Napkin Doon’s Attic Treasure # 5: Ken Burns Baseball

Do you ever have a half baked thought or notion in your head that you just can’t wrap up and articulate?  Something about this Ken Burns set I found in the attic during my vacation has spurred something in my mind that I can’t put together yet.  There is something about this set I think will help me better understand why I buy what I buy, and for what prices.  But first, some background on the set itself.  Of course, this set came out about when Ken Burn’s fantastic Baseball documentary aired on PBS in 1994.  I do remember purchasing this, at a K-Mart, but I don’t remember how much I paid for it.  I think it was $10, but may have been $20.   To me, this is a superb set, and I am glad I rescued it from the boxes in the attic.  The photos are top shelf, and the backs are interesting and informative.  There are obvious star subjects in the checklist as well as those that are not household names, but nonetheless had an impact on the game. 

I don’t know why, but this set has made me think about how I buy baseball cards.  For example, if I saw this exact set available at a card show today, I knew it was made in 1994, and the cost was $10, would I buy it if I didn’t have it already?  I don’t think I would.

But what if a set exactly like this came out this year with a 2011 copyright, and was available for $20 at a Wal-Mart?  Would I buy it then?  I think I would buy it. 

That seems totally irrational to me, but I think that is how I would behave.  Somewhere in the dark corner of my pea brain, I can explain this.  But not yet.  If you have any thoughts, I’d love to hear them.