Beckett 20 Questions on … vintage cards
The daily headlines often revolve around the newest creations, the achievements of the day or those showing promise of success to come.
But for many collectors, their worlds revolve around nothing that involves foil-stamping, jersey swatches or anything remotely resembling Refractors or future superstars.
Their worlds revolve around vintage.
For the next issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly, we’ll take a look back at the older days of collecting — 1980 and before — and touch upon some of the things that make those years different, unique and still immensely relevant today. Here are 20 questions that we’re curious how you’ll answer — and we’ll publish the results (along with additional comments) in the issue.
Check them out … after the jump.
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Do you have anything else to add about collecting vintage — why you like it, why you don’t collect it, what you’re looking for? Tell us in the comments below.
My 14-year-old son D.J. and I are collecting vintage Hank Aaron and Willie Mays cards, plus some Mickey Mantles when we can find affordable ones. We are close to acquiring all the base cards of Aaron and Mays issued during their careers. It’s fun to collect these all-time greats along with auto and relic cards of our favorite modern players.
The available options to answer question #18 are too limited. How about an option like, “YES, I am always buying more vintage”.
Vintage is fun. Plain and simple. It’s like walking through a time machine. When I go through vintage cards, I like to think about what a card has gone through and where has it been. It’s kinda cool to think that in 1960 someone opened up a pack of cards, pulled out a Sandy Koufax, and now 53 years later its now in my collection. And hopefully it will continue in time and make its way into another persons hands.
great poll
#15- Complete set! Just imagining a complete set of 1933 Goudey- dang!
I love vintage for how simple everything was back then. No refractors of the same card to drive the value up to sell packs. You build sets or trade and collect your favorite players. Your main focus now is centering and condition and finding cards unmodified. Real collectors are getting few and far between, but I can pull out some new Harper refractor and a non collector will yawn. Pull out a slick vintage Mantle and their jaws drop. They can’t believe they’re holding a piece of history, something they never imagined they’d see. I’ve seen old guys and young kids start collecting over vintage conversation pieces than some jersey card out of a new product.
Well put Rob.
had fun with the questions but for me its the simplicity of completeing a set with out having to worry about trying to find a Short Print
Most do not realize how cheap vintage could be, especially if you are not only concerned about the condition of the card, but want to own the card. At the last local card show, i picked up a 1909 tabacco card for $20. My only requirement was that it would be of a New York team and it not be creased. I also started buying 1952 Bowman cards, for i am thinking about trying to put together the set (it will take me a few years, but I think I can do it) . You can pick up a PSA 5 for $10 for the common cards. I purchased a Rizzuto PSA 3 for $40 and a Berra ungraded for $90. Again, i am mainly concerned that there are no creases and no major damage. So for the price of those 3 cards ($140), i could of bought a box of Contenders or Prizm instead and get nothing in return, or a player that will fade into obscurity in the next few years. Vintage will never lose their value, but only get harder to obtain as time goes on.
I love the 1886+ ginter sets of the ladies, fish, chiefs and other tobacco cards of butterflies, stamps, coins, and knights.
I have only about 100 and bought all of them for less than 15$, but they are over 100 years old.
On a side note about vintage purchases, I bought a Ernie Banks RC off ebay for 20$, the only catch…the Cubs symbol was cut out, but I didnt care because I have always wanted an Ernie Banks RC and could never afford one in any decent shape. So to me this was a steal off a life time.
I like graded vintage more for the authenticity than for the condition.
I pick up vintage for many of my customers and what I have found is that they all love vintage because they grew up opening these packs and loved the cards from their youth. Most people do not think of Vintage as 1980 and before, many use 1970 and before though I personally use 1973 since that was the last set offered in multiple series. Most of the people I talk to are doing one of two things, completing sets or player collections. Most vintage collectors like EVERYTHING vintage, even if they aren’t necessarily collecting it (several of my baseball card collectors are intrigued with the vintage football, basketball and hockey cards I also have). The collectors I deal with don’t necessarily worry about the cards being mint either. Excellent condition reigns supreme since most of these guys know EXACTLY what they did to the cards in their youth. They are looking for nice copies but understand basic wear happens to a piece of 50-year old cardboard. Off-center cards aren’t loved but accepted as a necessary evil as are the circular print-marks my friend calls “hickeys”. What drives vintage collectors crazy are trimmed cards sold at top prices. Graded vintage cards make more sense for an investor. Most collectors are putting the cards in binders and don’t appreciate the graded card holder and the protection it gives.
You needed another response for #18: Yes, but budgetary restraints mean that it will take a long time before I acquire all the vintage cards I want.
I STARTED OUT COLLECTING GRADED TOPPS ROOKIES OF HALL OF FAMERS I HAVE MOST OF THEM NOW SO I AM NOW WORKING ON OTHER GRADED TOPPS CARDS OF THESE PLAYERS. THE TOPPS CARDS FROM THE 1960S ARE MY FAVORITES ESPECIALLY 1967 THAT WAS THE FIRST YEAR THAT I BOUGHT PACKS OF CARDS THE DESIGN IS CLASSIC. I HAVE ON QUESTION FOR TOPPS IN 1968 CARD NUMBER 480 MANAGERS DREAM AND 490 SUPERSTARS HOW DID HANK AARON NOT END UP ON ONE OF THOSE CARDS. WHAT A TERRIBLE OVERSITE. ALSO TOPPS SHOULD DO A RETRO REPRINT SET OF THE 1967 VENEZUELAN RETIRADO CARDS. YOU COULD DO A STANDARD CARD WITH ENGLISH ON THE BACK AND A LIMITED EDITION CARD THAT IS IN SPANISH LIKE THE ORIGINAL CARDS. I ALWAYS LOOK FOR ORIGINAL CARDS FROM THIS SET AND THEY ARE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND ESPECIALLY IN NICE CONDITION THE ONLY ONE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PURCHASE IS THE BOB FELLER CARD.
Although I have several vintage cards, I lately have decided to get HOFers from the 1960 Topps set. I can’t get all the stuff I would like. So I decided to focus on one set instead. I like the design and low-to-mid grade cards are not too expensive for me. If money were no object, I would definitely buy high grade vintage cards.
The last question was my favorite, but I seem to be part of the minority. I would love to see the vintage be stronger, but let’s face it…the prices rarely go up or down and most people only want to rip new wax for a possible “big hit and bigger payoff”
I ve been picking up T 18 Mecca Billiards and boxing cards the past few years. Willie Hoppe cards in ex + condition are hard to find.
When sports cards initially came out, they were collected for who the player was, there was not the market to buy and sell as today. There were no plastic holders to preserve their condition. Cards were played it, handled, placed in bicycle spokes, back pockets, etc. Now take into consideration the fact they were not mass produced and re run as in the 1990s. How many of these cards were produced considering the population of say1910-1940, then 1950 -1970,versus today’s population? . If you want cards from 1970 forward you can find then very readily, especially if you have financial resources available. Today’s sets are for the most part easily compiled, the older the set the more difficulty as well the greater satisfaction is attained when a set is finally completed. There is also the wonder of how many various collectors had hold of the vary cards in your set. Therefore regardless of condition, vintages will truly remain rare.
I have recently decided to change my collecting focus from the newer stuff, to graded vintage Flyers and Phillies. I feel they will hold their value better then the newer highend cards. Plus as time goes on there will be less and less high condition vintage on the market, while every highend set will have more 1/1s, autos, and gameused cards.
I like my vintage cards beat-up and worn.