REA Blockbuster Auction Features Baseball Collecting World’s Greatest Treasures Including T206 Honus Wagner, 1914 Babe Ruth Rookie, 1863 Harry Wright

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

From the very first baseball card to Babe Ruth’s 1914 rookie card to the famous T206 Honus Wagner once owned by Charlie Sheen and many never before seen items, the upcoming Robert Edward Auctions’ catalog will showcase over 1,500 lots.

WATCHUNG, NEW JERSEY-A full year in the making, Robert Edward Auctions has put the finishing touches on its latest catalog auction and the thousands of collectors who look forward to the blockbuster event each year will have plenty of history to bid on.

The company has announced that the massive catalogs will ship on April 20, 2013 and include more than 1,500 lots of historic, rare and valuable baseball cards and memorabilia dating from the 19^th century through the modern era. As always, the first copy off the presses will be presented to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York for their library, as is REA’s time-honored tradition. The remaining 10,000 catalogs will be sent to collectors all over the world.

The catalog features hundreds of items worthy of the most prestigious collections, both public and private, but also contains enough variety to interest anyone who is a sports fan. Total sales for the event are expected to exceed $5 million.

Serious baseball collectors all over the world look forward to Robert Edward’s annual spring auction. “We have been assembling material, writing, and researching since our 2012 auction closed, hoping to make this a special event for everyone.” says REA president Robert Lifson. “As always, we’re trying to do more than just have an auction. We’re trying to create a positive event that is historic, that makes collecting fun, promotes a love of history, and that everyone can be a part of, as a bidder, a consignor, or just as an observer.”

REA’s reputation for hosting the baseball collecting world’s most highly-anticipated and respected baseball auction event is built on forty years of experience.

“Babe Ruth’s 1914 rookie card, the T206 Wagner, one of the best 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards in existence, the very first baseball card from 1863, jerseys of Koufax, Mays, and Aaron; autographs of virtually every Hall of Famer; it seems like it goes on forever,” Lifson said. “We also have an unusually strong selection of items from other sports and an extremely impressive selection of Americana. Every time we turned around, we were offered something great in baseball memorabilia, cards, boxing, and Americana. Roger Maris’ bat. Muhammad Ali’s shoes from the ‘Rumble In the Jungle’ fight. A 1933 Goudey Lajoie in Near Mint to Mint condition. We think this is one of our best auctions ever.”

T206 Honus Wagner: The famous T206 Honus Wagner needs no introduction and is a star wherever he goes, but this auction features a particularly famous example of the most valuable card in the world. This T206 Wagner REA is offering was once owned by actor Charlie Sheen, who allowed the card to be displayed at the All Star Café in New York. In a plot worthy of a TV episode, in 1998 the card was stolen from its display case by workers at the All Star Café, and replaced with a copy! When the theft was discovered, the thieves were soon caught, and the Wagner was recovered by the FBI. This card when last sold in 2009 realized $399,500. The T206 “All Star Café” Wagner has a reserve of $100,000.

1914 Babe Ruth Rookie Card: Many consider the 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card to be the single most important and miraculous baseball card in the world. This card, issued by the Baltimore News, features Babe Ruth as an unknown minor league rookie straight out of St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. In addition to being one of the most important baseball cards known to exist, it is also one of the rarest. Only ten examples of the 1914 Babe Ruth rookie are known to exist in the world. The reserve is $100,000. The card is expected to sell for more than $200,000.

1963 Sandy Koufax Jersey: Included in the auction is an extraordinary 1963 Sandy Koufax jersey. One of the best Hall of Famer jerseys in existence, it was while wearing this very jersey in 1963 that Sandy Koufax enjoyed his breakout season, leading the league in wins (25), ERA (1.88), and strikeouts (306; first National League pitcher in history to strikeout over 300 batters). He capped the year by winning two games in the Dodgers’ sweep of the Yankees in the World Series, which was highlighted by his record-setting fifteen strikeouts in Game 1. His extraordinary regular-season numbers led to Koufax winning both the Most Valuable Player Award and Cy Young Award at season’s end. (reserve $25,000; estimate $50,000+).

Legendary Card Rarities Including 1910 Joe Jackson: The sale will include virtually every one of the baseball card collecting world’s most revered “Holy Grails”. In addition to the famous T206 Honus Wagner, and the 1914 Babe Ruth rookie, included in the auction are two examples of the T206 Eddie Plank, one in Vg-Ex condition (res. $10,000; est. $25,000+) and one in Excellent condition (res. $25,000; est. $50,000+). The 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card (his first card as a major leaguer, not to be confused with his 1914 Baltimore News card as a minor leaguer) is another of card collecting’s most famous rarities, and is represented in this auction by an amazing three different examples ranging in grade from Poor to Vg-Ex. Each 1916 Ruth card is very different and will appeal to a different type of collector. Reserves range from $5,000 in poor condition to $10,000 for the Vg-Ex example.

Also featured is one of the finest examples in the world of the famous 1933 #106 Nap Lajoie, graded NM-MT 8 by PSA (res. $10,000, est. $40,000+). A second 1933 Goudey #106 in Very Good to Excellent condition (res. of $5,000, Est. $10,000/$15,000+) is also offered.

Yet another legendary card on every short list of the collecting world’s most important baseball cards is the 1910 T210 Old Mill Joe Jackson. In addition to being one of the very few cards of Jackson ever issued, this is the only tobacco card of ‘Shoeless Joe’. In very strong condition for this card (graded Good 30 by SGC), this rare Old Mill Tobacco card features Jackson as a minor leaguer with New Orleans in 1910, long before the “Black Sox” scandal of 1919. It is believed that fewer twenty examples are known to exist (res. $25,000; est. $50,000++). The last T210 Joe Jackson sold by REA was offered in 2011 and realized a record $200,000.

The First Baseball Card? 1863 Harry Wright: Nineteenth-century baseball cards and items of great historical significance have always been a special area of interest for REA. This auction has some of the most remarkable items in this important area to ever come to auction. Perhaps the most interesting is the 1863 Grand Match at Hoboken card of Harry Wright. This card, which is also a ticket, has a remarkable significance and claim: It may be the first baseball card ever. The 1863 Grand Match set was created to promote attendance, and the sale of admissions, to a special series of games held in September of 1863. The first two games were cricket matches. The third was a baseball game.

The significance of the 1863 Grand Match At Hoboken Benefit cards is, in short: The several benefit games of the early 1860s that were organized by Harry Wright were the very first recorded open transactions of players accepting money for playing baseball ever. The players who received the money were the very ones who sold the cards. The 1863 Grand Match ticket/cards are of enormous historical significance as their production and sale represent not only the very first set of baseball cards ever produced, but their sale also literally represents the Birth of Professional Baseball. The auction features the only known 1863 Grand Match at Hoboken Benefit card of Harry Wright, who today is recognized as the “Father of Professional Baseball”.

Prewar Card Rarities: In addition to the rarities described above, this year’s auction includes a wealth of incredible baseball cards issued prior to World War II. Among the many highlights are hundreds of Old Judge baseball cards from the 1880s, 1915 Cracker Jack baseball cards, thousands of 1910 era tobacco and candy cards, and hundreds of 1930s gum cards including high grade examples of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Virtually all important baseball card sets are featured.

1912 Boston Garter Uncut Strip of Four Cards: There are so many prewar card highlights it would be impossible to list them all, but perhaps the most amazing is the only known uncut strip of 1912 Boston Garter advertising cards. One of the greatest prizes in all of card collecting, the only uncut panel of four 1912 Boston Garter cards known to exist features the following four players: Frank Chance (HOF), Fred Clarke (HOF), Hal Chase, and Bob Bescher. The 1912 Boston Garter set is universally regarded as one of the rarest and most beautiful card issues ever produced. It is believed that fewer than twenty-five examples of 1912 Boston Garters are known to exist in the entire collecting world. This is a staggering item, containing four original 1912 Boston Garter cards, each of which would be an incredible highlight and significant card on its own. Reserve $50,000, estimate $100,000.

Post-war baseball cards are also in abundance in this incredible sale, including one of the finest examples in the universe of the classic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle graded PSA 8.5 NM-MT+ (reserve $50,000; estimate $100,000+); a 1952 Topps near-complete set (res. $2,500; est. $10,000+); and extraordinary, high-grade examples of 1950s and 1960s cards of the era’s top stars like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and many more. Also included are complete or near-complete sets of virtually every major postwar issue from 1948 to 1972.

Game-Used Bats and Jerseys: This year’s REA auction includes perhaps its best-ever accumulation of game-used bats and jerseys.

