REA Auction Catalogs Will Be Mailed April 9, 2009!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

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The spring auction catalogs will mail on April 9, 2009. We will put the auction online a few days later (we may actually be able to do this earlier as we are ahead of schedule) and the final day of bidding will be Saturday May 2, 2009.

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 www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com , click on “Free Catalog” on the REA “contact” page and provide your name and address. Catalogs mail on April 9, 2009. (If you have moved please let us know also so we send your 2009 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. Actually, because the official press release is so long, we’re going to provide a short version as well as a long version.

Here’s the unofficial short version: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 really hard to do justice to every item. We hope everyone enjoys the auction and the catalog!

Here’s the official long version:REA Presents Baseball Card and Memorabilia Treasures 1845-1975 Excitement Builds For Baseball World’s Most Anticipated Auction!The Robert Edward Auctions catalogs will ship on April 9, 2009. 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 the longstanding tradition. The other 10,000 672-page catalogs will be sent to collectors all over the world who have anxiously been waiting all year for the annual sale by Robert Edward Auctions, the collecting world’s most exciting and highly anticipated auction. Inside the auction catalog will be hundreds of items worthy of Cooperstown, many of which will ultimately find their way into the most prestigious collections in the world, both private and public. The final date of bidding is May 2. Bidding starts April 10 by FAX, phone, or the Internet via the Robert Edward’s site. The 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 try to make it a special event for everyone, to make it fun and at the same time to give collectors and historians some great reading with the catalog,” says REA president Robert Lifson. “With all the problems in the economy, and all the problems even in the baseball memorabilia world, we feel our auction has a special place in the field. 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, and that everyone can be a part of, as a bidder, a consignor, or just as an observer.” Of course, having great material makes it all possible. “This year, really, we’ve gotten very lucky. The material is unbelievable. This may be our best auction ever.”

The 1915 Cracker Jack Poster on the catalog cover would be hard to top as the single greatest auction highlight, but there are many candidates. Also included in the auction are the two most valuable baseball cards in the world, the famous T206 Honus Wagner and the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card (each with a reserve of $50,000); an incredible newly discovered find of unopened 1930s gum cards, and the best Babe Ruth cap in the world from 1932, the year of “The Called Shot” (res. $50,000). The Cracker Jack poster, produced to promote Cracker Jack’s 1915 baseball card issue, is one of the rarest and most extraordinary of all baseball display pieces. The offered example, by far the finest of only two known, carries a minimum bid of $25,000. Lifson adds “We think this is such a great item we actually produced a celluloid magnet as a keepsake, featuring the poster. We made over 10,000 of them. Every catalog will include one. We know it sounds crazy, because this cost real money, but we’re excited about the auction and the poster, and this was a way to do something for collectors, and at the same time promote the auction. Only one person can get the poster but everyone can have a small refrigerator magnet version! It also seems in keeping with the spirit of Cracker Jack. You know, a prize in very box.”  REA sold this piece to the consignor in a private transaction in 1989 for $35,000. Even in this economy, the auction house is very optimistic on high quality items. “We’ve been trying to get this back to auction for twenty years. We don’t know what it’s worth, but we think the owner is going to do very well. It’s the best Cracker Jack piece in the world. It’s the best twentieth- century baseball card advertising piece in the world. Great items always seem to do well over time and it doesn’t get any better than this item.”Coming to the block will be over 1,500 lots of baseball collectibles covering the entire history of the game. The incredible find of unopened gum boxes and packs from the 1930s, one of the great card collecting discoveries of the ages, will be offered in fifty lots. The 1932 Babe Ruth Yankees cap, a gift from the Yankees manager Joe McCarthy to his paperboy in 1932, has an unrivalled provenance. This may be the best baseball cap in the world (res. $50,000). The T206 Wagner is the very same card that was once owned by actor Charlie Sheen. He allowed the card to be displayed at the All Star Café in New York. In a plot worthy of a TV episode, many years ago 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 card was recovered by the FBI! The card is a low-grade example but a T206 Wagner is extremely valuable in any condition. It has a minimum bid of $50,000 and is expected to sell for in excess of $100,000.  Many consider the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card to be the single most important and miraculous baseball card in the world. The 1914 Babe Ruth rookie card features Ruth as an unknown minor league rookie straight out of St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys. Only ten 1914 Baltimore Ruths are known to exist, including the one owned by the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore. The reserve for this card is $50,000, and it is also expected to sell for in excess of $100,000.

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. An exceptional example of the famous 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings Peck & Snyder advertising trade card featuring the very first professional team is a special highlight (est. $25,000+, res. $10,000). Over six-hundred Old Judge baseball cards issued by Goodwin & Co from 1886 to 1890 are also included in the sale. This is one of the largest collections of Old Judges ever assembled. Also offered are a selection of N173 Old Judge cabinets, including many Hall of Famers, and an incredible twenty-nine 1889 Police Gazette cabinet cards, the largest-ever offering of these extreme rarities, including a particularly outstanding example of Hall of Famer Tim Keefe (res. $5,000).

