Introducing t206resource.com

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

REA is posting this notice as a public service to make collectors aware that a new resource website has just launched that will be of great interest to many vintage card collectors. The site is called t206resource.com and, as you can probably guess by the name, it is devoted exclusively to the T206 set.

The most popular vintage baseball card set of all time is well known for providing an almost limitless intrigue and fascination to collectors. Rare backs, Wagner, Plank, Magie, Doyle, proof cards, Ty Cobb Tobacco, checklisting the set by advertising reverses, the mystery of how the set was printed, exactly when cards were released, printing errors….and that’s just the beginning. With T206s, it never ends! This site attempts to collect, organize, and present all information about the T206 set in one place. While it is always going to be a work-in-progress, and additional information will continually be added, what has already been assembled and presented thus far is a remarkable achievement. This is an extremely scholarly project, and is the result of an enormous effort by collectors Jim Rivera and Tim Cathey, along with Art Martineau and Brian Weisner. These gentlemen, and the host of contributors that have assisted them, are due a huge “thank you” from the entire collecting world for their Herculean efforts, and their generosity in sharing their work for the benefit of all collectors. We can’t imagine all the work that went into this project. (Well, actually we can, which is why we’re so impressed!)

Here’s the link:

http://t206resource.com/

We hope you find t206resource.com helpful.

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Comment now » Read more December 20th, 2011

Dick Perez Original Hall of Fame Postcard Artworks - 2006 Negro League Inductees (17)

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                 

             

It is a great honor for Robert Edward Auctions to have been chosen by Dick Perez to offer his personal collection of original art in the spring 2012 sale. Presented will be 185 original Dick Perez artworks, featured in twenty-eight different lots. With the exception of five, all are the original paintings featured in the award-winning book The Immortals: An Art Collection of Baseball’s Best (Brilliant Graphics, Easton, Pennsylvania, 2010), and have not appeared in published form anywhere else. The Immortals, by Dick Perez, with text by William C. Kashatus, is a comprehensive career retrospective of Perez’s finest baseball works and features over 1,400 paintings, including numerous images of every member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Robert Edward Auctions gives thanks to Dick Perez, not just for the opportunity to oversee this special presentation, but for decades of creating the images which have come to symbolize the game for collectors and fans, over a period of time that now spans generations, and has enriched all of our lives. Robert Edward Auctions thanks Dick Perez for his immeasurable contributions to the rich tradition of art and its unique role in capturing the essence of the National Pastime. The images he has created have been enjoyed by millions, and are familiar to anyone who has ever had even a passing acquaintance with Major League baseball, as a visitor to the Hall of Fame, as a collector, or even as a casual fan. 

One highlight of this historic offering is the inclusion of thirty-five post Perez-Steele Hall of Fame postcard artworks. Although the published Perez-Steele postcard series ended in 2001, Dick Perez has continued to create artworks (in the same style as that of the original postcard series) for each new Hall of Fame inductee. This offering features the artwork for every Hall of Fame member elected between the years 2006 and 2011. (Robert Edward Auctions previously sold the Hall of Fame artworks created for the seven inductees between the years 2002 and 2005.)

Below is the early catalog write-up for the seventeen original Dick Perez paintings pictured above. This is an incredible group of artworks and one that we thought collectors would enjoy seeing early.

Dick Perez Original Post Perez-Steele Hall of Fame Postcard Artworks - 2006 Negro League Inductees (17)

2006 was a historic year for the Baseball Hall of Fame as it welcomed a record eighteen new inductees, including the first woman ever elected: Effa Manley. The reason for the exceptionally large incoming class was the result of a decision made one year earlier in which the Hall’s board of directors approved a special election by the Committee on African-American Baseball to consider former Negro League players and executives who were worthy of induction, but were previously overlooked by earlier committees. When the final votes were counted, seventeen individuals, all of whom were deceased, had made the cut to right this enormous historical omission, and these seventeen pioneers were honored (along with Bruce Sutter) as members of the 2006 induction class.

Every year the official portraits of the newly elected Hall of Famers are created by Dick Perez, which, in the past, would then be published in the form of a Perez-Steele Hall of Fame postcard. With the induction of seventeen Negro League players and executives, 2006 proved to be an unprecedented challenge. Offered here are the post Perez-Steele Hall of Fame postcard artworks created by the legendary artist for each of the seventeen Negro League players and/or executives inducted by special initiative in 2006. These special artworks were first published by Dick Perez in his 2010 book The Immortals: An Art Collection of Baseball’s Best, but have not yet been published as postcards because all of the subjects were elected to the Hall after Perez-Steele Galleries’ last series update in 2001. Though Perez-Steele Galleries is no longer publishing, if the Hall of Fame postcard series is updated in the future, these are the images that will be used. These seventeen paintings alone would be worthy of a card set unto themselves.

Because of the exceptionally large 2006 induction class, the production of these paintings took a great deal of time and effort.  They are being offered together as this is how they were intended to be displayed and because of their extraordinary significance as a collection. This is certainly the largest offering of Perez-Steele Hall of Fame postcard artworks ever to appear at auction as a collection (with the exception of Tinker, Evers, and Chance being sold as a trio many years ago, we have never seen even two Dick Perez Hall of Fame postcard original artworks offered together), and also the most important. The seventeen individuals portrayed in this group represent some of the finest players in the history of the game, who, simply due to the color or their skin, were for decades denied the recognition they truly deserved by organized baseball. In that sense, these paintings, in addition to celebrating the careers of the pioneers elected in 2006, tell a story and provide imagery in tribute to all the Negro League stars who toiled in obscurity in years past. While we understand that these paintings might sell for more if offered individually, it was Mr. Perez’s hope that if offered as a collection, it might be more practical for a buyer to consider purchasing the entire collection of seventeen paintings with the intention of keeping it intact, to be displayed together as intended.  Each painting is done in watercolor on 100% cotton fiber arches WC paper and measures 13 x 18 inches.

The seventeen 2006 Negro League Hall of Fame inductees represented in this collection are: 1) Biz Mackey; 2) Pete Hill; 3) Frank Grant; 4) Andy Cooper; 5) Willard Brown; 6) Ray Brown; 7) Effa Manley; 8) Jose Mendez; 9) Alex Pompez; 10) Cum Posey; 11) Louis Santop; 12) Jud Wilson; 13) Mule Suttles; 14) L. L. Wilkinson; 15) Sol White; 16) Cristobal Torriente; and 17) Ben Taylor.

Comment now » Read more December 7th, 2011

Are All 2001 Barry Bonds Home Run Jerseys Fake?

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Barry Bonds 2001 Game-Worn Home Run Jerseys Revisited:

Have all the authenticators been wrong? Are all the 2001 Barry Bonds “Home Run Jerseys” in the marketplace fake? So many auctions have sold so many of these jerseys and so many authenticators have “authenticated” them. Could they all be wrong?

We think that is the case.

We hope we are wrong. But we don’t think so.

Even though the jerseys have originated from Barry Bonds’ own company (”Barry Bonds Authenticated”, which, ironically, was created specifically to protect the public from buying fake Bonds items), the evidence simply does not support the claims that these jerseys were used by Bonds in the specific games as represented when sold (or ever worn by Bonds in any game), and does appear to support the conclusion that they are not game-worn jerseys at all.  We hope we’re wrong, but that’s what it looks like to us.

Below is an early auction preview write-up of a Barry Bonds “game-worn home run” jersey consigned to the Spring 2012 REA auction. When purchased by our consignor, this jersey was represented as the very jersey Bonds wore when hitting home run #543 of his career (and the 49^th of the season) on August 9, 2001 at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati.  

It is our hope that maybe by posting this catalog write-up early, we will be provided with additional information that will help us to provide the most accurate information possible for the final description for this lot.  

                                  

                  

    

2001 Barry Bonds Signed San Francisco Giants Jersey Represented As Game-Used While Hitting His 543rd Home Run (Authenticity In Question)

When is a Barry Bonds 2001 game-worn home run jersey not a Barry Bonds 2001 game-worn home run jersey? Probably when it is signed as such by Bonds and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Bonds’ own authentication company, “Barry Bonds Authenticated.” Confused yet? Don’t worry, you are not alone. While the Bonds steroid scandal continues to garner most of the national headlines, equally compelling is the controversy (that has received very little attention) regarding his game-used memorabilia, most notably those pieces dating from his record-breaking 2001 season. While we cannot possibly cover and discuss all of the issues regarding the sale of Bonds’ 2001 game-used equipment, we will relate many of the most important points and discoveries made, especially as it pertains to our offered piece: a 2001 Barry Bonds San Francisco Giants road jersey purportedly worn by Bonds when he hit his 49^th home run of the season, and the 543^rd home run of his career on August 9, 2001 at Cinergy Field in Cincinnati.

