, just passing through the generall area, so we made the detour. To my son it was a good time, to me pretty much the same. But wasn't he supposed to be "the new generation", or is he now the current? What will it be like if he ever returns in the future? Will he have the same reaction I had that second time? The Hall stays stagnant and I guess generations are just supposed to "age into" and then "age out of it".

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Fifteen years ago was the first time I visited The Hall. We were vacationing about and hour from there with another family. My son was five years old then so he stayed behind and my friend and I went over. Flash forward to last year and my son was just a few months shy of turning 20. It so happens that again he we were not all that far, just passing through the generall area, so we made the detour. To my son it was a good time, to me pretty much the same. But wasn't he supposed to be "the new generation", or is he now the current? What will it be like if he ever returns in the future? Will he have the same reaction I had that second time? The Hall stays stagnant and I guess generations are just supposed to "age into" and then "age out of it".

I agree. It's silly. If they're going to keep them locked away for decades on end, they should just put them in a rocket and blast them into outer space where there's no light, humidity or oxygen.

[Rookiemonster]

Let me start by saying I will not be visiting Gaylord.com! Or searching it for how to take care of my balls.

Other wise very informative article. Do they make Mylar top loaders?

[Orioles1954]

I would never donate anything to the Hall of Fame. It's throwing money and property down the drain.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

The Baseball Hall of Fame never grows old, their exhibits change on a constant basis. If you have something you want to see like their T3 collection you just have to contact them before you go and they will arrange a showing for you.

Plus the old standards have to be there because every day is the first day for most of the visitors coming through, they all want to see the Ruth and Gehrig items.

Their conservation is second to none. While the Pro Football Hall of Fame now does a good job, the first time I went there I thought to myself "have they ever even been to Cooperstown?" People were touching AND pulling threads from Red Grange's sweater!

The folks at Gaylord have set the industry standards for preservation, every museum in the world uses them for their supplies, thus the large catalog.

Most of us want to spend our dollars on new cards or publications, I am very guilty of not preserving my collection because I want something new to fill a hole or to put on the wall. The fact of the matter is that you can't fault the people that are going the extra mile to protect their collections.

For many the protection factor is to preserve the item not the value of the item. TPGs have created a value standard in our hobby and while that puts many at ease, they probably do need to change their slabs.

[Pilot172000]

The article does nothing to dissuade me from slabbing my prized possessions. I have however gone to BVG holders because they are rock solid and have the internal sleeve. PSA grades are better IMHO, but I have learned to buy the card not the grade. Unless they can prove that the plastics used in the slabbing process are hurting the cards, I believe that they stand a much better chance of preservation than being put in a top loader and left to chance.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by Pilot172000

The article does nothing to dissuade me from slabbing my prized possessions. I have however gone to BVG holders because they are rock solid and have the internal sleeve. PSA grades are better IMHO, but I have learned to buy the card not the grade. Unless they can prove that the plastics used in the slabbing process are hurting the cards, I believe that they stand a much better chance of preservation than being put in a top loader and left to chance.

+1. I have cards slabbed from 20-25 years ago, and there's not even a hint of any kind of deterioration in their condition or reaction with the slab material. IMHO, when buying expensive cards, the risk is much greater if they are not TPG.

Best wishes,

Larry

[conor912]

Originally Posted by Hot Springs Bathers

For many the protection factor is to preserve the item not the value of the item.

It's an intriguing point to think that an item, and the value of it, are not always mutually exclusive.

[bn2cardz]

The slabs don't make sense for any museum. They can authenticate their own stuff and they are not in the business of reselling their collections. There is no upside for them, yet a lot of down side when you think of how much space would be taken up because of them. It just seems like common sense that the HOF wouldn't keep their cards slabbed even if the plastic doesn't damage the card.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by Rookiemonster

Let me start by saying I will not be visiting Gaylord.com! Or searching it for how to take care of my balls.

Other wise very informative article. Do they make Mylar top loaders?

Pursuant, to the first part of your post, caring for ones balls is a very important aspect of life.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[conor912]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

Pursuant, to the first part of your post, caring for ones balls is a very important aspect of life.

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

I've spent many-a night wondering how I can preserve mine for future generations.

[iowadoc77]

Originally Posted by conor912

I've spent many-a night wondering how I can preserve mine for future generations.

The age-old conundrum of old balls...

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by conor912

I've spent many-a night wondering how I can preserve mine for future generations.

A Mylar baggie worked for me. I'm already recieving fan mail from posterity.

[drcy]

Has PSA ever responded to anything?

[glchen]

Originally Posted by drcy

Has PSA ever responded to anything?

The first Related Post under that SCD article is where SCD interviews both PSA and SGC on their Card Grading process. So I think if the author waited a little longer, PSA and SGC would have responded.

Also, I wonder why Beckett wasn't contacted. According to their website, their inner sleeve is: "Each card is protected by a crystal clear archival inner sleeve to prevent the holder itself from damaging the card. Each card will be virtually free of internal movement." I wonder if it is mylar?

[vthobby]

Originally Posted by glchen

The first Related Post under that SCD article is where SCD interviews both PSA and SGC on their Card Grading process. So I think if the author waited a little longer, PSA and SGC would have responded.

Also, I wonder why Beckett wasn't contacted. According to their website, their inner sleeve is: "Each card is protected by a crystal clear archival inner sleeve to prevent the holder itself from damaging the card. Each card will be virtually free of internal movement." I wonder if it is mylar?

Gary,

The Beckett insert is not Mylar but I still like the fact that they at least protect the card from moving around with their sleeve. If I was a TPG right now, I'd be investing in Mylar sleeve coverings for each card before slabbing. Sounds like a pretty easy fix. Which of course means that it will never happen!

Peace, Mike

[William Todd]

I collect old surfing magazines as well as baseball cards and I store every magazine in a Mylar sleeve backed by an acid free piece of cardboard to
reduce any humidity and provide stability. It will be interesting to watch in 10 or 20 years how the slabs hold up...