Baseball Card Items Already Written

Baseballia is a “new-old” entity. Although we are just beginning our existence with this name and identity, we have been directly involved as dealers in the collection and celebration of baseball collectibles in their various forms since 1986. We love the game and its history, which is why we are glad to be all about collectible baseball Americana! If it has to do with materials characteristic of baseball or the culture of baseball, we are interested. But we have not always been “Baseballia.”

In the late 1980s we enjoyed a run on the fledgling Midwest baseball card show circuit as “Cowboy’s Cards and Collectibles.” Weekend shows from Wichita, KS to Des Moines, IA to St. Louis, MO would find us behind our table(s) in a hat and boots. There are still some pictures around here (somewhere) from those shows of us with Mark McGwire, Bill Mazeroski, the Alomar brothers and others.

Our first shop(s) were in the Kansas City area and were known as Major League Memories. One was on the Kansas side and the other in Missouri. We even got to participate in a short-lived fan magazine of the Royals during that time. 

The most recent incarnation was MLB Memories. At first we were in the Rockford, IL area with a strong online presence, and then we moved to the Ozarks of southern Missouri to be near the folks as they aged. Those needs intensified, and we closed the shop and the website with the end of the year in 2014. It was hard to do, and frankly, perhaps unnecessary. But it was done until just recently when “Baseballia” was born!

During the MLB Memories days we met some great people all throughout the hobby. Many became friends as well as co-workers in this fun endeavor. Among those is the web site Sports Collectors Daily (www.sportscollectorsdaily.com). It was a privilege to write for them on an occasional basis. In fact, in the last couple of weeks we have heard from some of our old customers wondering how they might find some of the articles we wrote. They are all kept on that fine web site, but here are just a few of our personal favorites that might pique your interest as well:

• Getting Your Collection Outside the Fan Cave discusses ways for a collector’s prize possessions to be enjoyed outside of the traditional man cave or closet or basement or whatever.
• The article 45 Years Later, ‘Imperfect’ 1969 Topps Set Holds Up Well is a personal favorite because it deals with one of our favorite sets! There is much in that set for every baseball collector and fan (Mantle’s last card, Reggie’s first card, errors, rookies, Hall of Fame players, etc.), and it continues to be a hit with large segments of the collecting public.
• Remembering the Hunt for 1969 Topps Decals continues the look at collectibles from the last year of the 1960s. Topps may have been the only game in town at the time, but that did not stop them from creating innovative ways to get more nickel and dimes out of allowance money some young men might be carrying around. The decals set was proof enough of that!
• Finally, Why the Card Designs of the 1980s and 90s Will Stick Around was an attempt to explain some of the popularity behind many of the “retro” sets (Archives, Heritage, etc.) that use designs from just a couple of decades ago. It was interesting how many young men in their 30s and 40s wrote to comment on this article. 

You probably already noticed that clicking on the title of any of the articles will take you to that article. We hope you enjoy what you choose to read. We are grateful to the website for continuing to keep these informative pieces available, and it is our hope that Baseballia will soon pick up right where we left off not too long ago!