We should begin by stating that we do not believe that this jersey was ever worn in a game by Barry Bonds, let alone the game in which he hit his 543^rd career home run in 2001. While we know that that opinion is not a popular one among some sellers and authenticators, and that many collectors have expressed a different viewpoint, it is our opinion and it is based upon all of the evidence we have to date. In fairness, it must be noted that many of the 2001 Barry Bonds game-used home run jerseys circulating in the hobby today, including examples sold by Robert Edward Auctions in the past (with full disclosure provided by REA on all of the issues surrounding each piece), have received the highest grade possible by an independent third-party authentication company, a fact which has only fueled the controversy and led to even greater confusion among collectors.

To begin, we will describe the offered jersey and its documentation, followed by analysis of both, which will include all of the pertinent information we have learned through our research.  We are not authenticators, but we are armed with common sense. The grey knit jersey is lettered “San Francisco” across the front and features the name “Bonds” on the reverse. The number “25″ appears on the reverse directly below the name. All letters and numerals are appliquéd in black on orange tackle twill. A “Russell Athletic” label is located on the left front tail, directly below which is a white “2001 Barry Bonds Authenticated” label. A San Francisco Giants team patch adorns the left sleeve. The jersey has been signed and inscribed, presumably by Bonds, on the reverse in black Sharpie (grading “10″): “Barry Bonds/HR 543.” The Jersey is completely original, with no alterations, and displays light wear. (which would be expected if the jersey were only worn for one or two games). The jersey is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Barry Bonds Authenticated, dated “9/2/01.”

Taken at face value, the jersey, especially given the Bonds inscription and accompanying COA, appears to be a Bonds game-worn home run jersey from the 2001 season. Unfortunately, there are problems with the garment which have yet to be reconciled. Most of the issues with this jersey, and all other Bonds 2001 game-used jerseys marketed by Barry Bonds Authenticated, have been raised by members of the Game Used Universe Forum, and we encourage bidders to read more at this link (which includes many 2001 on-the-field Bonds images for comparison):

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=21500   

In summary, the most compelling reason to dismiss this piece as something other than a 2001 Bonds game-used jersey is the absence of additional tagging, most notably a size tag. There are numerous photos available of Bonds on the field in 2001 (that are illustrated in the above link and elsewhere) with his shirt tail visible, and in every instance, one can clearly see a size tag, as well as additional customization tags located near the manufacturer’s labels. Furthermore, all other examples of 2001 San Francisco Giants jerseys (both home and away) belonging to different players, have size tags. Another major discrepancy is the Barry Bonds Authenticated label found on this jersey. Once again, all other available photos of Bonds on the field in 2001 with his shirt tail visible clearly show a different Barry Bonds Authenticated tag. In the tags seen on the photos, the year “2001″ is not present. It simply reads “Barry Bonds Authenticated,” which is different from the tag present on the offered jersey.

In addition to the empirical evidence, and what can only be described as a bizarre twist in the matter, Barry Bonds himself, through his business agent, has stated in writing to REA that all of the Barry Bonds “game-used” items marketed and sold through the business entity known as Barry Bonds Authenticated, are, in fact, not authentic. Of special note, Barry Bonds claims to still have all his 2001 game-worn jerseys. We believe him. Barry Bonds Authenticated was run by Steve Hoskins, who at one time was Bonds’ best friend. In 2003, Bonds and Hoskins had a falling out, the reasons of which have never been fully disclosed. It was shortly after the two had parted ways that Bonds began accusing Hoskins of selling memorabilia without his authorization and in some cases of forging Bonds’ signature on material. Hoskins countered by stating that Bonds was just trying to protect himself because he failed to declare any of the income he received from Barry Bonds Authenticated to the IRS. Whatever the truth was, the accusations did call into question some or all of the material sold by the Bonds camp under the Barry Bonds Authenticated name.

Robert Edward Auctions became directly involved in the “he said/she said” feud between Bonds and Hoskins in 2006. In May of that year, REA offered a Barry Bonds 2001 uniform ensemble (Lot 1071) that was comprised of a jersey, pants, hat, cleats, jacket, and wrist bands, all of which carried the special Barry Bonds patch and hologram label.

The items were purchased by our consignor from memorabilia dealer Brad Horne, who also provided a letter stating that all of the items were purchased directly from Steve Hoskins of Barry Bonds Authenticated.  Days before the auction closed, REA was contacted by Jeff Bernstein of Pro Access, a Miami-based company that was handling Bonds’ marketing business. In an email to REA president Robert Lifson, Bernstein informed our company that all of the Bonds items offered in the lot were not authentic:

I showed the auction that you are featuring to Barry again, and he is comfortable saying with 100% certainty that these items are fakes. He is in possession of all of [sic] 2001 game used uniforms, and we have this confirmed through the clubhouse equipment manager and the jersey supplier.

Bernstein also said that Bonds had been “totally shocked” to hear these items had been purchased from Mr. Hoskins. “In his entire relationship with Mr. Hoskins, he never authorized or allowed him to sell an entire uniform from any season, much less 2001.” All of the information was provided in an addendum to bidders, and while this naturally put a damper on the bidding, the uniform was appreciated for what it was, and sold with full disclosure of the authenticity issues, including the assertion by Barry Bonds himself that the uniform was not authentic, and that he is in possession of all of his 2001 game-used jerseys. Here is a link to a Wall Street Journal article entitled Barry Bonds’ Other Campaign: Slugger Says Bats, Jerseys Aren’t Authentic published May 19, 2006 that featured the uniform:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114800007721057332.html

Back to the jersey offered here: With all due respect to the desires of collectors that own these jerseys, the sellers who have sold them as authentic game-used jerseys, and the authenticators that have guaranteed this to be the case, the fact that the physical attributes of the offered jersey do not match up to known authentic examples leads us to one simple conclusion: this jersey was not worn by Bonds during the 2001 season, despite the provenance direct from Barry Bonds Authenticated, the notations on the jerseys itself, and statements to the contrary on the issued COA. We can’t explain how these jerseys could have been marketed as game-worn home run jerseys. We could not possibly know if Barry Bonds was personally involved in their sale, or if he is a victim (which seems very likely to us). If Bonds is telling the truth and does retain possession of all of his 2001 jerseys, than the fraud perpetrated by Steve Hoskins and Barry Bonds Authenticated is certainly one of the most notable ever perpetrated in the memorabilia world. As we have seen, the physical evidence certainly seems to support Bonds’ assertion. Unfortunately, countless examples of Bonds 2001 game-used jerseys, bats, hats, cleats, gloves, etc., have been sold, both publicly and privately, in the past eleven years, many for large sums of money. The cloud over many of these items appears well deserved and may never disperse. The 2001 “home run jerseys”, however, are in a league of their own in terms of significance and value. Despite our opinion that this 2001 jersey was never worn by Bonds, we are confident it still has great historic value, though it may sell for a fraction of what an authentic game-used jersey would command. It is our belief that these 2001 Bonds “fake” jerseys (if, indeed, they are not authentic as we believe) will always be appreciated for the fascinating historical significance they do have. They are a part of the puzzle of the much larger controversial story that was Bonds’ career.

Comment now » Read more November 10th, 2011

Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr. SABR Photo Identification Controversy Report

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                                   

Are these photos of the same person?  Are these both Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr?

The October-November SABR Pictorial History Committee Newsletter features a fascinating report calling into question the identification of Alexander Joy Cartwright, Jr (”The Father of Baseball”) in the iconic image that has long been universally accepted as being a circa 1846 photograph of the legendary Knickerbockers team. This is a remarkable, extremely detailed, and heavily illustrated document. It presents the case for both sides of the argument, including a response by the owner. At a glance, the report might seem a little intimidating. But a closer look (especially with all the illustrations) will reveal it to be very accessible. It is just carefully written because so much is at stake, and it is naturally interactive as you can evaluate the evidence of each side and decide for yourself. Is the identification correct? Or is the identification an error. Help solve the mystery! We highly recommend reading this report. We’ve never seen anything quite like it!

