Old Is Gold.

[ThoseBackPages]

Talking about Baseball cards this time, but i suppose it could apply to all collectables, really.


Sure i like picking up Trout & Harper RC slabs every now and again, but there's something that's just missing (#ThanksTopps). The baseball card market is just too flooded with Rookie Cards. What is and what isnt will always be a heated debate, no denying that.


i miss the days when players had one "Rookie Card". Of course there are exceptions to every rule. Take a look at Mickey Mantle for example. His 1952 Topps issue is NOT a Rookie Card (it's his 1951 Bowman), but it will always be the one that is thought of when most people think Mantle Rookie.

What im getting at is that "Old Is Gold".


Hank Aaron's Rookie Card will always be 1954 Topps. They arent making any more. What they are making more of is "Relic" Cards containing pieces of jersey/patch/etc with and without autographs. They'll be making those for the foreseeable future, thanks to sticker autographs.


Willie Mays' Rookie Card will always be 1951 Bowman. They arent making any more. What they are making more of is "Relic" Cards containing pieces of jersey/patch/etc with and without autographs. They'll be making those for the foreseeable future, thanks to sticker autographs.

Frank Robinson's Rookie Card will always be 1957 Topps. They arent making any more. What they are making more of is "Relic" Cards containing pieces of jersey/patch/etc with and without autographs. They'll be making those for the foreseeable future, thanks to sticker autographs.


Tom Seaver's Rookie Card will always be 1967 Topps. They arent making any more. What they are making more of is "Relic" Cards containing pieces of jersey/patch/etc with and without autographs. They'll be making those for the foreseeable future, thanks to sticker autographs.

Rickey Henderson's Rookie Card will always be 1980 Topps. They arent making any more. What they are making more of is "Relic" Cards containing pieces of jersey/patch/etc with and without autographs. They'll be making those for the foreseeable future, thanks to sticker autographs.


i get the "collect what you like" aspect of the hobby, i really do, but to me, Old is Gold, and i wish more people felt the way that i do. Believe me, ive collected more then my share of the shiny new XXXX, hell i still do from time to time, but there is nothing like the days gone by.

 

[69MetsFan]

I totally agree with this sentiment, Eric. I enjoy some of the current offerings with a piece of jersey or bat from a member of the '69 Mets. However, nothing beats the feeling of opening a mailer that contains a PSA 8, or better, graded card from the 1969 Topps set with a Met on it. Old is truly gold.

 

[gracecollector]

Umm, your logic seems flawed to me. They are still making rookie cards, and when they are done, they aren't making any more just like back then. They probably make less total production as well. What you have now is more choices. Why is that a bad thing? Some collectors would call what you collect modern. Some would call vintage pre-war. Sixties Topps isn't old compared to T206 or Old Judge. Your repetitive statements don't really persuade me that old is better. I think we have more options now catering to all levels of collecting. Why is that a problem? And why does that make your Silver Age cards better? To me, it's like comparing players from different eras - almost impossible.

 

[Krom]

For cards to be exceedingly valuable they have to be quite rare. Look at the Wagner, around 50 copies and its value is not just because its old.

Look at the Strasburg super. He had not even started his career and his card sold for close to 20k. His potential combined with the rarity/demand of the card created something we had never seen before.

Shortprinted and autographed rcs of future hofers have more room for growth than all but the highest end vintage.



Who makes the hall is obviously the biggest ?.

 

[mrmopar]

The key to this argument, strictly from a value point, is that although there were more cards produced "back in the day", many fewer survived compared to now. Just about every card today will quickly be placed in a sleeve, top loader and/or graded, making it almost impossible for new cards to become worn or damaged. If they made 50 Honus Wagner bat cards this year, in 100 years there will probably still be 95% of these left in mint shape, maybe even 100%. If they made 50 T-206 Wagner cards over a 100 years ago and only a handful survived, well then you have what we have now with that card.

My interests cross over new and old, but collecting new stuff has pretty much strictly become about the money in one regard no matter how you choose to look at it. Collecting in general is about the money, but the old stuff often reminds us of a time when it was not about the money (even those those older cards now are all about the money too).

