MLB’s Official Historian is a Collector Himself

March 27, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

MLB historian John Thorn is immersed in baseball’s past, yet his personal collection is about heritage and not star appeal. Come along with an exclusive interview with Thorn as he describes his collection and how the hobby is still in its infancy. Read More

Opening Online: The National Pastime Museum

March 19, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

Ready to launch is an online venue dubbed The National Pastime Museum – an impressive baseball collection available to all. As of now, five sections make up a timeline on the site: 1845-79, 1880-99, 1900-19, 1920-39 and 1940-52. The focus is on memorabilia and the stories behind the pieces on display. Read More

How to Pack, If You are a Dealer

March 11, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | 1 Reply

What vintage card dealers bring to a show depends on the dealer, where the show is being held and how much new inventory has been added to the mix. A recent Chicago Sun-Times Show provides the perfect backdrop to ask dealers what works in attracting customers and what they pack for each show. Read More

Collector Profile: Thrown for a Knuckler

March 5, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

A teenage connection through charitable efforts leads to a life-long friendship between a real estate developer and Phil Niekro. Plus, a great, true, story about the healing power of baseball involving the Niekro family. Read More

In 1953 Bowman Bounced Back in a Big Way

February 27, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

Topps staged a great attack on the Bowman baseball card reign in 1952, so Bowman bounced back in 1953 with original color photography, star appeal, multi-player cards and for the first time statistics on the back of Bowman cards. Read More

They All Came Together in 1970 Topps Football

February 19, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

The inclusion of Hall of Famers and a few standout rookies means collectors still get a kick out of the 1970 Topps Football set. Additional features of Topps Supers, glossies and insert posters added to the fun. Read More

Topps Ushers in New Baseball Season With World’s Largest Baseball Card

February 13, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | 1 Reply

One way to get some attention for the start of the baseball season – and a flagship baseball card set release – is to create a 90-foot-by-60-foot baseball card and bring along Prince Fielder for the unveiling. Read More

More Super-Seniors – American League All-Stars

February 4, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | 1 Reply

We’ve recently introduced the concept of a Super-Senior All-Star Game featuring the oldest living major leaguers, showcasing the National League. Now here come the American Leaguers, with Bobby Doerr, Al Rosen and Connie Marrero leading the pack. Read More

Super-Senior Players Still Got Game?

January 28, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

In this fantasy world, we look at the oldest living former major leaguers and compile a National League All-Star squad. Some of the names you’ll definitely know, and others you might want to further check on. Oh, and the players must have appeared on a baseball card to be included. Read More

Frank Keetz: Collecting Play Balls to Postcards

January 21, 2013 | Tom Bartsch | Leave a reply

Collecting pioneer Frank Keetz has explored the spectrum of baseball card collecting, publishing five books along the way in his specialty. See what he has worked on and how you may have been impacted by his work without even knowing it. Read More

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