Reading Material

Putty

All: As many of you know at this point I am just starting out in this hobby and well I have a question, today I received the Kit Young catalog and spent some time this evening reviewing it in my "office", and I was wondering what "reading material" anybody here recommend for my "office"? My only criteria is that the magazine or book simply pertain to the card collecting hobby. Any thoughts???

jrinck

If you can find it, go for the Topps book that shows a picture of every regular issue Topps baseball card from 1951 to 1985. It's a bit heavy, and not much on words, but the pictures of the cards are amazing.

You might also want to try the big, yellow, Beckett price guide. Sure, it's Beckett, but just ignore the pricing and read the descriptions of each set and you'll be an expert in no time. The only downside to this book is that the modern stuff dwarfs the vintage, so you'll flip a lot of pages.

And not card related, but try to find an older, printed copy of the Baseball Encyclopedia. You know, the one with stats for every person that ever played the game, plus postseason recaps going back to 1903.

Those three books should keep you occupied for at least a year or two's worth of reading, and are infinitely more valuable to the collecting world than the useless Kit Young catalogs.

Putty

Thankx for the suggestions I will price them at the upcoming Ft Washington show in March, they should be there and I more than likely will get at least one of them..

Tipem

Jrinck,

I disagree with your last comment about Kit Young magazines being useless.If I read the statement by Putty correct,those magazines are being read in his "office" and could be of immense use given the proper circumstances


Vic

jrinck

Watch this auction for the Topps book:

Topps Baseball Cards Picture Collection book

Expect it to end in the $20 to $35 range.

As for the Baseball Encylopedia, check this one out...

The BASEBALL Encyclopedia-1990 Edition

This is the 8th edition, and I know of at least a 9th, but at some point they stopped producing this in book form. It's all on the web now, so I don't believe it's possible to get this book with all the current players in it. The version I have came out in 1987.

jrinck

<< <i>Jrinck,

I disagree with your last comment about Kit Young magazines being useless.If I read the statement by Putty correct,those magazines are being read in his "office" and could be of immense use given the proper circumstances


Vic >>



You are absolutely correct. I actually use mine as a comic book. It's pretty funny reading! What is his raw to graded ratio, something like 550 to 1? Ha ha ha ha ha!

BigKidAtHeart

CARD SHARKS: How Upper Deck Turned a Child's
Hobby into a High-Stakes, Billion-Dollar Business



Top 200 Sportscards in the Hobby (PSA Book)

Vargha

Mastro catalogues always make for good reading in my "library".

qualitycards

I have all the reading/reference material that is listed below incl Kit Youngs last catalog.
I would add to this list the SCD Standard Catalog of Baseball cards, I just got the 13th edition 2004, and it is very impressve, almost 2000 pages, listing every set you can think of w/ illustrations, a write up and a checklist for each. A must-have in any Baseball collectors library...jay

Basilone

I have quite a library going with auction catalogues going back to the Copeland sale in 1991. My goal is to read each and every lot...which will take years.

Right now Im reading a Lelands catalogue from 1999 featuring the "Ken Goldin Collection"....yep...every piece of memorbilia comes with a Ken Goldin COA. Not sure if that would actually help or hurt the provenance of the item...LOL.

dbj77

I agree with Jay on the SCD standard catalog of baseball cards......they also make them for each major sport. Lew Lipset's prewar tobacco cards books are good as well. Register with the major auction houses and they will send you their catalogs. Those are great to read as well.

Putty

Thankx for all the ideas and links, you know it is amazing the time I now spend viewing these boards, surfing Ebay and NAxcom researching an item. It makes me wonder what I used to do with my time before Gosoxbosox got me hooked onto this hobby by bringing me to the Ft Washington show to watch him spends thousands on pre-war cards.

Vargha

BTW -- The Auction catalogues are best read when you remembered to print out the final winning bids and store them with the catalogue.

Putty

Just an update: I obtained both the Topps picture book and the PSA top 200 book. Thankx to everyone who responded, the feedback I received is the main reason I visit these boards

schr1st

I'd suggest the Barry Halper collection auction catalog. You can pick one up at Borders a heck of a lot cheaper than you can on-line (especially with the S&H for this heavy puppy), but outside of Mr. Fogel and a few others, I doubt you'll ever see a better collection of Baseball-Related items ever.