 

[carlitoson]

Umm, your logic seems flawed to me. They are still making rookie cards, and when they are done, they aren't making any more just like back then. They probably make less total production as well. What you have now is more choices. Why is that a bad thing? Some collectors would call what you collect modern. Some would call vintage pre-war. Sixties Topps isn't old compared to T206 or Old Judge. Your repetitive statements don't really persuade me that old is better. I think we have more options now catering to all levels of collecting. Why is that a problem? And why does that make your Silver Age cards better? To me, it's like comparing players from different eras - almost impossible.

Totally agree. First-year cards are great no matter what year you're talking about. Today's shiny chromes will be "old" at some point too. I also like the fact that there are many more options (and price points) today than in the past.

 

[Austin]

Amen, Eric.
But I think a lot of it has to do with nostalgia, since we both started collecting in the '80s, when vintage cards were cheap and plentiful at shops and shows.
Newer collectors, especially those who started collecting since 2000 or so, probably feel very differently.

I'm mostly a '50s-'80s collector for many reasons.
Nostalgia of my childhood, my Dad's collecting, preferring older cards, the current crummy state of the hobby with high prices and the mess of inserts/parallels/game-used, etc.

I just prefer older cards and collect for fun, not profit.
Most of my '80s cards I worthless, and I don't care because I love them.
There was nothing like collecting in the '80s when the boom began and card shops seemed to beas plentiful as starbucks are now.

But I also love '50s and '60s cards because that's what my Dad collected and he loves telling me stories about them and the players of that era.

So yes, to me, old is gold, but I also respect all the new collectors who prefer the shiny expensive "event-worn" cards of today.

 

[sportscardtheory]

Eh. Collect what you want. It doesn't matter what others collect.

 

[69MetsFan]

I see this thread as purely an opinion thread having no wrong or right response.
I collect what I collect strictly because of nostalgia.
I collected Mets cards in the late 60's and that tie to my childhood is what I enjoy most.
The gambler in me enjoys busting current products in the hopes of pulling something to flip.
Again, not saying my opinion is right, just saying it's mine.
Yours is equally right to you.
Collect on!

 

[Enfuego79]

Me personally, I'll treat any yankee related material as though I was in the cartoon Pokemon, "gotta catch them all"! But I will occasionally pick up items from any era that catches my eye and tells about a player and history ie, the babes called shot, if it holds that much weight and is significant, I grab it.

 

[gt2590]

To me, it was cooler when a player had only 1 true RC. Sometimes an XRC or regional issue and after '81 I'm sure alot of people complained about three RCs and again when UD showed up.

But the better quality, variety and mutiple choices of today's releases far out-weigh the coolness of One RC.

And from what I've seen in the store, I think most of the general, non-collector public like the newer stuff more too...

 

[ThoseBackPages]

i didn't mention pre-war because "rookie card" and Pre-war rarely go together, as there are postcards and other stuff involved

 

[ThoseBackPages]

i get it, "collect what you like" and all that jazz, but eventually, if you make hobby friends, it's good when everyone is on the same page.

 

[matfanofold]

I agree, love me some vintage!

 

[joey12508]

i think most of us collect what we have a emotional attachment to in some way.
its all good.

 

[predatorkj]

i get it, "collect what you like" and all that jazz, but eventually, if you make hobby friends, it's good when everyone is on the same page.

Eric, a true collector worth his salt, someone truly knowledgable and worth even talking to, can appreciate almost any era or any concept of collecting. Even if it's not his/her particular niche of choice.

 

[gracecollector]

i get it, "collect what you like" and all that jazz, but eventually, if you make hobby friends, it's good when everyone is on the same page.

Yeah, I think you're right about that. I do like FCB because there's a mix of vintage and modern collectors. I like cards from all eras, probably leaning towards vintage over modern, so this is a good board for that. If I want to hang with vintage guys, I cruise over to NET54 boards. I love this hobby because there's space for all types of collectors and collections.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Eric, a true collector worth his salt, someone truly knowledgable and worth even talking to, can appreciate almost any era or any concept of collecting. Even if it's not his/her particular niche of choice.

No denying that.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Yeah, I think you're right about that. I do like FCB because there's a mix of vintage and modern collectors. I like cards from all eras, probably leaning towards vintage over modern, so this is a good board for that. If I want to hang with vintage guys, I cruise over to NET54 boards. I love this hobby because there's space for all types of collectors and collections.

Absolutely Brad. All types of collectors here, and other places. there are plenty of boards to satisfy ones particular interest.

 

[Enfuego79]

Point being, a collector will collect whatever it is that catches his or her eye.