The report can be viewed at the link below: Once clicked, you must then click the “Download Now” button and the pdf of the SABR report will appear:

http://www.gamefront.com/files/20873948/Mysteryphoto_10_11_pdf

Comment now » Read more October 19th, 2011

1962 Mars Attacks Original Painting Auction Preview: The Ultimate Norm Saunders Artwork!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                                      

                               original painting                       published card  #17              

 The original paintings to the 1962 Mars Attacks set are the most desirable of all nonsport card artworks. Every time we have had the privilege of offering an original Mars Attacks painting, we have thought it might be the last. There are only fifty-five cards in the 1962 Mars Attacks set, so theoretically there could be as many as fifty-five original artworks in existence, although only a handful are known to have survived. Over the years REA has offered ten Mars Attacks artworks including the original painting to the iconic card #1 which sold at REA in 2009 for a record $82,250:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/auction/2009/1501.html

We have just received for auction a particularly extraordinary never-before-offered Mars Attacks painting. It is pictured below, along with the issued card. As can easily be seen, the original painting differs in a very significant way from the issued card. The painting pictures a man in the bed, while the issued card features a woman. This naturally led us to research the painting to hopefully understand why it is different (note: only the figure in the bed is different; this is the very painting that was used in the set, with the figure of the woman painted over and replaced by a figure of a man). The answer and information we found was so fascinating we thought it would be worth sharing as an early auction preview.   

Here the catalog writeup with the whole story:     

    

     

1962 Topps Mars Attacks Original Artwork for Card #17 - Beast And The Beauty - The Ultimate Norm Saunders Card Artwork!

Presented is the original painting to card #17 from the 1962 Topps “Mars Attacks” set, entitled Beast and the Beauty, created by artist Norm Saunders. The horrific scene pictures a Martian crashing through a window as it grabs a terrified man from his bed. Anyone familiar with the “Mars Attacks” set is probably shaking his head right now, because the artwork offered here is drastically different than that on the issued card, which pictures a woman, not a man, being menaced by the Martian. Fortunately, there is a very good explanation for the discrepancy between the image on the issued card and the artwork, which, as we shall document, is one of fourteen original “Mars Attacks” artworks later revised by Norm Saunders under the direction of Topps.The “Mars Attacks” set, with its violent subject matter and graphic scenes of men, women, and even pets being mercilessly slaughtered by the Martians, was somewhat controversial at the time. Topps obviously anticipated a negative reaction from parents and teachers, and this is the very reason Topps listed the name of a fictitious company, “Bubbles Inc., ” as the manufacturer of the series on the back of each card. Apparently, the controversy grew so great that Topps felt it had to “tone down” a few of the more gruesome scenes pictured on the cards, including those that saw humans being burned to death. To that end, artist Norm Saunders was recalled to touch up a number of the most offensive artworks. To date, fourteen original “Mars Attacks” artworks revised by Saunders have been identified. They are those used to produce card numbers 3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 29, 30, 32, 36, and 38. The known revisions range from removing blood, impalements, explicit gore, bodies on fire (both the living and the dead), etc., to, most intriguing of all, threatened women being repainted as men. (”Destroying a Dog” was also revised to show a soldier in place of the dog!)  Interestingly, Robert Edward Auctions sold the revised artwork for card #5 Washington in Flames, in our May 2006 sale; however, we did so unknowingly! We never noticed the slight difference between the artwork and the illustration on the issued card (Saunders removed the flames from one of the men being attacked) but obviously a few shrewd bidders did, because it sold for a much higher-than-expected sales price of $29,000. Only just recently has it became officially recognized as the fourteenth known revised “Mars Attacks” artwork.It should be noted that for many of the revised artworks the changes were slight, but for others, such as the offered card, they were major and drastically changed the content and emotional impact of the scene. What makes this particular artwork all the more significant is that the image of the man seen here is not a generic figure, but a self portrait of Norm Saunders himself! That information is derived from an interview with Norm Saunders’ son, David, that appeared in a 2009 article by Kurt Kuersteiner, titled “Norm Saunders: The Book & Cards!,” that appeared in The Wrapper. In the article, which is both a biography of Norm Saunders and a review of David Saunders’ new book, Norman Saunders (The Illustrated Press, 2009), Kuersteiner makes special note of the thirteen revised “Mars Attacks” artworks (at the time of the article only thirteen altered artworks were recognized):

Another issue this book resolves is that regarding the legitimacy of the 13 revised Mars Attacks cards. They were issued in 1984 by Steve Kiviat of Rosem Enterprises and were called Mars Attacks- The Unpublished Version. They show less violent versions of cards #3, 6, 8, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 29, 30, 32, 36, and 38. Chris Benjamin’s guide was uncertain if they were real, since their exact origin couldn’t be documented. But according to the new book, “Topps hired Saunders to paint amended versions of the most shocking cards. [He was] amused by the hypocrisy of selling amended ‘indecent’ cards under a fake company name.” (Topps changed their copyright notice to “Bubbles, Inc.” to dodge any controversy that the cards might cause.) To make certain David wasn’t relying on an unreliable third party for his card censorship story, I contacted him to ask if he had any personal knowledge that they were definitely real. His response: “My father did paint them. I saw him doing it and I remember the entire controversial process of producing a less offensive version of certain cards. The image of the girl in bed that is being attacked by a Martian breaking through her window, was repainted to show a guy in bed, but instead of just any guy, Norm thought it was fun to make the guy a self-portrait, so that guy in bed with a mustache is a self-portrait of the fifty-five year old Norman Saunders! All thirteen images in that ‘unpublished’ set were painted by Norman Saunders.” The book concludes that particular controversy with this: “In the end, the lure of potential profits was not as great as Topps’ fear of bad publicity for their more lucrative business of selling wholesome bubble gum and baseball cards, so the revised set was shelved and no additional printings were made.” It also shows some colorful close up photos of the original revisions. 

While it is not known for certain why Topps never issued the revised artworks, David Saunders’ conclusion is most likely correct. Topps’ baseball-card line was so profitable that there was no reason to jeopardize the company’s good name by continuing to print the set, revised or not. Economics probably factored into the decision as well. Because the reverse of each card featured a narrative of the scene pictured, and also listed the title of the next card in the series (which, as in the case of the offered artwork, would sometimes have to be changed as well), it was probably not economically feasible to redesign the whole set. They simply stopped printing the cards and the controversy went away.

What must be fully understood is that in each case, whenever Saunders made a revision, it was done on the original “Mars Attacks” artwork. Saunders did not create a new painting. He simply took his original artwork and painted over the piece in making his changes. That is easy to see on the offered piece. The woman in the original image had a large head of hair that the man does not have. Obviously, Saunders couldn’t make the man’s head as large as the woman’s, otherwise it would be disproportionate in size to the body. Instead he simply painted over the excess hair in brown to match the background of the headboard. That can be seen upon close inspection when viewing this artwork.

Any Mars Attacks original artwork is rare. Theoretically all of the other artworks exist, but few examples have ever come to the marketplace over the years. The images from the “Mars Attacks” set have been ingrained into the consciousness of our popular culture, and have had a lasting impact not only on the youth of the early 1960s, but on all generations since. Every painting in the set is a classic. The fact that this is one of only fourteen known revised artworks makes it especially desirable. 

The offered artwork is undoubtedly the most significant of the fourteen revised versions produced by Saunders, not only for the amount of revision work done, but for the fact that he painted himself in the scene. This is the ultimate Norm Saunders Mars Attacks original artwork, and an extraordinary  piece and one that would be a significant museum-quality highlight in any world-class Norm Saunders, Mars Attacks artwork, or  non-sport collection. The artwork (5.25 x 3.5 inches) has normal production-related remnants on the reverse, including the card number “17A,” and is otherwise in Near Mint to Mint condition. Reserve $5,000. Estimate (open).
 

Comment now » Read more October 19th, 2011

The Joe Pelaez Collection

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

         

……..T206 Doyle NY Nat’l…………………………….Joe Pelaez………………………………T206 Eddie Plank……

Joe Pelaez (1931-2010) was one of the hobby’s most colorful and passionate collectors. He was a true elder statesmen and ambassador of the field. His passing in 2010 was a great loss to his friends, family, and to the collecting world. His greatest prize without question was one of the very few authentic examples of the famous T206 “Slow Joe” Doyle, N.Y. Nat’l rarity. To Joe, the rare Doyle card, its discovery, understanding its great significance to the T206 set, and seeing con artists over the years trying to create fakes of this monumental T206 rarity, embodied all that was fascinating about the famous T206 set and vintage card collecting.

