During the Covid-19 pandemic, I had a lot of time to think during the two months I was stuck at home, out of work, and sheltering in place. The anniversary of my big brother's passing happened during this time, and with it came lots of reflection and reminiscing.
That reminiscing led to an immense desire to watch baseball, and to thumb through some old baseball cards I still owned. The memories and feelings that instantly flooded back to me when I touched, smelled, read, and gazed upon my old cards, is the closest thing to time travel I've ever experienced. Memories from decades ago returned to me like they happened yesterday.
And just like that.. I suddenly found myself back on the path of a hobby I once loved so much. Maybe it was a yearning for some kind of normalcy to help ground me during all the current madness. Perhaps it had to do with wanting to feel comfortable in the moment, by looking back fondly on our childhood.
Being able to actually touch pieces of that very history was surprisingly comforting and therapeutic. Maybe I was always meant to go down this path once more.. I'm not entirely sure. Nevertheless, here I am again at mid-life getting back into baseball card collecting, and I feel like a kid again.
I got into collecting baseball cards back in the 70s when my brother gifted me a stack of his old cards and duplicates that he didn't need. Over the next two decades, that little stack of cards blossomed into 1000's of baseball and sports cards. At one point I was setting up tables at sports card shows, flea markets, malls, and conventions.
I got into collecting baseball cards back in the 70s when my brother gifted me a stack of his old cards and duplicates that he didn't need. Over the next two decades, that little stack of cards blossomed into 1000's of baseball and sports cards. At one point I was setting up tables at sports card shows, flea markets, malls, and conventions.
The money I made selling cards more than paid for my collecting, and gave me a little walking money to boot. There was even a time where I was very close to opening a sports card business with my friend. In retrospect, I'm glad I opted not to do so, as the bottom fell out of the sports card collecting business a couple years later.
Also, there were a few years towards the end of Lopes career, when Topps made 'Tiffany Sets' in addition to their standard bubble gum cards. Tiffany sets were of superior quality, made with better paper stock and a glossy finish. They were never packaged with gum, so there was no chance of staining and discoloration. I of course couldn't call my collection complete, until I added these to display next to their bubble gum counterparts. It's a bit extra I know.. but that's just how the mind of some collectors work.
I told myself I was going to stick to collecting vintage Davey Lopes cards if I indeed got back into the hobby, but Lopes was such a versatile player with the rare combo of power and crazy speed, they have never stopped making baseball cards for him. He also had a great career coaching, so he also has plenty of coaching cards as well.
My card collecting habits definitely lean towards vintage cards. Mainly because of the nostalgia and sentimental reasons. But from a collectors standpoint there were only so many of them produced, so they should continue to increase in value as time passes.
I had every intention of sticking with Davey Lopes cards, but I did follow other players as a kid like Eddie Murray, Steve Garvey, and many others. However, the thrill of the hunt often keeps the mind of a collector looking towards the next find. My collecting style is definitely evolving as I get back into the hobby, but here are the card types I've been collecting over the last few weeks..
I was a huge Denver Broncos fan and followed many players like John Elway for their entire career. I also was a big Denver Nuggets fan as a kid, so don't think I haven't thought about stepping over into football and basketball cards as well. I'm not sure exactly how my collecting habits will continue to evolve, but I'm excited to explore and learn about the hobby all over again.
1975 Topps Standard and Mini Baseball Cards
My foray back into the hobby consisted of buying a few cards to complete my Davey Lopes collection. I wanted every Topps brand card ever made during his 16 year career as a player. I thought I had accomplished my goal, but discovered I indeed did not posses every one of his Topps player cards. First off, I remembered there was a miniature set in 1975 that was identical in every way, only smaller.
Also, there were a few years towards the end of Lopes career, when Topps made 'Tiffany Sets' in addition to their standard bubble gum cards. Tiffany sets were of superior quality, made with better paper stock and a glossy finish. They were never packaged with gum, so there was no chance of staining and discoloration. I of course couldn't call my collection complete, until I added these to display next to their bubble gum counterparts. It's a bit extra I know.. but that's just how the mind of some collectors work.
