This is for Bear although he most likely has all of this in his data bank and more. It is a rerun of an article I posted on Think Blue LA back in December of 2012.
At that time I wrote: Yesterday I spent some quality time with myself organizing and cataloging my latest Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp baseball cards. Today, I will take my Duke Snider cards out of a shoe box and place them in order, by year, in a binder. Imagine that! Duke Snider cards in a shoe box, the traditional storage place for baseball cards.
While cataloging my 2012 cards, two opposing tracks caught my attention. First, I was instantly transported back to the future experiencing my first contact with baseball cards. I could almost smell the bubble gum, feel the white powder that kept if from sticking to the cards, and I could see the cards, the 1954 Duke Snider, Ted Williams, and Whitey Ford. The 1954 Duke Snider card is my all-time favorite card. Still, I could remember the Whitey Ford card had a light blue background while the Ted Williams card had an orange background. At that time I wasn’t interested in a Ted Williams card. After all he was a Red Sox player. I can recall putting cards on our bicycle spokes, those of players in whom we were not interested, like Ted Kluszewski or Eddie Matthews – a felony offense by today’s standards. Oh, if only I had known.
The second thing that piqued my interest yesterday was that all of the 2011 and 2012 cards were Topps cards, with the exception of six with a Bowman label. A quick check on the back of those cards revealed Bowman is registered under the Topps name. Oh yes, there was one lone Panini card. At one time the market was flooded by cards from a number of distributors: Topps, Bowman, Fleer, Donruss, Sportflics, Leaf, Upper Deck, Score. The observation regarding Topps caused me to check it out. Is the baseball card industry still flourishing?
My research sidetracked me and this post a bit (actually a lot) and led me to some of the interesting history of baseball cards and the influence they have had in North America, particularly in the United States – not only on individuals but also on the game and the economy as well. Sources point to 1868 as the birth date of baseball cards. Ironically, the baseball card (or other advertisement) was secondary and used to attract buyers of the actual product – the bubble gum or to advertise tobacco.
Peck and Snyder, a sporting goods store in New York, began producing ‘trade cards,’ not called trading cards then, featuring baseball teams in 1868. The cards were a natural vehicle for advertising. The connection between baseball teams and sporting goods was obvious, with a team image on the front and advertising on the back. Not only that, people bought the advertising. That little piece of cardboard has had a 152 year run, beginning at least forty years before any of the other major sports.
The Trade Cards distributed by Peck and Snyder are generally regarded as the first baseball cards. They were the first ‘mass produced’ advertising cards with a baseball theme. Peck and Snyder was a manufacturer of baseball equipment, and their cards featured prominent teams of the day. They are the size and style of a Carte de Viste with a paper team photograph pasted to a cardboard mount. The backs can be found with advertisement for Peck and Snyder, other companies, or are blank.
The baseball card industry, in its long history, has had a series of peaks and valleys. It played a significant part in the Great Depression for at least two industries, gum and candy makers. While we were playing with baseball cards as kids in the 1960’s, the royalties from those cards helped transform the baseball players association into one of the country’s most powerful unions. What a change that has made in the game. Some will argue for the better, while others disagree. As the royalties from those cards grew, so did the strength of the players union. Baseball cards are far from the sole source of the growth of the union but very significant at the time.
I would argue that the golden age of baseball cards was in the fifties. That most likely is simply because I was introduced to them at that time, probably in 1953. I learned that Jackie, Campy, Newk, Jim Gilliam, Joe Black were black ball players. That made no difference to me. They were ball players and more importantly, Dodgers. I imprinted on the Dodger logo like a newly hatched chicken. I traded the farm to get that Duke Snider card. Yankees to me were a throw away, fit for bicycle spokes, so I felt I had a good deal in getting a Duke card.
The baseball card industry would cite the 1980’s and 1990’s as its golden age. That is, an age of gold, as in money in the bank, not gold as a Duke Snider card in a kid’s hand. The business blossomed and flourished going through a spectacular growth bubble. It became a billion dollar a year industry. Thus was the rise of the baseball card industry from a lowly advertising tool in 1868 to an industry of which everyone wanted a part in the last two decades of the twentieth century. The story goes on, but on another day.
