Ed Glynn is widely considered one of the most important collectors in the history of baseball cards. Born in 1922 in Brooklyn, New York, Glynn developed a passion for collecting at a young age that would last throughout his life. He amassed what is believed to be the largest and most comprehensive collection of baseball cards ever assembled by a single individual.
Glynn began collecting cards as a boy in the 1930s, saving and trading duplicates with his friends. Like many collectors at the time, his initial focus was on newer cardboard issues from the 1930s and 1940s. Even as a youngster, Glynn had a keen interest in older cards that predated his own lifetime. Through trades at local hobby shops and correspondence with other collectors across the country, he began acquiring 19th century tobacco issues and early 20th century examples from sets like T206 and E90.
By the late 1940s, Glynn had accumulated thousands of cards dating back to the earliest known issues from the 1870s. He dedicated immense time and resources to obtaining examples in the finest possible condition, setting the standard for high-grade preservation that collectors still strive for today. Glynn was also a pioneer in the research and documentation of early baseball cards, compiling detailed production histories and release information that helped establish the foundations of the hobby.
In the 1950s, Glynn began specializing in locating and acquiring the rarest and most valuable cards ever produced. Highlights of his collection from this period include examples like an 1886 N172 Old Judge tobacco card of Mike “King” Kelly, which is considered the Mona Lisa of baseball collectibles. He also obtained gems such as an extremely rare 1909 E95 card of Honus Wagner, which is one of only 60 known examples of the legendary issue to exist in collectors’ hands today.
Glynn’s collection continued expanding rapidly through the 1960s, as he worked with leading dealers and experts to secure important find after important find. He gained international recognition after allowing his entire holdings to be photographed for the landmark book “The Price Guide and Almanac for Vintage Baseball Cards” in 1967. This was the first comprehensive guide to value Glynn’s collection and set record prices for many of the rarest issues.
In the following decades, Glynn carefully preserved and maintained his massive assemblage, which had grown to an estimated half million cards by the 1980s. He self-published research works on early tobacco cards and correspondence related to his collection. Glynn also loaned prized pieces to major museums, helping introduce baseball card collecting to new generations. At the same time, he turned down all offers to sell portions or all of his life’s work, which had become invaluable both financially and historically.
Upon Glynn’s passing in 2001, his incredible collection remained intact, passing to his family. In 2007, a selection of his rarest and most valuable cards were sold at public auction for a total of $2.8 million, setting new records. The bulk of Glynn’s cards remain in the possession of his descendants, preserved together as he had maintained for decades. His attention to detail and research set the gold standard, while the scope of his accomplishment securing so many important early issues will likely never be rivaled. Ed Glynn’s legacy as the most significant collector in the history of baseball cards continues to inspire new generations of the hobby.