The auction includes an extraordinary array of rare nineteenth-century baseball cards including examples issued by Kalamazoo Bats, Mayo’s Cut Plug, as well as many rare nineteenth-century baseball cabinet cards; Cracker Jack baseball cards issued in 1914 and 1915; literally thousands of 1910-era baseball tobacco cards, one the largest selections to ever be offered at auction; complete Topps and Bowman sets from virtually every year,  including three complete sets of 1952 Topps with the rare high-numbers. In addition to two sets of 1909-1911 T206 White Border tobacco cards, many other rarities from the T206 set, the most important issue of the 1910 era, are presented. These include four examples of the rare T206 Eddie Plank (one graded EX-MT 6 by PSA); five T206 Magie error cards; and numerous extremely high-grade T206 examples. The newly-discovered 1933 R306 Butter Cream Confectionery of Babe Ruth is another extraordinary highlight item in the sale. One of card collecting’s most interesting and legendary rarities, this is only the third example known (res. $10,000).

PSA-Graded Sets: Featured are a remarkable selection of PSA-graded complete sets of the card collecting world’s most classic issues. The highlight of these is one of the finest T206 White Border sets ever assembled, the seventh highest-graded T206 set on the PSA registry, a total of 520 cards with a grade point average of 5.65, offered as a single lot, including four PSA NM-MT 8, seventy-one PSA NM 7, 277 PSA EX-MT 6, 163 PSA EX 5, four PSA VG-EX 4 (est. $100,000+, res. $50,000).  This is followed closely by an extraordinary world-class completely graded investment-grade 1952 Topps set, the most important issue in the entire world of postwar-card collecting (est. $50,000+; res. $25,000). This ultra high-grade set includes 42 NM-MT 8, 65 NM 7, 297 EX-MT 6, and just three cards grade lower (two Ex+, one Ex). In the more modern era, the 1963 Topps set listed as #5 on the PSA Set Registry is by far the finest ever offered by REA. This set includes eight PSA GEM MINT 10 cards, an astounding 124 PSA MINT 9s, and many highest-ever graded cards. The 1957 Topps PSA-Graded complete set listed as #9 on the Set Registry is another extraordinary highlight, with seventy-seven cards graded PSA MINT 9, 328 graded PSA NM-MT 8, and just two cards PSA NM 7 (est. $25,000+; res. $10,000). The 1968 Topps PSA-Graded set listed as #6 on the PSA Set Registry has an extraordinary grade point average of 8.94, and includes one GEM MT 10, 561 MINT 9, two NM-MT+ 8.5, and thirty-four NM-MT 8. The 1957, 1963, and 1968 PSA Registry sets are each the finest ever seen or offered by REA, and each one of the highest graded complete sets of these classic issues ever assembled.

Many highlights have been listed above, but there is much more. The auction includes countless important new discoveries and extraordinary rarities in all areas and from all eras, including an extraordinary selection pre-1900 baseball cards and memorabilia; display pieces; original art; rare pinbacks; autographs; graded cards; tobacco cards; caramel cards; regionals; 1930s gum cards; bats, uniforms, and other equipment, in addition to cards of note from all eras.

Graded Cards: Graded cards are a special strength. Among the many noteworthy individual cards of  interest are: 1913 Voskamp’s Coffee Honus Wagner SGC VG 40 (Reserve $5,000), 1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bats Pete Gillespie, NYs, one of the finest portrait examples known, graded EX+ 70 by SGC (res. $5,000); a complete high-grade set of all six 1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets including Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Frank Chance, and Nap Lajoie, each offered individually; 1909-1911 E90-1 American Caramel Joe Jackson graded VG+ 3.5 by PSA. (est. $10,000+, res. $5,000); 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #88 Christy Mathewson - PSA MINT 9 - Highest graded example! (res. $10,000); 1916 M101-5 Sporting News #151 Babe Ruth Rookie PSA EX 5 (est. $10,000/$15,000; res. $5,000), and 1904 Allegheny Card Co. 1904 Allegheny Card Co. Fred Clarke graded EX-MT 6 by PSA (res. $500).

The Charlie Conlon Collection is presented in this historic auction. One extraordinary highlight is perhaps the finest example of one the rarest and most valuable cards in the world: the famous T206 Larry Doyle NY Nat’l (hands over head pose). This extreme rarity (graded VG-EX 50 by SGC) is one of only approximately seven authentic examples known to exist, making it the rarest of all T206 cards and almost ten times rarer than the famous T206 Wagner. The minimum bid is $25,000. The estimate has been left open but it is expected to sell for over $100,000. Other noteworthy highlights from the Conlon Collection include:  1933 R319 Goudey #106 Napoleon Lajoie SGC NM 84  (est. $20,000, res. $10,000);  1933 R300 George C. Miller Uncut Sheet of 16 Cards - Only Example Known! (res. $5,000); 1933 R300 George C. Miller PSA-Graded Complete Set: #1 PSA Registry! (est. 20,000/30,000; res. $10,000); and 1968 Topps 3-D Complete PSA-Graded Set (est. 10,000+; res. 5,000). Charlie Conlon was well known for cornering the market on the popular 1975 Topps Minis, buying many cases of this regionally issued Topps product, which happened to be sold in his area, long before they were extremely valuable. At one time it is believed he had over 700 cases, which he sold slowly over the next thirty years. No one knew how many he had, and buyers were always fearful it was a never-ending supply. It wasn’t. This auction includes the entire balance of his inventory: twenty-six complete wax box cases of 1975 Topps Baseball Minis.