Joe loved to talk about cards and was always extremely generous with his great knowledge. He was a throwback to an earlier time, a hobbyist whose interest in card collecting had nothing to do with values. He just loved cards, was a true scholar, and immensely enjoyed the interaction with his fellow collectors. His extremely successful efforts to expose fake T206 Doyle and Magie error cards produced by criminals practically single-handedly (with assists by hobby legends such as Lew Lipset, Larry Frisch, Mark Macrae, and Bob Lemke) helped to eliminate the problem, educate collectors of the short-lived scam, and no doubt saved many from losing small fortunes to fraud. Joe was outspoken! He was always happy to engage in heated discussions about everything from hobby issues to politics. That was part of his charm! He was also a true patriot who very proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War.

It is an honor to have been chosen by the Pelaez family to handle the sale of The Joe Pelaez Collection.  Joe was well known for his emphasis on studying and collecting the famous T206 set and for having one of, if not the most complete collections of T209 Contentnea tobacco cards ever assembled (just a few short of a complete set of all known cards in the set). He also actively collected the T217 Mono Tobacco set and, in his later years no less, even embarked on the seemingly impossible task of collecting the 640-card T210 Old Mill Tobacco set. (He never finished the T210 project but did make a serious dent.)  For many years we have known that Joe had these sets, as his collecting was very focused on these particular areas. But when we picked up his collection we were surprised to find Joe had many additional cards that he had never mentioned to us. Not surprisingly, most were tobacco cards, including a set of T201 Mecca Double Folders and a beautiful set of T205 Gold Borders. He also had an impressive small collection of N172 Old Judge cards and a selection of Cuban cards from the 1920s to the 1940s which was not all that surprising to find as he was very proud of his Cuban heritage. We are still finding cards of Adolfo Luque, one of his favorite players, tucked away as we are sorting!

Of special note was the fact that Joe had not one but two sets of T206s. One was in fairly high grade, obviously upgraded over the years and simply a beautiful set. The other was, well, in pretty rough shape. Not that Joe was a condition fanatic (and as anyone who knew Joe could tell you, he had no use for grading companies; we can’t tell you how many broken grading cases we found as he “released” T210s from their plastic holders as when he picked them up, many happened to be graded). This second T206 set was his “pedestrian” set, assembled just for fun because he couldn’t get enough of a good thing.

Joe liked to share, and many collectors had the joy of sitting down at conventions in or near Joe’s home state of Virginia area (tobacco country!) and being amazed as Joe would actually bring his T206 Doyle, T206 set, and many other rarities out of a knapsack like a magician. For many advanced T206 collectors (and in his day at one time or another Joe knew them all), his was the only authentic rare Doyle card they would ever get to see in person. He loved to tell the story of how he bought this iconic card in Lew Lipset’s auction when it was offered in 1990 for the then “outrageous” sum of $19,000. He just had to have it; in his eyes it was better than a Wagner; and as he told the story he always added with self-depreciating humor that he was “out of his league!” At the time it was the second-highest price ever paid for a baseball card at auction, trailing only the then-record $25,011 realized several years earlier for a T206 Wagner (also sold at auction by Lew Lipset). Joe’s collection is not the largest or the most valuable ever handled by Robert Edward Auctions. In fact, it is relatively modest compared to many others. But this is a special collection, assembled by a collecting legend who left a big footprint in the world and the hobby. It is a special honor for us to present The Joe Pelaez Collection. And Joe, we know you are watching, and we hope you will forgive us for getting a few cards such as the T206 Doyle and T206 Plank graded. We thought that would be in the best interests of your family. But remember, they can always be broken out!

Comment now » Read more September 2nd, 2011

Beware: Deals Too Good To Be True

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Below is a cut-and-paste of an email just received that we really don’t think needs any additional information to fully understand, but, in short, it is a follow up communication to a call we received asking for our guidance in assessing a potential purchase. The reason we are posting this is that there are so many scams out there that take so many different forms, we want to make sure to communicate that if someone is offering you 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie cards (two were “included” and even  pictured with low quality images in the “collection” discussed below), or autographs of the most marketable Hall of Famers (such as Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth) for pennies on the dollar, think twice.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

We see this time and time again, almost on a daily basis, and it seems to be becoming even more prevalent.

This one had a happy ending for our customer. While identifying these fraudulent “deals” may seem obvious to many, others have not been so lucky. There are many victims. File this “collection” under one of the many “too good to be true” scams to avoid:

—–Original Message—–

From: [redacted for privacy of sender]

Sent: Friday, August 19, 2011 2:50 AM

To: info@robertedwardauctions.com

Subject: Website Contact Form Inquiry

—————————————————————————–

WEBSITE CONTACT INQUIRY

—————————————————————————–

…..thanks for talking with me the other day about the Craigs List items. I called the guy \”Carlos\” in Connecticut, he was very nice and friendly…..when I mentioned the option ofusing a third party authenticator to verify the PSA slabbed cards as real, he immediately said….HEY HOLD ON I NEED TO CALL YOU BACK……never heard from him again!!   I called the next day just to see what he would say…\”Oh I sold those cards to a guy for 50 thousand cash!\”   I told him congratulations and sorry again about your uncle dying!!!    Another scam bites the dust.  Glad you are doing so well in your business and hope to consign more with you in the future…..

  

Comment now » Read more August 19th, 2011

1868-1871 Baseball Team Card Find Lands at REA!!!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

       

         

           

   

      

         

         

                     

Find includes 1868 Brooklyn Atlantics and TWO 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Team Cards

Universally recognized as among the most exciting and historically significant nineteenth-century baseball cards are those featuring prominent teams issued in the late 1860s and early 1870s. Dating from both the dawn of professional baseball and the dawn of baseball cards (many of which were issued by Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods), team CDVs and trade cards from this era are almost nonexistent and the few survivors almost always surface one at a time. In the world of circa-1870 baseball team cards, each card is of enormous historical significance and the discovery of every card is a “collecting miracle!”

When we received an email recently describing not one, or even two, but EIGHT circa-1870 baseball team cards, including the 1868 Brooklyn Atlantics and two featuring the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings (the first professional baseball team), we immediately recognized that if these cards were authentic this would be one of the largest and most exciting pre-1900 team card finds in the history of collecting. Images soon verified that the find was real. Within days the cards were in hand! The eight baseball team cards were just part of the collection, which included a total of approximately 130 circa 1870 CDVs. The other cards featured images of various subjects including politicians (such as 1868 Democratic presidential candidates Seymour-Blair, 1872 Democratic candidate Horace Greeley, and a card featuring the 1872 Republican presidential candidate  Ulysses Grant with running mate Henry Wilson), famous people (such as P.T. Barnum and Charles Stratton), boxers (such as Jem Mace), actresses, musical and literary figures, and generals.

All eight of the baseball cards are of remarkable historical significance. Included are newly discovered examples of: 1) 1868 “The Atlantic Nine” Peck & Snyder Advertising Trade Card (the earliest of all Peck & Snyder team cards, one of only several examples known, and one of the most important of all nineteenth-century baseball card rarities. The 1868 Atlantics defeated the Red Stockings in 1868, and also broke the Red Stockings’ winning streak in 1870. To the best of our knowledge, this is the very first example to ever come to auction); 2&3) 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings CDV (two examples of one of card collecting’s most important cards, one of particularly special note as it features an advertisement for Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods on the reverse); 4) 1870 New York Mutuals Peck & Snyder Advertising Trade Card; 5) 1870 Philadelphia Athletics BBC Team CDV with AJ Reach; 6) 1870 Forest City’s of Rockford CDV with Al Spalding; 7) 1870 Chicago White Stockings Peck & Snyder Advertising Trade Card; 8) 1871 Chicago White Stockings F. A. Pierce & Co. Advertising Trade Card.

Each of the eight baseball team cards will be offered individually. The balance of the collection featuring non-baseball subjects has also been consigned and will be offered as a single lot. Interestingly, these cards have been consigned by a family who are not baseball collectors at all, but are general hobbyists who (in their own words) just “spent a lot of time taking short trips checking out antique shops for personal enjoyment.” They bought these cards at an antique shop in Charlvoix, Michigan decades ago and they have been sitting in a wooden cigar box ever since! It is interesting to note that several of the baseball cards have paper labels affixed on the reverse that clearly indicate these cards were sold by commercial establishments in Chicago that long ago offered these cards for outright sale (for example: “E. Lovejoy 187 South Clark St, Chicago” who, as noted on one label, offered for sale photos of “Celebrities for the Album”).

