However, now the Twitter hobby gatekeepers have deemed them absurd and a nuisance. Anytime someone shows a card in a screw down, it's followed by "hope it didn't mess with the condition" or "get that out the screw down right now."
I never remember ever buying a screw down case, so I'm not sure how they even came into my possession as a kid. Probably from a family member who moved on from collecting. I didn't have a lot of them, maybe five or six. But I knew that screw downs should be reserved for my most special cards. That's why my 1967 Topps Giants team card went in there. It was my oldest card. It had Willie Mays on it...somewhere.
I liked how they stacked and connected, except for that one that was a different brand. I hated that one.
It was a chore to put a card into a screw down. I had to secure a screwdriver from somewhere, and my Dad's tools were off limits because people would take them and not return them. Boy, can I relate to that now. Luckily my Swiss army knife had a pop out Phillips head. It was painstaking, but it would do.
I've since rescued most of my cards from screw downs, not because I am committing a 2021 hobby sin, but because they are bulky and annoying to store. However, recently I bought a small collection from a guy around my age, and there was a card in a screw down. I think he thought the same way I did as a kid: that the screw down was reserved for the rarest and oldest of cards.
I decided to rescue it last night, even though it won't grade high, because that's what you're supposed to do with cards now. The card will now go into my growing Mickey Mantle collection, which will increase by two when an incoming shipment arrives. I treated myself, a little.
But I didn't want to leave a perfectly good screw down case to waste. So I found a card to put into it to keep that premium, high end feel. Bel-air's finest:
LOL. Even if I owned a 52' Topps Mantle (today) I would not put it in a screw down, snap case, or a top loader either. Well, maybe a top loader and penny sleeve. I like my cards in a binder so even that would give the hebbie jeebies. LOL. But a younger me most certainly would have locked that card down.
ReplyDeleteScrew-downs are pretty damn ugly, I'm glad I missed that era. Although I had my '82 Ripken traded in one for awhile, I don't know why -- probably because some gatekeeper convinced me to put it in one. It's out now, and the screw-down is in a landfill somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSweet card. I love multi-player vintage cards that exclusively feature hall of famers. And I love the decision to put Will Smith into the holder.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day, I stored my best cards in screw downs... with a handful receiving the holy grail of screw downs: the 1" lucite. Last time I checked, I have a couple of boxes of them sitting in my garage collecting dust. At one point I was going to put some Jordan, Montana, Griffey, and other big name base cards into them and sell them at the flea market for a buck. Not really worth my time these days.
I've never used a screwdown, but I do have a couple of cards I bought with one, mostly relics although I did buy an old A-Rod card in a screwdown from a dime box! Maybe I should extract them....
ReplyDeleteI have never intentionally gotten a screw down but do have a few of them. I am of the school of they should be used for special cards to show off. I rarely have had a chance to "show off" any of my collection with no desire to start.
ReplyDeleteThat '68 is a great card. I don't think I've ever owned a screwdown, and certainly never knew they were so controversial.
ReplyDeleteThe people controlling the Twitter hobby stuff can go to blazes. I'd swear but I'm thinking about the kids. The 1968 card is a nice one and I imagine most 53 year old's would really love to look as good as this card!
ReplyDeleteI only got screw downs through trades and put something in there but not valuables. Those go in one touch which I really like. Nice move with the fresh prince, I just saw that card this week coincidentally.
ReplyDeleteI think I have about a half dozen screw downs and I didn't intentionally purchase any of them. It's funny how many of us wound up with these in our collections through various means.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I love that Will Smith card... he's one of my favorite actors. Nice choice to replace the three slugging legends!
I've seen those people on Twitter losing their collective sh*t when they see cards in screw downs. I almost wish I had a few of today's hot rookies, just so I could put them in those holders and post them on Twitter -- it be really fun to "screw" with them.
ReplyDeleteI definitely remember putting valuable cards in screw-downs and thick lucite holders. I had my 1962 Willie Mays in a screw down so thick it could absorb a bullet lol.
ReplyDeleteOne touch holders are much sleeker and user friendly so I don't miss the screw downs. But thanks for the flashback!
Saw this from a Twitter thread Sooz was on a month or so ago. Don't use screw-downs.
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/GRIEBSSS/status/1363512250561146882
Excellent Public Service Announcement, thanks for sharing. So looks like if card is really crammed in there that's bad result.
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