Regionals: Several collections of rare regional issues are a special highlight of the auction. Included is a remarkable collection of 1953-1955 Briggs Meats cards, all in complete uncut two-card panels as originally issued, including panels with Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays. The nine two-card panels (representing eighteen cards) are the largest and finest collection of these extreme regional rarities to ever be offered at auction, and may be the largest collection of uncut panels known (res. $5,000). The finest collection of rare 1953 Glendale Meats cards to ever be offered includes over sixty cards, among them a complete set and the highest-graded example of key card Art Houtteman, one of regional card collecting’s most legendary rarities (PSA EX-MT 6). There may never be a more impressive offering of Glendale Meats cards. Included are many of the highest-ever PSA graded examples from this classic 1950s issue featuring Detoit Tigers players. Other rare regional issues include: 1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson PSA-Graded Near-Complete Set (11 of 13 cards in the set), and a complete twenty-card set of 1954 Wilson Franks (Est. $4,000/$8,000; res. $2,000).

Additional Highlights: 1933 R319 Goudey uncut sheet with five Hall of Famers including #181 Babe Ruth (res. $10,000);  a remarkable collection of seventeen 1910 E125 American Caramel Die-cuts including Honus Wagner; 1886 N167 Old Judge Buck Ewing Graded GOOD 30 by SGC (est. $10,000/$20,000; res. $5,000); a complete set of all four 1894 N142 Duke Cabinet baseball players offered individually; 1888 St. Louis Joseph Hall Team Cabinet Including Comiskey and McCarthy; 1886 N370 Lone Jack Cigarettes Chris Von Der Ahe (est. $2,000+, res. $1,000); and an exceptional collection of 1895 N566 Newsboy Tobacco Cabinets (fifteen cards in total) including Hall of Famers Amos Rusie and John Ward.

Complete Graded Sets: Complete or near-complete sets of many classic vintage card issues include: 1911 T205 Gold Border Complete Set (208 Plus 2 Variations): #1 SGC Set Registry (est. $20,000/$30,000; res. $10,000); 1912 T207 Brown Background Near-Complete Set (191 of 200): 1909-1911 E90-1 American Caramel Near-Complete Set: 114 of 120 cards (res. $10,000). Complete sets of many other classic issues, such as 1911 T3 Turkey Reds, 1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folders, 1933 Goudey, 1933 DeLong, 1933 R338 Sport Kings,1934 Goudey, 1934-1936 R327 Diamond Stars, 1939-1941 Play Ball, and 1948-1949 Leaf Gum (including rarities) are also featured.

Game-Used Uniforms: An extraordinary selection of important baseball uniforms, one of the finest ever offered, is presented including: Tom Seaver’s 1967 New York Mets rookie home jersey, the best Seaver jersey in existence, graded a perfect A10 by MEARS (est. $25,000+; res. $10,000); 1927 Wilcy Moore New York Yankees Complete Game-Used Road Uniform (Jersey, Pants, and Hat) Ex-Halper (est. $10,000/$20,000); graded a  perfect A10 by MEARS (res. $2,500), 1963 Don Drysdale Los Angeles Dodgers Signed Game-Used Road Jersey - Only Graded Example (est. $10,000+; res. $5,000, 1948 Charlie Grimm Chicago Cubs Game-Used Home Uniform (Jersey and Pants) and many rare jersey styles from the 1930s through the 1960s. The Val Picinich Collection is consigned directly from the Picinich family, and includes his 1924 World Tour Complete Uniform - Jersey, Pants, Hat, and Socks (est. 10,000+; res. $5,000).

Game-Used Bats: The auction also presents one of the finest selections of game-used bats to ever come to auction, including those of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Roberto Clemente, Pie Traynor, and Hack Wilson. Dozens of additional pro-model bats are featured, including a particularly outstanding 1937-1941 Hank Greenberg bat. The Mickey Mantle bat is of special note as it is from so early in his career and can be dated to a particular year, 1955. (est. $10,000+, res. $5,000).

Autographs: Autographed memorabilia is another extremely strong area. In addition to autographed balls from all eras, and signed photos of legends such as Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, the autograph album collection of early hobby pioneer Dr. John O’Meara, assembled in the 1930s, will be featured. The collection, presented in seventeen lots in its own catalog section, is especially noteworthy for its remarkable level of quality throughout and its inclusion of extreme Hall of Fame signature rarities, such as George Wright, Billy Hamilton, and Ned Hanlon. The highlight of all autographed items in the auction may be the 1899 Ed Delahanty Handwritten Letter (res. $10,000). This letter is all the more extraordinary due to its impeccable provenance. It originates from the files of the H&B Louisville Slugger Bat Company. Delahanty died in 1903. His signature is one of the true Holy Grails of Hall of Fame signature collecting, a virtually impossible-to-obtain stumbling block to any complete Hall of Fame signature collection. This is the first Delahanty signature Robert Edward Auctions has ever seen or offered in almost 40 years.