I told myself I was going to stick to collecting vintage Davey Lopes cards if I indeed got back into the hobby, but Lopes was such a versatile player with the rare combo of power and crazy speed, they have never stopped making baseball cards for him. He also had a great career coaching, so he also has plenty of coaching cards as well.
2001 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Card
I quickly broke my rule of only collecting vintage when I saw the above card. This card actually contains the sweet spot of a baseball signed by Davey Lopes! There are tons of cards with autographs, pieces of game used bats, and jerseys. The great thing is that they are incredibly affordable. Many cards like this of bigger name players are pretty affordable as well, costing less than if you were to pay to get something signed by them.
1978 Topps Eddie Murray Rookie Card
The type of collector I am today..
My card collecting habits definitely lean towards vintage cards. Mainly because of the nostalgia and sentimental reasons. But from a collectors standpoint there were only so many of them produced, so they should continue to increase in value as time passes.
I had every intention of sticking with Davey Lopes cards, but I did follow other players as a kid like Eddie Murray, Steve Garvey, and many others. However, the thrill of the hunt often keeps the mind of a collector looking towards the next find. My collecting style is definitely evolving as I get back into the hobby, but here are the card types I've been collecting over the last few weeks..
- Davey Lopes cards all brands new and old
- Old LA Dodgers players cards
- Old Eddie Murray Cards
- Complete Dodgers team sets from the 70s & 80s
- Cards from food companies like Hostess, Fast Food etc.
- Various stars from the 70s, 80s, and early 90s
Not a huge list by any means, but that list could easily equate to thousands of cards, so I really need to dial in what I'm going to collect.
What collecting is like in 2020
Life definitely used to move a lot slower back in the day. I used to love visiting sport card shops to thumb through albums and boxes of cards for hours on end. This obviously is something you can't easily do nowadays. For one thing, there's the matter of Covid-19. And then there's the fact that these stores simply are not as abundant as they once were. Before this pandemic, sports card shows and conventions still existed, but these are currently very much on hold.
So what's left for a card collecting enthusiast in this day and age? eBay! While it may not be as fun and stimulating as hitting up a card show or shop, it's an incredibly efficient and streamlined way to collect exactly what you want. From the superstar to most obscure players, there hasn't been a card I haven't been able to procure if I wanted it.
What collecting is like in 2020
Life definitely used to move a lot slower back in the day. I used to love visiting sport card shops to thumb through albums and boxes of cards for hours on end. This obviously is something you can't easily do nowadays. For one thing, there's the matter of Covid-19. And then there's the fact that these stores simply are not as abundant as they once were. Before this pandemic, sports card shows and conventions still existed, but these are currently very much on hold.
So what's left for a card collecting enthusiast in this day and age? eBay! While it may not be as fun and stimulating as hitting up a card show or shop, it's an incredibly efficient and streamlined way to collect exactly what you want. From the superstar to most obscure players, there hasn't been a card I haven't been able to procure if I wanted it.
This method of collecting is definitely keeping me focused on what I'm amassing. This time around, I don't want boxes containing 1000's of cards lying around the house. In short, using eBay has helped me to keep laser focused on what I want to collect.
The prices are great as well. I've bought a lot of cards in recent weeks for well under book value. I also often stumble across rare cards I had no clue existed. So while it's definitely a much different way to collect for an old school collector, there are bargains galore and treasures just waiting to be found. With the current state of everything, eBay has been a blessing for folks wanting to dip their toes back into the hobby.
The prices are great as well. I've bought a lot of cards in recent weeks for well under book value. I also often stumble across rare cards I had no clue existed. So while it's definitely a much different way to collect for an old school collector, there are bargains galore and treasures just waiting to be found. With the current state of everything, eBay has been a blessing for folks wanting to dip their toes back into the hobby.
1990 Bo Jackson Score card #697
I was a huge Denver Broncos fan and followed many players like John Elway for their entire career. I also was a big Denver Nuggets fan as a kid, so don't think I haven't thought about stepping over into football and basketball cards as well. I'm not sure exactly how my collecting habits will continue to evolve, but I'm excited to explore and learn about the hobby all over again.
In case you're also getting into baseball or sports card collecting once again,
here is some great stuff to start up with that I've found on Amazon..