Bats included are those of legendary Hall of Famers such as Joe DiMaggio, Brooks Robinson, Al Kaline, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Ted Williams. Even bats of the legendary Cubs’ infield of the early 20^th century: Tinkers, Evers and Chance! Most extraordinary is a 1961 Roger Maris bat that may be the very bat he used to tie Babe Ruth’s home run record (reserve $10,000; estimate open). This bat was given to the Baltimore Orioles clubhouse man and is personally inscribed and dated by Maris. Game-used jerseys include 1963 Sandy Koufax (res. $25,000; est. $50,000+); 1970 Brooks Robinson (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+); 1970 Hank Aaron (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+), and 1971 Willie Mays (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+).

Autographs: Autographs of Ruth and Cobb and Gehrig are included, as well as almost-never-seen extremely rare items signed by early Hall of Famers such as John Ward, Dan Brouthers, Christy Mathewson, A. G. Spalding, and Alexander Cartwright. A 1933 American League All-Star team-signed ball complete with all eighteen players including Ruth and Gehrig is one of the finest in existence with regard to both completeness and condition (Reserve $5,000). Perhaps most extraordinary among autographs is the single finest Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Signed Baseball in existence. Graded PSA/DNA NM-MT+ 8.5 (the highest grade ever recorded for such a ball), this ball has provenance directly from a priest at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. The family sold the ball at auction in 2006 for $98,600, and it has remained in the possession of the original buyer until consigning it the upcoming REA auction.

Boxing, Football, Basketball: Sports other than baseball are also represented by a selection of extremely significant high quality items, including: The shoes worn by Muhammad Ali in his epic 1974 “”Rumble in the Jungle” victory over George Forman. The fight shoes were saved by Ali’s assistant trainer and friend Drew “Bundini” Brown (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+). Also included: an extraordinary 1968-1972 Wilt Chamberlain Los Angeles Lakers Game-Used Road Jersey MEARS A10 (res. $10,000; est. $25,000+) and a 1961-1962 Paul Arizin Philadelphia Warriors Game-Used Road Jersey MEARS A10 (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+).

Americana: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln signed documents highlight an American section that also includes signed items from icons such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley.

Non-Sport Cards and Original Artwork: A strong selection of non-sport cards and related items are yet another highlight section of the sale. Thousands of non-sport cards including many key sets dating from the 1880s to the 1960s are featured, highlighted by an extraordinary newly discovered find of unopened gum card boxes from the 1960s including Batman and The Monkees.

A selection of original artworks used to produce cards is also featured and includes eight 1951 Bowman “Jets, Rockets, Spacemen” paintings. Any 1962 Mars Attacks original artwork is a great prize in the nonsport and illustration art collecting worlds. The auction showcases an amazing five examples, the largest number of 1962 Mars Attacks original paintings to ever surface at auction at a single time: Included are the original artworks for cards #11 “Destroy The City”, #19 “Burning Flesh”, #21 “Prize Captive”, #45 “Fighting Giant Insects”, and #52 “Giant Robot”. Each is an iconic painting by Norm Saunders and among the most desirable nonsport card artworks in existence (each res. $5,000; est. $10,000+). Also featured and of very special note is the original cover art for EC Comic’s 1952 Shock SuspenStories #3 by legendary artist Wally Wood (res. $2,500; est. $5,000+).

The final date of bidding in this year’s auction will be Saturday, May 18. Bidding begins April 20 by FAX, phone, or the Internet via the REA website. Copies of the full-color premium catalog are available for free. To review the catalog online, learn more about Robert Edward Auctions, receive a complimentary copy of the catalog or inquire about consignments, visit http://www.robertedwardauctions.com. Robert Edward Auctions is currently assembling their next sale. For further information, contact Robert Edward Auctions, PO Box 7256, Watchung, NJ 07069, or call (908) 226-9900.

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

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Coming to the Auction Block REA Spring 2013

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Watchung, New Jersey. One of only ten known 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth cards has been consigned to Robert Edward Auctions’ spring 2013 sale. Many consider the 1914 Babe Ruth to be the single most important and miraculous baseball card in the world. This card features Ruth as an unknown minor league rookie straight out of St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys.

The card, which pictures Ruth as a member of the American Association’s Baltimore Orioles, is graded PSA 1. It last sold at auction for $152,750 in 2009. The 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card is universally recognized as one of the rarest and famous baseball cards in existence, and is rivaled in value only by the famous T206 Honus Wagner. This is the first time REA has had an example to offer at auction since 2009. (In September, REA sold a PSA 2 example for $575,000 in a private transaction. That card had previously sold at auction REA in 2007, at that time realizing $199,500). The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie predates his next card, which features him as a major leaguer with the Boston Red Sox, by a full two years. While the 1916 Babe Ruth card has exploded in value over the past several years, as can be seen by numerous auction results, the far rarer 1914 Babe Ruth rookie has simply not been offered at auction for years.

Of the ten known examples of the 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card, three are entrenched in one major private collection (one red, one blue, and one back variation) and two in another (one red and one blue). One example is in the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore, and three highlight extremely advanced multimillion dollar collections. It is unlikely that any of these examples will be available in the foreseeable future (if ever). Unless a new example is discovered, the 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card that will be presented in the REA Spring 2013 sale may be the last example to see the auction block for many years.

The minimum bid on the card will be $100,000.

Copies of the full-color premium catalog are available free. To learn more about Robert Edward Auctions, receive a complimentary copy of the catalog or inquire about consignments, visit www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com. 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.

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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.

1947 Jackie Robinson Pennant

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Above: Extremely rare 1947 Jackie Robinson pennant featured in REA’s upcoming spring auction.

Copies of the full-color premium catalog are available for free. To learn more about Robert Edward Auctions, receive a complimentary copy of the catalog or inquire about consignments, visit http://www.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.

In addition, REA’s Consignment Director Brian Dwyer is continuing with planned trips across the country to pick up quality material. Please contact us to set up appointments in the following cities:

November 16-17: San Francisco, CA

November 23-24: Phoenix, AZ

November 26-27: Los Angeles, CA

The best deals, with reference to cash advances, discounted consignment rates, free grading, and various promotional possibilities, are all available NOW! The deadline might seem far away, but it’ll be here quicker than we know it!

REA can provide the most desirable terms for early consignors. It would be impossible for us (or anyone!) to process the entire auction with REA-quality care and detail in just the last few weeks before going to press, so it makes sense for us to offer the best deals to early consignors so we can keep busy all year long. We work all year to bring you the best auction possible and to provide the finest auction service possible for consignors.

GENEROUS CASH ADVANCES ARE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY!!!

Robert Edward Auctions offers both lower commission rates to sellers AND lower buyer’s premiums, while at the same time delivering:

. The largest catalog circulation.

. Reasonable reserves.

. The most trusted and detailed descriptions.

. The fastest post-auction payment of consignor proceeds.

. The fastest post-auction shipment of auction items to buyers.

. The most advanced authentication processes.

. The most secure and trusted bidding processes and auction policies.

For more information about why, if you are even THINKING of selling your quality material, you should contact Robert Edward Auctions, please visit:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/about/criteria.html

We hope to hear from you soon. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

908-226-9900

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

www.robertedwardauctions.com/blog

http://twitter.com/REAOnline

https://www.facebook.com/RobertEdwardAuctions

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

1957 Jackie Robinson NAACP Civil Rights Poster

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

This extraordinary 1957 NAACP poster featuring Jackie Robinson is the only example we have ever seen. Few items capture the spirit and greatness of Jackie Robinson and his enormous contributions more than this poster. We have known of this piece for many years and from the moment we saw it have always considered it our personal favorite Jackie Robinson display item. We present it here both to share with the world (because we like it so much and hope that maybe students who are interested will trip over this post while researching Jackie Robinson in the years to come) and to provide an auction preview for what we think is such a great and historically significant item. It is a privilege for Robert Edward Auctions to feature it in REA’s upcoming spring auction.

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

The 1895 Cleveland “Spiders” Baseball Team is Reuinted!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Well, OK, it’s actually a photograph of the team. But what a photograph!