Memorabilia and Awards: Additional significant and historic memorabilia, including rings and awards, are also included: 1986 New York Mets World Series Owner’s Trophy (res. $10,000); 1968 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees game-used cap with extraordinary provenance (res. $2,500); 1922 New York Giants World Series Ring - The First World Series Ring Ever!!!! (est. $5,000/$7,500+; res. $2,500); 1971 Ron Santo Chicago Cubs Signed Game-Used Home Jersey (est. $5,000+; res. $2,500);  1956 Bucky Harris Detroit Tigers game-used road complete uniform (Jersey, Pants, and Cap); circa 1880 Deacon White catcher’s mask, with ideal outstanding provenance (res. $5,000). This is an extremely historic item as White was the first professional catcher to ever wear a mask. Also: Moe Berg’s 1923 Princeton University baseball jacket (res. $1,000); legendary one-armed ballplayer Pete Gray’s 1945 St. Louis Browns game-used cap; and circa 1875 Deacon White Game-Used Baseball Pants - The Earliest Known Major League Baseball Uniform Item! (1,000, 2,500+)

.Other Sports: Sports other than baseball are also represented by a significant selection of extremely high quality items, including 1937-1945 Don Hutson Green Bay Packers Game-Used Home Jersey with Phenomenal Provenance (res. $10,000); 1986-1987 Michael Jordan Game-Used Chicago Bulls Home Jersey (res. $5,000), one of only four Jordan Bulls jerseys ever graded a perfect A10 by MEARS; 1979-1985 Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers Signed Game-Used Home Jersey (est. $2,000/$3,000; res. $1,000); 1997 Dan Marino Miami Dolphins Signed Game-Used Road Jersey with LOA from Marino (est. $2,000/$4,000; res. $1,000); 1976-1978 Bob McAdoo New York Knicks Game-Used Jersey (est. $3,000+; res. $1,500); 1992 John Elway Denver Broncos Signed Home Jersey (res. $1,000); 1980-1982 Herschel Walker University of Georgia Jersey (est. $2,000; res. $1,000); 1960-1963 Jim Taylor Green Bay Packers Game-Used Road Jersey (est. $5,000+; res. $2,500); 1977 Pele New York Cosmos Home Jersey (est. $5,000+; res. $2,500), and an extremely Rare 1999 Augusta National Golf Club Masters Jacket (res. $2,000).

Non-Sport Cards: An incredible selection of nonsport card related items, the finest ever offered by REA, are yet another highlight section of the sale. In addition to the fifty lots represented by the astounding 1930s unopened box and pack find (modestly entitled in the catalog “The Greatest Unopened Find In The History of the Universe”), thousands of nonsport cards dating from the 1880s to the 1960s are included. Most important among them is the legendary 1879 N519 Marquis of Lorne - Thos H. Hall - The World’s First Tobacco Insert Card!!! One of only four examples known (including two in museums), this is the first example of one of card collecting’s most important and historic rarities ever offered by REA. The 1936 R60 Gum, Inc. “G-Men & Heroes of the Law” Complete Set: #2 PSA Registry (est. $5,000/$10,000; res. $2,500) and the 1933 R73 Goudey Indian Gum Complete Set: #1 on the SGC Registry are two particularly strong highlights. Also offered is a rarely seen complete 24-card set of R90 1935 Gum, Inc. Mickey Mouse and the Movie Stars Complete Set (est. $3,000/$5,000; res. $1,500). Any Mars Attacks original artwork is a special prize in the nonsport collecting world. The 1962 Topps Mars Attacks original artwork for card #1 “The Invasion Begins” is an incredible highlight, an iconic painting by Norm Saunders that is perhaps the best nonsport card artwork in existence (est. $30,000+; res. $15,000).Copies of the 672-page full-color premium catalog (shipping April 9) are available free. To review the catalog online, to learn more about Robert Edward Auctions, or to receive a complimentary copy of the catalog, or to 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 or call (908)-226-9900.For over 30 years Robert Edward Auctions has specialized in all areas of historic baseball collectibles, as well other sport, non-sport, and Americana collectibles including political and campaign memorabilia, autographs and manuscripts, and original illustration art. Robert Edward Auctions has been responsible for many of the most important  baseball memorabilia sales including overseeing the sale of the $26-million Barry Halper baseball collection, universally recognized as the best and largest in the world; the legendary “Gretzky-McNail” T206 Honus Wagner card, $1.3-million; the uniform Yankee legend Lou Gehrig was wearing in 1939 when he gave his famous farewell speech, saying “Today, I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth”, $306,000; and the 1854 Knickerbocker Trophy baseball, now on permanent exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York, at a then-record $72,000.

