What got you interested in pre-WW2 cards

I know for me it was finding the book Baseball Cards by Erbe and Mitchell in 1979 or 1980. Wish I still had it. It was a large book with a nice write up about each set along with pictures of the front and backs of the cards. The back of the book had an alphabetical listing of all the players and what sets they were in.

Finally getting to see some of these old cards at the old Thunderbird show put on by Mansco Perry in 1980 hooked me for good although I ended up buying a run of Pete Rose cards from 1963-9 and a 1956 Jackie Robinson.

Jay

roommate in college (late 90's) showed me a t206 red Cobb, hooked ever since.

PSA's top 200 Sportscards in the Hobby book about 5 years ago.

Stumbled into a small local Card Shop in 1987

Seeing T-206's at the Houston card show in 1980, they just looked so cool I had to start collecting them.

I am a sports/baseball fan and a history buff and these cards help merge the two together. I can't shake the thoughts of who originally owned the cards, how they obtained them, how the kept them... Plus the the history of the game and players. I'm a history buff and the 100 year old cards are an easy way of touching the past, not always inexpensive but definately enjoyable.

baseball

I was a History major in college and have always loved baseball. Following a logical trajectory I became enamored of the history of the game and its great players. My childhood fondness of collecting cards then moved toward the prewar era as I got older.

The love of baseball and the history of the game.

Lee

It all started at a card shop about 10 min. away from me. I was in there shopping for 50's cards untill I found a t206 Doolan in the back of the shop. Ever since I saw that card, I've been hooked on pre-war cards.
-Randy

In 1969 I completed my Topps set and started ordering cards from Charlie Brooks (early hobby paper The Sport Hobbyist) with my allowance money. I had extra money one week and ordered 2 T206 cards for 1.00! He sent me McGinnity and Speaker. My Dad saw them, and he and my Mom gave me a stack of t 205 and 206 cards for Christmas. Well, I was hooked and from the year 1969 to present I've been a big collector of tobacco cards. In the summer of 1978 while at the Grafton, Mass flea market, my Mom found an antique dealer who sold us over 500 N172 and N173's as well as Buckners and some other N cards for 1000.00. When we made the deal, the antique dealer sold us another huge lot of non-sport N cards for another 500.00. I began to deal with the big guys of the day like Lew Lipset and Steve Freedman. Whenever we went to a show, store or flea market, I bought old cards. However, I love tobacco cards and anything to do with the history of the sport.

Basically, my 30+ year career as a card collector, store owner and mostly show promoter was enhanced by the help of my Mom & Dad, Bill Sr. and Philomena at an early age and my wife Becky in later years. Family helped make a dream come true!
Regards,
Bill Hedin
Massachusetts
bh3443@aol.com

Wow, great story Bill

bh3443 wrote:In the summer of 1978 while at the Grafton, Mass flea market, my Mom found an antique dealer who sold us over 500 N172 and N173's as well as Buckners and some other N cards for 1000.00. When we made the deal, the antique dealer sold us another huge lot of non-sport N cards for another 500.00.

You have the mom of the century!!

love of history, baseball and all that...but john spencer of fullcountbcc was a big driving force for my interest in prewar cards. kindest, warmest man you'd ever meet, not enough adjectives to describe him. only bad thing after having the bar set so high some other dealers etc turned out so uneducated, scummy, and lowlife afterwards.

HAGWE...

I'm right there with Jeff as per how I got hooked on pre-war baseball. 7-8 years ago I purchased my first pre-war card.
A Red Cobby Portrait. Need I say more. I've been broke ever since, but have never been happier.

Tony A.

Bill, Great story it is always fun to hear stories such as yours. I will also have to add I remember some kids in the neighborhood that would buy cards to fill there sets through mail order and thought it was cool.

I also have to give Bill Mastro some credit for my interest. He was set up at a show when the Metrodome opened up and only had vintage cards with him. He spent the time to go through most of them and tell me stories about most of the cards. THe one I always remember is the story of Harry Pulliam and the cigar label he had, just capitivated me. I finally did buy one after I got on ebay. I also bought my first T202 from him.



Lee

My dad found three N172's in an old scrapbook he picked up at an auction....he gave them to me and told me I'd be wise to stop spending all my money on the 80s crap and start buying old cards.



PS. Jay, I still have the Erbe/Mitchell book and you're right it is excellent!

PPS. Bill you may have one of the more interesting prewar collecting stories I've ever heard...I'd love to hear more about that deal with the 500+ N172 and N173's.

Dan, Do you still own those cards?

Lee

Lee, I do indeed still own all three cards. My dad passed away in 1991 and I will never part with these.

slidekellyslide wrote:Bill you may have one of the more interesting prewar collecting stories I've ever heard...I'd love to hear more about that deal with the 500+ N172 and N173's.

I'll second that. In a group of 500 N172/3's, there must have been plenty of HOFers and likely a few rarities too. Any black border N173's or Dogs Heads? Details please!

And welcome to the forum, Bill.