Thanks to a recent amazing gift from Mrs. Nerdicus Finch, I’ve had my interest in collecting baseball cards rekindled. Specifically, old-timey baseball cards. While the players weren’t very nerdy back then, collecting baseball cards is always nerdy, especially when you are as far away from childhood as I am. So I think this is a sufficiently nerdy topic for this web site.
There are so many awesome old baseball cards out there, so, to focus, I have decided to channel my interest in old-timey cards in a specific direction: I am going to try to assemble an entire set of 1933 Goudey cards. Goudey was an old chewing gum company and was a real innovator in the development of the kind of baseball cards that would later be popularized by Bowman and Topps in the 1950s. The 1933 set, a 240 card set, was Goudey’s first and is generally considered one of the three greatest baseball card sets of all time, along with the 1909-1911 T-206 set (which has the famous Honus Wagner card) and the 1952 Topps set (which has the famous Mickey Mantle card).
The 1933 Goudey set features awesome artwork of players with awesome names (Heinie Manush, Burleigh Grimes, Eppa Rixey, Phil Collins, to name a few). To keep costs down, I’m going to try to complete the set at PSA 3 level, as the prices of cards in this set skyrocket as the condition improves. Between eBay, baseball card shows, auctions, etc., I am shooting to complete the set over a period of 5 years or so, although I may have to wait until I hit the lottery to pick up the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig cards, since they are bank breakers, even in poor condition.
As I get each new card, I will post a scan on this site and write a blurb on the player. It should be fun to learn about these players, as I have never heard of many of them, and I will be focusing on the “commons” at first, in order to keep a modest price tag on this hobby. I made my first purchase on eBay a few days ago, so expect to see the first card in a week or so.
Tags: 1933, 1933 Goudey, babe ruth, Bowman, Burleigh Grimes, Eppa Rixey, Heinie Manush, Honus Wagner, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Nerdicus Finch is really nerdy, Phil Collins, T-206, topps
(4.74 out of 5)
I think you mean “Goudey was a chewing gum company in the 30s” unless there was a market for old chewing gum back then. Ew.
What? You never heard of ABC gum (Already Been Chewed)? It was a classic middle school gag, along with asking people to spell “I cup.” Looks like I got busted again by the Grammar Police.
I can’t believe I just fell for the old “I cup” gag… again.
In all seriousness, I hope this new hobby will not detract from Nerdicus Finch’s other hobby: Funny Cards.
Sounds like a really cool (i.e. nerdy) venture. And don’t worry about the Ruth and Gehrig cards. You could buy at least 2 1/2 fancy cats with that money.
Or a 350-year subscription to Cat Fancy.