In the early days of building my collection, I was always seeking out unique items. I usually wanted something more than a ball, hat or jersey. 10-12 years ago, bobblehead dolls, enlarged baseballs and limited edition novelty items (trucks, bullpen cars, piggy banks) were always fun to find and purchase. That was until one day after a baseball game when I noticed another fan carrying around a dugout line up card. After inquiring about how she got it I was determined to get some for myself. In those days you could ask a manager or coach and almost always get one. Although I had my own scorebook and a record of who played in games I attended, that by no means was considered game used or unique.
Therefore, before games I would seek out a coach/manager/player and ask for the line up cards following the game. Until the leagues started to take ownership of them and in turn charge for these cards, I was able to acquire at least 5 of these dugout lineup cards. In most cases, I had them autographed following the game by someone who actually played.
Nowadays you can purchase a line up card for regular season games (assuming nothing historical happened) for about $50. Still not a bad value for an item that is considered game used. It's also a great gift idea for to commemorate
a fan's first visit to an MLB game. Most team stores as well as MLB.com sell these lineup cards on their websites or on their auction pages.
So if you want a unique piece of game used history consider finding and acquiring one of these cards.
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| July 2009 line card I purchased for $50. |
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Line card from spring training March 2004, Signed by Jason Varitek
August 2, 2003 Line up card given to me by bench coach Jerry Narron |
