With the game used craze seeing many game used items of much historical value get cut up into little pieces, have you ever felt that you were preserving history by keeping your game used items in your collection? In this sense, unless you're going to sell them, card companies won't be able to get them and cut them up for the game used cards. As was pointed out in the other thread, seeing a Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, etc. item cut up for these cards is quite painful. I guess preserving history is something card companies care little about. How do you feel?
While it is painful to see some of the older players item's cut up it's kinda humerous to see current players. After all we know how many jersies these guys have been known to wear.
There's just as many historical jerseys from modern players as there are from times past. As sports become more and more global, there are more players who are the first from their native country to make it into a professional league. The first Romanian to make the NHL may be this season; the first MLB player from Ghana may be just around the corner. Worthless to a lot of people, but a historically significant jersey nonetheless.
It's funny to think about it, but it's possible that even a Babe Ruth or a Mickey Mantle had a new jersey every game/series/inning. I know Archie Manning admitted to going through a new jersey at Ole Miss every single half (as did multiple teammates); who's to say it's not possible that there aren't a ton of other jerseys of legends out there that have yet to surface?
My first interest in obtaining game worn/used items related to the old Washington Senators. I definitely felt I was preserving the history of a team that some forgot and to which few gave due respect. I was a kid when the Senators left town, and the pain of their departure has remained with me. The team I remember was not very good, but I loved them just the same. The return of Major League Baseball has been fantastic for my hometown and particularly for those who remember the old Nats.
With the arrival of the Nationals, I can't believe I have a current team whose items I can collect. I can't begin to describe the joy of owning game used bats of Nats players that actually say "Washington Nationals" on them. I hope to obtain more game worn/used Nats items to preserve the history of the first years of the new Nationals.
I agree that it's painful to see a jersey of a legend like Ruth, Cobb, Gehrig, and such hacked up into little pieces. I have seen this point discussed on other boards...what are we going to do next, cut up pieces of the U.S. Constitution so that they can be shared by all? Eerily, one manufacturer (Topps, I think, but I can't remember offhand) is inching close to this thought, by inserting cut signatures of Pope John Paul II, Princess Diana, and the like into their packs.
Someone brought up the point that it's possible that these older players wore numerous jerseys, just like the current guys. Because we don't have an inventory sheet of every legend's jersey ever to exist, I'll grant it's possible. But I think it is HIGHLY improbable. We're talking about an era where player salaries were vastly lower than what they are now (even factoring in inflation and the like) and where jerseys were regularly recycled down to minor league teams. And frankly, I don't think anyone really cared about collecting jerseys back then. Given those circumstances, I would find it highly unlikely that a team from that era would make numerous jerseys for one player in a single season.
I have no problem with the card companies cutting up jerseys of A-Rod, Jeter, et al. They're still around--they're still playing--they're wearing a plethora of new jerseys as it is. But when they cut up things like Vezina's goalie pads (only pair known to exist), or one of the nicest examples of a vintage jersey, or anything one of a kind, I think it's ludicrous and even sacrilegious.
Regardless of any debate over how many jerseys that older, legendary players wore, don't forget this:
-Compared to the current players, the supply (number of jerseys worn over a career) is virtually guaranteed to be less.
-They're not playing anymore, and in most cases not living, so we can't just throw another jersey on their back to boost the supply.
In the grand scheme of things, I'd hardly consider Princess Diana to be a historical figure of note. I mean, you could make the case for those who truly shaped the world; I'd take Alexander Dubcek and Imre Nagy over Princess Diana any day.
But if we're talking about the fate of old time jerseys, the practice of the teams themselves is mind-boggling. The Toronto Maple Leafs recycled theirs to Toronto police department teams...so those worn by Frank Mahovlich, Johnny Bower, etc ended up on the back of Sgt Fraser or something.
