Frank the pack rat asks :

Got any baseball cards in that attic?

As the lazy hazy days of summer march into July and the playgrounds and open fields fill with baseball players, I find myself reflecting on my childhood hobby of collecting baseball cards. Every Saturday after receiving my allowance I would head to the dime store with my friends to buy the current cards. The walk to the store took about a half hour. On the way there the excitement grew to a fevered pitch, until the moment we ripped open the packs to see what treasures were inside.

Almost immediately you would hear exclamations such as “look who I got” or “what a rook”. Next the trading and haggling would begin. You could see the pride of ownership on each individual face.

The Passion

So what is it about this hobby that makes collectors so passionate? It is, simply put, the love of the game. Baseball fans create the demand and card manufacturers create the supply. Collecting started over a hundred years ago when the first cards were issued with packs of cigarettes. Companies such as Turkey red and Old judge who distributed these cards are no longer in existence which only helps collectors demand a good price for these cards. Because of the popularity of the sport and the demand for cards there have been many card manufacturer-- even cracker jack issued cards at one time. But by far the major producers are Topps, Donruss and Fleer who battled in the courts in the 1960s as to who had the rights to produce what--even bubble gum. As a result of legal claims, 1963 Fleer cards contained a cherry cookie instead of gum.

Collecting

How does one become a collector? Simple go down to the local candy store and purchase a pack of cards. Next you establish your goals. For example, collecting all the rookies, players of specific teams, hall of famers, MVPs--what ever interests you the most. Then achieve your goals through dealer purchases or buy the individual packs and sift them for gold. If you choose the latter you can buy complete sets from the manufacturer in January or simply one pack at a time--what ever your budget demands.

Storage

Just make sure that after the purchase, the cards are stored properly. The shoe box or rubber band storage of our childhood is definitely out. Today s collectors use “sleeves” which allow cardholders to hold cards on both sides when examining and then return them to a transparent container for further viewing which also protects the cards from the elements. Why is storage so important? Because condition of a card directly reflects its value. For example a major crease, stains on a card from bubble gum packaged to close, frayed edges and bent corners can dramatically effect the amount obtained for the card. Although there is no standard grading for cards here is Krause publications a major hobby publishers idea of a mint card. Well centered with four sharp, square corners. no creases, edge dents, surface scratches, yellowing or fading regardless of age. No imperfectly printed card{out of register, badly cut}or card badly stained by contact with gum, wax or other substance can be considered truly mint. This definition can be found on pg44 of Donn Pearlman Collecting Baseball Cards.

Evaluating

How do you know the value of your collection? One way is by following the sport and paying attention to who the best players are. Another way is to look at hobby price guides which will help determine the grade and price of each card which added together will give you an approximate value. Another way would be to ask a dealer for an appraisal but. He may be reluctant to do this because you are asking him to do the work without a commitment. Once he gives the appraisal you could go to a competitor. So if an appraisal is given chances are you will be charged a 5% appraisal fee. A recommended insider approach to knowing value is to attend major cards shows and going to the bourse floor where you will find hundreds of dealers going from one table to another making huge purchases of cards and sets . This activity will often drive up the value of these cards in the near future. Just keep in mind a card value can change dramatically. For example a strike, an estate sale floods the market with a large quantity of cards that must sell, a player being indicted for gambling etc., so it is important to know what is going on in the sport.

Good luck to all you collectors and here are a few places you may want to start:

www.Dacardworld.com {wholesale prices}

www.baseball-cards.com

and of course www.ebay.com

—Frank

Want the book? It's available through Amazon.com and other bookstores.