“Try to make a living in this hobby and you’ll learn about … deceit, unfair business practices, the lack of truth in advertising, price manipulation, collusion, restraint of trade, insider trading, patronage, extortion, payoffs and bribes, graft, plagiarism and, last but not least, hype.” – Lew Lipset, 1990.
Lew Lipset published The Old Judge Newsletter from 1985 through 1994. In all, there were 49 issues and 2 supplements (both in 1986). Almost all of the content came from Lipset himself, although he did have occasional guest writers; Tom Faith’s articles on Goudeys, in particular, are especially good.
During the period when Lipset wrote the newsletter, the hobby experienced enormous growth in participation and prices, followed by a significant crash. Two of his primary newsletter issues were card shows (mostly notably, the National) and hobby publications like SCD. Those things are no longer relevant in 2018; however, when you read Lipset’s disgust with fraud perpetrated by dealers, you’ll realize that not much has changed in the three decades since.
The Old Judge: The First Four Years. This is a 45mb PDF of the complete run taken from “The Old Judge: The First Four Years”, published in 1989.
Below are links to PDFs and indexes for all issues from #1 through #21, as well as the two supplements.
Intro (pages 1-4). Frontispiece and 1-page intro by Lipset into the origins of the newsletter.
- Opening statement
- Kalamazoo Bats (pt. 1) with checklist
- 1960 Tattoo (article by Tom Reid)
- 19th century price guide
- “Price Analysis”
- 1892 schedule card
- “Opinion” piece focusing on SCD and the National
- Opening statement
- “Old Judge Supports Dallas” (1986 National bid)
- “The Milwaukee Bid” (SCD’s bid for National which Lipset strongly opposed)
- Kalamazoo Bats (pt. 2)
- Ullman’s Postcards
- “Statistical Analysis” of prices of 1933 Goudeys and 1953 Bowman Color
- F273-19 Kellogg’s Pep thumb-sized cards
- book review of “Complete Book of Collectible Baseball cards (Lipset unimpressed)
- unopened T217 Mono Cigarettes box
- “Hobby Goings On” (discusses upcoming book containing pictures of all Topps issues)
- letters from Frank Nagy, Byron Martyn, Jack Schultz, Bob Brooks, Mark Larson, Jon Jarrett, Howard Epstein
- Opening Statement
- 6th National Convention in Anaheim review
- Baseball Cigar Box Labels (article by Walter Handelman)
- “The Alteration of Cards”
- Early Gum and Candy Card Price Guide
- 1958 Topps Basketball (uncut sheet configuration)
- 1972 Yankees schedule card
- “The Break Factor” (prices for individual cards vs. sets)
- An Unusual Autographed Item (1940 Playball of Willard Hershberger)
- Encyclopedia updates (new card discoveries)
- letters from Keith Olbermann, Elwood Scharf, Gavin Riley, Dwight Chapin, Stan Silbert
- Opening Statement
- New National Voting Regulations
- 1872 Athletic Trade Card
- Encyclopedia updates (new card discoveries)
- Cinderella Cards (Canadian Parkhurst card)
- “The Break Factor” (prices for individual cards vs. sets)
- The Spalding Letter (Mike Gutierrez discovery)
- Early Gum and Candy Card Price Guide
- Mystery Foreign Sets (1953 Provincial League set from Canada)
- TOJ Follow-ups (mostly National stuff)
- “Statistical Analysis” (T206)
- Hobby Notes (T206’s, alterations, 1963 Rose card mania)
- letter from Keith Olbermann
- Opening Statement
- National Follow-up
- The Winter Issue of TOJ Concluded (amended). Lipset tees off on Tony Galovich
- Types of 19th Century Photographs
- 1892 Cleveland Spiders
- Baseball Sheet Music (article by Walter Handelman)
- 19th Century Price Guide
- Husky Cereal
- R340 Goudey premiums
- 1969 Topps Minis
- Hobby Notes (mentions Krause plans for first catalog; Bob Lemke cited)
- Break Factors
- PX3 Doubleheader Pins (1933 issue)
- Statistical Analysis of T205’s
- Carrafeil’s Mystery Issue (late 1920’s Philadelphia A’s cards)
- 1949-50 D290-15A Bread for Health Basketball Bread End Labels (article by Tom Reid)
- letters from Bruce Paynter, Ace Marchant, Jack Schultz, John Stanley
Issue #5a – Spring Supplement 1986
- Opening Comments
- National Registration News
- The Restoration of Cards
- 20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
- letter from Julie Vognar
- Opening Comments (preview of upcoming 7th National in Arlington)
- New Steering Committee Members
- Leslie’s Woodcuts
- The First HOF Postcards
- How National is the National? (breakout of dealer locations)
- Hobby Notes (recent transactions)
- Early Gum and Candy Card Price Guide
- Interesting Cards (N284 type III, N172 Anson in uniform, T204 Ewing with reversed printing)
- Peck & Snider Trade Cards (article by Walter Handelman)
- A Short Poem
- E Card Update (new info on several cards)
- letters from Walter Hall (Hall’s Nostalgia), Andy Valenty, Frank Nagy, Richard Greenspan, John Spalding
Issue #6a – Summer Supplement 1986
- Opening Comments
- Autograph Survey request
- 1986 Break Factors
- Baking, Periodical and Postcard Price Guide
- Baseball Break Factors
- Football Break Factors
- Hobby Notes (Kendig fake, other notes)
- letter from unknown
- Opening Comments – The 7th National in Arlington
- A Steering Committee Victory
- Next Year’s Show
- National Notes
- National Quotes
- 1971 Topps Football Sheets
- Statistical Analysis – R327, R330, Berk Ross
- Miscellaneous Price Guide
- E card updates (explanation about E224 Texas Tommy, several others)
- book reviews of Illustrated Price Guide to Non-paper Sports Collectibles (Hake book), Sports Americana Price Guide No.