When an image of this just recently discovered Imperial Cabinet Photograph of the 1895 Cleveland Spiders - a team that includes Hall of Famers Cy Young, Jesse Burkett, and Bobby Wallace, as well as “Chief” Zimmer - arrived by email, we immediately recognized that this was an incredibly significant photo. All original Imperial Cabinet display photos of major league teams from the 1890s are extremely rare, but one featuring the 1895 Cleveland Spiders (and measuring 16 x 20 inches) is as good as it gets. Unfortunately, as can be seen below, when it was discovered at an estate sale in Ohio, it was found in two pieces.

image of photo in original condition as sent to REA by email

REA almost never has occasion to recommend, let alone oversee, any restoration project. It’s just something that we don’t get involved with. But this was a rare exception where we thought that restoration would be well worth the trouble, both economically for the consignor, and to provide the best service possible for buyers. Fortunately, there was no loss to the photograph. All of the parts were there. But putting it back together properly to museum standards would require a photo restoration expert. Paul Messier has for many years come very highly recommended to us by many advanced collectors and was chosen to reassemble the photo. It just came back and we are extremely pleased with the result:

Imperial Photo of 1895 Cleveland Spiders after restoration

We thought that collectors would appreciate seeing the “before” and “after” pictures. The cost was $1,200, which may sound like a lot, but we believe will prove to be a wise investment for our consignor, a noncollector who enjoys looking for hidden treasures at estate sales and who happened to stumble across this gem, in addition to allowing the photo to be properly preserved and dramatically improving its display value. This display photograph will be presented in REA’s spring 2013 auction. If you have museum-quality photographs that require restoration, Paul Messier can be contacted at www.paulmessier.com.

closeup detail of photo after restoration

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card Reward!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Please Note: Value, of course, is determined (as always) in part by condition. Fortunately, this is an extremely valuable card in any condition. (Poor to Mint!) An example graded PSA 2 GOOD was sold by REA last week for $575,000. We have buyers at record price levels in all conditions. If you have this card in any condition, please write or call.

Consignment Tour: REA Hits The Road!!!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

In the past REA has been well known for not travelling, but the addition of Brian Dwyer to the staff is giving us a little more flexibility! REA’s consignment director Brian Dwyer will be in NINE different cities during the following ten weeks. Starting mid-August until the end of October, Brian will be traveling the east coast (complete schedule below) and will be available to discuss or pickup consignments. He will be able to provide immediate feedback on your potential consignments and will be armed with REA’s checkbook to provide immediate cash advances! If you have quality material you think may be of interest and would like to deliver items in person, please call or email Brian at bdwyer@robertedwardauctions.com. The REA office, of course, is always open and always available to field inquiries by phone and email.

Travel Schedule:

August 17/18 - White Plains, New York (East Coast National)

September 8/9 - Cleveland

September 15/16 - Foxboro (Boston/Providence)

September 22/23 - Chicago

September 28 - King of Prussia, PA.

September 29/30 - Atlanta

October 6/7 - Washington

October 13/14 - Washington

October 20/21 - Tampa

October 27/28 - Philadelphia

GENEROUS CASH ADVANCES ARE AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY!!!

Robert Edward Auctions offers both lower commission rates to sellers AND lower buyer’s premiums, while at the same time delivering:

. The largest catalog circulation.
. Reasonable reserves.
. The most trusted and detailed descriptions.
. The fastest post-auction payment of consignor proceeds.
. The fastest post-auction shipment of auction items to buyers.
. The most advanced authentication processes.
. The most secure and trusted bidding processes and auction policies.

For more information about why, if you are even THINKING of selling your quality material, you should contact Robert Edward Auctions, please visit:

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/about/criteria.html

We hope to hear from you soon. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

908-226-9900

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

REA’s $9.56 Million Baseball Card Auction Sets Records!!!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

T206 Wagner Sells For $651,750; Babe Ruth Rookie Card $142,200;Famous T206 Doyle hammered down at $414,750; Countless Baseball Card Auction Records Shattered At REA!!!

click to enlarge images

Watchung, New Jersey. The strength of the high-end baseball card and memorabilia market was impossible to miss at Robert Edward’s record-setting May 12, 2012 auction. An astounding 177 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 across the board. The auction results exceeded our expectations and, most important, exceeded our consignors’ expectations. The great prices are the result of many factors including, of course, being given the very best material in the world to offer, 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. As always at Robert Edward Auctions, there were no delays in collecting money and no delays getting it in the hands of consignors. 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.”

REA Statistics: Record prices were set on countless items, both in cards and memorabilia, and spanning all eras. The stunning prices on all nineteenth and early twentieth century baseball cards and memorabilia totaled a staggering $9.56 million. The 1631 lots, offered on behalf of 317 different consignors, were won by an incredible 665 different bidders, illustrating the power of the marketing and auction process, and the breadth of bidder interest. A staggering 23,781 bids were placed. 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. The average lot sold for $5,861 and on average realized more than double the high-end estimate. An incredible 99.51% of the lots sold.

T206 Wagner and Doyle: The T206 Honus Wagner and the legendary T206 “Slow Joe” Doyle, selling for $651,750 and $414,750, respectively, set the tone. The Wagner, named “The Date-Stamped Wagner” due to having the date “October 16, 1909″ stamped on the back, was last offered in the June 1997 REA auction, and at that time sold for what was then a very impressive price of $119,310. In 1997, it was one of only a few cards that had ever sold for more than $100,000. Notes REA’s president Robert Lifson, “Just like in the stock market, collectors often look at values only over a short period of time. We always say that in the short run, at auction, anything can happen. The same card or item can sell for more or less when offered in a short period of time and this does not necessarily provide a strong indication of market direction. Sometimes you have to stand back and look at the numbers over a long period of time to really appreciate how the market has changed. This card has increased in value over 500% over the past fifteen years. The sale at $651,750 was not a fluke, or a case of two bidders battling it out. There were over twenty-five different serious interested bidders!” The card was consigned to the 2012 auction directly from the buyer at the 1997 REA sale. “The seller was naturally thrilled. But we think the buyer did particularly well too. This is a great Wagner. The card not only looks great, it has a special and unique story. The fact that it has a 1909 date stamp on the back from the day of the last game of the 1909 World Series is fascinating. We don’t have a crystal ball for values, but if another fifteen years passes until this card surfaces in the market again, we may find that its value is in the millions. This is what we fully expect will be the case.”

The rare T206 “Slow Joe” Doyle card was from the Joe Pelaez Collection. Joe Pelaez (1931-2010) purchased the card at auction from collecting legend Lew Lipset way back in 1990 for the then incredible sum of $19,000. At the time it was the second highest price ever paid for a baseball card at auction, trailing only the T206 Wagner. The card was consigned to the REA sale directly by the Pelaez family. “The last rare Doyle we auctioned was from the estate of Charlie Conlon in 2009. That card was graded Vg-Ex and sold for a then-record $329,000″ notes REA. “The Joe Pelaez example was graded Vg, so we thought it might bring a little less, but that’s not what happened. There was enormous interest. It sold for more. That characterizes the results for a lot of the premium items in the auction.” The card realized an astounding $451,750.

1916 Babe Ruth Rookie: In addition to the T206 Wagner and T206 Doyle, the 1916 M101-4 Babe Ruth rookie card proved that recent sales are not an aberration and that it can now be counted on to sell for well into six figures in high grade. “This card has a tremendous demand. It has taken its place as one of the great icons of baseball card collecting. Anyone who has followed the value of this card can’t help but see that it has exploded in value over the past few years,” notes REA vintage card expert Dean Faragi. “It’s always been a great card. It’s just being appreciated more now. It should be!” In this auction, a PSA EX-MT 6 example sold for $142,200, setting a new record for the grade. A second example, in VG-EX, realized a remarkable $77,025.

Nineteenth-Century Baseball Card Rarities: An amazing newly-discovered find of 1868-1871 baseball CDV team cards was an auction highlight for many serious collectors. It was definitely the highlight for the consignors, a family of general hobbyists (who do not collect baseball cards) who happened to buy these cards on a lark at an antique shop over twenty years ago. They’ve had them lying around the house in a wooden cigar box ever since! The entire collection consisted of 130 CDV photographs, including boxers, politicians, and various other subjects. All were offered in the auction, but the eight baseball team cards were what made this an incredible and significant find. The eight team cards alone sold for a staggering total of $182,490!!! The prize of the collection, a Peck & Snyder trade card of the 1868 Brooklyn Atlantics (res. $5,000, est. open), realized a record-setting $82,950. The 1870 Forest City Baseball Club CDV (res. $1,000; est. open), featuring Al Spalding from his playing days, also set a record, selling for $32,587. “These were special cards and one of the highlight finds of nineteenth-century team cards ever,” comments REA’s president. “The family was shocked when we told them how valuable the cards were. And when they contacted us, we were pretty conservative about the value. We told them “Think in the neighborhood of $100,000″. We don’t like to set expectations too high. That can lead to disappointment. We knew they would sell for top dollar. The $100,000 figure stunned them. It’s not every day that a box of old photos you paid $20 for years ago, that’s literally been on a shelf in the kitchen, turns out to be worth six figures! It was fun to share the excitement with them, and it was great to see the cards exceed their highest expectations by so much. The $182,490 was just for the eight baseball team cards. That doesn’t even include the balance of the collection which sold for thousands more! This is the type of find that makes the auction especially exciting for us here at REA.”