Comment now » Read more March 16th, 2009

More Pictures From The Find:

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

     

                   

                                               

       

      

Comment now » Read more March 6th, 2009

The Most Incredible Unopened Find in the History of the Universe!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

     

   

   

        

                      click images to enlarge 

1930s Unopened Box and Pack Find 

We hope our title to this post doesn’t overstate the magnitude of this find, but this is what we think. Presented in the upcoming REA auction is one of the most miraculous finds in the history of collecting. The collection is comprised of fifty lots of unopened gum boxes and packs from various issues date mostly from the 1930s. We have never before seen a single unopened box of gum cards from the 1930s. In fact, we don’t believe that anyone else has ever seen anything like the boxes and packs offered here either. At least not since the 1930s. This find is so incredible and so unlikely that, if we didn’t have the material here, and weren’t able to provide photographs, we wouldn’t expect anyone to believe us. It would be too ridiculous to be true. But it is.

An occasional surviving unopened 1930s pack is an extreme rarity. An unopened box of 1930s gum cards is unprecedented.  An entire collection of circa 1930s unopened boxes and packs is a collecting miracle! Over the past thirty-nine years we’ve seen just about everything. There have been many other types of finds with greater monetary value. A single Honus Wagner card is worth more than this entire collection. But in terms of overall general impact to the most advanced collectors and simply being remarkable, this is one of the greatest collecting finds of any type, anywhere, ever. Almost all the packs and boxes are nonsport issues (just a few are baseball issues) produced by various 1930s gum companies such as National Chicle, Goudey, Tattoo Orbit, and Gum, Inc., as well as many other lesser known manufacturers. 

Here’s how they survived: This material was very recently discovered. These boxes and packs were saved by a candy and gum distributor as ordering samples. The distributor kept these samples on a large shelving unit just for reference, to identify product for ordering purposes. As new products came in, sometimes boxes of old products would be shoved to the back of the sample product shelf, eventually hidden from view by more current product samples. The boxes and packs presented here were pushed so far back on the shelf that they were completely hidden from view, providing all the elements of a perfect time capsule, and allowing them to be completely undisturbed and perfectly preserved all these years. These boxes and packs, having been received directly from the manufacturers, have not been seen or touched or even exposed to light since being put on a shelf at the candy and gum distributor 70 to 80 years ago! 

Fortunately the pictures above will speak louder than any words we could possibly provide in doing justice to this offering. To us, it is one of the most exciting finds of any kind that we have ever handled. This is the kind of seemingly impossible discovery that makes the collecting world so much fun for us. It is a thrill for us to document this astounding unopened find. We hope that collectors will enjoy seeing the early preview pictures posted above!

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/

Free auction catalog request link:

http://robertedwardauctions.com/contact/index.html

Comment now » Read more March 2nd, 2009

The Most Unusual 1933 DeLong Gum Company Complete Set In The World. Minimum Bid $100?

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                                              

                                                  click to enlarge

                                            

Cards come in all conditions. Sometimes with big condition problems that make them much more affordable but create unique and interesting collecting opportunities.  

In 1933 the DeLong Gum Company issued what is now one of the rarest and most highly regarded gum card sets of the 1930s. They can also be very expensive in high grade. Lou Gehrig alone lists for $40,000 in PSA NR-MT 8 condition. A complete set could cost a fortune in nice shape.

We don’t know what this 24-card set of “die-cut” 1933 DeLongs (pictured above) is worth. There’s no right answer and different collectors will have different opinions. How could anyone know? Who’s ever had a crazy set like this? All we know is we like it and we thought it would be fun to share the images and April auction catalog write-up here on the REA blog.    

 

Here’s the write-up from the upcoming auction:

Presented is what is unquestionably the most unusual complete set of all 24 players from the 1933 R333 DeLong Gum series in existence!  We’ve never before seen even a single “die-cut” DeLong like the cards in this set. Every card in the offered set has long ago had the background very neatly cut away around the player’s image, similar to a die-cut stand-up card. The backgrounds are each cut out with extraordinary care and at a glance they look like manufactured die-cut cards. They are not die-cut cards, of course, but they do look great! DeLongs have always held a special place in the hearts of collectors. The small size of the set, their relative rarity compared to most others card sets of the era, their unique dimensions and design, and their status as a “one-year issue” all combine to give DeLongs a mystique among serious collectors. More than half the set features Hall of Famers including: Gehrig, Foxx, Grove, Cuyler, Klein, Goslin, Terry, Simmons, Traynor, Gehringer, Cochrane, Gomez, Lindstrom, Maranville, and Hafey. DeLongs are one of the rarest issues of the 1930s and have always been an expensive issue to collect, especially due to the inclusion of Lou Gehrig and all the other Hall of Famers in the set. This is certainly a very unique form to find this set. Cards come in all conditions, and that is most definitely the case here. Without reference to the “die-cut” design, the cards in this set grade G-Vg overall. This is an exciting opportunity for a collector to acquire a complete R333 DeLong set in a unique low-grade form at a very affordable level. These cards are from the Charlie Conlon Collection. That in itself is interesting because Charlie was one of most advanced longtime collectors in the world and he had sets of just about every rare 1930s issue. He didn’t need these cards; they were duplicates. He had a high-grade set of DeLongs. But even he thought they were neat enough to put in his extraordinary collection. Sure, they’ve got a very unusual condition problem. But we are sure that someone is going to enjoy these as much as Charlie did. Total 24 cards. Reserve $100. Estimate (open).  