UPDATE
Tomorrow we will publish part 2 of this 2 part series on baseball cards.
Discussion (95)
Disagree, not disagreeable
So many good posts! Badger, respect for your Vietnam service. I was a VA psychologist for a lot of years, worked with many vets with PTSD and drug addiction. A lot of good guys were still dealing it many years later. I missed serving myself by a couple of years, fortunately. Was just finishing HS when the war ended.
Mark, that must be my Koufax 1966 card you have! After Bear’s post of the other day, I went on eBay to look at Koufax cards. Might splurge and buy one. Time to complete the circle.
Happy 4th of July, everyone! May it be a safe and peaceful holiday for all of us!
… and then, there is this:
https://www.henryford.com/news/2020/07/hydro-treatment-study
Not saying I would take it now, but the politics swept it away!
BTW, this is the company that is in the lead to develop the first vaccine:
https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/02/trial-of-moderna-covid-19-vaccine-delayed-investigators-say-but-july-start-still-possible/
Don’t buy it now. That ship has sailed.
Well, maybe you buy it. I am not a stock guru!
I think Toles would benefit from https://cereset.com/
I tried to share this modality with the Dodgers and just couldn’t get them to tell me if they were interested.
I sold 95% of my baseball cards at a card show around 1982 for $1620.
I’m attaching a link to an article about an indy league that may be a window into what minor league ball will ultimately morph into.
It’s an interesting read and the league is headed up by former Dodger pitching prospect Justin Orenduff.
https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2020-07-02/major-league-baseball-dodgers-united-shore-professional-justin-orenduff?utm_email=84AA2424941F8494F4E784A5E8&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=staging+a+summer+indy+league+in+Michigan&utm_campaign=scng-regional-dodgers&utm_content=manual
From Houston Mitchell:
Toles has dealt with anxiety and mental health issues for years. It is the main reason he left the Dodgers, who according to people who work for the team who didn’t wish to speak publicly, have offered him assistance throughout this time. Several teammates reached out to him. Justin Turner offered to pay his medical bills.
But if you think Toles had finally hit rock bottom and was arrested, that is not the case, unfortunately.
“This has been going on for the last year and a half,” Morgan Toles, Andrew’s sister, told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “it’s just that this is the first time it has become public.”
“When the news came out, the response from the public was very different from the response from my family,’’ Morgan Toles continued. “When people saw my brother’s mug shot, it was like, ‘Oh, my God! He’s been arrested.’
“You know what my family felt? Relief.
“It’s really crazy to say, but the mug shot, really, was the best thing ever.
“We didn’t know whether he was dead or alive.”
Most of the time, family members only learn the whereabouts after an incident such as the one in Florida last week, she said. A similar episode took place in Kentucky just two weeks before. Morgan Toles said she recently had to obtain help from the U.S. Embassy in Hong Kong, where her brother spent a month in prison after being arrested for stealing food at a gas station.
The Nightengale piece really gives a great look at what has been going on with Andrew Toles for the last couple of years and is worth a read.
As for where Toles is now, he is in a Key West hospital getting help. But, he has been in hospitals before and as soon as he is coherent enough to ask to leave, he goes.
What can Dodgers fans do? Unfortunately, not much. I would flood social media with messages of support on the off chance that one breaks through and touches his heart. It’s a powerless feeling. My fondest wish is that Toles one day takes the field at Dodger Stadium, not as a player, but as a person who has defeated his illness and is there to celebrate while throwing out the first pitch with his family watching. He gets a standing ovation from the crowd and retires to a happy life. It’s a Hollywood ending. Life rarely resembles Hollywood. But we can hope.
GREAT TAKE, HOUSTON!
I will be off the grid all weekend – going camping with my daughter and her family and my wife. We are taking another of our granddaughters along so 4 of the 5 granddaughters will be there. It should be a fun weekend.
My youngest son is staying home, rebuilding our deck. He is such a beast! It took him 4 days to tear it down (12′ x 55′) and he’s got another week in finishing it. He works from sunrise to sundown and I cover his job at work since I can no longer do that physical labor. So I have been putting in 12 hour days while he is gone.