The Ty Cobb Tin: The 1912 Ty Cobb Tobacco Tin, in extraordinary MINT condition, set a new world record for this extremely desirable tobacco item. Long revered both for its great rarity, display value, and its connection to the famous T206 Ty Cobb with advertising for Ty Cobb Tobacco on the reverse, there have been a few examples that have surfaced at auction over the past couple of years. This has been in part because of the high-profile discovery of a low-grade example on the TV show “Auction Kings”. This helped pull a few hidden examples out of attics. But the condition of the REA Ty Cobb Tin made this example sell for far more than any other. “This was a rare case when we knew an item would set a record,” according to the REA staff. The condition of this tin was clearly better than any other, by a wide margin, and this was not lost on bidders: When the dust settled, REA’s Ty Cobb tin more than doubled the previous auction record, selling for $88,875. “Condition matters with all collectibles, not just cards. It may seem incredible that Ty Cobb tins can sell elsewhere for $10,000 or $20,000, and this one sells for $88,875. But it really was that much better than all the others,” according to REA. “Our standard good-humored response to bidders asking about the condition was that it was about 1,000 times better than the next best one, and sometimes we’d add that after seeing this one, we think that all the other Ty Cobb tins should all be gathered together, put in a trash compactor, and crushed. We were just kidding, but this tin was really amazing. It may have been a record price, but we think the buyer got a great deal.”

Vintage Card Prices STRONG 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: A 1933 Goudey #106 Nap Lajoie (PSA 9 MINT), universally recognized as one of card collecting’s most desirable rarities, realized $118,500. This very card had been purchased by the consignor many years ago for what was then a very princely sum of $50,000. “This is another case of the strong market bringing out great cards that have been hidden away for years. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when it does, the market definitely responds with enthusiasm,” notes REA. And not just the T206 Wagner but all things related to the famous T206 set were very strong. The T206 Eddie Plank in EX-MT 6 (MC) condition (reserve $25,000; estimate $50,000+) sold for $94,800. The sale also included two additional T206 Planks, though in lesser grades: A Plank example in Good condition (Res. $5,000; est. $10,000/$20,000+) sold for $29,625. The famous “Mr. X Collection” Plank realized $56,287. The “Mr. X Collection” designation on this card was the amusing pedigree that was famously assigned to the label by PSA for the mysterious “Mr. X” in 2005. All that was ever revealed about “Mr. X” was that he was very famous and that he was in show business. To this day, we have no idea who “Mr. X” is or was, but we do know that he did a great job of assembling an extremely high quality T206 set.

1914-1915 E145 Cracker Jack Card Highlights: A 1914 Cracker Jack of Ty Cobb graded NM-MT+ 8.5 (res. 15,000/est. $25,000+) was on the radar of dozens of bidders. “This card is a favorite of advanced collectors, and this particular example was by far the finest we have ever seen.” The 1914 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb lists for $40,000 graded PSA NM-MT 8. “Collectors were on their own in deciding what premium to put on the stellar condition. Everyone knew what a PSA NM-MT 8 was worth, but the fact that this was just a half a grade higher, with no SMR catalog value for the slightly higher grade, made this a little bit of a “wild card” for predicting value. “It’s easy to say that it’s splitting hairs when talking about a NM-MT PSA 8 versus a NM-MT+ PSA 8.5. We sometimes say that too. But in this case, the fact is the card really deserved the higher grade. The buyers all agreed, and it really mattered to them.” The well-deserved “Plus” on this PSA 8.5 all alone was worth over $40,000: The card was hammered down for an incredible $88,575.

As always, strong prices were seen on all high-grade Cracker Jacks at REA: The 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #88 Christy Mathewson SGC MINT 96 (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+) was sold for $41,475. The letter from the seller says it all “Please accept my deep gratitude and appreciation for selling the Christy Mathewson card. I was truly surprised by the final gavel price. As I had told you when I consigned it, I had placed it on the market twice with (Another Auction House name edited out by REA) since I first bought it in 2009. Neither time did it reach near the reserve price of $20k. So I recognize now the difference an excellent auction house can make in drawing attention to an exceptional item, especially when financial circumstances are an issue.”

Additional Vintage Card Highlights: A 1909-1911 T206 White Border Collection of 43 cards Including Cobb and Johnson (res. $2,000; est. $4,000/$6,000) was not expected to be an auction highlight when they were sent to REA, but turned out to be an extremely exciting lot. The cards were saved by the consignor’s grandfather, who collected these cards as a youngster in 1910. Apparently a friend or someone in the family was exclusively a fan of Tolstoi tobacco. All 43 cards had the scarce “Tolstoi” tobacco advertisement on the reverse, making this small group a very significant lot for rare-back T206 collectors. The lot was hammered down at $20,145. (The family that consigned these cards is naturally ecstatic and are still wondering how this is possible!). An extraordinary newly discovered 1915 Boston Red Sox Real-Photo Team Postcard with Babe Ruth (Rookie) was found among a small group of baseball items that were saved since the time of issue by a the consignor’s Boston-area family. This postcard has long been recognized as one of the premier baseball postcards in the collecting world, and its value has continued to rise, but its best days may be ahead: this is one of the very few cards which can truly lay claim to being Babe Ruth’s rookie card. In 1991 the Copeland example sold at Sotheby’s for a then-stunning $6,050, by far setting a record for a baseball postcard. An example offered sold at REA in 2007 (in far lesser condition) realized $9,400. The newly discovered example (res. $2,500; est. open) set a new record for this extremely significant rarity, selling for $21,330. A 1933 R319 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth - PSA NM-MT 8 (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+), which lists in the SMR at $17,650 and was purchased by the consignor at another auction for $18,000 in 2010, sold for $26,625. A 1935 Zeenut PCL Joe DiMaggio with Coupon in Good condition (res. $1,000; est. $2,000/$4,000+) sold for an impressive $14,220. 1952 Topps Complete PSA-Graded Set Minus Five (402 of 407 cards, no Mantle) (res. $5,000; est. $10,000/$15,000) sold for $38,512. A complete set of 48 1909-1911 T206 Southern Leaguers all graded PSA EX 5 (res. $2,500; est. $5,000/$10,000+) with an SMR value of $13,920 sold for $21,330. A T206 Magie Error card in GD+ condition (from the Joe Pelaez Collection) realized $17,775, a record price for the grade. A 1909-1911 E90-1 American Caramel Co. Joe Jackson PSA VG-EX 4 (res. $10,000) sold for $32,587. An extraordinary 1968 Topps 3-D Bob Clemente - PSA GEM MINT 10 (res. $5,000, est open) sold for $35,550. The 1916 M101-4 Sporting News/Furniture City Brewing Complete Set of 200 Uncut Sheet (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+) proved to be an excellent investment for the consignor: Originally purchased in REA’s April 2005 auction for $19,720 (then a record price), the sheet sold for a new record at $47,400.

Additional Auction Highlights:

Nineteenth-century cards and memorabilia were extremely strong, setting record after record, as is always the case at REA. An 1889 S. F. Hess Tobacco card of Hall of Famer Tim Keefe (res. $2,000; est. $4,000+) in GD condition was a particularly exciting rarity with a fascinating provenance: This was the first time this card had ever been offered - or even seen - in the modern collecting world. The card was found years ago in a farmhouse in Vermont. It was part of a large collection of nonsport cards dating from the 1880s to the 1910 era that just happened to include a few baseball cards. This was the only valuable baseball card and the only S. F. Hess card in the collection. While its discovery was fortuitous for the consignor, its price realized was perhaps even more fortuitous: the S. F. Hess Keefe set a new auction record for an S. F. Hess card, selling for an extraordinary $47,400. An 1868 Cincinnati Red Stockings Large-Format Team Composite Display Photo (purchased by the consignor at auction elsewhere in April 2003 for $8,210) was offered with a reserve of $5,000 (est. open), and a hope for a profit. The consignor was not disappointed: It sold for $23,700. A small but exciting newly-discovered collection of 1887-1889 N172 Old Judges, consisting of 61 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. Broken up into several lots with a total reserve of $3,000, the group sold for $20,026. A collection of 425 1887-1889 N172 Old Judges, also in various conditions and broken up into smaller lots, realized a total of $90,356.