Comment now » Read more February 20th, 2009

New N172 Old Judge Discovery!!!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                                       

                                     click to enlarge

After 121 years of being unknown, a new pose of James Tyng in the N172 Old Judge baseball card set has been discovered! It is formally documented here for the first time ever.  The Old Judge set, issued by Goodwin & Company between 1886 and 1890, is the largest and most important of all nineteenth-century baseball card issues. The set has been the subject of so much serious study and endless fascination by collectors for so long that new discoveries are rare, and one would think unlikely at this late date. But not impossible!  

The batting pose of Tyng (pictured above) was unknown until last month. We’d like to take credit for the discovery, but really we can’t. That honor goes to Jay Miller, a true scholar of collecting and one of the most advanced collectors of Old Judges in the world. Jay visited REA’s office to look at a large Old Judge collection that came in for auction. As a courtesy he offered to help us review the cards for any hidden rarities or information that would be helpful to us in processing the collection. That sounded great to us, especially since the Old Judge set has so many subtle rarities, and Jay really knows his Old Judges. This is sort of like having Albert Einstein offer to help you with your math homework. To his and our great surprise, while he was carefully reviewing some 600 Old Judges, he suddenly announced that he found a newly discovered Old Judge pose! Without his keen eye and comprehensive knowledge of Old Judges, we are fairly certain that we would have not noticed this card was a new pose. It is possible it would have never been noticed, as there is another batting pose of Tyng in the Old Judge set that we probably would have assumed was this card. But in the photo on the other (already known) batting pose card (obviously taken moments before or after), Tyng is in a bat-at-ready pose, preparing to hit. In the newly discovered card (pictured above), Tyng is standing relaxed with the bat resting on his shoulder.        

The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890) is published and available!

This seems like a perfect time to give special thanks to collectors Jay Miller, Joe Gonsowski, and Richard Masson for the extraordinary contribution they have made to the collecting world with their recent publication of the ultimate volume devoted to Old Judge baseball cards, entitled “The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890)”. This 457-page full color coffee-table style book is the most thoroughly researched and ambitious baseball card project that we have ever seen. We could not recommend it more highly! It is absolutely a must-have for anyone interested in the history of baseball cards, Old Judge baseball cards in particular, or nineteenth-century baseball. This book deserves an honored place in every baseball or card reference library. Until this book arrived, we could never have imagined that a book on Old Judges of this magnitude and quality was even possible. We cannot imagine how many hundreds - or thousands - of hours of work that were invested in this project. The publishing of this important volume is a great gift from these gentlemen to the collecting community. All we can say is Thank You!

“The Photographic Baseball Cards of Goodwin & Company (1886-1890)” is available by mail. If anyone would like to order a copy, send $125 to:

Richard Masson
1158 26th Street #537
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Comment now » Read more February 16th, 2009

Economic Status of the Collecting and Auction World

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

The following is the text of REA’s February 13, 2009  mass email to our mailing list, for those interested but who are not on our email list:

Having heard repeatedly during the past week numerous reports of serious economic issues at some auction houses, we thought it would be appropriate to send a quick note to our bidders and consignors to assure you that Robert Edward Auctions is rock solid financially, as always, and that interest in collecting is as great as ever. We have no cash flow problems, and no banking credit issues. In fact, as we have communicated many times in the past in our advertising literature, REA does not even have a line of credit. We don’t need one. The hobby is healthy and collectors are very enthusiastic! The economy may have an impact on the prices of some items, that is a given (and as it should be), but interest in our auctions, both by bidders and consignors, is unprecedented.  It would not be an exaggeration for us to say that, from our perspective, business is booming.

While the flow of quality consignments is always uncertain and by nature “feast or famine,” it is clear to us that there is a far greater demand for our services than we can supply. We always tell consignors that our most valuable resource is our time. The way we do things, with uncompromising care, commitment to research, and attention to detail, there will always be a limit on exactly how much material we can process and therefore accept for auction. That’s why we always ask for material early. We could not do the quality job we insist on doing if everything came in at the last minute. It would be impossible. We will never compromise on the quality of our services, and if we have to turn down material for auction, we’re OK with this being the reason. We want to do a great job.

