Play Ball!

Other than some Diamond Matchbooks, my vintage collection had not gone before World War II. I've certainly eyed plenty of pre-war cards before but wasn't going to pull the trigger on any. Certainly not going to be able to get them for a quarter each.

So why did I pick up two Play Balls for $5? I'm pretty sure I've passed on cards that were cheaper than $2.50 before. I guess I was two cards with a low starting bid and no bids, and did a "what the heck" bid and for once nobody outbid it.

I'm of a divided mind with these cards. On one hand, I feel like I overpaid (though I know I didn't) because I try to restrict my card spending, and sure don't want to spend $2.50 a card regularly. I had never heard of either of these guys before (Hal Schumacher and Bill Lohrman) so there was no connection that way.

On the other hand, though - I really do enjoy these cards. I like having them in hand, I like looking at them. While they are both missing a small amount, it's not in places that detract from the card. I was worried they would be flimsy in person, falling apart if I didn't handle them very carefully. However they are actually quite sturdy, with the rips not causing any damage to the rest of the card.

I'm going to keep a little bit more of a lookout for cheap pre-war cards, not enough to start seeking them out actively, but definitely a little more on my radar screen.

1939 has a very simple design. Kind of uninteresting though the photo is a good one. 

Back writeup is pretty extensive. "Save to get them all."

1940 has the classic Play Ball design that has been reprinted many times (though usually the reprints are of the color 1941 set, not the black-and-white '40 version).

The Superman ad on the back is a fun extra. #210 actually means it's a high number; even for this set high numbers are more expensive.