Jason Alexander is best known for his role as George Costanza on the hit TV sitcom Seinfeld, but few people know of his childhood passion for baseball cards. Alexander was an avid collector from a young age growing up in New Jersey in the late 1960s and 1970s. His dedication to amassing baseball cards would shape his early career goals before he discovered his true calling in acting.
Some of Alexander’s earliest memories involve visiting the local candy store and drug store with his allowance, searching through the ever-changing array of new packs of cards released each year by Topps and Fleer. He became obsessed with completing full sets and would spend hours organizing and studying every stat and photo on each card. His favorite players included the biggest stars of the era like Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, and Tom Seaver.
By his teen years in the late 1970s, Alexander’s collection had grown massive. He kept nearly a decade’s worth of annual issues stored meticulously in factory-sealed plastic sheets within dozens of boxes stacked in his bedroom. In addition to commons, he amassed a prized inventory of more difficult to find rookie cards, special issued parallel sets, and autographed memorabilia cards. Some of his rarest possessions included a 1969 Nolan Ryan rookie, 1972 Steve Carlton rookie, and a 1979 Cal Ripken Jr. autographed photo card numbered to only 50 copies.
Alexander dreamed of one day working as a sports memorabilia dealer or auctioneer so he could stay close to the hobby. He diligently studied price guides to track valuation trends and refined his ability to spot imperfections that could impact a card’s grade and worth. In his spare time, he would assist at local card shows – organizing tables, handling payments, and advising customers. His encyclopedic knowledge impressed seasoned collectors who encouraged him to pursue this career path after high school.
During his final year of high school Alexander fell in love with performing in plays and suddenly found a new passion. He enrolled at Boston University with the goal of studying theater arts. This shift required him to make a difficult choice – sell off his massive card collection or put it into long-term storage. After much deliberation, he sold the entire lot to a prominent East Coast memorabilia dealer for $25,000 in 1981. While painful to part with his childhood treasures, it provided necessary funding for college and pursuing his acting dreams.
Following graduation, Alexander dove headfirst into New York’s off-Broadway scene, taking on any stage role available while working restaurant jobs to survive. His baseball card past remained a fun tidbit rarely shared with fellow struggling artists. Within a few years, his big break arrived when he was cast as George Costanza on Seinfeld in 1989. Suddenly, Alexander found himself thrust into worldwide fame playing one of the most iconic characters in TV history over the next decade.
With renewed wealth and status, Alexander began to rediscover his nostalgia for baseball cards during Seinfeld’s run. In 1993, he reinvested a portion of his earnings by slowly rebuilding his collection. He focused on replacing key cards sold years ago like his prized Ryan and Carlton rookies. He starting adding never-before-attained ultra-high-end pieces including a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, and T206 Honus Wagner – some of the most famous and expensive cards in the hobby.
Behind the scenes of Seinfeld’s manic production schedule, Alexander would unwind by browsing the latest releases, sending off orders to dealers, and researching cards’ historical significance. His renewed passion ignited while playing famous card-obsessed George Costanza on the show. To attend auctions and trade conventions, his fame had to be carefully managed using pseudonyms to avoid excessive attention. Despite holding a six-figure collection again, Alexander refused to publicize details out of collector purism.
After Seinfeld wrapped in 1998, Alexander continued actively collecting for two more decades through his subsequent film and TV roles. By 2020, his stash had grown even larger with the incorporation of modern rookies, parallels, refractors and memorabilia cards of present-day stars. He also assembled substantial archives of magazines, price guides and vintage promotional materials documenting the industry’s evolution during his lifetime. Now in his 60s, Alexander is finally willing to publicly share details of his ever-evolving collection and lifelong dedication to baseball cards – an activity directly tied to shaping his very identity and career path.
Overall, Jason Alexander provides an inspirational story of following one’s passions wherever they may lead. From childhood memories organizing cards to gaining wealth playing a character devoted to the hobby, his adventures highlight baseball’s uniquely nostalgic pull. Although he pursued acting fame, Alexander’s deep baseball card roots ensured the collectibles would always remain a treasured connection to his past. Even after selling his first large collection long ago, his love for the cards prevailed and fueled reinvestment once successful. That journey has led Alexander to become one of the hobby’s most covert yet dedicated card collectors of modern times.