Joe Jackson: All Joe Jackson items were extremely strong. This is particularly apparent when comparing the current REA auction prices with those of the same items from past years. The 1913 T200 Fatima Cleveland Americans Premium with Joe Jackson, purchased at REA in 2010 for $18,800, was consigned to the 2012 auction directly from the buyer at that auction. With a reserve of $5,000, and an estimate of $10,000/$15,000+, the final selling price in 2012 was $29,625. The 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson - PSA EX-MT 6, with an SMR value of $11,250, was presented with a reserve of $2,500, and an estimate of $5,000/$10,000+. Purchased by the consignor at REA in 2010 for $14,100, it sold for $22,515. An exceptional Joe Jackson Original Charles Conlon Photo - PSA/DNA Type 1 photograph, as noted in the catalog description, was purchased by the consignor at public auction for $15,496 in 2002 and it has remained in his possession since that time. REA memorabilia specialist Tom D’Alonzo comments: “We were a little worried about this one. It was a great photo, as good as they come, but there have been a lot of vintage photos hitting the market in recent years. Literally millions. We were concerned this might have an impact. The consignor was also sure he was going to lose a lot of money. He was resigned to that fate. He knew that millions of photos have been sold by various newspapers and photo archives in very recent years. How could that not have an impact? We always try to be conservative, and manage expectations, but in this case, we were also convinced he was going to lose a lot of money. The only question in our minds was, “How much?” What this auction shows us is that vintage photo collectors have become very sophisticated, and they really do differentiate between the great vintage photos and the run-of-the-mill photos. This was a great vintage photo.” The original Joe Jackson photo by the legendary Charles Conlon, with a reserve of $2,000, an open estimate, and a certain expectation of great loss, sold for an incredible record $32,588. “The seller still can’t believe it.”

Autographs: A Christy Mathewson Single-Signed Ball dated by Mathewson on the Day of his 1921 Testimonial at the Polo Grounds (res. $10,000; est. open) sold for an extraordinary $44,437. A Babe Ruth Single-Signed Baseball with Outstanding Original-Owner Provenance (graded PSA/DNA NEAR MINT 7) was new to the modern collecting world. This ball was consigned directly by the family of the gentleman who personally obtained it from Ruth in the mid 1940s. The SMR value for a NEAR MINT 7 single-signed Babe Ruth ball is $30,000. The condition, provenance, and iron-clad authenticity combined to make this a particularly desirable Babe Ruth ball. The merits of the ball were not lost on bidders. With a reserve of $10,000 and an estimate of $25,000+, the Ruth single-signed ball soared to $56,287. An unusual auction record was represented by an Official American League (Cronin) ball signed by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. Of all the celebrated astronauts in American history, Armstrong remains the most famous, as well as the most reluctant signer. With a reserve of just $500, and an estimate of $1,500+, the Armstrong ball soared to an earth-shattering $20,145, making this the highest auction price ever realized in the Universe for a baseball single-signed by a living person.

Baseball Hall of Famer Player Contracts: One of the most advanced collections of Major League contracts of Hall of Famers to ever come to auction was a significant highlight. In total, the thirty contracts sold for $208,974. A few examples of the auction prices: 1930 Eddie Collins Signed Philadelphia Athletics Contract (res. $500) sold for $14,220; 1931 Jesse Haines St. Louis Cardinals contract (res. $500) sold for $11,257; 1934 Burleigh Grimes Pittsburgh Pirates Contract (res. $200) sold for $10,665; 1912 May Carey (res. $1,000) was hammered down at $14,220; 1915 George “Highpockets” Kelly (res. $1,000) and 1930 Leo Durocher (res. $500) each realized $11,257. The impressive prices were not just for older Hall of Fame player contracts. The prices for more modern contracts were also strong: 1954 Duke Snider (res. $500) sold for $10,665; 1963 Stargel1 (res. $500) sold for $11,850; 1964 Lou Brock (res. $300) sold for $8,887; and Carl Yastrzemski’s 1968 contract sold for $8,295.

Additional Autograph Highlights: An extraordinary 1933 American League All-Star Team-Signed Ball with Ruth, Gehrig, and Twelve Other Hall of Fame Players (res. $10,000) sold for $38,512. The 1860 Beadle’s Dime Base-Ball Player autographed by Chadwick and accompanied with a 1925 letter of provenance from John T. Doyle, President of the American Sports Pub. Co., was particularly appreciated for its extraordinary provenance and authenticity, realizing $10,072. The Alexander Cartwright Signed Book may have been the sleeper of the auction: From Cartwright’s personal library, signed by Cartwright in 1839, the cover design as well as content of this signed edition of book (entitled The Club) suggest it may have a connection to the very origins of baseball. Selling for $9,480, the book also happens to feature what may be the only “Alexander J. Cartwright Jr.” full-name Cartwright signature known, and this may also be the earliest known signature example for any member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. An exceptional 1950s Mel Ott Single-Signed Baseball (res. $5,000; est. $10,000+) sold for $29,625. A George Sisler Single-Signed “Stat” Ball (res. $1,000. Estimate $2,500+) that was purchased by the consignor at another auction for $3,255 in 2000 (then a very impressive price) sold for $14,220, a record price for a Sisler single. Circa 1943 Negro League Autograph Book Featuring the Rare Signatures of Josh Gibson and Ray Brown (Twice)! (res. $2500; est. open) soared to $29,625. An exceptional 1883 Cap Anson Signed Chicago White Stockings Payment Voucher (res. $2,500) was especially appreciated by advanced collectors because it dated from Anson’s playing days and had a connection to baseball. It was not surprising that it sold for a significant premium to the many other Anson signatures in the market, selling for $8,888. A cut signature of nineteenth-century pitching star Amos Rusie (res. $2,000) with outstanding provenance was a tremendous Hall of Fame signature rarity. This was the first Rusie signature REA has ever offered and despite being just a cut (literally a signature “cut” from a document, which are rarely offered by REA) the rarity and confidence in authenticity of the signature combined to send this extreme rarity to a final selling price of $9,480.

1919 “Black Sox” Contract: One of the most highly sought-after signed items in the auction was the 1919 Chick Gandil Chicago White Sox Player Contract. In addition to its obvious great historical significance (Gandil was banned from Baseball for being one of the key “Black Sox” players and the contract, of course, is from the year of the scandal), this piece also has a remarkable provenance: It originates from Bill Veeck’s wife, Mary Francis, and was accompanied by a signed one-page letter of provenance from her detailing its history. (Veeck purchased the White Sox in 1958 from the Comiskey family.) This extremely important contract has only seen the auction block once before: It was purchased by REA’s consignor for $14,548 at another auction in 2003. With a reserve of $5,000 and an open estimate, at REA the contract soared to $44,437.

Game-Used Jerseys and Bats: 1914 Les Mann Boston Braves Jacket - Only Known Example - with Photo Documentation! (res. $10,000) sold for $21,330. A 1908-1910 Ty Cobb Pro-Model Decal Bat (res. $2,000) sold for $16,590; a 1923 Babe Ruth H&B 40K Signature Pro-Model Bat (res. $10,000) - the very same style as Babe Ruth is seen holding on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium in 1923, sold for $21,330; 1921-1931 George Sisler Pro-Model Bat (res. $1,000; est. $2500+) sold for $7,702; Circa 1945 Hank Greenberg Pro-Model Bat (res. $2,000) realized $8,295; and a particularly desirable due to provenance 1950 Joe DiMaggio Game-Used Bat that was a gift to Jackie Jensen during his rookie season (res. $5,000) sold for $16,590. 1973 Hank Aaron Atlanta Braves Game-Used Road Jersey and Accompanying Cap (Ex-Joe Gerson Collection) (res. $5,000) was hammered down at $17,775; 1979 Catfish Hunter New York Yankees Signed Road Jersey with Munson Black Armband (res. $2,500) sold for $5,500; 1986 Ron Guidry New York Yankees Game-Used Road Uniform (res. $1,000) realized $3,851; and a 2010 Mariano Rivera New York Yankees Game-Used Home Jersey with Steiner Sports LOA (res. $1,000) sold for $5,628. “With good reason, collectors are rarely comfortable spending big money on extremely modern jerseys. It’s too dangerous. There are so many fakes. But the Steiner provenance made all the difference on the Rivera jersey,” note REA officials. “Collectors know that the Steiner name is gold. Mariano Rivera really wore this jersey.”

Additional Vintage Card highlights:

1911 T205 Gold Border Complete SGC-Graded Set (208 Plus 6 Variations) in various conditions (res. $5,000; est. $10,000/$15,000+ (SMR value $25,090) sold for $29,625; 1912 T207 Brown Background Complete PSA- and SGC-Graded Set (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+) sold for $41,475; an extraordinary 1912 Boston Garter of Eddie Collins (res. $10,000) realized $29,625. A complete set of 1909 T204 Ramly Cigarettes Complete Set (121) carried a $10,000 reserve, and was hammered down at $41,475. T206 near-set (509 of 523 cards) in various grades (res. $25,000; est. $50,000+) sold for $77,025. An extremely impressive near-complete collection of T209 Contentnea Cigarette cards near-set (reserve $10,000) sold for $32,587. An extraordinary near-set of 1916 M101-5 cards with Herpolsheimer Clothing Store advertising backs, saved and consigned directly by the family of the original owner, John Dawley, were broken up into six lots. The 194 cards had been saved by the family since 1916. The consignor, the grandson, had great reservations about the collection being separated. For sentimental reasons, he really wanted them to remain together. Sometimes things work out! One buyer bought all six lots, keeping - at least for the time being - the best collection of M101-5 Herpolsheimers in existence intact. The set, with a cumulative reserve of $19,000, sold for a grand total of $129,575.