Collecting CDV and trade card photos for mounting in albums was a very popular pastime in the 1860s and 1870s. As photographs of famous people and places from around the world were able to be produced economically, it was only natural for collectors to want to assemble collections of images of all types including photos of the most celebrated baseball teams of the era. Based on the cards and materials accompanying them (including notes referencing the cards dated 1873), it is very likely that this collection was originally assembled in the years between 1868 to 1873, with at least some cards purchased from vendors that specialized in offering CDVs and trade cards for sale to collectors (not unlike the sale of picture postcards by a postcard store in more modern times). In other words, it appears that examples of some of the rarest and earliest baseball cards ever issued (including some originally issued by Peck & Snyder) that are included in this collection were originally purchased in approximately 1870 at one of the earliest baseball card stores!

Sure, there’s a little speculation involved. But we think this is exactly what the affixed store labels on the backs of several of the baseball cards in the group suggest and we found this very interesting. There has long been debate among collectors about what is the earliest baseball card. This collection may spark new debate about what is the earliest card store! (We always thought it was Goodwin Goldfadden’s store in California which we believe dates back to at least the 1940s. Maybe not!) Either way, this is a remarkable nineteenth-century card find, and it is a pleasure to share this early auction preview.

The cards above will appear in REA’s Spring 2012 auction.

Copies of the 2011 REA full-color premium catalog are still available and are free of charge. To learn more about Robert Edward Auctions, receive a complimentary copy of the catalog or inquire about consignments, visit http://robertedwardauctions.com/. Robert Edward Auctions is currently assembling its next sale. For further information, contact Robert Edward Auctions, PO Box 7256, Watchung, NJ 07069 or call (908) 226-9900.     

Comment now » Read more August 2nd, 2011

REA’s $9.5 Million Baseball Card Auction Sets Countless Records!!!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

1910 Joe Jackson Card Sells For Record $200,000; Lou Gehrig Jersey $329,000; T206 Wagner hammered down at $188,000; Countless Baseball Card Auction Records Shattered At REA!!!

                                                 

Watchung, New Jersey. The strength of the high-end baseball card and memorabilia market amazed collectors at Robert Edward’s record-setting May 7, 2011 auction. An astounding 179 lots sold for $10,000 or more. Collectors, dealers, and market watchers look to REA’s annual event as the key barometer of the health of the market and the most important auction event of the year. According to REA president Robert Lifson, “The market was extremely strong. If everything went perfect we were expecting the total to be maybe $7 million to $8 million. The results came in at $9.5 million. That about says it all.”  The secret?  ”Great material, care in cataloguing, the biggest circulation, extensive research and authentication, the well-deserved confidence of buyers, and an emphasis on the integrity of the auction process. It’s a powerful combination.” By any measure, this was one of the most successful auctions in the history of collecting. “It was also the smoothest running auction in all respects, including collecting the money. You’d think that there would be a few delays here and there in collecting money and getting it in the hands of consignors when you’re talking about $9.5 million dollars. There weren’t. That’s another extremely strong area for REA. All consignors were paid in full, 100 cents on the dollar with no adjustments due to nonpaying bidders, and in record time. That’s the standard we strive for and achieve at REA when it comes to paying consignors. Perfection. Consignors really appreciate getting paid 100 cents on the dollar.”

The stunning prices on all nineteenth and early twentieth century baseball cards and memorabilia precisely totaled a staggering $9.532 million dollars across 1743 lots. The average lot sold for $5,472. The Lou Gehrig jersey and the Lou Gehrig bat selling for $329,000 and $176,250 respectively - both records for these items- paced the memorabilia offerings. The bat was a personal gift from Gehrig to his neighbor. “This was the best Gehrig bat we’ve ever seen. Because of the provenance, it doesn’t get any better.” The bat last sold at auction eleven years ago for $50,000. “That was a record price in 2000, and $176,250 is a record price in 2011. It may be a long time before we see this bat again. When we do, my guess is it will be a lot higher still. This is an incredible bat.” The bat was not the only Gehrig item of special note in the auction. “The Lou Gehrig jersey was also particularly exciting. It had previously sold so recently - just two years ago - for $240,000, and usually when unique big-ticket items are offered again so soon they sell for a lot less. That’s to be expected. It’s the nature of markets and collectibles. Add to this the fact that the jersey was reevaluated and graded at a lower level in the current auction than its 2009 sale elsewhere, in addition to attempts by adversaries to create additional controversy - trying to put a negative spin on our authentication analysis and even questioning the authenticity of the jersey itself - and it wouldn’t have been surprising if it sold for a significant discount. The consignor certainly expected to take a big hit. But that’s not what happened! REA’s online presentation and analysis of photographs of Gehrig - photos in which he is wearing this very jersey - really made a difference. People could see for themselves this was really Gehrig’s jersey and he was wearing it. Instead of selling for less than in 2009 elsewhere, the jersey sold for $89,000 more at REA in 2011. And this was with the jersey graded a “7″ instead of a “9″ (on a scale of “1 to 10″ primarily for condition)!”

Vintage Cards Prices Soar At REA: REA is first and foremost a baseball card auction, so it is not surprising that the big money, as usual, was in the cards: The T206 Wagner (reserve $25,000) proved once again that it can always be counted on to sell for well into six figures in any grade. In this case, a restored example sold for $188,000. And not just the T206 Wagner but all things related to the famous T206 set were very strong. The T206 Eddie Plank in Very Good to Excellent condition (reserve $10,000; estimate $25,000+) sold for $94,000, a new record price for the grade. T206 Magie Error cards in VG and VG-EX condition realized $17,625 and $23,500 respectively. Even a second T206 Plank, heavily trimmed and encapsulated as “Authentic”, sold for a remarkable $41,125.  ”Interest in this card was helped by its rare back. Almost all Planks have Sweet Caporal backs. The Piedmont back made this example very special. For T206 collectors, especially as interest in backs is growing like wildfire, this card is a big deal in any grade. It also happened to be a nice looking card. The bigger message is simply that while we’ve always known that interest in all things related to the T206 set is huge, it’s growing!”  REA speculates that the unusual cut of the trimmed Plank may actually be related to the rarity of the card. “All of the few known Planks with Piedmont backs appear to have unusual cuts.”

The offering of an extremely rare T206 Brown Lennox back example, missing from virtually all advanced collections, did not go unnoticed. “This was the first example we have ever offered, let alone in Excellent condition,” notes REA president Robert Lifson. “We had no idea what to expect.” Neither did anyone else. With a reserve of $1,000 and an estimate of “open” (indicating that not enough historical pricing information was available to allow REA to provide a meaningful estimate), a frenzy of bidding sent this extreme T206 rarity to the stratosphere with a final selling price of $29,375. “The buyer’s still recovering. But we think he’ll be OK. Seriously, the buyer has no regrets and is very happy. We can understand why. In forty years, this is the only Brown Lenox example we have ever even seen, let alone offered; it is the highest grade example known; and no T206 advertising back collection is complete without one. The price may seem crazy but that’s what they said about Wagners and Planks and Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb backs years ago. Anything related to the T206 set will always be important. It may be another 40 years before we see another.”

The T210 Old Mill of Joe Jackson (reserve $25,000; est. $50,000+), which has been gaining in stature for years, crushed all previous sales, setting a new all-time record auction selling price at $200,000. A 1933 Goudey #106 Nap Lajoie (PSA 8 NM-MT), universally recognized as one of card collecting’s most desirable rarities, realized $52,875. This very card had been purchased by the consignor just months earlier (November 2010) at auction elsewhere for $43,880. “He may have just gotten a good buy,” notes REA president Robert Lifson, “but for such a high profile card to sell for over 20% more in such a short time, this suggests that the market may just be getting stronger, especially for the most classic marquee cards. Consignors across the board were very happy but it’s naturally a very tall order to surprise them with stronger-than-expected results on big ticket items that have sold so recently elsewhere.”

The 1886 Kalamazoo Bats of Jim O’Rourke had not seen the light of day since it was purchased by the consignor in 1991 for $6,050 at the famous Jim Copeland Sotheby’s auction. It realized $58,750, setting an all-time record price for this classic nineteenth-century card. “Interesting background story on this card” notes REA’s Robert Lifson. “The consignor was not a nineteenth-century card collector. He was a Mickey Mantle collector. When he consigned his cards to REA, he pulled this card out and we were very surprised. We asked how it came to be that he had this incredible card?  He explained that in 1991 he wandered into the preview of the Copeland auction at Sotheby’s in New York. He happened to see this card, liked it, and on a lark decided to buy it at the auction.” He had never bought a pre-1900 card before or since and it sat in a drawer with his original receipt for the next twenty years. Lifson adds, “He was very pleased with the auction result.”

