By Max Silberman

Athletics publications are fun to collect and for the most part available and affordable, especially yearbooks which had a short run from l949 to l954, They can all be found in the $50-$150 range each depending on how fussy the collector is about condition. The bargain book is the l953 yearbook which can still be purchased in very nice condition for less than $40 due to a warehoue find in the 1970s of l953 Athletics, Phillies and Senators yearbooks.

Game programs following World War Two will cost about $20-25 in decent shape. Some fans prefer ones that are scored, while others prefer unscored. Prior to the war, programs become more scarce and many of them no doubt were lost in the “paper drives” that older readers will certainly remember.

Programs from the mid l930s to the early l940s are a little more pricey with $30-$40 being the norm. Again condition is paramount.

Before the mid-thirties, the A’s (and some other teams) sold folded cardboard scorecards. These are extremely hard to find. My dictionary defines “ephemera” as something that is “short-lived and transitory”. These scorecards were certainly that and most of them were thrown out. Also many fans used the scorecard printed on the front page of the newpapers that were sold at the ballpark.

Perhaps the toughest and most desirable programs were the “City Series” programs produced for the games between the A’s and Phillies. Usually only a couple games were played here in Philadelphia with the rest played at spring training sites. Not only are they rare but collectors will compete with Phillies fans to buy them. $50 and up is not unreasonable.

World Series programs are out of reach for most collectors but the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society has reprints of many of the World Series games in which the A’s played.