Case in point:
This is the 1952 Topps Bruce Edwards card I unlocked in last year's Million Card Giveaway. Amazingly, of all the cards I had shipped, the condition of this card is better than most of the others.
This is the first 1952 Topps card I've ever held. It may seem like old hat to some of you guys, but it was quite a thrill for me. I've been avoiding these cards since I got them, wanting to give them the full attention they deserve when I get a scanner, but yesterday I revisited the box and just had to take this one out of the toploader.
It must have been something to be the first person to get this card. I picture a kid, 10 or 12 years old looking down at this card, turning it over in his hand. He took good care of it because it's aged well. This is the thing that keeps this hobby exciting to me. All the new stuff is fun for awhile, but getting to hold a piece of history, even if it isn't the famous Mickey Mantle card, is amazing.
Couldn't agree more! I recently came across a '52 Feller in VG condition. A beautiful card of a very young and fresh looking (even though he had been saving the world in WW2 years before) Feller. The condition allowed for this beauty to 'slide' into my price range. I "visited" the card for several weeks at the LCS, deciding whether or not I should pull the trigger on my first vintage purchase.
ReplyDeleteOf course, the impulse won out - especially after I worked out a good, fair deal with the shop owner. One of the first things I did? Gently slide the card out of the top-loader to feel this relic and get a sense of it. Odd? Perhaps....but it is completely a result of my love for our hobby. Every piece has a story and I found myself wondering where this gem had been for the past 59 years. I know where it will be for the next little while and I know it will be greatly admired.
My next quest? A >100-year old card. The hunt is on for an affordable find!
So, I know exactly what you're talking about. Enjoy!
1952 Topps cards are awesome. I have about half the set and am still like a little kid when I get another one.
ReplyDeleteI agree fully. Vintage has a special...magic to it that modern cards simply don't have. Back even before the 90's hit, it was thrilling to just pull a base card of a star player or great rookie. Personally I love old vintage cards, the more worn the better. Gives them more character.
ReplyDeleteRyan- You can find T206 cards from 1909-11 online for under 20 bucks as long as you don't want them perfect. I have 12 so far and have gotten most all of them through eBay. Watch for reprints though.
I think part of the attraction for vintage cards and their feel is there are not 100 different variations of just one card. Back then they didn't put out a thousand different cards for each player every year current and retired, Hall of Fame, or Dead.
ReplyDeleteThe designs were usually plain and simple nothing fancy (partly due to the technology of the day, but that wasn't the only reason), occasionally they had bright wild colors but they were more than just a portrait of the player on a tiny piece of cardboard.
I still need to track down a '52 Dodger. One of the "gaps" in my collection.
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