Additional extraordinary highlights: Jake Daubert’s 1919 Cincinnati Reds World Series championship pin consigned directly from Jake Daubert’s granddaughter sold for an astounding $94,000. The only other 1919 World Series championship pin known to exist in private hands that has ever been auctioned was the one presented to third baseman Heinie Groh. His family sold his award decades ago. Like many of the baseball-collecting world’s greatest treasures, it wound up in the legendary Barry Halper Collection. Buried in a mountain of rare and valuable items in the 1999 Barry Halper Collection auction conducted by Sotheby’s, it sold for $17,250 at that time.

A newly-discovered E90-1 American Caramel card of Joe Jackson, found in a small collection consigned by a non-collector, sold for an impressive $32,312. An extraordinary near-complete set of 1910 T210 Old Mill tobacco cards was broken into nine lots and realized $107,512. The most comprehensive collection of Zeenut PCL candy cards that REA has ever offered was presented in forty lots and realized an astounding total of $232,297. The complete set run 1909-1911 Obak Tobacco cards, offered by set, also set auction records, selling for a total of $79,125. “These were special sets, by far the best we’ve ever seen” notes REA’s Lifson. “Because of their strong condition, they deserved to set records. These came from the collection of legendary pioneer collector Jack Pollard, one of the all time greats in the field. I have no idea where he got them but it was great to see that all three sets were won by the same person and will remain together.”

Additional Highlights:

A newly-discovered variation of the 1889 E.R. Williams playing card set (res. $5,000) generated a tremendous amount of bidder interest. Collectors recognized its significance, rarity, and the fact that it is unlikely that another set will ever surface. The set surfaced for the first time at another auction in November 2010 and was purchased by REA’s consignor for $10,000. Consigned to REA, it soared to $70,500. Lifson comments: “We knew the consignor got a great deal but we’re only talking about it selling for $10,000 a few months earlier. It was obviously overlooked when it first came up, and I think we made an impressive presentation of explaining the enormous significance of the set that obviously resonated with collectors. Our consignor was thrilled. He says he owes us dinner. But we think the buyer did pretty well too. The cards really are that special. It was exciting to present all the information on the set in the ideal way and see that the most advanced collectors in the field agree and respond. Results like this, when we can shine a light on the great significance of items that have been or might be overlooked, and help their true value be realized, that’s when we know we’ve done our job right. We’ve earned our keep. We’re taking the dinner!”

The Louisiana Find: One of the most exciting vintage card finds in modern times was represented by “The Louisiana Find”. When this collection of 1910 era tobacco cards from a noncollecting Louisiana family “walked in” to the Full Count Vintage Baseball Card Forum, it nearly caused a riot, and with good reason. Even though there were only 94 cards, all were rarities. Most important, the collection was highlighted by eight T207 Brown Background cards with Red Cross tobacco advertising backs, which all alone would qualify the collection for legendary status. Previous to this find, a total of only five examples were known to exist. Reminiscent of perhaps the greatest “cyberfind” of all time, Net54 Vintage Card message forum’s “Skydash” find of Colgan’s Chips including Joe Jackson and Jim Thorpe in 2007, “The Louisiana Find” was a small but very significant offering that was also an exciting drama for serious hobbyists to watch unfold. The importance of the small collection generated much speculation about its final selling price. Key rarity highlight T207 Lowdermilk with Red Cross back all alone sold for $21,150. The 94 cards sold for a total of $86,715.

Additional highlights: An extremely high grade 1948-1949 Leaf set was broken up by condition into seven lots and sold for an astounding $103,870, including $29,375 for the classic key card #8 Satchel Paige (PSA NM 7). An extraordinarily high grade 1954 Stahl-Meyer Meats card of Mickey Mantle (graded PSA 7 NM) generated tremendous interest and sold for a well-deserved record price for this modern classic at $23,500. The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is a classic that collectors aggressively bid on in every grade. Two EX+ 1952 Topps #311 Mantle examples realized $16,450 and $22,325 respectively (the higher selling example was cited by REA as being a particularly strong example for the grade) and a PSA 7 NM example sold for $32,312, all exceptional prices but at the same time illustrating the enormous impact of condition on value on this iconic card in even a fairly tight condition range. All high-grade complete sets sold very strongly. Examples include: 1952 Topps ranging from Vg-Ex to Nr/Mt (res. $10,000) sold for $44,062; 1956 Topps Complete PSA-Graded Set (8.03 GPA): #12 PSA Registry Set (reserve $10,000, estimate $20,000/30,000+) realized $44,062; and the 1968 Topps Complete PSA-Graded Set (9.26 GPA): #3 PSA Registry sold for $38,187.

Additional significant auction highlights: A 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth in NM-MT condition (res. $5,000; est. $10,000/$20,000) realized $21,150. The always popular 1933 Sport Kings #2 Babe Ruth in NM condition (res. $2,500; est. $5,000+) sold for $9,400. Several 24-card 1933 Goudey uncut sheets were offered including one featuring the #181 Babe Ruth card (res. $5,000) that realized $23,500 and a 1933 Canadian Goudey “Triple Ruth” sheet (res. $10,000) that sold for $32,312. Two 1934 Goudey uncut sheets with Lou Gehrig, one featuring  the twenty-four cards numbered from #25 to #48, the other featuring cards numbered from #49 to #72 (each with a reserve of $5,000) realized $18,800 and $32,312 respectively. The 1940 Play Ball: #2 PSA Registry Set (res. $10,000; est. $20,000/$40,000), by far the highest grade set of this classic gum card issue ever seen or offered by REA, sold for $44,062.

REA Statistics: Record prices were set on countless items, both in cards and memorabilia, and spanning all eras. The 1743 lots, offered on behalf of 317 different consignors, were won by an incredible 648 different bidders, illustrating the power of the marketing and auction process, and the breadth of bidder interest. Successful bidders included some of the nation’s most prestigious museums, universities, and corporate institutional collections, as well as representatives from numerous Major League teams. “All areas of the auction received a tremendous response and very strong prices. Nineteenth-century baseball items were unbelievable, as always, as were all early baseball cards, advertising and display pieces, graded cards, Babe Ruth items, autographs, memorabilia, non-sport cards and artwork.” Thousands of bidders from all over the world participated. Exactly 25,638 bids were placed and more than 99% of the lots sold (all but two). The average lot sold for $5,472 and on average realized more than double the high-end estimate.

Additional Auction Highlights:

Nineteenth-century cards and memorabilia were extremely strong, setting record after record, as is always the case at REA. The newly-discovered 1876 Hartford Blues CDV team card with Candy Cummings (purchased by the consignor at a local auction for just a few hundred dollars before being consigned to the REA auction) sold for an incredible $18,800. The 1886 Kalamazoo Bats New York Mets portrait card of Jim Donahue in VG condition sold for an extremely impressive $8,812, setting an auction record for this rarity (for an auction that did not involve shill bidding by the owner of the card against a “secret” left upto bid). An even higher grade Kalamazoo Bats New York Mets player portrait card of Jack Lynch in Excellent condition realized a record $15,275. The N690 Kalamazoo Bats New York player portrait card of Hall of Famer Roger Connor naturally sold for even more. In Good condition, this gem sold for an incredible record $44,062 (more than twice the previous high auction price realized for a different example of this card set elsewhere at $21,510 in November 2010).

An extraordinary 1859 Unions vs Excelsiors Trophy ball (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) - one of the earliest ever seen - soared to $23,500. An N173 1888 Old Judge cabinet card of Hall of Famer Buck Ewing in EX-NR/MT condition (res. $1,500; est. $3,000-$5,000), saved in the family of a noncollector who had no idea of its great value, was hammered down for a record $17,625. An N173 1888 Old Judge cabinet card of Hall of Famer Mike “King” Kelly from the very same collection (res. $2,000; est. $4,000/$6,000) sold for an equally impressive $16,450. The small N172 1886-1888 Old Judge cards offered also generated extremely spirited bidding: High grade examples of Hall of Famers Ed Delahanty (res. $1,000; est. $2,000/$4,000) and Charles Comiskey (res. $1,000; est. $2,000/$3,000) realized $8,225 and $7,050 respectively, while a NM-MT N172 Old Judge example of Mickey Welch (res. $2,500) soared to $11,750.  An N300 1895 Mayo’s Cut Plug tobacco card of Hall of Famer Kid Nichols in NM-MT condition (res. $5,000) realized $16,450.