More Memorabilia Highlights: 1912 Boston Red Sox World’s Championship Fob Presented to Clyde Engle (res. $2,500. Est. open) sold for $38,513. One of only several surviving examples known, this is a record auction price for this important award. The jewelry company (Joyce & Gendreau of North Quincy, MA.) that in 1912 was commissioned by the Red Sox to create these beautiful medals is still in business to this day, and proudly features a different example (only the front is shown; we believe it is the Joe Wood example), along with a brief history of the 1912 Red Sox World’s Championship award, on its website (http://www.joycejlrs.com/html/our_history.htm). An extraordinary panoramic photograph of the 1916 American Negro Giants including the legends Rube Foster, “Pop” Lloyd, and Pete Hill was offered with a reserve of $5,000 and was hammered down for $38,512. A circa 1935 Spalding Die-Cut Advertising Display (res. $1,000) sold for $9,480.

Dick Perez Original Art: Original paintings by the legendary Dick Perez were unquestionably the highlight of the auction for hundreds of collectors. Dick Perez is widely recognized as the finest sports artist of our time and is the only artist to have ever been named The Official Artist of the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. It was a great honor for Robert Edward Auctions to have been chosen by Dick Perez to offer a selection of original Dick Perez artwork from the award-winning book The Immortals: An Art Collection of Baseball’s Best (Brilliant Graphics, Easton, Pennsylvania, 2010). The twenty-nine lots realized a total of $158,908, including $53,325 for the most highly sought-after lot of paintings honoring The Negro Leagues.

Other 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:

Muhammad Ali Fight-Worn Trunks from the “Thrilla in Manilla” Bout against Joe Frazier (Ex-Drew “Bundini” Brown Collection; and Photo and Video Matched!) Purchased at Sotheby’s in 2002 (where they sold at that time for $58,250), the Ali trunks were consigned to the REA auction directly from the original buyer. At REA, with a reserve of $25,000 and an estimate of $50,000+, the “Thrilla in Manilla” Ali trunks raelized $118,500. The Muhammad Ali Fight-Worn Robe from the 1972 Heavyweight Title Bout against Jerry Quarry (purchased at auction by the same consignor, also in 2002, for $18,522) sold for $29,625. Circa 1973-1974 Jerry West Los Angeles Lakers Signed Game-Used Road Jersey (res. $2,500) sold for $15,405. NBA 50 Greatest Players Signed Limited-Edition Lithograph - #1/1 Issued to Tiny Archibald! (res. $10,000; est. $20,000/$40,000) Consigned directly from the Archibald family, sold for $41,475; A 1973 Topps Football Vending Case was purchased by the consignor in 1973 and saved in the attic by accident! Back in 1973, the consignor had purchased a quantity of unopened cases. All were sold back in the 1970s, or so he thought. By luck this case escaped sale, and remained unopened and hidden (even from him) in the attic for decades. With a reserve of $5,000, and an estimate of $10,000+, this unlikely survivor sold for $32,588.

From the collection of legendary hobby pioneer Paul Pollard, a 1951-1952 Parkhurst Hockey Complete Set (res. $2,500; est. $8,000+) sold for an extremely strong $23,700. 1918 Barnum & Bailey Circus Poster - Elephants Playing Football! (res. $1,000) sold for $5,925. The “Michigan Farmhouse” newly discovered example of the “Holy Grail” of football cards: the 1894 Mayo’s Cut Plug Football Dunlop, had a slight trim but was still a very desirable card. Miraculously found beautifully preserved in a scrapbook discovered in a farmhouse being cleaned out, this was a last minute consignment rushed into the auction. With a reserve of $1,000, the newly discovered rarity sold for $11,139.

Non-Sports: The only complete set in uncut sheets in existence of 1940 R145 Gum, Inc. “Superman” gum cards (res. $15,000; est. $30,000+) was a highlight of the non-sport section. Once part of the legendary Robert Lesser Collection, the framed display of three “Superman’ Bubble Gum card sheets soared to a final selling price of $47,400. 1938 R69 Gum, Inc. “Horrors of War” Complete Set (288): #5 PSA Set Registry (purchased in 2011 at another auction for $18,856) was presented with a reserve of $5,000 (est. $10,000/$15,000+) and sold for $23,700. Two 1966 Topps “Batman” (Norm Saunders) artworks were offered: the artwork for card #45 “Trap For The Riddler” (res. $1,000) sold for $$4,740, and the artwork for card #15 “Batman In Action” (res. $2,000) realized $8,887. Three 1962 Mars Attacks original artworks by Norm Saunders, each with a reserve of $5,000, were offered: The artworks to card #4 “Saucers Blast Our Jets” and card #37 “Creeping Menace” sold for $9,480 and $10,072 respectively. The artwork to card #17 “Beast And The Beauty” was particularly interesting to Mars Attacks collectors as legendary artist Norm Saunders actually included himself in the painting! That artwork sold for $17,775.

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.

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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.

REA Auction Catalogs Will Be Mailed April 16, 2012!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

click to enlarge images

The spring auction catalogs will mail on April 16, 2012. We will put the auction online on approximately same date (we may be able to do this earlier as we are ahead of schedule) and the final date of bidding will be May 12, 2012.

A quick reminder from Robert Edward Auctions: If you are a new collector or for any reason have never been on our mailing list, we make our catalogs available free of charge and would be happy to send you a complimentary copy of our spring auction catalog. You don’t have to bid or be a big collector to get a free catalog. It’s our pleasure to send a catalog to anyone interested in collecting, or the history of baseball.

Please go to http://robertedwardauctions.com/ , click on “Free Catalog” on the REA “contact” page and provide your name and address. Catalogs mail on April 16, 2012. (If you have moved please let us know also so we send your 2012 catalog to the correct address). For those interested in additional information at this early date, below is the REA pre-auction press release for the sale. Descriptions and images of a few auction highlights are presented on the REA homepage. It’s going to be a great auction. We appreciate the support of all the consignors, who have provided the incredible material, and we appreciate all the kind words of support from our many friends in the collecting world all year long. We have worked hard to do justice to every item. We hope everyone enjoys the auction and the catalog!

REA Presents Baseball Card and Memorabilia Treasures 1839-2009

WATCHUNG, NEW JERSEY. The catalog for Robert Edward Auctions’ 2012 blockbuster sale will ship on April 16, 2012. As always, the first copy off the presses will be presented to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York for their library, as is REA’s time-honored tradition. The remaining 10,000 catalogs will be sent to collectors all over the world who have been anxiously awaiting the baseball collecting world’s most highly anticipated auction. Inside the catalog will be hundreds of items worthy of the most prestigious collections in the world, both public and private. The final date of bidding in this year’s auction will be Saturday, May 12. Bidding begins April 16 by FAX, phone, or the Internet via the REA website at www.robertedwardauctions.com. Total sales for the event are expected to exceed $5 million.

Serious baseball collectors all over the world look forward to Robert Edward’s annual spring auction. “We have been assembling material, writing, and researching all year long, hoping to make this a special event for everyone. At the same time, we hope to give collectors and historians valuable reference material,” says REA president Robert Lifson. “We’re trying to do more than just have an auction. We’re trying to create a positive event that is historic, that makes collecting fun, promotes a love of history, and that everyone can be a part of, as a bidder, a consignor, or just as an observer.” REA’s reputation for hosting the baseball collecting world’s most highly-anticipated event is built on forty years of experience. “We’re amazed at some of the special collections in this auction. We’ve been a magnet for vintage cards, including many incredible new finds. We also have an unusually strong boxing section and have assembled an extremely impressive selection of Americana. Every time we turned around, we were offered something great in baseball memorabilia, cards, boxing, and Americana. An incredible T206 Wagner. A Babe Ruth bat. Muhammad Ali’s trunks from the “Thrilla In Manilla” fight. A 1933 Goudey Lajoie in Mint condition. Babe Ruth’s rookie card. We have over 1,500 lots. Maybe it’s just that we happen to like all the items we accepted for auction, but to us it seems like every lot really is a highlight in some way.”