The contractor’s estimates I got for labor were $8,000 to $11,000.00. The materials are that much too, but he needs the money for his house, so he asked if I would just pay him instead of a contractor. Of course… and he is doing an amazing job.
Friedman is the master of the Scrap Heap Pickup!
I have a Sandy Koufax 66 card and this year’s Dodgers. That’s it!
There was no 1954 Mickey Mantle Topps card. Topps was the only card available in our area. So, as hard as Yankee fans tried to get a Mantle card they could not and we didn’t know the reason why. Dodger fans liked to tell them Mantle wasn’t good enough to have a card.
Mickey Mantle had an exclusive contract with Bowman during 1954 and 1955. Hence, the reason why there are no Mantle Topps issues during these two years.
We have had 30 cases in the county. Some are wearing masks, others are not. There have been no deaths in the county. Most of the new cases are centered in 4 states.
We have our first COVI-19 IL members. The Phillies’ Scott Kingery (starting 3B), Hector Neris (closer), Tommy Hunter (RHRP) and Ranger Suarez (RHRP) have all been added to the list. It is not confirmed that any have tested positive. They could simply be displaying symptoms. They need 2 consecutive negative tests now to be removed.
The clown Mayor of Indianapolis has announced beginning July 9th it will become mandatory to wear face mask. That is a full week away AND after the big Holiday weekend.
So its OK to not wear masks over the 4th of July and for a full week but come July 9th he knows that everyone should be wearing mask. Can you say another Dem playing politics!
Friends I have there say they will just go outside the county and spend their money while not being forced to wear a face mask.
The guy is a complete goofus.
The Dodgers will reportedly sign 33 year old veteran RHRP AJ Ramos. Ramos has not pitched since 2018 due to shoulder issues. His last decent year was 2016. They apparently watched him and were convinced that he could get ML hitters out. He will be added to the 60-man pool.
Harold, you sure took me back to the good old days. I guess I started buying cards around 1955 and continued until 1961. I had many friends that I traded with, but usually would trade only “doubles” unless it was to get a Dodgers card that I didn’t have. The cards that were used for bicycle spokes were ones of which I had 3 or more. I’m pretty sure I had all the Dodgers cards for the years I collected but I also collected all the other teams.
Like you, I still remember the smell of the bubble gum. I don’t remember paying more than 5 cents a pack and I think there were 6 cards in a pack ( can someone verify that?). The only cards I ever collected were Topps.
My youngest son bought the entire Topps series for a couple of years. That had to be in the late eighties or early nineties. I still have his cards in my attic in Jersey and they have never been opened. He has no place to keep them as he lives in a small trailer in Steamboat Springs, Co. Does anyone Know what the value might be on his cards?
Now, as far as my collection goes. I don’t How many shoe boxes full of cards I had, but they were given away to a family with 3 boys after I got married. Hopefully they kept them and realized the value of them.
Once a week, the Governor of Indiana sends out an e-mail blast. Here’s the one from today:
Friends,
“We have to be prepared. And we are.” – Governor Holcomb
It’s almost the 4th of July – and over this holiday weekend and beyond, Governor Holcomb is looking at COVID-19 data with Hoosiers’ health as his top priority.
That’s why he announced that, while a few restrictions will lift this weekend to allow for outdoor events – where the risk of transmission is up to 19 times less – the majority of Phase 4 will remain in place through at least July 17.
Here’s what we can now expect in Indiana for the next few weeks as part of the Back on Track plan –
• Social Gatherings: Following the CDC’s social distancing guidelines, gatherings will be limited to up to 250 people.
• Eating Out: Dining room food service may continue up to 75 percent capacity as long as social distancing is implemented.
• Bars: Bar seating in restaurants may continue operations at 50 percent capacity with social distancing.
• Entertainment: Cultural, entertainment, amusement parks, tourism sites and similar facilities may continue operations open at 50 percent capacity.
And that’s while fairs and festivals can move forward this summer – as long as it’s done safely.
As always, state and local communities can impose stricter guidelines – and places like Elkhart County will remain in Stage 4 until at least July 13.
