Skip Pitlock is considered a pioneer in the modern baseball card collecting hobby. Born in 1928 in Michigan, Pitlock had a lifelong love of baseball and became intrigued with collecting and trading cards as a young boy in the 1940s and 50s. What set Pitlock apart from other collectors of his era was his drive to systematically organize his collection in a coherent manner that allowed easy access to player and set information.
In the early post-war decades, the baseball card industry was still in its infancy. Most cards were included as promotional inserts in gum and candy packs. Sets lacked consistent designs, stats, or reliable dating. Relying solely on his keen memory and research, Pitlock began painstakingly cataloging his expanding collection in homemade binders. He assigned unique identification numbers to each player and set. Over time, his documentation grew more sophisticated with the incorporation of stats, career highlights, printing details and more.
By the mid 1950s, Pitlock’s ambition had expanded beyond collecting and record keeping for personal satisfaction. Driven by his analytical mindset and desire to share knowledge, he hatched the idea to publish his research as a reference guide for others. In 1956 at age 28, Pitlock self-published the first edition of The Complete Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards in a simple 40 page stapled booklet. Sold through mail order ads in hobby publications for one dollar, the inaugural volume covered cards issued between 1909-1949.
While humble in production, the Standard Catalog broke new ground as the hobby’s first serious comprehensive guide. Its standardized checklist format, assignment of identifiers like “SCD1” for the 1909-1911 T206 set, and inclusion of stats and historical facts put collectors on a more organized path. The booklet sold out its initial 5000 print run within 6 months, signaling strong demand for Pitlock’s content. Its popularity convinced him to expand scope and turn his catalog into an annual publication.
Through the 1960s, ’70s and beyond, The Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards grew into the definitive bible of the collecting world under Pitlock’s stewardship. Each new edition covered cards of the past season while extensively updating and refining data on earlier issues. Color photos were added. Key non-sports cards like tobacco premiums received expanded coverage. SCB Publishing was founded as the Standard Catalog brand enlarged to encompass other sports and non-sports collecting guides as well.
Pitlock’s innovation extended beyond the books themselves. He pioneered organizing principles still employed today such as universal numeric grading scales for condition assessment. His publication of annual price guides and involvement in early card shows helped move the nascent market toward open pricing standards. Through his industry leadership and encouragement of documentation, Pitlock was influential in lifting baseball cards from childhood novelties to a respected collecting category with historical significance.
Sadly, Pitlock passed away in 2013 at the age of 84 yet his Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards lived on through SCB and remains the most trusted name in the hobby. In the nearly 70 years since its first edition, the Standard Catalog has grown to include comprehensive data on over 18,000 different baseball card issues. Its signature identifier system and standardized checklist format have been universally adopted. Countless enthusiasts first gained interest through paging the catalogs’ wealth of visuals and facts.
While the internet now rivals printed guides, Pitlock’s groundbreaking publications remain cherished collector’s items. His innovative use of serial numbers, stats and record keeping set the model for online checklists, price guides and community databases that continue propelling the multi-billion dollar modern card industry. By systematizing what had been a disorganized area, Skip Pitlock essentially invented the infrastructure that allowed baseball cards to transform from a side interest into a serious collecting field. He left an indelible mark and earned his place as one of the hobby’s pioneering giants.
In summary, Skip Pitlock’s Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards was a true labor of love that established order, access and preservation of the rich history contained within cards. Through persistent self-publication and promotion over decades, he brought the collecting community together around standardized principles of organization, documentation and evaluation that persist today. Pitlock played a seminal role in respecting cards as historical cultural artifacts rather than just childhood nostalgia. His vision elevated the entire industry and made the Standard Catalog the indispensable guide that, even after his passing, remains ‘The Book’ for baseball enthusiasts worldwide.
