April 6, 2005

Clearing Off My Desk

Another long winter has finally ended here in New England and the snows have melted.  Warm weather has finally appeared and Spring is upon us.  My desk is cluttered with letters, emails and the like.  It is time for me to once again clear off my desk and answer some of you questions and share some thoughts about the world of football memorabilia collecting.

I seem to receive many comments from collectors and publications regarding my thoughts about newer material.  2004 showed me again that the card companies are continuing their onslaught of new material.  There is little if any interest in collecting a complete base set of football cards.  The action and demand is focused completely on inserts.  Game used and autographs command the market, all base cards become virtually worthless. 

What I question is why are pieces of sports history being ruined so as to appear to satisfy a perceived demand in the marketplace for these game used items?  Autographs I can deal with, but historical pieces of memorabilia are gone forever and I feel that this should stop.  I can’t believe that there is not a greater outcry in the hobby.  Or does a 1/32 of a uniform or bat that symbolic to the collecting public?  I do not own any game used cards nor do I want them.  In the long run it is hurting the history of the sport more than satisfying collector demand.

There seems to be renewed interest in older football magazine covers.  Older Sport, Sports Illustrated and Life magazine covers seem to be in greater demand again by the amount of correspondence that I have received about them.  Life magazine especially the Namath covers seem to be wanted.  Sports Illustrated Green Bay Packers and Namath covers are desired by collectors.  These magazines are a great addition to any football memorabilia collection.  There seems to be less interest in older copies of The Sporting News although I still love the older 1960s issues which articles about the AFL and the Packers glory years.

I am always asked about football card checklists.  Since this is a hobby for me and not a business I do not have the time to create the programs needed to find out what cards are what.  The great interest in newer cards and their checklists is time consuming.  I recommend Dan Neuberts football card checklist books.  His website http://www.n2cardz.com/ gives you all the info to order the books.  I bought his Packers checklist book and was impressed.  He has checklist books for all NFL teams.  As a footnote there were over 50,000 different 2004 football cards issued.  When will it all end and who is buying them all?

I am usually asked at least twice a year about football schedule coins from the 1970s and 1980s which bear the marking of Johnny Red Walker.  These schedule coins were issued for both AFC and NFC teams and were a giveaway at local liquor stores to help promote that brand.  They were given out at the store and there was a mail in offer for them.  Each division AFC and NFC had their own framed set; there was not a combined set of 26, but two separate framed sets of 13 coins each.  I do not know when they stopped producing them but I am aware of the coins from 1972 to at least 1983.  The coins were either silver or gold in color and the teams schedule on one side of the coin and the Johnny Red Walker logo and the other side.  This is a fun collectible and there has been a lot of interest in them over the years.

The Bob Swick rule of collecting football memorabilia is easy.  Collect the team that you like and or collect the area you like and everything will fall into place.  Remember unless you are wealthy you can not collect everything so have some direction and focus in your collection.  It will make for an enjoyable and rewarding football collection.

Until next time good luck with your collections.

Bob Swick has been collecting football cards since 1965.  He also collects programs, yearbooks, media guides, ticket stubs, pocket schedules, and team photos of the Green Bay Packers, of which he is a shareholder.  He is a contributing writer to “Gridiron Greats” magazine.  He is also a member of The Professional Football Researchers Association