| Sports card collecting appeals to a wide | | | | the later more expensive card lines.Since the |
| variety of people from different age groups | | | | late 80's and early 90's the number of |
| and backgrounds. These people collect for | | | | various sports card sets have increased |
| various reasons which range from the love of | | | | considerably. Each of the 4 main card |
| sports to monetary gain. The sports cards | | | | companies produced many sets in each sport |
| themselves have grown to represent most of | | | | category. Some produced under different |
| the major sports including Nascar.My first | | | | labels such as Topps Stadium Club etc. Along |
| recollections of sports card collecting were | | | | with this increased production came a |
| in the early 50's when baseball was a major | | | | dilution of card values. Each producer also |
| part of my life. These were the good times | | | | over produced the lines that they had.Even |
| when I looked on life as being simple with my | | | | though this lowering of values came along, it |
| greatest concerns being good grades in school | | | | probably just did away with some of the |
| and finding another pickup game of baseball | | | | inflation of prices due to hype and demand. |
| to play in.This was the era when a few extra | | | | Some felt that the newer cards didn't carry |
| pennies meant that I walked or rode my | | | | their true value and were overpriced when |
| bicycle about a mile to the store below my | | | | they first came onto the scene anyway. Some |
| house and purchased Topps baseball cards. It | | | | of the new cards had inflated value that |
| meant that they were separated into teams and | | | | caused their prices to be as high as the true |
| put into a small toolbox that my father had | | | | collectable older cards. There was no real |
| made for me. I collected Yankee baseball and | | | | reason for the new cards to carry the prices |
| Mickey Mantle cards along with others until I | | | | that people were asking.No matter what the |
| graduated from high school and went off to | | | | price, true or not, there a still a lot of |
| college. This was the year that my cards were | | | | people collect the sports cards for various |
| given to a younger boy in the neighborhood by | | | | reason. These people collect in different |
| my mother. To this day I still get a funny | | | | ways and concentrate on different areas of |
| feeling when I walk into a store and see the | | | | collecting.One of the main areas of |
| new packs of sports and racing cards.When | | | | collecting is the individual player rookie |
| these sports cards were first produced, they | | | | cards. These cards may not necessarily be |
| were used primarily as promotional items for | | | | from the first year that a player plays in |
| products such as tobacco which was later | | | | the major leagues but it is his first card |
| replaced with bubble gum. By this time, the | | | | produced within a set. Generally a player has |
| cards were taking over the focus more so than | | | | a first card produced by several manufactures |
| the products that they were advertising. | | | | and may even be in some subsets. The number |
| Sports cards, to this day, are still used to | | | | of each sets produced helps determine the |
| draw attention to various products.One sports | | | | value of the individual players card in that |
| collectable that some may not consider a | | | | set. His card value is also affected by his |
| sports card but has always been a fascination | | | | statistics in his career, others expectations |
| to me is the 1952 and 53 Dixie Cup lids. | | | | of him at the plate and how popular that he |
| These were Dixie Cup ice cream lids with | | | | has become on his way to the major leagues. |
| famous pictures under them and covered with a | | | | Some collectors lose money due to the fact |
| paper similar to wax paper for protection. | | | | that the player does not live up to his |
| The Dixie Cup company produce these picture | | | | expectations. I have also seen other players |
| lids from the early 30's until the mid 50's | | | | card values change because of his life off of |
| but the 2 afore mentioned years were the only | | | | the playing field. In some cases, drug use by |
| ones that produced sports figure | | | | a player has greatly affected the value of |
| pictures.After WWII major league players | | | | his career and also his sports cards.Another |
| returned from the war and the paper stock was | | | | type of collecting is the area of special |
| no loner need for the war effort, the first | | | | cards or insert cards added to the regular. |
| nation wide baseball card set was produced by | | | | This became popular in the mid to late 80's |
| the Bowman Gum Company of Philadelphia in | | | | and early 90's. The insert cards can be |
| 1948. Compared to the standards of today, | | | | special player cards from other sports. One |
| these cards weren't very much to look at and | | | | of the first popular inserts that comes to |
| contained no color. The faces were black and | | | | mind was the Michael Jordan card in the Upper |
| white pictures of players. These contained | | | | Deck packs. Signature cards are also a |
| not writing referring to the players name or | | | | popular type of insert card. Most of these |
| position. The backs had writing but were kept | | | | cards were produced in a limited number thus |
| very simple with some player information | | | | increasing their value due to lesser |
| included. There was an advertisment at the | | | | quantities. Sometimes redeemable cards are |
| bottom of the back. These were smaller than | | | | used that you can turn in for other products |
| most of the cards produced at a later date. | | | | or cards. The practice of inserting older |
| This was the first nationally issued set | | | | valuable cards into packs have been used.Some |
| since the early 40's.These 48 Bowman cards | | | | individuals collect cards by buying and |
| were produced in two series and were printed | | | | keeping unopened packs. This practice seemed |
| in sheets of 36 cards. This was the size of | | | | to be more prevalent before the price |
| the sheets that the factory could produce. | | | | inflation caused the values to drop. Unopened |
| This whole set contained a total of 48 cards | | | | cases and boxes were kept as investments for |
| and the twelve additonal cards were were | | | | the future. Some of these unopened cases were |
| substituted for 12 of the original cards | | | | like gold. Some of their values were |
| printed on the first sheet. This resulted in | | | | unbelievable.Complete sets from certain years |
| short-prints of some of the cards from the | | | | are very popular collectables. If Topps or |
| original series.Naturally, this first set | | | | one of the other manufacturers had a very |
| since the war had an abundance of rookie and | | | | good card for a certain year or the set |
| first time printed players. Included in | | | | contained a lot of good rookie cards the sets |
| these, were players such as Berra, Musial, | | | | became more collectable and sought after. |
| Spahn, Sain, Henrich, and Rizzuto. Some of | | | | Some collectors only kept factory sets and |
| the popular and rookie players fell into the | | | | others built sets from boxes and packs. Most |
| short-print group making their cards even | | | | ot those that built their own sets looked for |
| more sought after.Topps, probably the most | | | | the perfect card with the highest grade. |
| know bubble gum and sportscard producer, came | | | | Which of the sets, factory or hand built, has |
| onto the scene in 1951 and along with Bowman | | | | the greatest value is still debatable.A card |
| were the only card producers until the early | | | | collector that collects for the enjoyment |
| 80's. Topps purchased Bowman in 1956 and was | | | | does it for many different reasons. Some |
| the only producer until this time. In the | | | | collect cards of their favorite teams, |
| early 80's Fleer and Donruss began producing | | | | players, regions, or sports. Whatever the |
| sportscards. In 1989 Upper Deck, what I | | | | reason for collecting, sports card collecting |
| consider the supreme sports card maker, | | | | has in the past and still is a very popular |
| started production. These upper end cards | | | | and sometimes moneymaking hobbie. |
| went for a premium price and led the way for | | | | |