T206 Honus Wagner: The famous T206 Honus Wagner needs no introduction and is a star wherever he goes, but this auction features a particularly extraordinary example of the most valuable card in the world. The date “Oct 16 1909″ is stamped in purple ink on the reverse. “This is an incredible card with or without the stamp, but the date stamp gives this card an amazing significance,” notes REA president Robert Lifson. “Not only is this the only T206 Honus Wagner card that actually dates itself - which all alone is interesting as the T206 Honus Wagner card was only issued in 1909 - October 16^th is the date of the final and deciding game of the 1909 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers.” REA estimates that only approximately fifty T206 Honus Wagner cards are known to exist. The date-stamped 1909 T206 Wagner has a reserve of $100,000 and is expected to sell for more than $300,000.

1912 Ty Cobb Tobacco Tin: The finest example in existence of the Ty Cobb Tobacco tin, one of collecting’s most legendary rarities, in unheard of MINT condition. There has not been (and we believe never will be) another example that can compare to this incredible gem. The Ty Cobb Tobacco Tin is one of the most elusive of all baseball tobacco-related items. It has the same rarity as the T206 Ty Cobb card with Ty Cobb Tobacco advertising back (approximately twelve of each are known). Even the original blue tobacco tax stamp paper strip is still attached. It is the only Ty Cobb Tobacco tin on which the original tax stamp strip remains. (Res. $40,000; est. open).

1923 Babe Ruth Bat: Included in the auction is an extraordinary 1923 Babe Ruth bat. The extensive research on this bat suggests it was probably with Ruth on opening day at Yankee stadium in 1923. It may have even been used to hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium! “That is a controversial claim, as another bat exists that has a very good claim to that honor,” notes REA officials. “But at the very least it is a great Ruth bat.” It is the very same style bat that factory records show were sent to Ruth one week before Opening Day, and that he is seen holding in all photos taken on Opening Day in 1923.

Legendary Card Rarities Including Babe Ruth Rookie. This sale will include virtually every one of the baseball card collecting world’s most revered “Holy Grails”. In addition to the famous T206 Honus Wagner, included are all of the others rarities of the T206 set, some with several examples. The rare T206 “Slow Joe” Doyle, NY Nat’l, one of fewer than ten examples known to exist, is the famous Joe Pelaez Collection example. One of the greatest treasures of all tobacco cards, the only other example of the rare T206 Doyle that REA has ever offered sold for $329,000 in 2009. The rare T206 Doyle has a reserve of $100,000. Not one but two examples of the 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card are featured, one in Ex-Mt condition and one in Vg-Ex, each with a reserve of $10,000. “The Babe Ruth rookie is never going out of style, and has been a particularly hot card in the marketplace lately,” notes REA’s Robert Lifson. “These are fresh to the collecting world examples.” The T206 Eddie Plank, another of card collecting’s most famous rarities, is represented in this auction with an astounding four examples. Ranging in grade from Good to Ex-Mt, each card is very different and will appeal to a different type of collector, with reserves ranging from $5,000 (estimate $10,000/$20,000+) in good condition to a reserve of $25,000 (estimate $50,000+) for the Ex-Mt example. Also featured is the finest example in the world of the famous 1933 #106 Nap Lajoie (graded MINT 9 by PSA) (res. $25,000, est. $50,000+). A second 1933 Goudey #106 Lajoie from an old-time collection is in Very Good to Excellent condition (res. of $5,000, Est. $10,000/$15,000+). Yet another legendary card on every short list of the collecting world’s most important baseball cards is the 1909-1911 E90-1 American Caramel Joe Jackson. Three examples of this iconic card are featured, including one in Vg-Ex condition (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+).

Nineteenth Century Baseball Memorabilia. Nineteenth-century baseball cards and items of great historical significance have always been a special area of interest for REA. This auction has some of the most remarkable items in this important area to ever come to auction. Among them: an extraordinary book owned and signed by Alexander Joy Cartwight Jr., the “Father of Baseball”, in 1839 that may have been his inspiration to form the New York Knickerbockers Base Ball Club and to design the baseball field in the manner that he did! (Cartwright family provenance; Reserve $5,000; the estimate is “open”). An incredible newly-discovered collection of 1860s baseball CDV photographs and trade cards is one of the most extraordinary baseball card finds ever for cards dating from the dawn of professional baseball. Included among the eight circa 1870 team cards (many of which were issued by Peck & Snyder Sporting Goods) is the finest example known of the 1868 Brooklyn Atlantics (res. $5,000) and TWO 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings team cards (res. $5,000 each). Also included in the auction are over four hundred 1886-1890 N172 Goodwin Old Judge baseball cards, one of the largest collections to ever come to auction, including many Hall of Famers and rarities.

Prewar Card Rarities. In addition to the rarities described above, this year’s auction includes a staggering number of incredible prewar baseball cards. Among the many highlights are several remarkable original-owner collections including the Dawley Collection, featuring a complete near-complete set of 1916 M101-4 Herpolsheimer Clothing Company cards (194 of 200) including one of the two Babe Ruth rookie cards in the auction. The Dawley family originally lived in Grand Rapids, MI, where the company was located, and the grandfather personally got these cards in 1916 directly from the Herpolsheimer Company. They have remained in perfect condition, untouched, as family keepsakes for almost one-hundred years. Thousands of 1910 era tobacco and candy cards, and 1930s gum cards, representing virtually all important baseball card sets, are featured.

More Prewar Card Rarities. There are so many prewar highlights it would be impossible to list them all. A complete set of 1909 T204 Ramly Cigarettes cards (121) is one of the many great prewar card highlights (Reserve $10,000. Estimate $20,000/$30,000+). The 1912 Boston Garter advertising card of Eddie Collins (res. $10,000; est. open is an amazing highlight that has been locked away in a private collection and has not seen the light of day in the organized collecting world in decades. Many T206 rarities including three Magie error cards, many rare backs including Uzit and Drum, and many extremely high-grade T206 examples, in addition to several near-complete sets and original-owner T206 collections. An extraordinary selection of Cracker Jack baseball cards includes the highest-grade 1914 Cracker Jack card of Ty Cobb (PSA NM-MT+ 8.5; res. $15,000/est.$30,000+) and an incredible 1915 Cracker Jack of Ty Cobb (SGC NM/MT+ 92; res. $10,000; est $20,000+). The highest graded 1915 Cracker Jack of Christy Mathewson in the universe in unheard of MINT condition (res. $10,000; est. $20,000+) is also included.

Postwar baseball cards are also in abundance in this incredible sale, including six examples of the classic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle (among them an incredible gem that is believed to have originated from Alan “Mr. Mint” Rosen’s historic 1952 Topps find in the 1980s); a 1952 Topps near-complete set (res. $5,000; est. $10,000/$15,000); two examples of the 1968 Topps 3D Roberto Clemente, the single most valuable card from the entire decade of the 1960s (one MINT, the other GEM MINT; each carrying a reserve of $5,000); and extraordinary, high-grade examples of 1950s and 1960s cards of the era’s top stars like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, and many more. Also included are complete or near-complete sets of virtually every major postwar issue from 1948 to 1972.

Game-Used Bats and Jerseys: The auction presents an exceptional selection of game-used bats and jerseys. Bats included are those of legendary Hall of Famers such as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Greenberg, George Sisler, Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, among others, as well as more modern stars such as Derek Jeter. Game-worn jerseys include those of stars such as Pete Rose, Reggie Jackson, Catfish Hunter, and others, highlighted by Hank Aaron’s 1976 Milwaukee Brewers Signed Road Uniform Dating From His Final Season - The Last Road Uniform He Ever Wore - with a letter of authenticity from Hank Aaron!

Autographs: Autographed memorabilia is another extremely strong area. Autographs of Ruth and Cobb and Gehrig are included, as well as almost-never-seen extremely rare items signed by early Hall of Famers such as James “Orator” O’Rourke, Cap Anson, Amos Rusie, and Henry Chadwick. Also of special note is an extraordinary 1933 American League All-Star Team-Signed Ball with Ruth, Gehrig and twelve other Hall of Fame players (total 20 Signatures), one of the finest in existence with regard to both completeness and condition (res. $10,000; est. open). Player contracts include many Hall of Famers, among them Pee Wee Reese, Nellie Fox, Duke Snider, Eddie Collins, Nolan Ryan, Hank Aaron, and many others. But perhaps the most fascinating player contract is that of a non-hall of famer: 1919 “Black Sox” member Chick Gandil. This contract comes with the extraordinary provenance of originating directly from the family of Bill Veeck, former owner of the White Sox who purchased the team from Charles Comiskey. In addition to autographed items from all eras, the auction also presents particularly rare and noteworthy single-signed Hall of Fame balls, including Jimmie Foxx, Jackie Robinson, Harry Hooper, George Sisler, and Rogers Hornsby, in addition to spectacular high-grade examples of Babe Ruth, and Mel Ott. Perhaps most extraordinary is a collection of five single-signed balls representing all five first Hall of Fame inductees, including Honus Wagner (res. $1,000; est. $2,500+); Walter Johnson (res. $2,500); and extraordinary rarity Christy Mathewson (res. $10,000; est. open).

