It's been nearly two years since the massive price spike in card prices that we saw in the spring of 2020. And as 2022 comes to a close, here are six trends I've noticed in the world of collecting pre-war cards. Hall of Famers Continue to Hold Strong While other cards have fluctuated a bit, one thing is clear -- the price hikes on the biggest names in pre-war card … [Read more...] about The Wayback Collector: Observations in Pre-War Collecting from 2022
strip cards
1921 W551 Strip Sheets, High-Grade Singles Headline Wheatland Auction
A collection of high-grade 1921 baseball strip cards are on the market through Wheatland Auction Services. The company’s October auction includes a pair of rare uncut 10-card W551 strip sheets that include Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and other Hall of Famers in high-grade. Individual cards include two PSA 7 copies of the Ruth, along with PSA 7 copies of the … [Read more...] about 1921 W551 Strip Sheets, High-Grade Singles Headline Wheatland Auction
Near Set of Rare 1921 Self Developing Strip Cards Discovered
Little is known about the unclassified baseball card set dubbed as 1921 Self Developing Strip Cards. But a new discovery of them will certainly reignite some interest in learning more about this interesting set. Calling them strip cards is even a bit misleading. In reality, these are small cards with real pictures of players. However, that is their designation in one of the … [Read more...] about Near Set of Rare 1921 Self Developing Strip Cards Discovered
The Roaring 20s: A Look at Baseball Collecting 100 Years Ago
The turn of the calendar to 2020 really got me to thinking about baseball cards from the 1920s. It's hard to believe some of the issues from the era of Babe Ruth will be turning 100 over the next decade. The 1920s was really sort of a golden era for baseball. The sport had already achieved popularity thanks to the century's earliest stars like Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Nap … [Read more...] about The Roaring 20s: A Look at Baseball Collecting 100 Years Ago
Rare W553 Set is Full of Stars
Strip cards often are tagged with the undesirable label and can be inexpensive ways to collect early baseball stars. But not all strip cards are expensive or easy to find. One of the more elusive and expensive sets is the W553 release. Here's a closer look at this unique series that has been identified as a strip card set. W553 Basics The W553 set is not your typical strip … [Read more...] about Rare W553 Set is Full of Stars
1950 R423 Cards are Small in Size but Full of Stars
Across the wide spectrum of the hobby, collectors will find baseball cards printed in all shapes and sizes. But one of the smallest sets of cards ever created is a relatively oddball issue from 1950. Today, we know this set mostly as the R423 set. 1950 R423 Set Overview The 1950 R423 set is made up of 120 very small baseball cards. The cards were issued in 13-card … [Read more...] about 1950 R423 Cards are Small in Size but Full of Stars
Athletes Highlighted the Quirky 1928 W565 Strip Card Set
Pre-war strip cards can often be unattractive, a bit difficult to understand, and, well, just a little strange in general. All of those traits apply to the 1928 W565 strip card set. Here's a closer look at this unique issue from the 1920s. About the W565 strip card set Believed to have been printed in 1928, there's no doubt that the W565 strip card set is a little on the … [Read more...] about Athletes Highlighted the Quirky 1928 W565 Strip Card Set
Multi-Sport W551 Strip Card Set Highlighted by Baseball Legends
Many strip card sets are avoided by collectors. Some don't like the often crude representations of the players, the fragile card stock and lack of quality examples in the market. However, one of the more popular issues can't be ignored due to its diverse checklist and collection of baseball greats. Here's a closer look at the 1920s W551 strip card set. W551 Strip … [Read more...] about Multi-Sport W551 Strip Card Set Highlighted by Baseball Legends
Complex W519 Strip Issue Includes Three Sets
Believed to have been produced in 1920, the W519 set is one of many strip card issues produced around the same time period. But the series is also a bit different than most. W519 Strip Cards Overview The W519 set is one of the more confusing sets of baseball strip cards from the pre-war era. While it's commonly referred to as a single set, it's really three separate sets … [Read more...] about Complex W519 Strip Issue Includes Three Sets
1933 W574 Set an Oddball Strip Issue
Most strip sets of baseball cards from the pre-war are kind of quirky and the W574 issue certainly fits that bill. These black and white cards are among the later strip cards that were produced in the pre-war era and have several interesting characteristics. Here's a closer look at this interesting 1930s set. W574 Strip Card Basics Believed to have been issued in 1933, the … [Read more...] about 1933 W574 Set an Oddball Strip Issue