Why the delay? Governor Holcomb has always said this will be a data-driven decision, and here’s where the data currently stands:
• Hospitalizations – As you can see from the chart above, Indiana is seeing a slight uptick in our hospitalization rate. While the uptick isn’t as strong as a few other states – it’s still an important change to watch.
• Surge Capacity – Indiana’s hospital surge capacity still remains strong, with 40% of ICU beds available and 83% of ventilators available.
• Testing – We’ve seen increases in Indiana’s testing positivity rates, but the good news is that there are 200 testing sites across the state – so anyone can now get tested (and for free at state-sponsored sites).
• Contact Tracing – Indiana’s contact tracing team is making 2,500 daily calls to people who have tested positive or their close contacts.
This Back on Track plan might take just a little bit longer – but remember: Indiana is making progress. And it’s all while Hoosiers’ health comes first.
So as you’re out and about this Independence Day weekend, please remember to be safe. Practice social distancing, wear your mask, and let’s look out for our fellow Hoosiers!
Happy (early) 4th,
-Your Holcomb Crew
P.S. Need a reason to mask up as you’re going out? Watch the video below and then tell us on social media why you #MaskUpHoosiers.
It is nice to share the other posters’ recollection of baseball cards. They were my favorite indoor pursuit for about five years. I grew up in a small suburb of Los Angeles, so it was almost impossible to find cards older than from the years when I and my friends would collect them. And virtually no one did this for long-term riches, they did it because they loved the game, and learning about the players. I never thought about exactly what kind of shape the cards were in, I just prized the Dodgers cards, and then older cards about players who seemed like legendary figures to me just because they predated when i started following baseball.
Buying the cards was not nearly as much fun as trading for them, because mostly the packs contained the same cards. But I was so excited when after days of negotiations. I consummated a multi-card trade in which I traded an older Roy Campanella card from 1956 or so, which i probably had traded for earlier, for a number of cards of players of that older period. In retrospect, it probably was not such a great trade, because what i did not realize was that only the stars’ cards ended up having value, and the cards of players I had read about, and knew more about than my friends did, did not get me the cachet that I was sure I would get when they learned more about their achievements. Not that the Campanella card would have been worth that much, because it was creased, like most of the cards we traded or lagged (others here have called it flipping}, or just brought to our friends’ houses to look at and admire, for who the players were, not how perfect the cards were. I will say that the Topps 1957 cards, from before I started following baseball, were my favorite; those action shots on grass were artistic.
I still have most of my cards. i was so touched that when I finally got brave enough to move out of my parents’ house and get an apartment, my father kept my bags of cards in their garage, until he eventually suggested that I get them, because he was throwing away all sorts of things in there. And sometimes I look at them, and it brings a rush of nostalgia; all the players I gradually learned about by listening to the radio; non-famous players with interesting names like Harry “Suitcase” Simpson (I wondered if he got that name because he carried around a suitcase, but it was most likely because he got traded so much), Joe Cunningham, Al Pilarcik, Walt Moryn, Dee Fondy, Don Hoak, Jim Lemon. I studied those statistics on the cards so carefully that I could almost envision the player’s entire career. I think it was the 1961 cards which had the season by season statistics; some years, Topps only printed the stats from the year before, quite disappointing!
The best cards I have are some Mantles from 1959-1962. But none of them are in mint condition, though they are probably worth $1,000 on their own. One time about 20 years ago, I took my better cards into a card shop, and the owner told me he’d give me $1,000 cash for just those. i declined, and he said, “You must not need money that much.” Well, I just did not want to sell those cards; the memories of collecting them, sitting out on our patio carefully collating them into a pack for each team, learning about how some current journeyman player was once a near-star ten years ago, he hit .300 two years in a row!,; figuring that a pitcher must have hurt his arm, because his stats started to decline every year. That, along with the baseball novels by John R. Tunis and Duane Decker which I devoured out of the junior high school library, opened up vistas of history and imagination which the real world of modern baseball cannot compete with, at least in my mind.
