Saturday, April 14, 2012

Ranger Blue Books


Publications, particularly team yearbooks and media guides, are a big part of my collection. I was always able to buy Oriole yearbooks at Manny's Baseball Land across the street from Yankee Stadium or on a trip down to Baltimore. They sold their media guides through their marketing department for many years. You sent a letter and back came a list of available items like player postcards, 8x10's, and media guides.

The Rangers sold their 'Blue Book' at the Garden in the 60s. and into the 70s.. It's essentially a media guide with 'yearbook-style' bios. I got one every year. I read and re-read every page. Somewhere along the line I lost track of my collection of them. Now I'm in the process of re-acquiring them thru eBay and online auctions. It's an expensive process with the 60's versions running from $30 to $60 for the most part.

Through the years I have picked up some Rangers' media guides (they changed the name from Blue Book sometime in the 70s I think). Filling in the gaps for guides from the 80's and later is much cheaper thankfully.

This eBay-bought '68-'69 Blue Book replaces my lost one. That was one of the last I bought at the Garden before I went off to college and lost touch with hockey for a bit.


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