The Authority on all things baseball...
Written: Aug 27 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: book values of baseball cards, great articles, card show listings by city, minor league sets
Cons: some sets are not included
The Bottom Line: From the novice to the expert, this magazine is an invaluable source of information for the hobby of baseball card collecting.
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| sschlundt's Full Review: Beckett Baseball Card Magazine |
Anyone who wants to know anything about the true market value of baseball cards knows where to go - Beckett Baseball Card Monthly. This is THE magazine for collectors of baseball cards. I have been a faithful subscriber for nearly four years now. I find the magazine a very reliable and useful source for pricing my baseball cards as well as reading about interesting trends in the hobby.
First the positives...
*Reliability*
Like I mentioned earlier, this magazine is THE source for collectors. Beckett has found a niche. Sure, there are a couple other magazines, but all of the collectors I know (and I have dealt with several hundred over the years) use Beckett Baseball Card Monthly as their main source for book values. It is the only way to go if you want to get a real idea of what your baseball cards are worth. I wouldn't use any other source.
*Articles*
I enjoy reading BBCM as much for the price guide as for the entertaining articles. Beckett offers some insightful articles as to current trends in the hobby of baseball card collecting.
One of my favorites are the "Product Previews" in each issue. The product previews are just what they sound like. This is where Beckett writers preview upcoming products. This is most useful - especially considering all of the baseball card sets that come out each year. The product preview gives the readers a chance to sort through the new sets and decide which, if any, seem interesting enough to purchase.
I also enjoy the "Readers Write" section. This is a Q & A session where readers write into Beckett experts and ask questions about specific cards, sets, or anything relating to the hobby. The experts offer detailed and informative answers to the questions posed to them.
BBCM also offers monthly tidbits such as "Hot Lists" and "E Trends." The Hot Lists is a list of the hottest cards in sets, individual player cards, certified autographs, and inserts. It gives the reader an idea of which cards/sets are hot for collecting. The E Trends articles give the reader some idea as to what is happening on line in terms of the hobby. This is useful for a reader who might not (Gasp!) have access to the world wide web.
*Informative*
BBCM is filled with information related to baseball card collecting. Every month card shows, listed by city/state, appears in the magazine. This gives a quick guide to upcoming shows in specific cities.
Minor league cards are also listed. BBCM does not focus solely on the major league baseball cards. As such, collectors who are into minor league cards can also find book values for those cards as well.
Every month, BBCM lists "How to Use and Condition Guide." Those readers who may not be familiar with the magazine can get a heads-up by looking at this column. Here readers can discover what various abbreviations mean next to certain cards as well as get an idea of how to grade cards (their general condition).
The only negative I can come up with is the lack of certain sets in BBCM. I sometimes search for a specific set only to find it is not listed. This is usually with older sets or sets that may not be as popular as others. I understand that with the way the hobby is growing and all of the sets that come out each year, it would be impossible to include every set. BBCM does do a good job of covering a wide range of years (from 1948 to present). I would rather they cut out the less popular sets than stop listing some of the older cards.
All in all, Beckett Baseball Card Monthly is an excellent source for members of the baseball card hobby. I have been a loyal subscriber for years and will continue to do so.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sschlundt
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Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
"Happiness is a warm Puppy."
-Charles Schulz
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