A very unusual 1866 Team Cabinet Photo featuring the Washington and Brooklyn Teams with Henry Chadwick (res. $2,500) was purchased by REA’s consignor at another auction in August 2006 for $7,375. Additional research by REA, a different audience at REA, and perhaps a different marketplace, resulted in a well-deserved final selling price of $21,150, approximately three times its previous auction selling price. Robert Edward Auctions is a magnet for previously unoffered items. The 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings CDV (res. $5,000) was another exciting noncollector family find presented in the auction. Fortunately saved for decades in a drawer, this gem was highly prized by advanced collectors, as expected, and sold for $32,312. An 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings trade card featuring an advertisement on the reverse for Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods was another extremely significant highlight. One of card collecting’s all-time classics, this example realized $35,250. A small but exciting newly-discovered collection of 1887-1889 N172 Old Judges, consisting of 69 cards with minor back damage, once again illustrated that technical grades take a distant back seat among sophisticated collectors in valuing classic nineteenth-century baseball cards. With a reserve of $2,500 and an estimate of $5,000+, the lot soared in late bidding to $26,437.

Autographs: One of the best of the few Joe Jackson signed documents in existence (res. $25,000) sold for a record $64,625. The 1916 signed voucher, which resembles a check,  was especially noteworthy for its impeccable provenance, originating 20+ years ago directly from Joe Jackson’s sister, Gertrude. A rarely seen autographed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, saved by REA’s consignor as a youngster in 1952 and personally signed for him years later (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+), realized $22,325. A strong selection of signed baseballs included: An exceptional Jimmy Foxx single-signed ball (res. $2,500) sold for $26,747. A 1939 Babe Ruth single on a “Home Run Special” baseball (res. $4,000; est. $8,000+) had been saved by the original owner since childhood, the family almost sold outright to a dealer at the National Convention for $9,000 but decided to take their chances at auction. They were glad they did. The ball sold for $16,450.  An ideal 1955 Dodgers ball realized an amazing $21,150. REA officials note: “The very best single and team-signed balls consistently bring incredible prices. With team balls, the difference in value between an ideal example and one with a few signatures missing or with even a single clubhouse signature can be enormous. Ideal examples are few and far between but when offered clearly bring a tremendous premium.” Nowhere can this be seen more strongly than the simply astounding auction result of the extraordinary high-grade 1977 Yankees team-signed ball with 34 signatures. Offered as Lot #1128 with a reserve of $200 and an estimate of $500+, this 1977 Yankees team ball sold for an astonishing $22,325, setting a record not just for a team signed ball dating from the 1970s but for any post-1961 team-signed ball as well. “It wasn’t just two crazy bidders going back and forth,” note REA auction officials. “The top three bids were by three different very advanced collectors.”

Game-Used Bats: A 1921-1928 Ty Cobb bat (res. $5,000) realized $38,187; a 1925-1931 Babe Ruth bat (res. $5,000) sold for $32,312; a particularly outstanding 1966 Mickey Mantle bat with provenance that had not previously been seen in the marketplace (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) was hotly contested, finally being hammered down at $35,250. Two 1955-1960 Ted Williams bats realized $21,150 and $23,500 respectively. A game-used 1938 Hank Greenberg bat by far set a new record at $22,325. The last 1938-era Hank Greenberg bat to hit the market, for comparison, was sold at auction elsewhere in November 2010 at $7,767. To paraphrase his famous quote about a popular restaurant (”No one eats there anymore. It’s too crowded.”), Yogi Berra might say about the next bat: “No one bids at auctions anymore. The prices are just too high.” His 1951 All-Star bat sold for a remarkable record $32,312, smashing all previous Berra bat sales, tripling the previous highest auction price. We can practically hear Yogi saying “I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.” Yogi might be correct on this one for a while at least. It may be a long time before this record is broken.

Baseball Contracts: The most advanced collection of Major League contracts of Hall of Famers to ever come to auction was a significant highlight. In total, the collection realized $196,225. Christy Mathewson’s 1902 contract (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) sold for $41,125.  Other highlights included contracts of nineteenth-century Hall of Famer Jim O’Rourke (res. $5,000) which sold for $17,625; and Rogers Hornsby’s 1921 contract (res. $1,000; $2,000/$4,000) was hammered down at $10,575. Whitey Ford’s 1950 rookie contract (res. $1,000; est. $2,500+) and Roberto Clemente’s for the 1962 season (res. $2,500) sold for $9,400 and $14,100 respectively.

Game-Used Jerseys: Minor League jerseys don’t usually sell for big money, but the auction proved there can be exceptions:  Willie Mays’ 1951 Minneapolis Millers Home jersey (res. $10,000; est. $25,000+) sold for $44,062. This jersey dates from the dawn of Mays’ career and its enormous historical significance could not be overstated. As the REA catalog description notes, “Mays was one of the most important pioneers in the integration of the Major Leagues, one of the few great stars chosen to bridge the gap between the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues, in the process experiencing great hardship but paving the way for his own great career and that of the others who followed.” Other significant jerseys included: 1963 Harman Killebrew Minnesota Twins Game-Used Road Jersey (res. $2,500; est. $5,000+) which soared to a final selling price of $22,325; and from the modern era a 2006 Derek Jeter New York Yankees signed game-used road jersey with Steiner Sports provenance (res. $2,500) which sold for $9,987. “With good reason, collectors are rarely comfortable spending big money on modern jerseys. There are so many fakes. But the Steiner provenance made all the difference on the Jeter jersey,” note REA officials. “Collectors know that Steiner performs an incredible service. The Steiner name is gold. Derek Jeter really wore this jersey.”

Additional Vintage Card highlights: An extremely impressive near-complete collection of T209 Contentnea Cigarette cards near-set (reserve $10,000) sold for $44,062. A collection of 35 1927 York Caramel cards (res. $2,500; est. $5,000+) consigned by a noncollector sold for an amazing $22,325. A rare T204 Ramly Tobacco “square border” variation card of Hall of Famer Jesse Burkett in VG-EX condition was the highlight of yet another noncollector family’s keepsakes (res. $2,500), and sold for $15,275. A 1911 D304 Brunners Bread set in various grades also sold for $22,325, while a high-grade Frank Baker card with a rare Martens Bakery back from the same set sold for $8,225 all alone. A T206 Cobb Green Background in Ex-Mt condition (res. $1,500; est. $3,000/$5,000) realized $10,575; a T206 of common player Francis Pfeffer graded NM-MT 8 by PSA with an SMR value of $865 (res. $300; est. $500+), sold for $3,525; a T206 of Clark Griffith with a rare Drum Cigarettes advertising reverse (res. $1,000; est. $2,000+) sold for $12,925; a T206 Red Background portrait of Cobb in PSA 8 NM-MT condition (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) was hammered down at $18,800.  The 50-card T201 Mecca Double Folders set (res. $10,000, est. $20,000/$30,000), all graded and encapsulated by PSA and with an average grade 7.77, sold for an impressive $44,062. A collection of 1915 Cracker Jack cards that were saved by the family of the original owner were especially appreciated by bidders, in part for their original owner provenance. The 154 cards, almost all in Vg to Vg-Ex condition, were presented in six lots. The family investigated the value of the cards in 1975. At the time they were worth $1,300 and they decided to hold off selling. The REA auction proved this was a wise decision. The 154 cards realized a total of $41,947. Cracker Jack cards in higher grades can sell for considerably more, of course: a 1915 Cracker Jack of Ty Cobb in Near Mint to Mint condition (res. $5,000; est. $10,000/$15,000+) all alone realized $21,150. A 1910 era scrapbook saved for 100 years and including an E90-1 American Caramel rookie card of Joe Jackson was offered by the family of the original collector. They were shocked to learn the album had tremendous value. With a reserve of $2,500 the album generated enormous interest and exceeded all expectations, finally selling for an extraordinary $35,250.

