Between low supply issues and bulk buying by resellers, card collectors might think they have it difficult today. But collecting today is a breeze compared to the difficulties of buying product in the pre-internet days. And if you think card buying in the 1970s or 1980s was complex, just imagine what the very earliest collectors went through to secure needed cards. Forget … [Read more...] about The Wayback Collector: For Early Collectors, Finding Sports Cards Was No Small Feat
American Card Catalog
The Wayback Collector: It’s Time to Update the American Card Catalog
The American Card Catalog is the most important book in the history of card collecting. I'll listen to the argument that publications such as price guides really brought collecting to the forefront and helped establish it as a lucrative venture. But for my money, the American Card Catalog is tops in terms of importance for, particularly, older cards. First created in 1939 as … [Read more...] about The Wayback Collector: It’s Time to Update the American Card Catalog
A Look Inside the U-Card Designation
When most collectors think of Jefferson Burdick's American Card Catalog designations, the most popular types of cards are T-Cards (Tobacco issues), E-Cards (Early Caramel/Candy issues), or R-Cards (Later Gum/Candy issues). One designation that you don't hear much about are U-Cards. What are they? Let's take a closer look. U-Cards Introduction Part of the reason the … [Read more...] about A Look Inside the U-Card Designation
American Card Catalog Classifications For Dummies
Jefferson Burdick's American Card Catalog is a decades-old guide that is still used by collectors today. While we don't really classify modern sets in the same way, Burdick's reference book was essential to cataloguing older sets of cards that were distributed by various types of companies. Burdick used simple letter classifications to organize sets. Many vintage and … [Read more...] about American Card Catalog Classifications For Dummies
1887 N184 Kimball Champions Set A Tough Issue For Collectors
Nineteenth century tobacco cards aren't the kind of thing you'll find in abundance at your local show or shop. Even online, pickings are sometimes slim. That sentiment holds particularly true for the 1887 Kimball Champions set, produced by the Kimball Tobacco Company. The classic tobacco card issue designated as N184 in the American Card Catalog requires plenty of patience … [Read more...] about 1887 N184 Kimball Champions Set A Tough Issue For Collectors
Ramblings: Guides and Checklists Brought Order to Chaos
I don’t know about the rest of the readership but I’m fascinated by the race for the presidency. As in many campaigns, there are many great sound bites and famous lines used. And insults aren’t a new thing. Way back in 1884 James Blaine and Grover Cleveland supporters exchanged sing-song chants. Backers of the incumbent president spewed “Blaine, Blaine, James G. Blaine the … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Guides and Checklists Brought Order to Chaos