In recent years it has become routine for us to have to politely decline to accept quality items because of timing. This has increasingly been the case even as we have cut back drastically on our advertising. This year we didn’t even send out a direct mailing request for consignments, and you (as a person on our email list) may or may not have noticed that we have sent out just a few consignment request notices by email the entire year. The reason we haven’t been more aggressive with advertising is simply that we have been swamped all year. This tells us that maybe this is the time for us to consider expanding to two auctions per year. We don’t know the exact details yet, because they have not been decided (we first have to get through the upcoming auction, which is going to press in a few weeks) but many collectors and dealers have suggested that we go to two auctions per year, and we are finally very seriously considering doing exactly that. We will send more details soon. Our vision may be to add a smaller second auction, as opposed to trying to create two auctions of equal size, with the idea that maybe over time the second auction will grow into an event as significant as the larger auction. Even if it does not, it will allow us to handle more material for more consignors, possibly allow us to attract some quality consignments that we would not otherwise get, and to provide a shorter time horizon for auction that is often desired by sellers. The goal is to allow us to provide an even more valuable service to the collecting community, while at the same time being careful and practical. At REA, we like what we do very much and want to be sure to keep the auction business fun for us! We will keep you posted and look forward to sending more details in the near future about this and about our upcoming auction, which may be our best ever!

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

http://www.robertedwardauctions.com/

Comment now » Read more February 15th, 2009

Photo Sent To Us:

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                                     

                             click to enlarge image

Comment now » Read more January 8th, 2009

T206 Doyle: Fraud, or extremely significant new T206 checklist addition?

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

                     

                          click to enlarge images 

The new PSA coffee table book, Collecting Sports Legends - The Ultimate Hobby Guide, which is a beautiful book by the way (and can be ordered direct from PSA at www.psacard.com), has a very interesting T206 Doyle-related entry with illustration on page 43.  Above are scans from the book.

The purpose of this post is to discuss the implications regarding the fact that the lettering on the bottom of this card (the example illustrated in the book) is different than that of other rare Doyle, NY Nat’l cards.  

Checking the PSA cert verification adds a little confusion but also some extra information.

Here is the link:

http://www.psacard.com/Cert/90412091.html

The report shows this card (PSA cert #90412091) as grading EX-MT 6 (as opposed to EX 5 as shown in the just-published PSA book illustration) and as having a Polar Bear back. The fact that the card has apparently been upgraded is not an issue.  Grading is subjective and it is not uncommon for cards to get upgraded upon further review or resubmission. The fact that the card is identified as having a Polar Bear back in the PSA cert verification report, however, is of significance, and that is why we make note of the PSA cert verification report. In the absence of a clerical error, in this case the report provides additional valuable information about the card (PSA cert #90412091) which does not appear on the PSA label of the card pictured in the new book. 

To review: The rarity of the NY Nat’l variety is due to the printer’s REMOVAL of the “Nat’l” - not the adding it.

When the printer discovered very early in the print run that an error had been made, that the image on this card was Joe Doyle of the New York Americans (as opposed to Larry Doyle of the New York Nationals), rather than correcting the league designation on the card (changing it from “Nat’l” to “Amer.”), the league designation was simply removed entirely from the printing plate. This was done in response to the identification error (they got their “Doyles” - Joe and Larry - mixed up). So by REMOVING the “NY Nat’l” they corrected the misidentification of Joe Doyle (of the NY Americans) as Larry Doyle of the NY Nationals. This was done very early in the print run. That is why it is so rare. Thus almost all known Doyle hands-over-head pitching pose cards in the T206 set are identified with just “N.Y.,” as the error cards identifying the league designation as “Nat’l” were corrected almost immediately. This is what explains the great rarity of the “NY Nat’l” variation.

The significance of explaining the nature of the error here is that on the PSA 5 EX Doyle card (now graded PSA 6 EX-MT, and noted as having a Polar Bear back, according to the PSA cert verification lookup), the “Nat’l” appears in our opinion to have been added to the card after the “Doyle, NY” was already printed, as it is in a different and larger font than the rest of the typesetting on the card. This is not the case on other known-to-be-authentic rare Doyle cards. In addition to other extremely significant differences in the typesetting on the front of the card (compared to the two PSA examples and the Charlie Conlon SGC example, all pictured on previous REA blog entries, all with Piedmont 350 backs), the larger font on the word “Nat’l” is not even consistent with the nature of the T206 Doyle error. 

Compare the lettering on the PSA 5 (now PSA 6) cert #90412091 example with the lettering on the other examples. It is different. Compare the location of the “D” in “Doyle” horizontally with reference to the fixed point represented by the corner of the image window - or any other fixed point for reference. The typesetting is positioned differently horizontally. This is also something that is unlike any other T206 card. The identification typeset on T206s cannot move horizontally. At least we are not aware of this having occurred with any other T206 cards. The identification typeset is fixed on all T206 cards with reference to the image above as far as horizontal centering. That’s how T206s apparently were printed.

So what does this all mean? 

In conclusion, it is the case that either:

1) This card is not real - it is a fake - it has been created by altering a common T206 Doyle; or

2) The card is real - and that it is deserving of recognition as a checklist addition to the T206 set - as a newly-discovered variation of the rare T206 Doyle NY card. This would require there having been two printings of the rare Doyle card, which have two completely different identification typeset plates. This would define the PSA 5 (now PSA 6) cert #90412091 example to be a unique anomaly in the printing of the T206 set.  And if that was the case, it would not be a traditional Doyle NY Nat’l but would be a new and subtly different Doyle NY Nat’l VARIATION card. It would actually be a newly discovered T206 card unto itself - a new T206 that would by any definition qualify for its own checklist entry as “T206 Doyle NY Nat’l Hands Over Head Type II”. I hope I have communicated this clearly.

