While set collecting is somewhat of a lost art, there are still many collectors that still pursue complete issues. Many sets aren't too difficult to piece together, but those that are older or rarer can make for a challenging task. Here are ten tips to keep in mind if pursuing a particularly difficult set, no matter the sport. As a precursor, these are only tips. In the end, … [Read more...] about 10 Tips for Set Collecting
baseball card sets
1968 Topps Posters Were A Large Addition For Collectors
In the 1960s, it was not unusual for young sports fans to put posters of their favorite players on the walls or doors of their bedrooms. Topps decided to play to that hero worship in 1968 by releasing a set 0f 24 posters. “Hang ’em on your wall!” and “Hang ’em in your room” were the slogans on the five-cent packs, as Topps released the posters not as an insert, but as a … [Read more...] about 1968 Topps Posters Were A Large Addition For Collectors
Rich’s Ramblings: Long Live Big Sets
When I was reading the email from reader JJ Saenz that was part of this week's mailbag, I realized in another very important way just how much the hobby has changed over the past generation. Back in the day, we used to argue why a few players were not in the big Topps (and then later Donruss, Fleer, Score and Upper Deck) sets. That's correct, there was a time if a player was … [Read more...] about Rich’s Ramblings: Long Live Big Sets
Best Selling Sports Card Books
Our cardboard friends mean a lot of different things to different people. A connection with childhood. A hobby that strengthens connections between parents and their kids. A way to make some extra cash. A hobby you can show off to your friends who are also fans. For many, though, it's still a matter of 'what's it worth?' How else to explain the dominance of price guides … [Read more...] about Best Selling Sports Card Books
The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs
Fans of vintage baseball photography are licking their chops over a new book featuring more photographs from the archives of Charles M. Conlin. Conlon turned out massive quantities of striking black and white images from the first half of the 20th century. His work has been the subject of books, baseball card sets and obsessive hunts by collectors looking for first … [Read more...] about The Big Show: Charles M. Conlon’s Golden Age Baseball Photographs
Topps Opening Day Baseball: The Richard Nixon of Baseball Card Sets
by Chris Harris In the wake of the 1972 Presidential election, Pauline Kael, the legendary film critic for The New Yorker, infamously quipped to an audience that she couldn’t understand how it was that Richard Nixon won re-election in a 49-state landslide. After all, pretty much everyone she knew voted for his opponent George McGovern. In a way, many baseball card … [Read more...] about Topps Opening Day Baseball: The Richard Nixon of Baseball Card Sets
Editor’s Blog: Baseball Card Museum, Lady Collector, Heroin and Cards Don’t Mix
He owns one of the best T206 baseball card sets in existence (yes, he's got a Wagner), all displayed on his office wall. Detroit-area attorney E. Powell Miller loves his cards, but he'd also like to have even more people share in his love of baseball. He's been chasing rarities and complete sets for a decade and told Patch.com that he'd like to open a baseball card museum … [Read more...] about Editor’s Blog: Baseball Card Museum, Lady Collector, Heroin and Cards Don’t Mix
10 Great Vintage Bowman Baseball Cards
They were born in the post-War boom and faded quietly away as Topps, that young buck, took over with a monopoly it would hold for 25 years. Bowman baseball cards had plenty of young fans during their 1948-1955 heyday, though. As Topps celebrates its 60th year in the cardboard business while offering up voters choices for its all-time top 60 list, we look wistfully back to … [Read more...] about 10 Great Vintage Bowman Baseball Cards
Ex-Topps Photographer’s Work Heading to HOF
If you own baseball card sets from the 1960s and 70s, you probably own a lot of Doug McWilliams' work. The California man was a prolific photographer for Topps. Now, his work is heading to Cooperstown. Making good on a long ago promise, McWilliams is donating thousands of images he shot--including some very rare pictures--to the Baseball Hall of fame. Some were … [Read more...] about Ex-Topps Photographer’s Work Heading to HOF