Book Review: Mint Condition by Dave Jamieson
Posted by Andy on September 15, 2010
(Instead of Card of the Week, this week we have a book review on a book about--what else?--baseball cards!)
Released earlier this year, Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession chronicles the long history of picture cards, from the earliest days of cigarettes to bubble gum to modern "chase" cards such as cut signatures and refractors. This book, an absolute masterpiece by Dave Jamieson, has linked together huge amounts of research to produce the first complete story of the evolution of baseball cards from slips of cardboard used to stiffen packs of cigarettes to the billion-dollar industry of the 1980s to its collapse in the 1990s and 2000s.
This book contains a ton of interesting stories. If you've ever collected baseball cards, it's simply a must-read, must-own book. Here are some highlights:
- a detailed explanation on the history of tobacco, its first use in cigarettes, and why picture cards (often showing young women) were used to increase sales of cigarettes
- the evolution of the card industry to include baseball players
- the adoption by the bubble gum industry of inclusion of cards (at this time, the gum was still the actual product companies were trying to sell--it wasn't until the 1960s that the cards took over as the primary item)
- the life story of Jefferson Burdick, the father of card collecting and the first person to ever catalog picture cards
- the movement of Bowman and Topps into baseball cards, including detailed accounts of all the key people involved in the design and marketing of the cards
- Marvin Miller, unionization of the MLB Players Association, and how Topps' use of binding non-royalty contracts was the main reason Miller wanted the union
- the lawsuit brought by Fleer against Topps and the MLBPA that eventually led to Fleer, Donruss, Score, and Upper Deck joining the world of baseball cards
- the shift to higher-quality, higher-priced cards started in 1989 by Upper Deck that led to jersey cards, autographed cards, and other memorabilia cards, and the ultimate pricing out of children from the hobby (leading directly to its demise)
- card authentication companies such as PSA and the problems with card grading
- doctoring of cards
The book also includes 16 glossy pages with pictures of cards ranging from the 1800s to present. This is worth the purchase price of the book alone. Although it shows mainly baseball cards, it includes photos of some other seminal issues of picture cards throughout the years.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. For me, it brought so many things into focus about the history of the hobby from before the time I collected. It shed light on many decisions made by Topps and other companies and helped me to understand the really important roll that cards have played in baseball itself.
This book is a steal on Amazon.com at just $16.50. If you wish to purchase it, please follow this link. It won't cost you any more, but Baseball-Reference.com earns a small commission, meaning you can help sponsor this website.
September 15th, 2010 at 7:37 am
Pricing out the kids! As I've told you before, Andy, that was me! So I can lay blame at the feet of Upper Deck, aye? Of course, one of the card companies had to try to separate itself from the pack, but still. Upper Deck will be my scapegoat.
September 15th, 2010 at 7:51 am
As a librarian, let me compliment you on an excellent book review.
As a former card collector, I wonder if it wasn't Score in 1988 that changed to market, allowing someone like Upper Deck to successfully market a high-end card set. Score's biographies, head shots and black-on-white text made them a (to me) much more interesting card set than the other major brands. Would Upper Deck have been as bold as they were without another new set showing that it was possible to challenge Topps/Fleer/Donruss? (This is actually an honest question to those of you with more knowledge of card history than me, not an argument for Score as trendmaker. I really don't know.)
September 15th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Dave, thanks. I don't know how much Score influenced Upper Deck--both did something pretty unusual and made nice cards. I agree very much with your opinions about 1988 Score--it was a favorite of mine at the time even though the cards themselves were not particularly high-quality in terms of the stock material.
The only real similarity between 1988 Score and 1989 Upper Deck is the inclusion of a second photo on the back. Otherwise, both companies made some changes that were, at the time, unique.
September 15th, 2010 at 8:30 am
Incidentally, Score is barely mentioned in the book. The late 1980s and onward represent only a small fraction of the book, and by that time the biggest issues were overproduction, grading, and price increases. Score didn't have a lot to do with any of these issues.
September 15th, 2010 at 9:29 am
"the ultimate pricing out of children from the hobby"
*Another* one of the big four sports has packs of cards (not the kiddified kind) for a buck. Until they changed them this year, they were actually including decent inserts in them too. I got THREE different cards serial-numbered out of thirty-two!
September 15th, 2010 at 11:14 am
It's not just pricing them out of the hobby, but the fact you'd pay $3 for a pack of cards and get 10 commons or cards that were worth about a quarter total.
September 15th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
It's surprising to me that eBay/The Internet is not discussed as another reason the industry is dying.
There is no need to buy packs anymore. None. Just go online and find what you want. A lot of people still enjoy opening packs, but think about how many needless packs you opened back in the day to get that last handful of cards for a set (or to get your favorite player). There's no need to spend all that extra money now.
September 15th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Sounds like a great read. I just bought it from your link...ships tomorrow.
September 16th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
JD, the book actually talks about how the Internet is one of the reasons the industry is still alive at all, because it makes marketing individual cards a much easier process. And ebay is really the only way I could have resumed my quest to finish sets from 20+ years ago, even if they had no value to anyone but me.
I don't know if Score revolutionized card design, but I can't remember many things that made me more excited than seeing those 900 card sets they put out in 1990-91. I always liked Topps since it had 792 instead of a measly 660 from Donruss, but getting another 100 cards in there was just fantastic.
September 17th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Thanks - I just ordered it, and for only $6.98 + 3.99 shipping through Amazon's used and new link...
September 17th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
[...] always-informative Baseball-Reference.com offers this review of Mint Condition, by David [...]
September 18th, 2010 at 5:05 pm
[...] Book Review: Mint Condition by Dave Jamieson » Baseball-Reference ... This book, an absolute masterpiece by Dave Jamieson, has linked together huge amounts of research to produce the first complete story of the evolution of baseball cards from slips of cardboard used to stiffen packs of cigarettes to the . the lawsuit brought by Fleer against Topps and the MLBPA that eventually led to Fleer Donruss, Score, and Upper Deck joining the world of baseball cards; the shift to higher-quality, higher-priced cards started in 1989 by Upper Deck . [...]