Do You Collect Sports Cards?

January 5, 2011

- See all 763 of my articles

Did you collect baseball (or football, basketball, hockey, etc) cards when you were younger – or perhaps you still collect today?  Then you might be a candidate for an exciting new book that will published in 2011!

Hyrax Publications, LLC, the parent organization of The Soap Boxers, is actively seeking contributions for Cardboard Canvases: An Anecdotal History Of Sports Card Collecting in The Modern Era.  The book will be published in electronic format in 2011.  Depending on demand, there may be a subsequent printed edition.

The book will contain essays from 100 sports card collectors.  The writers will share their experiences in the card collecting hobby.  Cardboard Canvases should be an enjoyable read for anyone who has ever busted open a pack to see what stars lay inside.

What Can I Do To Help?

We already have firm commitments from around thirty writers, including some popular internet-based writers.  However, we still have plenty of spots open.  We’d love to include your story.

We anticipate that most essays will fall in the range of 500 to 2500 words.  However, this is not a hard-and-fast requirement.  If your story happens to fall outside this range, that’s fine.  Quality is much more important than quantity.

Some suggestions for topics in the essay include:

  • How you got started collecting
  • Why you quit collecting
  • Your favorite cards

This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list.  You have freedom to pursue topics of your choice, as long as they are relevant to your experiences collecting sports cards.

It is anticipated that many of the writers will be male, 30-40 years old, and residing in the US.  If you don’t fit this demographic, we are particularly interested in your story – as it will add variety to the book.

You don’t have to write like Hemingway, nor do you have to boast a collection that contains a T-206 Wagner or a 52 Mantle.  Simply tell us your story.  Submissions will be edited for spelling, punctuation, and grammar.  However, we will make every effort to ensure that the essays still maintain the unique writing style of the writer.

I Have a Friend …

Maybe you’re not a collector, but have a friend who is?  Please make them aware of Cardboard Canvases – just click this link to share via email.

What’s In it For Me?

Every writer will be given a free copy of the PDF version, of course.  Honestly, this is a great deal.  You spend a small amount of time reliving your youth, and get the complete book as compensation for your time!

Additionally, there will be revenue sharing.  You will make money on every sale!  I’m not going to go into great detail in this post, but I’ll be glad to send you a copy of the submission agreement if you email me at kosmo@ObservingCasually.com

Can I Pre-order?

If you don’t plan to submit an essay, but are interested in purchasing a copy of the book when it becomes available, send me a note at kosmo@ObservingCasually.com and I’ll put you on the mailing list.  We will not take your money until the book is ready to ship.  Our goal is to get it out the door during the first half of the baseball season.

8 Comments (+add yours?)

  1. David Williams
    Jan 06, 2011 @ 13:45:35

    I would be interested in writing an article for you to consider for your book.

    I am a 47 year old male who has been collecting since 1970.

    Thanks.

    Reply

  2. J.D. Magers
    Jan 06, 2011 @ 21:54:50

    I am a fellow Rockies from purplerow.com (Prospector), and I would likely be interested in contributing in some way to your project. I managed to spend every penny of my allowance on cards when I was a kid and amassed over 50,000 of them from 1986-around 1993. I have collected sparingly in the time since. Also, having had a subscription to Beckett during most of my collecting years, I know a fair amount about the history of cards as well if you would like to add that to your book. Thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you.

    Reply

  3. Neil Duty
    Jan 07, 2011 @ 11:41:22

    I have written an article for possible inclusion in your project. What needs to be done next?

    Thanks
    Neil N. Duty

    Reply

  4. Anna K
    Jan 21, 2011 @ 10:39:15

    It would be very easy for me to write an essay about my relationship and history with baseball cards, and I’d be happy to do so. I’m a 26 year old female who has been collecting off and on since age 7.. so my demographic is a little different, and maybe my essay could be of value to your book. Just let me know about how to submit one, and a time deadline. Thanks.

    Reply

  5. Robert McIelwain
    Jan 21, 2011 @ 10:47:19

    Would be interested in this project! Did bulk of my collecting from 1972-1993, still have most of my 25,000+ collection (not just baseball, but other sports/subjects); was interviewed twice in
    college for school newspapers.

    Reply

  6. Baseball
    Feb 18, 2011 @ 11:35:18

    That sounds like a good project. Will be a good book to check out once it’s done

    Reply

  7. Maria
    Mar 25, 2011 @ 13:06:27

    Saw this posted on Purple Row – am interested in writing an essay for you.

    29/F Rockies Fan. Collected baseball cards as a kid – and have some stories around pulling an autographed Hank Aaron card when upperdeck 1st started doing that.

    Reply

  8. jay Pangan III
    May 30, 2011 @ 21:19:56

    is this still open?

    Reply

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