8 - Hobby History (profile of Gelman, Burdick, Wray, DeNardo meeting)
- “The Mint Phenomena”
- F273-27 Kelloggs Sport Stamps
- letter from Henry Kipp
- Opening Comments
- New Encyclopedia Out (Vol. 3 on T cards)
- State of the Hobby (review of hobby papers)
- Kellogg Pep Stamps (cont.)
- 1946 Sears East St. Louis Postcards (article by Rich Hawksley)
- Cleveland Pencil Clips
- 1930’s Gum Card Price Guide
- Additions to sheet music checklist
- Interesting Cards (1957 Topps Football card, Canadian issue)
- What Is an Autograph Show?
- Rare and Unusual Ruth Cards (D32 Drakes, Exhibits)
- Opening Comments
- Review – The Hobby Papers
- Baseball Monthly Photos
- A.J. Reach Letter of 1898
- Chicago White Sox Decals – 1972
- 19th Century Price Guide
- Book Reviews – New Price Guides
- Are Prices Being Manipulated? Pt. 1 (answer: they were)
- A Visit to Brimfield (outdoor antiques market, not enjoyed by Lipset)
- Hobby Notes
- Follow-up Hall of Fame Postcards
- letters from Wm. Bartely, Stanley Mailen Jr., Joe Sworen, Steve Speier, Bill Nielsen
- Opening Comments
- Manipulations, pt 2 (grading shenanigans)
- Autographs (with price survey)
- Kalamazoo Bat Find (new additions)
- A Baseball Challenge – 1867 Style (article by Walter Handelman)
- 20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
- Hobby Notes
- Tobacco Update (new finds for S74, T3, T204, T206, Obak album, Plow Boy)
- Opening Comments
- National Notes (preview of upcoming SF National)
- Autograph Price Survey (cont.)
- R308 Tattoo Orbit
- 1948-9 Leaf Baseball Sheet
- The Music Never Ends (more sheet music)
- E Card Price Guide
- Hobby Notes
- Price Guide Comparison
- letter from Don Hazelwood
- Opening Comments – The National Convention (San Francisco)
- National Hostilities (Lipset goes off on promoters)
- Review Of The National
- Summary
- Next Year
- National Statistics
- Baking, Periodical, and Postcard Price Guide
- National Quotes
- National Notes
- Sportfolio
- Autograph Survey Notes
- Interesting Cards (’49 Leaf Paige variation, Ty Cobb Tobacco tin)
- letters from Ron Hart, Frank Pemper
- Opening Comments
- Autograph Survey Criticism
- Interesting Cards (T210 Jackson, V300 wrapper, fantasy Playball card, M101-4 with “The Noon-Day Cafeteria” back)
- E Card Update (E222 find)
- Tobacco Card Update from Keith Olbermann
- Baseball Digest
- R344 Maranville’s Secrets
- Miscellaneous Price Guide
- 1959-1960 Los Angeles Dodger Postcards
- Detroit – Ford Postcards
- Swift’s Premium Franks
- Detroit Cards (1940)
- Hobby Notes (’49 Leaf Paige update, Larry Fritsch on T206 Doyle, minor league sets)
- letters from Walter Hall, Wm. Rex Lorson
- Opening Comments
- The State of the Hobby – 1987 (long article)
- View-Master Reels (1953)
- “Strictly Speaking” (how to pronounce “Goudey”)
- 1930’s Gum Card Price Guide
- Volume 4 of Baseball Card Encyclopedia ad
- Press Pin Data
- New Buchner Sheet Discovered (N284)
- Interesting Cards (Ruth in strip card, M101-4/5 Becker, 1922 Zeenut Thorpe)
- Hobby Notes (new T209 discovery)
- “A Baseball Cardaholic” (poem by Ken Shaw)
- Comments in the Hobby (Al Rosen, Dan Albaugh, Bob Schmierer, Gloria Rothstein)
- book review of “Classic Baseball Cards” (generally positive)
- Opening Comments
- Auctions, Hype and Lies (a TOJ Classic!)
