What was the salvation of the Prewar card hobby

[Yoda]

We should remember the early pioneers, eg. Lew Lipset, for keeping the flame alive until we were drawn to it.

[Exhibitman]

Why? My $0.02:

https://open.substack.com/pub/adamst...meOnShare=true

How? My $0.02:

I've been collecting for over 50 years with a brief detour for girls and cars (hint: cards are way easier to acquire and store) from about 1981-1987. The hobby was a backwater of hardcore devotees who did most stuff by mail or in local card clubs until the 1970s. The wave of nostalgia unleashed in the 1970s for the 1950s led to the expansion of awareness, with The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book by Brendan C. Boyd and Fred C. Harris starting the wave in 1973. My uncle loved the book and gave me a copy, which unleashed my interest in vintage cards. That book is a must-have for anyone who loves cards but it is really about the time and the sport as expressed in cards, not about the hobby. If you want a picture-perfect encapsulation of the hobby mid-1970s, get a copy of The Complete Book of Baseball Cards: For the Collector, Flipper and Fan [1975; Steve Clark]. There is no better encapsulation of things.

Starting in the late 1970s, the local clubs expanded into larger conventions with major shows. Here is a PC from the first show I attended:



Similar shows started up regionally, including a semi-annual (Memorial Day and Labor Day) show in Anaheim CA that Mike Berkus organized and that morphed into the National in 1980.

I also think that Alan Rosen aka Mr. Mint had a lot to do with hyping the hobby in the 1980s. My $0.02 on Rosen:

https://open.substack.com/pub/adamst...eOnShare=false

Then came Upper Deck...Read Card Sharks: How Upper Deck Turned a Child's Hobby Into a High-Stakes Billion-Dollar Business by Pete Williams. Since then it has been an arms race between manufacturers and this thing of ours, vintage, has benefitted and been driven by a continual influx of collectors who are tired of a tint spot of wear making or breaking a card and the roller coaster price swings.

Then, of course, we had the COVID wave that jacked both prices and awareness through the roof.

What I find most interesting is that dedicated collectors are taking joy now in mid-grade and lower-grade cards that they would have scoffed at a decade ago. A collector is a collector whether the card is worth a fortune or a fortune cookie. Yay FUGLY cards

[bigfanNY]

1973 saw the release of the" Great American Baseball Card Flipping and Trading Bubblegum book" By Boyd and Harris. It captured the Hearts and Minds of Generations of Grown men who collected as kids but who hadn't given baseball cards a second thought in decades. My Dad was one. At 12 I was a very active collector having scoured my neighborhood for the past 4 years trading buying begging for any Baseball card That I didn't have. I was mostly complete from 1964 to 1972. My Dad enjoyed sorting cards with me and helped me store my prizes wrapped in rubber bands in old salvo Detergent boxes. He bought a poker chip carousel for me to store my Topps coins from 1964 and 1971. He had saved his cards from his youth. A single Goudey 34 Cochrane, 35 Sports kings Cobb, then small stacks of 39 and 40 Playballs, complete set of 41 Playballs, complete set of 48 Bowman about half of 49 and Complete set of 50 bowmans. He would have been 19 in 1950 working full time so the pennies and nickels that were so scarce in the 40's came easier then.
He read in NY times that Baseball dealers were setting up at an antique show in MSG and asked if I wanted to go. Then that summer he found a large collection for sale at a church flea market. Guy wanted $35 we split it. Thousands of cards from 53 to 59. We were hooked.
1
1974 and the Topps Hank Aaron special cards showing him from 1954 to 1973 also gave a real shot in the arm to Card Collecting.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

1973 saw the release of the" Great American Baseball Card Flipping and Trading Bubblegum book" By Boyd and Harris.

I went through four copies of that book as a kid. The first one was left at a highway rest stop when I was 11. The next two literally fell apart from overuse and were cut up and sent to the players to be signed. The highlight was Gus Zernial writing back to explain just what the hell was going on in his 1952 Topps photo! I still have the last copy intact, but just barely.

I memorized every word. I think back to 9th grade typing class (on typewriters!)--a buddy would read a few words from a typical passage and I'd tell him who the player was. Still remember the only time I drew a blank--George Brunet.

[bigfanNY]

For decades I would mention book and someone would say. Goodnight Sibi Sisti wherever you are.

Thanks for sharing your story on how it influenced you and your collecting. How did you first start tracking down players address?

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

How did you first start tracking down players address?

In the really early days, I'd call up directory assistance for where I thought the player might live. I remember one really helpful operator in Dallas who knew who represented Mantle and she happily gave me that address. True, Rhodie and McQuaid. Funny what you remember. Of course, no answer from Mick.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before I discovered Jack Smalling's address lists!

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

For decades I would mention book and someone would say. Goodnight Sibi Sisti wherever you are.

The book had some awesome quotes.

"Satchel Paige could have been the greatest pitcher in major league history, if he'd been given the chance. Don't look back, America, something might be gaining on you."

"In 1955, there were 77,263,127 male American human beings. And every one of them in his heart of hearts would have given two arms, a leg and his collection of Davy Crockett iron-ons to be Teddy Ballgame."

Inspired me to get those cards specifically.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

"In 1955, there were 77,263,127 male American human beings. And every one of them in his heart of hearts would have given two arms, a leg and his collection of Davy Crockett iron-ons to be Teddy Ballgame."

Inspired me to get a 1955 Topps.

I wanted the beater with the red and blue pencil crayon checkmarks on the front!

The funny part is, I guarantee you every one of the actual cards featured in that book would today command a significant premium. Just like the great 80's movie Mask inspired me to buy every '55 Rube Walker I saw. Back then, that amounted to two! Hard to believe it was a challenge to find something like that in those days, but I was a kid in Canada. Much different than all of you lucky NYC kids with your legendary church basement shows. We didn't have autograph guests yet back then. The best show find I made didn't really become anything of note until years later, and it's really nothing in the way of show finds. I picked up an autographed '69 OPC Hank Aaron. It's still the only OPC version I've come across. It was $18, which was actually very big money to a kid at the time. I was offered that or a Munson RC for the same price. I'm happy with my decision. Still have it, too.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

The highlight was Gus Zernial writing back to explain just what the hell was going on in his 1952 Topps photo!

Well, good heavens, man, fill us in! I know it was 6-hit game but how'd they get the balls to stick to the bat???

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Of course that's the one question he didn't answer!!! He wrote of the record and the pink shirt, which was "washed with some red ones and came out pink"!!! Glad he stuck to the real important stuff! Gus was a wonderful fellow.

[Exhibitman]

My bet is the tape used on bat handles, doubled over. That stuff is sticky as hell.

For those who aren't tracking this bit of card nerd esoterica: