So-called “whatnot baseball cards” have an interesting history in the world of card collecting. While today they may seem looked down upon by purists, they actually played an important role in introducing new generations to the hobby and keeping interest alive during darker times.

The term “whatnot” began cropping up in the 1970s, referring to any oddball cards that didn’t quite fit established standards. This included promotional cards from non-sports entities, original illustrations not linked to any specific brand, and even hand-drawn cards swapped among community groups just for fun.

At the time, the heyday of the bubblegum era was firmly in the past. New sets focused more on stats than images, and the traditional card manufacturers slowed production amid flagging youth interest. Meanwhile, inflation had driven up prices on vintage stars, putting iconic rookies out of reach for many casual fans.

Into this environment stepped passionate amateurs willing to get creative. Towns across America saw homemade card shows and swaps where unique creations could be shared and admired without concern over perceived “official” status or financial worth. This helped keep the archetypal thrill of the cardboard crack alive wherever it could still be found.

In places without local card shops or access to the latest drops, cheaply printed “whatnots” were treasured finds offering a sporting connection however rudimentary. Communities rallied around personal touchstones like hand-drawn rookie cards for the local high school baseball standouts. Such inclusiveness kept fandom multigenerational through hard times.

To the distress of elitists, the ’70s also witnessed rising popularity for promotionals outside traditional sports confines. Cards depicting musicians, actors, or comic book characters found eager collectors among their built-in fan bases. Creative crossover themes merged passions too, like western hero “Baseball Billy” or sci-fi leagues of the future.

While faced with accusations of undermining scarce authenticity and dilution, proponents argued these “whatnots” actually revived industrywide demand. Newly introduced audiences developed a fondness that sometimes led them to explore vintage genres as well. In essence, odd specimens acted as sampling points expanding the overall customer pool.

Nostalgia proved another saving grace. The emerging boom in nostalgia fueled renewed obsession with even the kitschiest imaginings from days gone by. Roadside attractions like 1980s “Old Cardboard” offered fun-house style cardboard shrines. Publishers cashed in too with compilations reviving long-forgotten oddballs and curios from generations past.

Mainstream appreciation emerged alongside market rebounds starting in the 1980s. Regional indie labels received widespread praise for artistic creativity and local cultural documentation, gaining collector legitimacy. Museum exhibits soon saluted the eccentric diversity keeping imagination in baseball alive during lean decades.

Today, “whatnot” connotations have softened to refer more neutrally to any obscure or unusual issues. Enthusiasts argue such variety enriches understanding through documenting untold stories and subcultures represented. Online communities flourish sharing scans and tales of bizarre finds from yesteryear, stirring fresh nostalgia even without slick packaging or endorsements.

While blue-chip rookies remain priced out of reach for most fans, oddball alternatives offer an accessible point of entry. Current indy labels carry on the homemade tradition through small print runs celebrating everything from mascots to minor league towns. And local card shows still thrive as havens where creativity and community can converge for collectors young and old alike.

So in retrospect, perhaps the derogatory “whatnot” label was unfairly cast. These cardboard curios played an invaluable role in sustaining the hobby through change, introducing new audiences, and keeping imagination in the game. Even at their fringiest, the creations still captured fandom’s spirit when official outlets faltered. And that colorful history remains central to why card collecting retains pop cultural relevance, nostalgia, and endless strands of mystery and discovery even today.

Baseball cards have long been a classic American collectible hobby. For over a century, kids and adults alike have enjoyed trading, organizing, and displaying their baseball card collections. Over the past few decades, the baseball card industry has declined significantly due to a variety of factors. Seeing an opportunity to breathe new life into the hobby, WhatNot, a livestreaming shopping app, launched their baseball card marketplace in 2022. Now collectors can buy, sell, and trade cards via live auctions hosted directly on the app.

History of Baseball Cards

The first modern baseball cards were produced in the late 1880s by companies like Goodwin & Company and Old Judge tobacco brands. These cards featured simple black-and-white images of players on one side with advertising or stats on the reverse. Throughout the early 1900s, the tobacco industry kept the baseball card market alive by including them as incentives in cigarette and chewing tobacco packs. Throughout the 1920s-50s, the Golden Age of baseball cards arrived as manufacturers churned out stars like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, and Jackie Robinson on multicolored sheets inserted in packs.

The 1950s saw Topps secure the exclusive baseball card license, dominating the market for decades. In the late 1980s, sports card speculation exploded as investors drove up prices of rare rookie cards like a Mint Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome rookie card selling today for over $900,000. By the early 1990s the overproduction of cards caused a price crash known as the “Junk Wax Era”. Combined with declining interest, the baseball card industry shrank significantly from its 1980s height.

New Strategies for the Modern Collector

With fewer kids buying packs at drugstores today, companies launched new strategies to survive. Upper Deck, Press Pass, Leaf, and Panini secured MLBPA licenses to produce modern cards. Trading apps like Blowout Cards and SeatGeek brought the hobby online. Many veteran collectors still enjoy the tradition of in-person card shops and shows to buy, sell, and meet other collectors. WhatNot has provided a new social marketplace that bridges the gap between digital and real-world collecting.

How What Not Works?

WhatNot is a livestreaming shopping platform where hosts broadcast live auctions and product listings. For baseball cards, popular collectors and dealers host shows talking about the items, taking questions from viewers. During shows, auctions are started where viewers can place proxy bids or watch live as bids are placed. Payment and shipping are handled through the app after auctions end.

The platform allows for both regularly scheduled recurring shows as well as impromptu flash auctions. Major card brands, former players, and industry experts frequently host shows to educate viewers on the hobby. WhatNot takes a small percentage of each sale as a fee to the host and company. The platform provides simple software for anyone to become a host and run their own live card sales shows.

Since launching their sports cards category in early 2022, WhatNot has seen explosive growth among collectors. Fans enjoy the social experience of these live auctions compared to traditional online sites. Being able to chat and potentially even meet the consignors hosting adds a fun element. Veterans also appreciate WhatNot providing a modern avenue to pass on their collecting knowledge.

Impact on Baseball Card Investing

Outside of just entertainment and collecting for hobby purposes, WhatNot is also changing how cards are viewed as an alternative investment. By making rare and high-grade vintage cards easily accessible to online buyers, the supply and demand has shifted. Auction results on stars like Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays regularly surpass comparable recent sales at traditional auction houses.

Investors have taken note, looking to diversify assets outside stocks and real estate. Buyers perceive WhatNot auctions as a more transparent marketplace than obscure online sales history. Sellers are also reaching a much larger potential buyer pool while paying only standard fees compared to the higher costs of print catalog auction houses. Prices have risen across multiple years and subsets as interest increases.

Is WhatNot a Bubble? Only time will tell if surging demand proves sustainable long-term or a speculative bubble waiting to pop as with past sports card market peaks. Unlike the past, WhatNot has established a modern ongoing marketplace infrastructure versus temporary frenzies. As long as MLB and the hobby remain popular globally, WhatNot appears well positioned to be a vital hub for collectors and investors of all levels going forward.

The Future is Live

With sports, trading cards, collectibles, and more categories added regularly, WhatNot has built an enthusiastic community looking to connect over shared interests. While traditional card shows, shops, and auctions will always have their place, more collectors migrate online daily. For nostalgic hobbies perceived as outdated, WhatNot has proven live streaming provides new life and opportunities. As tech advance further, their platform format could evolve endlessly with augmented/virtual reality show integrations.

Whether enjoying the virtual room ambiance, live interaction or thrill of the bid, collectors can now build relationships nationwide without leaving home. By opening up access to classes of inventory previously inaccessible, WhatNot democratizes a multi-billion dollar industry. With continuous innovation and dedicated hosts/sellers, the future of collecting and investing in sports memorabilia appears brighter than ever before thanks to this pioneering platform. For baseball cards and beyond, the future is live on WhatNot.