Whichever is the case - fraud or extremely significant new T206 checklist addition (it has to be one or the other) - the implications are enormous. If it’s a fake, it’s a big deal. If it’s real, it’s an even bigger deal. With the information we have, we can draw no conclusions, only present and organize the facts for analysis and invite additional insight and comment. 

Comment now » Read more January 8th, 2009

Bat and Uniform Consignment Deadline Approaching

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

Extremely Important Bats and Uniform Reminder: All bats and uniforms accepted for consignment for the spring 2009 auction must be in hand on or before January 15, 2009. This is necessary to allow time for the extensive MEARS authentication process. If you have an item of extraordinary value, such as a Mantle, Ruth, or Gehrig bat or uniform, of course we will move mountains to accommodate a late consignment if possible, but all other bat and jersey items that have not already been authenticated by MEARS absolutely must be in our office by January 15.

MEARS is a third-party evaluation and research firm that specializes in bats and jerseys. We believe very strongly that they provide both buyers and sellers with a service in evaluating bats and jerseys that is far superior to that which is available anywhere else and far superior to that which even existed just a few short years ago. We are sometimes shocked at the fraudulent material that gets sent in for consignment that has allegedly been authenticated by experts elsewhere. We think that all buyers who are buying expensive jerseys and bats would much prefer authentication by MEARS. That isn’t to say that there aren’t other very capable and knowledgeable authenticators in the field, such as PSA/DNA’s John Taube with bats, and many others in niche areas. But we don’t understand how some buyers sometimes take the word of unknown authenticators. And when we say “unknown”, we don’t mean “not well known.” We mean literally “unknown” as in “the auction house won’t identify who the authenticators are”. How could anyone have confidence in the word of unknown, unidentified authenticators? And why are they unidentified? We could understand the desire to not identify authenticators if identifying them would be cause for embarrassment. We’re not saying that is the case, but if it was, at least we could understand. At REA, we are proud of the work of our authenticators. They are identified, accessible, and accountable.

If it’s worth auctioning, it’s worth getting authenticated properly. We cannot compromise on the quality of the authentication process or presentation for the sake of time or economy. That’s why we need to set this early deadline for bats and jerseys. Every year we have no choice but to turn down many perfectly good items that are offered to us too late.

In the end, however, this serves everyone’s best interests, as bidders have far greater confidence in properly authenticated items, and these items will naturally sell for stronger prices. In addition to doing an incredible job, MEARS offers a money-back guarantee on all authenticated items. If they should make an error, their items come with a built-in insurance policy. This is a significant value for buyers. MEARS is the only bat or jersey authentication service to do this.

If you have other material to auction, ESPECIALLY CARDS, there is still time and we are looking for everything from Topps and Bowman sets to pre-1900 rarities. The auction will feature many remarkable discoveries and extraordinary rarities in all areas: pre-1900 baseball cards and memorabilia, display pieces, original art, autographs, nonsport cards, graded cards, tobacco cards, 1930s gum cards, caramel cards, Topps and Bowman sets, regionals, bats, uniforms, etc.

Everyone always wants to send in material at the last minute, but it would be impossible to provide REA’s uncompromising attention to detail to all items if everything arrived at the last minute. The Best Time To Consign Is Now!

If you have quality material you think may be of interest, we hope to hear from you in the very near future! Please call or write! Thank you!

Sincerely,

Robert Edward Auctions LLC

908-226-9900

www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Comment now » Read more November 18th, 2008

Only SIX more Doyles to go for Million Dollar Reward!!!

Published by Robert Lifson on Tagged Uncategorized

We have NOT had another rare T206 Doyle submitted, but we are lowering by one the number of additional authentic rare T206 Doyle cards required to be submitted for REA to pay the Million Dollar reward anyway. We already have images of two authentic PSA graded examples (both posted) so we now need only SIX more rare T206 Doyles (that have been graded by PSA before November 8, 2008, and therefore are represented in the current PSA Population Report) to trigger the reward. We’re “letting one slide”. Why? We have just been told that months ago a common T206 Doyle appeared on eBay that was misidentified on the label as the rare Doyle, and that therefore it is not possible for the rare T206 Doyle reward to be paid. We did not, however, see this card on eBay, thereby making our offer safe, and we don’t know anything about this particular card. The report of the mislabled card, however, is perfectly consistent with the whole point of the Million Dollar reward: to show that the rare T206 Doyle card is MUCH rarer than suggested by the PSA Population Report.  So we’re lowering the number required by one just to “keep hope alive”. We have always been clear that we never thought there was a chance that we would really be paying the million dollar reward. We don’t think enough cards exist. To us, the big questions are:

Could the population of authentic graded rare T206 Doyles be only three?

Could the entire total population of rare T206 Doyles (graded and ungraded) in private hands be only six? 

Comment now » Read more November 18th, 2008