300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up

300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up
by Beckett Publications, Mike Payne

300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up
Our Price: $40.00
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.59 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Beckett Publications, Mike Payne
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-09
ISBN: 1887432809
Number of pages: 128
Publisher: Beckett Pubns

Book Reviews of 300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up

Book Review: Outstanding read, full of information and stories.
Summary: 5 Stars

A great book, with plenty of stories focusing on the cards and the players pictured on the cards. Mike Payne's writing seems aimed at all levels of baseball fans -- a difficult task, but one he pulls off with relative ease. There's a lot of baseball books out there, but few surrounding the history of the game and the history of cards. This one captures both, and does it with style.

Summary of 300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up

"The beauty of baseball cards," writes Mike Payne in his brief introduction, "is that you don't have to have played the game to collect the men who do play the game." And the beauty of the 300 particular cards that he's collected here is how much these little pieces of cardboard convey about the evolution of the national pastime and the personalities of the players. From the early cards of Walter Johnson, Ty Cobb, and the record-breaking Honus Wagner that sold at auction for $640,000 to the 1999 Mark McGuire series commemorating his 70th home run, every picture tells a story.

Dividing his volume into the 10 decades of the century, Payne provides appropriate card and collecting history as he displays significant, though not necessarily the most historical or valuable, cards from each. Every card is accompanied by a ballpark price and short commentary on why that card is particularly interesting. For example, a 1952 Mickey Mantle card pictures a pensive, almost troubled young Mantle, avoiding eye contact, his arms folded protectively over his chest. Payne reminds us that Mick's '51 rookie year was a hard one, and the pressures attending the off-season death of his father and indications he'd be replacing the retired Joe DiMaggio in centerfield were enormous. "So, back in '52, being Mickey Mantle wasn't all it was cracked up to be," Payne tells us. "This '52 Bowman card"--valued at between $1,500 and $2,500--"seems to capture the mood at the time." It's amazing how many other cards--from Aaron to Zernial--follow suit, and how much richer the game is simply for their presence. --Jeff Silverman

Baseball Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Baseball Books
1998 Baseball Card Price Guide Image1998 Baseball Card Price Guide
by Robert F. Lemke
Krause Pubns Inc; Published: 1998-03; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $15.95
Topps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture Collection, a 40-Year History, 1951-1990 ImageTopps Baseball Cards: The Complete Picture Collection, a 40-Year History, 1951-1990
by Frank Slocum, Red Foley, Sy Berger
Warner Books; Published: 1990-08; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops: $99.95
Beckett Baseball Card Alphabetical Checklist ImageBeckett Baseball Card Alphabetical Checklist
by Beckett Publishing
Beckett Pubns; Published: 1998-11; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $19.95
300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up Image300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century: A Historical Tribute by the Hobby's Most Relied Up
by Beckett Publications, Mike Payne
Beckett Pubns; Published: 1999-09; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $41.99
Standard Catalog of Minor League Baseball Cards: The Most Comprehensive Price Guide Ever Published (Standard Catalog of Minor League Baseball Cards) ImageStandard Catalog of Minor League Baseball Cards: The Most Comprehensive Price Guide Ever Published (Standard Catalog of Minor League Baseball Cards)
Krause Publications; Published: 2000-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $50.00
Sayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card ImageSayonara Home Run!: The Art of the Japanese Baseball Card
by John Gall, Gary Engel
Chronicle Books; Published: 2006-02-16; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.88
Price in other shops: $18.95
Beckett Baseball Card Alphabetical Checklist ImageBeckett Baseball Card Alphabetical Checklist
by James, III Beckett
House of Collectibles; Published: 1997-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops: $19.95
Official Price Guide to Baseball Cards 1998, 17th Edition (Official Price Guide to Baseball Cards) ImageOfficial Price Guide to Baseball Cards 1998, 17th Edition (Official Price Guide to Baseball Cards)
by James Beckett
House of Collectibles; Published: 1997-03-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.95
Price in other shops: $6.99
Collecting Baseball Memorabilia: A Handbook ImageCollecting Baseball Memorabilia: A Handbook
by Dan Zachofsky
McFarland & Company; Published: 2000-02-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.95
BASEBALL CARD BOOK PA ImageBASEBALL CARD BOOK PA
by Fred C. Harris, Brendan C. Boyd
Houghton Mifflin; Published: 1991-04-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.75
Price in other shops: $10.95
Similar Books and other products
Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards 2007: The Hobby's Biggest And Best Price Guide ImageStandard Catalog of Baseball Cards 2007: The Hobby's Biggest And Best Price Guide
Krause Publications; Published: 2006-09-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $17.15
Price in other shops: $39.99
BASEBALL CARD BOOK PA ImageBASEBALL CARD BOOK PA
by Fred C. Harris, Brendan C. Boyd
Mariner Books; Published: 1991-04-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.94
Price in other shops: $10.95
The Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card ImageThe Card: Collectors, Con Men, and the True Story of History's Most Desired Baseball Card
by Michael O'keeffe, Teri Thompson
Harper Paperbacks; Published: 2008-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.22
Price in other shops: $14.95
Top 200 Sportscards: An In-Depth Guide for the Card Collector ImageTop 200 Sportscards: An In-Depth Guide for the Card Collector
by Joe Orlando
Odyssey Publications; Published: 2002-11-25; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.90
Price in other shops: $24.95