Baseball cards have been an integral part of American culture for over 150 years. Originally included as promotional materials in cigarette and candy packages in the late 1800s, baseball cards evolved to become a beloved hobby and pastime for collectors of all ages. Today the baseball card industry remains a multi-billion dollar business.

The earliest known baseball cards date back to the late 1860s, when companies like Goodwin & Co. and the American Tobacco Company began including small images of baseball players in their tobacco products. These early cards were not specifically designed for collecting but rather served as advertisements to help boost sales. The cards featured basic information about the players like their name and team but lacked any stats or biographies. Production of these original tobacco era cards ceased by the early 1910s as concerns over marketing tobacco to children rose.

The modern era of baseball cards began in 1933 when Goudey Gum Company started inserting illustrated player cards in their chewing gum packs. The Goudey cards were the first to include statistics and biographical information on the back, setting the standard template still used today. Other companies like Play Ball and Diamond Stars soon followed Goudey’s lead and began mass producing baseball cards as inserts in gum and candy in the 1930s and 1940s. These sets became immensely popular with children and are highly sought after by collectors today as some of the earliest “modern” baseball cards.

In the post-World War 2 era, the baseball card boom truly took off. Bowman Gum started annual sets in 1948 that included rookie cards of legends like Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. Topps Chewing Gum then secured the exclusive rights to produce major league cards in 1952, dominating the market for decades. Topps released highly anticipated annual sets that became essential for any self-respecting baseball fan. Their innovative designs and exclusive licenses helped transform baseball cards from promotional items into treasured collectibles.

As the 1950s progressed, baseball cards gained widespread popularity among American youth. Kids eagerly awaited the release of the new Topps sets each spring, trading and collecting with their friends throughout the summer. Stores couldn’t keep the wax packs on shelves. Topps experimented with oddball promotions like Bazooka gum-topped cards and even introduced the first football cards in 1956 to further boost sales. By the late 1950s, baseball cards had firmly cemented their status as a national childhood pastime.

In the 1960s and 1970s, as the sport of baseball itself boomed in popularity, so too did the collecting of its associated cards. Topps continued to innovate with the introduction of color photos, team logos, and career statistics on the back of cards. They also started producing larger scale sets with over 700 cards that captured the entire league. Other companies like Fleer and Donruss entered the market in 1981, breaking Topps’ monopoly and further expanding options for collectors. Rookie cards of future Hall of Famers like Reggie Jackson and Cal Ripken Jr. from this era hold immense value today.

The late 1980s saw the rise of the modern sports memorabilia industry as interest in collecting cards escalated dramatically. Popular stars like Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire drew legions of new collectors. But with mass production, the supply of available cards soon outpaced demand. The bubble burst in the early 1990s as the oversaturated market collapsed. Many collectors lost interest while card companies went bankrupt. The industry took nearly a decade to recover.

In the 2000s, fueled by the internet and rise of online auction sites like eBay, baseball cards regained popularity among a new generation. Cards of icons like Derek Jeter and collectables from vintage eras attained record prices. Popular television shows spotlighting the hobby like The Sports Card Investor brought it further into the mainstream. Companies like Upper Deck, Leaf, and Panini challenged Topps and helped driving innovation with inserts, parallels, and autograph/memorabilia cards.

Today, baseball cards remain a multibillion-dollar industry. While physical card sales have declined some with the digital age, the rise of online trading and social media has helped keep the hobby vibrant among established and new collectors alike. High-end vintage cards consistently shatter records at auction. Popular stars like Mike Trout and Ronald Acuña Jr. drive the modern market. Beyond their financial value, baseball cards continue to represent childhood nostalgia and serve as a unique connection to the rich history of America’s pastime. Whether completing a new set or searching flea markets for treasures of yesteryear, the simple joy of baseball cards endures.