Bill James is a significant name in the history of baseball. It’s often associated with the father of sabermetrics, but is a name known in baseball circles long before the acclaimed statistician ever put pen to paper. Born in 1892 in Iowa Hill, CA, the "other" Bill James was the son of a miner chasing the lure of the gold rush. A booming town at the time, Iowa Hill was once … [Read more...] about Bill James and the Miracle Braves of 1914 – The Unlikeliest of Champions
B18 blankets
Vintage Cards and Memorabilia, Rare LeBron Rookie Lead Hunt Premier Auction
Hunt Auctions’ June Premier Auction is underway with several major collections among the hundreds of lots being offered, most notably the fourth installment of the “Texan Collection” of historic sports cards. Curated over a 40-year period the collection is one of the finest assembled of its type with the initial two offerings establishing record pricing for several card … [Read more...] about Vintage Cards and Memorabilia, Rare LeBron Rookie Lead Hunt Premier Auction
A Look Into the Weird World of Blankets and Felts
T-Cards (tobacco) and E-Cards (early caramel) are well known American Card Catalog designations, obviously. But some other categorizations from Jefferson Burdick's popular resource are scarcely used or collected these days. One of the more unique classifications? Blankets and felts. What are Blankets and Felts? Blankets and felts (roughly known as B-Cards), quite simply, are … [Read more...] about A Look Into the Weird World of Blankets and Felts
Unique B18 Blankets Have Solid Mix Of Variations And Stars
While traditional baseball cards (or, pictures, as they were frequently called) were extremely popular in the pre-war era, tobacco companies were constantly seeking ways to create new and unique collectibles. Egyptienne Cigarettes succeeded in that venture in 1914 with its distribution of an issue we now call the B18 Blankets. B18 Blankets Basics The B18 Blankets were one of … [Read more...] about Unique B18 Blankets Have Solid Mix Of Variations And Stars
Walter Johnson: Buying The Big Train On A Small Budget
Playing in the major leagues with the Washington Senators from 1907 to 1927, Walter Johnson is widely considered as one of the game's best pitchers of all time. As a player in the pre-war era, his cards might not seem all that attainable for the everyday collector at first glance. However, the Big Train's contemporary items may be a little more accessible than you … [Read more...] about Walter Johnson: Buying The Big Train On A Small Budget
Not Always Cardboard: Unusual Materials Used to Make Trading Cards
By tradition, trading cards have been made out of rectangular cardstock. In fact, the dictionary definition of card usually is a rectangular piece of cardstock or heavy paper. However, card companies have at times stretched or radically broken the trading card rules and issued cards, or at least card-related collectibles, using unusual materials and/or different … [Read more...] about Not Always Cardboard: Unusual Materials Used to Make Trading Cards