How did you get started in pre-WW2 cards?

It's time to get to know everyone again as there have been a lot new people registering lately. The question is, how did you get interested in pre-WW2 baseball cards and memorabilia?

For me, I had always loved the history of the game. My favorites cards in any Topps sets were the all-time great cards and the team cards when they showed franchise records. Around 1979 I found the second edition of the Beckett Annual Price Guide and looked thru it curious as to whether any of the cards from my childhood were valuable. My jaw about dropped when I saw the prices for 1971 and 1972 Topps, especially the prices on high number '72s.

After buying that and going thru it seeing what other amzing sets were out there I found another book on the shelvesThe full name slips my my mind but it was written by Dennis Mitchell and another person whose name escapes me at the moment. This book was more impressive to becuase it had well written articles about each set larger pictures of the cards. After reading this book, I instantly was in love with 19c and turn of the century cards.

In 1981 Lee and I went to our first card show. For those that are around our age or older and were in or near MN, there was a fairly large show at the Thunderbird Motel put on every year by Mansco Perry. We went to that show and I was in heaven.

I remember Larry Fritsch and Bill "The King of Commons" Henderson being set up there. At the time, I had no clue who these guys were but spent some time talking to both. I didn't buy anything from Fritsch but I did end buying some 1955 commons from Henderson and this got me started on the first Topps set I comlpeted that was from my childhood years. I also ran around show buying up a comlpete run of Pete Rose cards. I came away with a few tobacco cards too, but I can't remeber what the first card was I bought. It is in this picture somewhere, lol

The next show I went to was the spring Willow Grove show in 1982. This is still the most amazing show I've ever attended. It might be the fact it was the first true mega show I had attended, but the depth of material was amazing. I ended up leaving the show with a complete set of t201s, 33 Goudeys of Dizzy Dean and Jimmy Foxx, a few e-cards and nice dent in the t205 set including a Hoblitzell no stats and a Joss.

Jay