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Hobby history through 1974 magazine
67standup
Posts: 833 ✭
I recently purchased a September 1974 issue of Popular Sports that had a baseball card feature entitled "Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Baseball Cards." Some interesting observations:
* Ad for the collecting paper "The Sport Hobbyist." Anyone remember this publication? In the ad: "One baseball card worth $1500" (picture of the Wagner.)
* 1974 Topps set - $14, 1972 & 1973 are $15
* 1970 & 1973 Kelloggs set - $5
* Sy Berger of Topps quotes:
"In 1952, we had the pictures of Joe Page and Johnny Sain reversed. A printer caught the error...now it's a rare card worth about $5."
"Every card we used up until 1971 showed a posed shot of the player. That year we started using action shots."
"It turns out that the one thing that every player without a cap on a card had in common was that he had been traded. Topps no longer shoots players without their hats but now take several shots from the floor up so that the insignia on the cap is indistinguishable."
"Topps guarantees $250 and a share of the royalties, for a total of about $400 to each player whose picture is published on a card."
"The only concession Topps makes to the stars is giving them numbers ending in "0" or "5""
"12 year old Steven Alfond's New York apartment is filled to brim with cards." (hey, find this guy)
* ad for '74 Topps by longtime dealer/collector Stan Martucci
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"In general, the Baseball Card collector is more concerned with collecting as a hobby than as a commercial venture."
* Ad for the collecting paper "The Sport Hobbyist." Anyone remember this publication? In the ad: "One baseball card worth $1500" (picture of the Wagner.)
* 1974 Topps set - $14, 1972 & 1973 are $15
* 1970 & 1973 Kelloggs set - $5
* Sy Berger of Topps quotes:
"In 1952, we had the pictures of Joe Page and Johnny Sain reversed. A printer caught the error...now it's a rare card worth about $5."
"Every card we used up until 1971 showed a posed shot of the player. That year we started using action shots."
"It turns out that the one thing that every player without a cap on a card had in common was that he had been traded. Topps no longer shoots players without their hats but now take several shots from the floor up so that the insignia on the cap is indistinguishable."
"Topps guarantees $250 and a share of the royalties, for a total of about $400 to each player whose picture is published on a card."
"The only concession Topps makes to the stars is giving them numbers ending in "0" or "5""
"12 year old Steven Alfond's New York apartment is filled to brim with cards." (hey, find this guy)
* ad for '74 Topps by longtime dealer/collector Stan Martucci
__
"In general, the Baseball Card collector is more concerned with collecting as a hobby than as a commercial venture."
“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” - George Carlin
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"In general, the Baseball Card collector is more concerned with collecting as a hobby than as a commercial venture." >>
And in just ten short years from then it all reversed.
Nice post! So, what do you think they will be saying in the year 2034 about the hobby as we view it today?
2034 Publication of SportsQuest - article is entitled: "Dig those quaint pieces of cardboard" - excerpt from the article: "I can't believe that people actually had cards graded and all that plastic that is polluting the environment! That stuff takes up all kinds of room and all the cardboard is choking me to death!... Has anyone got their 2034 Rookie edition Ipod sets yet? I strapped on my holo-viewer and the colors are unbelievably vibrant!... Did anyone notice the major league drop in the value of the Ken Griffey III RC since he has pulled another hammy and is out for another two weeks!...." On the octogenarian scene, I asked my dad (the old fart) if Barry Bonds took steroids? He said: "what, what? Barry who? Has hemorroids?...I guess all that posting on the now defunct CU Forums has fried the poor guys brains!?...
Back to the future
Stone
edit: spell master