Thanks for the nice article! One of my most traumatic childhood memories is of taking my cherished Koufax card to elementary school and losing it. I guess that I had wanted to impress my friends. Big mistake! I collected mostly from 1965-1969. By the time I was entering my prime as a Dodgers fan, they were entering their post 1966 lean years. Nevertheless, I still lived and died with the Dodgers every night with Vin Scully calling the play-by-play with my transistor radio hidden under my pillow. I still loved the Dodgers, despite their losing ways in those years. You are a real fan if one of your favorite players was Al “the Bull” Ferrara! I have had a lifelong love of statistics. It started with memorizing the stats on the back of all of those cards. I would play a game with my parents at the dinner table. I would dare them to choose any one of my cards, choose a year, and I would recite all of the player’s stats for that year from memory: BA, RBIs, HRs, etc. It must have been phenomenally boring for my parents, but they always indulged me! Not so long ago, I researched the answer to a lingering question from my youth. Why were the Dodgers so terrible in 1967, when they had made it to the Series in 1966? The answer, not surprisingly, was the loss of Sandy Koufax’s WAR. As we all know, they were a light-hitting team in those years (hence my hero-worship of Al Ferrara). Even then, I knew that the loss of Koufax was a killing blow. However,.WAR didn’t exist – it wasn’t on the back of the cards – so I couldn’t prove it. Now, thanks to Bill James, I can.
Seven day moving average for Indiana shows an increase in cases over the past 10 days. Sounds like a good move by the mayor.
The Mayor of Indianapolis just mandated facemasks when out and for employees working inside.
Below is an article I came across that I wanted to share. Baseball is not just missed in big cities, but also small towns across the US. Here is a little story on one of those towns.
http://9inningknowitall.com/2020/06/25/small-town-baseball-in-middle-america/
Baseball will be back. It may not be in a form that we recognize, but maybe it will be better.
Cary Osborne also wrote a nice article on baseball cards today:
https://dodgers.mlblogs.com/the-holy-grail-of-dodger-baseball-cards-43951bc7ab24
Great article Harold. My baseball card collection years were from 1960 through 1965. However, I did have many cards from the 50s. I had the Larry Sherry card and the Duke Snider card. I think I must have traded for the Duke’s card. I love the nonsensical cartoon/statements they put on the back of those cards. “he feels that the ‘ol practice swing brings him good luck and is responsible for his good batting in 1953.” That’s some rock solid inside baseball information there.
My collection was 3,000 – 4,000 cards. Mostly they were used in my bike spokes, or I “gambled” them playing marbles. My friends and I were pretty devious in our “purchase” of the cards. Back in those days you could get 5 cents for a returned glass pop bottle. Most liquor stores and the like would stack their used bottles in the back of their stores. My friends and I would help ourselves to a bag full of the bottles and take them in to collect our money. Sometimes we felt bad and took them to another store. Once we got our bounty in cash, we would go to the toy store or Rexall Drugs and buy baseball cards for a dime a package. This cycle would continue for days and months on end. Yes, I’m still paying for my sins, but back then my friends and I did not have the sense God gave to a cock roach. When I entered high school I gave all my cards to my neighbor’s two young boys. I moved away before I graduated from high school and lost touch with those boys, so I never learned what they did with them.
There is a photo posted on Twitter with the heads of Dodger players on the kids from The Sandlot. Great baseball movie by the way. I love James Earl Jones in it. Anyway, they put Turner’s head on the fat kids body. Should JT be miffed>>>?????