- A Scientific Study of Goudeys (article by Tom Faith)
- 1925 Exhibit Set of Champions
- 19th Century Price Guide
- Interesting Cards (’61 Topps Choo Choo Coleman, T220 Coburn)
- Following up on the Pronunciation of “Goudey”
- E and T card updates (Dan Mckee reveals Baseball Bats of Ames and Devlin, T207 Boston NL cards)
- Hobby Notes
- Press Pin Update
- Hobby Quotes from Tony Galovich, Baseball Card News Circular, SCD
- letters from John McLean with obit for Charles Bray, James Maxwell, anonymous, Richard Merkin, John Spalding
- Opening Comments
- Errata (fixes to recent Goudey article)
- $100,000 for a T206 Wagner? (Lipset suspects price manipulation)
- St. Louis Browns Silk (1887)
- Market State (slowdown evident)
- Old Baseball Stock Certificates
- 1957 Cincinnati Team Issue
- Hobby Notes (shows, lucite cases used for deception, W502’s and Yeunglings, ’55 Dodgers uniforms)
- New SCD Monthly Price Guide
- 20th Century Tobacco Price Guide
- Hobby Quotes (hyperbolic SCD ad, Dan Albaugh, Bob Lemke, Tony Galovich)
- Interesting Cards and Items (1915 postcard of Dodgers pitchers, Jackie Robinson postcard, W572, 1888 Detroit ticket stub)
- 1966 Fleers [sic]
- What is a Variation
- letters from Jim Zygaj, Michael Olenick on trimmed cards
- Phoenix Suns Carnation Milk
- Opening Comments
- The Coming National (Atlantic City)
- National Politics
- Beckett & Krause Price Comparisons
- Letter from the President of Goudey (1977 letter from George C. Thompson to Bruce Dorskind; mentions Delong, National Chicle, George Miller, others)
- Price Guide (E cards)
- Sports Oddities (1954 Quaker Oats set)
- Phoenix Suns Basketball (cont.)
- A-1 Premium Beer Phoenix Suns
- Hobby Notes (T206 Wagner, reprinted Spalding guides, Larry Fritsch’s card museum)
- Hobby Quotes (Bob Lemke, Alan Kleinberger, Jim Hawkins)
- Encyclopedia Update (E223 discovery, 1915 Cracker Jack, W575 discovery, T201 Dougherty/Lord scarcity)
- “Greed?” (Lipset accuses Krause Publications of redundant printings)
- 1925 Champions Exhibit Set Update
- Opening Comments
- Autograph Survey Note (article by Mike Gutierrez)
- 1988 Autograph Survey
- U.S. Olympic Stars – New 1932 Exhibit Set
- 1933 & 34 Goudeys: Observations and Analysis (article by Tom Faith)
- Autograph Survey (price guide)
- 1953 Topps: Variations, Scarcities and Theories (article by Pete Waldman)
- The Old Judge Updates (John Spalding on 1916 Dodgers postcard)
- Statistical Analysis Topps Set Price Summary
- letters from Lionel Carter, Brian Gettings
- Opening Comments (Lipset informed by Bob Lemke that Old Judge Newsletter is banned from ads in SCD)
- National Review (Lipset dislikes Atlantic City, show was adequate)
- The Bidding for Next Year (Chicago bid defeats Las Vegas)
- National Notes
- 1933 Goudeys, Pt. 2 (article by Tom Faith)
- D (Bakery) Price Guide
- Subscriber Ads
- National and Other Quotes (Al Price, Barrons magazine, Bob Lemke on Al Rosen’s spat with Yankees)
- State of the Market
- 2 Different 1916 Who’s Who
- letters from Lee Wade, Ralph Nozaki
- Opening Comments
- Hobby Notes
- E Card Updates (E94 overprint discovery, E270 discoveries, E285 Rittenhouse)
- Market Report
- Press Pin Data
- Metropolitan Studio Set (1931 Cardinals)
- Miscellaneous Price Guide
- T206 Larry Doyle
- R328 U.S. Caramel #16 Discovered! (Midwest find of 80+ cards including Lindstrom)
- Baseball Magazine Program
- Detroit Team Issue of 1930’s
- Detroit Free Press Color Supplements
- letters from Bill Nielsen, Dave Martin
- Opening Comments
- Spalding’s Spanish-American Guides (article by Richard Merkin)
- Hobby Notes
- Star-Cal Decals
- 1930’s Gum Card Price Guide
- Subscriber Ads
- Five Favorite Finds (M116 Seymour, T207 Red Cross, T205 Hindu, R340 Goudey, E271 Darby Candy Cards)
- Encyclopedia Updates (T213 Demmitt with New York uniform)
- Interesting Cards and Items (Christy Mathewson Thum Movie Postcard, George C. Miller wrapper, H.M. Taylor Tigers team postcard, 1948 Leaf Hermanski)
- Hobby Quotes (anonymous, Gloria Rothstein, Bob Lee, Tuff Stuff magazine)