More Memorabilia Highlights: The only known complete set of five giant 1928 Lucky Strike tobacco large-format advertising signs featuring baseball players was a very significant highlight. These signs were miraculously unearthed during a house renovation in Walla Walla, Washington, where they had been serving as insulation within one of the walls of the house being renovated. They sold for $35,250. Not bad for insulation! A panoramic photograph capturing the members of the Kansas City Monarchs, champions of the Negro National League, and the Hilldale Daisies, champions of the Eastern Colored League, posing at the 1924 Negro League World Series was offered with a reserve of $2,500. This extraordinary image sold for a record $29,375. A magnificently decorated baseball personally used by pitching legend Christy Mathewson on October 3, 1904 in a game at the Polo Grounds in which Mathewson made baseball history by striking out a
then-record sixteen batters had been prized family keepsake of the Campell family for 107 years. In 2011 the Campbell family decided the ball might be more at home in the hands of a serious collector and proceeded to investigate where to best sell this type of item. They finally decided to send it to auction at REA. Nothing could have prepared them for the enthusiastic reception this exciting and unique relic would elicit. With a reserve of $2,000, this treasure from the deadball era sold for $44,625.

A rarely seen 1918 World Series program (res. $2,500), another recently discovered gem, realized a record $23,500.The 1914 Boston “Miracle” Braves World Series ring of Hall of Famer Johnny Evers, of all the more special note having been consigned directly by the Evers family, realized $52,875. The Harry S. Truman signed Ceremonial First-Pitch Baseball to open the 1950 season, originating from the personal collection of the Senators’ Eddie Robinson and including photos of Robinson posing with the President and the ball, was another tremendous memorabilia highlight. The bidding started at $2,000. When the dust cleared, the final selling price was $29,375.

Other sports and Non-Sports:

The auction also included an impressive selection of items from other sports, Americana, nonsport cards, and original card artwork, all of which sold extremely strong, including: The #3 PSA Registry set of 1955 Topps All-American was presented in six lots and realized an extraordinary  total of $43,357. The 1948 Leaf Boxing “master set” (98 cards, including both gray and white back variations) sold for an impressive $12,925. But even more incredible was the discovery and offering from the same collection of the 1948 Leaf #50 Rocky Graziano, boxing card collecting’s most legendary rarity. Billed as “the 1948 Leaf Graziano that fell from the sky”, the consignor was the family of one of card collecting’s great pioneers (who passed away in 2009). They did not realize they had this card. They weren’t supposed to. REA didn’t realize they had the card either. Until REA cataloguers were shocked to find this card mixed in with in the common cards in the 1948 Leaf Boxing master set! With a reserve of $5,000 and an estimate of $10,000/$15,000, “the 1948 Leaf Graziano that fell from the sky” sold for an auction record $41,125. Similarly, an unopened box of 1956 Topps football cello cards was unexpectedly found mixed in among the baseball items in the estate of announcer Ron Menchine, legendary collector, historian, and last voice of the Washington Senators before moving to Texas after the 1971 season. Ron saved everything since he began collecting in the 1950s and had apparently bought this box in 1956 and just put it aside. The original cost was $3.60. The unopened box sold for $29,375.

The Jack Zugay Collection of Vintage Golf Cards, representing the finest collection of vintage golf trading cards to ever come to auction, included ten PSA #1 Registry sets and was presented in 25 lots.  All 600+ cards in the Jack Zugay Collection were graded by PSA and included were many of the highest grade sets and singles known to exist. For golf card collectors, this was a very special and highly anticipated event, a fact that is easily seen in the final results: The 25 lots sold for an extraordinary total of $127,781, representing a remarkable average selling price of over $5,000 per lot.

The #1 PSA Registry set of 1971 Topps Football (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) sold for an extraordinary $22,325. An exceptionally high-grade 1951-52 Parkhurst Hockey complete set minus one card (res. $10,000, est. $20,000+) sold for a remarkable $44,062. The original artwork to card #34 “Terror in the Railroad” in the 1963 Topps Mars Attacks set sold for $11,750, and the artworks to cards #7 “Destroying A Bridge” and #22 “Burning Cattle” were also offered and sold for $11,162 and $10,575 respectively (each with a reserve of $5,000). Even the display box for Mars Attacks cards sold for big money: with a reserve of $1,000, the box is not just a rarity but clearly a favorite with advanced nonsport collectors, selling for a remarkable $11,625. The 1940 Superman Gum, Inc. high numbers (#49-72) uncut sheet (res. $5,000) was another significant nonsport highlight.  This sheet was purchased by the consignor in 1976, along with a second Superman sheet and a Lone Ranger sheet (sold last year in REA’s spring 2010 sale), for the total then-princely sum of $300, after hearing that they surfaced at an early Philadelphia card convention and tracking down the buyer. Ironically, the person he purchased the sheets was future REA president Robert Lifson, who was literally a kid at the time, reaching him by phone to do a deal (after school, of course). The one high-numbers Superman sheet all alone sold for $22,325.

Many other auction records were shattered for pre-1948 baseball cards, nineteenth-century baseball cards and memorabilia, non-sport cards, and Americana. Further information and complete auction results are available online at www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Copies of the 750-page full-color premium catalog are also still available free. Go to www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com, click “Free Catalog,” and fill in your name and address. Robert Edward Auctions is currently assembling its next sale. For further information contact: Robert Edward Auctions, PO Box 7256, Watchung, NJ or call (908)-226-9900.

###

Robert Edward Auctions, LLC is a one of the world’s leading specialty auction houses, devoted exclusively to the sale of rare baseball cards, memorabilia, and Americana.

Comment now » Read more June 15th, 2011

REA 1938 Lou Gehrig Jersey Displayed At Al Schacht’s Restaurant in 1942!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

John Rogers Photo Archive Discovery:

REA 1938 Lou Gehrig Jersey Displayed At Al Schacht’s Restaurant in 1942!

Late yesterday (May 6, 2011) we received an exciting call from John Rogers, owner of John Rogers Photo Archive. For anyone that is not familiar with John Rogers Photo Archives, it is the premier destination for entire newspaper photo archives (which are then digitalized for easier use and access, allowing the originals to be sold). Here is a link: http://johnrogersarchive.com Just a few of the acquisitions of the John Rogers Photo archives include the photo archives of: Chicago Daily News, Chicago Sun Times, The Denver Post, Detroit Free Press, Sport Magazine, Denver Evening Post, and The Sporting News.  John has MILLIONS of photos.  He explained to us that he just happened to be looking at a group of photos from The Sporting News archives when one photo from 1942 happened to jump out at him because it featured a memorabilia display that included a Lou Gehrig jersey. It was not immediately clear what the display represented, but upon close examination and comparison, it was easy to see that the Lou Gehrig jersey pictured in the photo was the very same as the 1938 Lou Gehrig jersey in the current REA auction! He knew it was a Sporting News photo. With a little research he quickly found that this photo appeared on the cover of the December 10, 1942 edition of The Sporting News in an article celebrating the grand opening of Al Schacht’s famous restaurant in New York.  Former ballplayer Al Schacht, of course, was well known as “The Clown Prince of Baseball”. In The Sporting News article, the display case is referred to as “The Wall of Fame” and is identified as “Al’s Collection of Diamond Souvenirs”. Each item was displayed with an identifying index card. In addition to the Lou Gehrig jersey, other items in the display case include Walter Johnson’s glove from the 1924 World Series, Al Schacht’s top hat, Hank Greenberg’s cap, plus others.

 Interestingly, the index card identifying the Lou Gehrig Jersey reads “The last uniform worn by Lou Gehrig – World Series- 1939”. Gehrig did not play in the 1939 World Series, but did suit up and sit in the dugout. Is this what the identification refers to? Perhaps the index card was in error, and should have referred to the 1938 World Series? Or could it have possibly been intended to refer to his last game, the game in which he took himself out of the lineup in Detroit? It’s hard to tell but perhaps more research will provide answers. In the meantime, it is fascinating to us that in addition to photo matches (in our opinion) that we have found and provided with Gehrig actually wearing this shirt in 1938 and 1939, that we now have this photo match (in our opinion) of the jersey displayed in Al Schacht’s restaurant, featured on the cover of The Sporting News in 1942. Our great thanks to John Rogers of The John Rogers Photo Archives for discovering and providing this information!

 Above: 1942 Sporting News Archive photo discovered by John Rogers

Above: The Sporting News featuring Al Schacht Restaurant Opening (December 10, 1942)  

Closeup of Lou Gehrig jersey from Al Schacht’s “Collection of Diamond Souvenirs”

       

Above: Closeup of 1938 REA Jersey, easily seen to be the very same jersey once displayed at Al Schacht’s restaurant in 1942.  

Link to the auction bidding page for the REA 1938 Lou Gehrig jersey Lot #7:

http://bid.robertedwardauctions.com/bidplace.aspx?itemid=18286

Comment now » Read more May 7th, 2011