Boxing, Football, Basketball: Sports other than baseball are also represented by a significant selection of extremely high quality items, including: The trunks worn by Muhammad Ali in his epic 1975 “Thrilla in Manilla” win over Joe Frazier. The trunks were saved by Ali’s assistant trainer and friend Drew “Bundini” Brown (res. $25,000; est. open); Nate “Tiny” Archibald’s personal example of the classic NBA “50 Greatest Players” Signed Limited-Edition Lithograph (res. $10,000; est. $20,000/$40,000); the “Michigan Farmhouse” example of the “Holy Grail” of football cards: the 1894 Mayo’s Cut Plug Football Dunlop which was miraculously just recently found, beautifully preserved in a scrapbook discovered in a farmhouse being cleaned out. The reserve is only $1,000. Also included: circa 1973-1974 Jerry West Los Angeles Lakers Signed Game-Used Road Jersey (res. $2,500); Muhammad Ali Fight-Worn Robe from the 1972 Heavyweight Title Bout Against Jerry Quarry (res. $5,000/est. $10,000+); and circa 1971-1972 Joe Namath New York Jets Game-Used Road Jersey (res. $2,500; est. $10,000+).

Americana: Items signed by virtually every US president are highlighted by two George Washington and four Abraham Lincoln signed documents. Included is a 1783 George Washington Signed Military-Discharge Document (res. $2,500; est 10,000+) and a 1787 George Washington Signed Potomac Navigation Company Document (res. $1,500; est 5000+). An 1865 Abraham Lincoln Signed Military Appointment - Signed by Lincoln Just Two Months Prior to His Assassination - carries a reserve of $1,500 and an estimate of $5,000+. Al Capone’s 1929 Signed Official Police Fingerprint Booking Card (res. $10,000; est. open) may be the single most desirable Al Capone artifact that could possibly exist. Important documents signed by household names such as Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Marilyn Monroe are also featured in the Americana section.

Non-Sport Cards and Original Artwork: A strong selection of nonsport cards and related items are yet another highlight section of the sale. Thousands of nonsport cards including many key sets dating from the 1880s to the 1960s are included. Perhaps most important among all nonsport card items is the only complete set in uncut sheets in existence of 1940 R145 Gum, Inc. “Superman” gum cards (res. $15,000; est. $30,000+). A selection of original artworks used to produce cards is also featured and include: two 1966 Topps “Batman” (Norm Saunders) and an incredible fifteen 1951 Bowman “Jets, Rockets, Spacemen” paintings. Any 1962 Mars Attacks original artwork is a great prize in the nonsport collecting world. The auction includes three examples: The 1962 Topps Mars Attacks original artworks for card # #4 “Saucers Blast Our Jets”, card # 17 “Beast And The Beauty” (The Ultimate Norm Saunders Card Artwork as Sauders is featured in the painting!), and for card #37 “Creeping Menace”. Each is an iconic painting by Norm Saunders and among the most desirable nonsport card artworks in existence (each res. $5,000; est. $10,000+).

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

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

1866 Currier & Ives Baltimore Base Ball Emporium CDV: The Only 1860s Advertising Card with James Creighton!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Newly Unveiled Research Reveals True Significance of Unique and Fascinating Card

Recent research by John Thorn (Major League Baseball’s official historian, and author many extraordinary baseball books including Baseball In the Garden of Eden), has redefined the enormous significance of this card.

Presented is the only example known of an advertising card which has long been recognized as one of the earliest baseball cards known to exist. It can now also be recognized as the only example of the only advertising baseball card known to exist featuring legendary early pitching star James Creighton!

We have sold this very card previously and ever since have always felt that its enormous significance was not fully appreciated. The fact is, even we did not fully appreciate its great significance… until we read John Thorn’s article detailing the long-lost true identification of the scene and the players featured on the famous Currier & Ives American National Game of Base Ball lithograph that is featured on this 1866 baseball advertising trade card. Here is a link to the article detailing John Thorn’s remarkable research:

http://ourgame.mlblogs.com/2012/01/30/unraveling-a-baseball-mystery/

In short: Published in 1866, the American National Game of Base Ball was one of Currier & Ives most famous prints. The print features a game-in-progress scene that has long been described as the 1865 Grand Match for the Championship between the Atlantics of Brooklyn and the Mutuals of New York, which was played on August 3, 1865. But the fact is that this identification is totally inaccurate. The Currier & Ives American National Game of Base Ball print actually features an artist’s representation of an 1860 championship game between the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Brooklyn Excelsiors (with James Creighton on the mound pitching) that was never played! In 1860, the defending champion Atlantics and the Excelsiors had split their first two contests, but trouble with the crowds dictated that the Excelsiors abandon the field of the deciding championship match. The Atlantics and Excelsiors never played each other at the Elysian Fields, as featured in the famous Currier & Ives print. It is an artwork featuring the Championship game of 1860 that never was!

Discovered by REA in 2005 (previously unknown), this 1866 CDV baseball card features a photographic image of the famous Currier & Ives American National Game of Base Ball lithograph on the front. The reverse features an advertisement for George Gratton’s “Baltimore Base Ball Emporium.” This establishment was one of the first in the country to specialize in all products relating to baseball, including “bases, batts [sic], spikes, scores, shoes, shirts, caps, books,” etc. The Baltimore Base Ball Emporium, located on Baltimore Street east of Calvert, had its grand opening in 1866. Based on the style of the card, the year of the grand opening of the store, and the year of issue of the Currier & Ives print featured on the front (also 1866), it is our opinion that it is a certainty that this advertising card dates precisely from 1866. It is also very likely that the then just-released Currier & Ives print featured on the CDV was available for sale at the Baltimore Base Ball Emporium. Though Currier & Ives’ American National Game of Base Ball is one of baseball’s most famous early images, it has long been misidentified and only now, with the benefit of John Thorn’s extraordinary research, has the true significance of the image been revealed.

The players featured on this print are not generic depictions. As John Thorn details, on the large scale print Creighton can be identified and is the pitcher on the mound. The other Excelsiors players on the field are also actual likenesses. Six members of the Atlantics can be clearly identified at the bottom right. They are Sid Smith, Joe Start, Dickey Pierce, Fred Crane, John Galvin, and Tom Pratt. In the crowd scene, facing the viewer is Pete O’Brien. Because of the small scale of the CDV image, identification of the players on the card is impossible or at the very least far more difficult than when viewing the larger-scale Currier & Ives print, but O’Brien in particular can still be easily identified with a magnifying glass. As an advertising card, this style card is technically referred to as a “trade card.” In the mid to late nineteenth century, trade cards were a very popular form of advertising which merchants distributed to customers, and which featured advertising for the establishment or, in some cases, a particular product.

If the Baltimore Base Ball Emporium was, indeed, a seller of the Currier & Ives print in 1866, this card would also then hold the distinction of being the first baseball card issued to promote the sale of a specific manufactured product. Today fewer than ten original examples of the 1866 Currier & Ives American National Game of Base Ball print survive. The last example of this famous print to be sold realized over $80,000. This trade card is the only known example of the only known period card featuring this important and classic Currier & Ives image. By any measure, this is one of baseball-card collecting’s earliest issues, and is extremely important as one of the very few cards known baseball advertising cards dating from the dawn of the game’s great popularity as America’s National Pastime. The fact that it features James Creighton adds a fascinating and extremely important new dimension to its great significance. This is all the more so the case now that year of issue of one of the few cards previously believed to predate 1866, the James Creighton CDV card featuring his individual image, is in question (along with related questions regarding exactly who issued the card). As John Thorn notes, there are only three other depictions of James Creighton known: a team shot of the 1860 Excelsiors, the CDV produced after his death, and a crepe-draped woodcut portrait published in on November 4, 1865 in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper.

The card has clipped corners (which are not uncommon when dealing with 1860s CDVs) and is otherwise in Very Good condition. 2.375 inches x 3.75 inches. This item was sold at REA in 2005 and then again in 2008 for $2,088 and $1,880 respectively. It has been consigned to this auction directly from the buyer at the 2008 auction. Reserve $1,000. Estimate (open).

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1866 Currier & Ives Baltimore Base Ball Emporium CDV: The Only 1860s Advertising Card with James Creighton!

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