Thank you for the article. I did not purchase my first pack of cards until about 1958. I had some that were given to me by my mom when I showed an interest in the game. The Dodgers had not moved to LA yet at that time, so I did not really know many of the players. My main hobby in those days was building plastic model kits, and my plastic army men. But when I really got hooked on them, I would buy a pack every time I had a spare nickle. There was a little mom and pop store on San Pasqual Avenue that usually got the first box of the year. Like a lot of kids, I would spend my lunch money on them. I enjoyed reading the bios and stats and learning about the teams and the players. Baseball cards were a treasure trove of the games history. As my collection grew, and I grew older, friends who knew I collected, and had decided they were too old to collect, gave me their cards. A friend of mine in high school asked if I wanted his brothers cards. His brother was about 5 years older than we were, so I said ok. That was when I got my first Brooklyn Dodger cards. His collection had started in 1951. He had Bowman’s, some Leaf, and more than 2000 old Topps cards that he gave me. My collection at the time was all Topps, and some of the Fleer HOF cards from the early 60’s. The different designs were a real delight. I thought the Bowman card that had the players photo inside a TV screen was classic. Most of those cards he gave me would have a pretty high dollar value today, if the condition was right. I even had a 52 Mantle rookie card. What I would give to have that same card, and not a reprint today. I could buy a new pickup truck with what one of them sells for in mint condition. Of course most everyone knows the most expensive card is the T206 Honus Wagner. Wayne Gretzky and the former owner of the Kings bought one and paid close to 4 million for it. I still collect cards, reprints mostly since the real ones are pretty pricey. One thing I do have is a complete set of the 1959 Dodgers. And they are all original. Most expensive of that lot is the Koufax I have. It took me about 2 years shopping on ebay to find them all. Some players from that team did not have cards as a Dodger or at all. Chuck Churn, Maury Wills and Chuck Essegian. There was no Roger Craig card that year either, although he had been on a 58. So I had an Essegian as a Cardinal. Moon’s card was in series 7 and hard to get back in 59. Series 7 cards usually came out in mid September. So they were on the shelves a shorter time because when the first football cards hit the stores, the owners would pull the baseball cards because of limited shelf space. You have to wonder how many unsold boxes went into storage rooms in those little stores. Now, people make cards of those players without stats on the backs for those years. I found all 3 of those players on cards like that on ebay. No Craig though. Essegian was an important get for me since he was a very important player in that 59 series. He matched Dusty Rhodes WS record with 2 pinch hit homers in the series. I still collect the cards. Mostly just the Dodgers since you can be more selective on Ebay and pick the ones you want. The card of Gil Hodges that was on the post the other day I found on Ebay and bought. Usually I get players I really liked as a kid. I loved Gil, Duke, Pee Wee, Carl Furillo, and of course Sandy. I also like to have players who were important parts of the winning teams. The 1960 Sherry on this post is part of my collection. Lately I have been getting a lot of Ted Williams cards. My homeroom teacher in Jr. High had played ball in the Red Sox system. I got a great respect for Williams from talking to him. He saw him up close and personal. And when he described what a ball sounded like coming off of Williams bat, it was amazing. I have also picked up a couple of very early Willie Mays, and Mantle, A couple of which I have sent to Mantle fan extraordinaire, Badger. I also have a couple of early Ruth copies, and Lou Gehrig, who was really my first baseball hero. I read a book about him when I was still in grammar school. He was bullied some because he was of German heritage. And his courage while fighting the disease that took his life is inspiring. I have many cards of the current crop of Dodgers also, and I do like getting the cards that never were. The 59 and 65 Wills I got. Some Brooklyn cards that were never made. There was no cards of Snider, Newcombe, Furillo in the 53 set. I also have a 54 of Roberto Clemente as a Dodger. Although he is wearing a Montreal Royals cap. I enjoy the hobby. The cards I get have little monetary value. But the treasure trove of memories? Priceless. True story. One time we were playing ball at Arroyo Seco park. Where I once got so shag balls for Larry and Norm Sherry who had moved onto my street a couple houses away. I was looking in the area behind the backstop screen for baseballs. There usually were a few lost. And I found a box of cards that had been opened and left back there. No Dodgers in the box at all. But there were some really good players there.
H, that’s a beautiful card you posted. I’m sure I had it at one time. When I got to Southern California (from Raytown, Missouri) in late ‘58 I started gathering up as many Dodgers cards as I could. There were some guys in my neighborhood in Canoga Park that helped me out. As I’ve mentioned before, my collection disappeared when I was overseas. Cards weren’t worth a lot in ‘68. I think. Not real sure about that.
I met Snider when he was tending bar at his restaurant in Fallbrook. That was ‘71 I believe. He was a nice enough guy, though not particularly talkative that day as I recall.
Was that info in the last post real? Is it confirmed that Ruiz and others tested positive?
Now of course, they’re young athletes, so it’s highly likely they’ll be fine in a couple weeks. It’s just what it is. But good luck to them, and the best to Idaho’s grandson and family as well!