Auction closes November 30, 2024
FALL 2024 PREMIER AUCTION CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2024
(845) 750-6366 | www.loveofthegameauctions.com
I WAS SCROLLING THE INTERNET RECENTLY, and on one of the hobby forums I came across a discussion I found interesting: someone had posted a graded card that carried a pedigree from Charles Bray, and asked whether the pedigree added any value to the card. A few opinions were tossed back and forth, and then one collector chimed in, stating “I’ve been collecting 30 years and I’ve never heard of Charles Bray.” This letter is not intended to criticize any individual collector. It is, however, to suggest that perhaps we as hobbyists are beginning to lose sight of some of the research and care that some of its early curators invested in the hobby in its earliest days. Often, I peruse auctions and sale listings and find very little attention being paid to the origin or true significance of the items being sold. It’s easy to become seduced by the big money transactions that seem to happen every week in our hobby, and to forget the scholarly approach to collecting. The detective work that goes into learning about a set, or researching a player or team, is often the most fun part of the hobby – and I fear it’s becoming a lost art. Nearly a year ago, I wrote an editorial: “The hobby needs a Standard Catalog!” The publication that used to be the Bible of collecting has not been published since 2017, after a string of annual or semi-annual updates. New hobby discoveries, new research, variations and finds seem to have fallen by the wayside – disseminating that knowledge seems to be unimportant in today’s fast-paced, high-dollar world. And yet there are collectors who are keen on
digging into these mysteries and unraveling them. Sadly, though, among the large corporations currently pouring money into the hobby, acquiring businesses and adding to their portfolios, there seems to be little interest in reinforcing the foundation of the hobby by educating collectors, especially new ones. I would love to see one of the hobby’s new, well-funded entrants take the bull by the horns and create a scholarly hobby publication. I’d love to see whoever owns the Standard Catalog turn it over to the SABR Baseball Cards committee so that they can continue publishing it. I’d love to see one of these well-funded corporations make a huge donation to SABR – to ensure that they have the resources necessary to do their work. But until that happens, it’s our responsibility as hobbyists to preserve these names and share our knowledge. Which brings us to Charles Bray. As you read through this catalog, you’ll find names of early hobby pioneers that we discuss with the same reverence we use with individual players. Bray, Jefferson Burdick, Lionel Carter, Richard Merkin, the American Card Catalog, Card Collectors Bulletin – all featured in these pages. Each had an important role in building the hobby we love today. There are many more. As collectors, we owe it to the folks who’ll own our cards some day in the future, to preserve these names, and to share these discoveries, to help keep this hobby alive. What an honor it is to write those names into these pages. We’ve got lots of historically important items in this auction, and undoubtedly, some will sell for a lot of money. But it’s the history that brought us all here, which is easy to forget sometimes. I invite you to spend some time reading – and maybe bidding on that lot of old Card Collectors Bulletin publications. Let’s be sure to revere and preserve the foundation that made this the best hobby in the world.
Happy Holidays, Al Crisafulli Auction Director
FALL 2024 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2024 1
AUCTION TERMS AND CONDITIONS ABOUT OUR AUCTION
1. This auction is conducted by Crisafulli Ventures, LLC, doing business as Love of the Game Auctions. The auction is conducted under the following rules and applicable laws. Consignors and bidders in this auction agree to be bound by these rules. By bidding or consigning, you are expressly agreeing to these terms. If you have any questions, contact us at info@loveofthegameauctions.com. 2. A buyer’s premium equal to 20% of the high bid will be added to all lots. A $100 winning bidder will thus be charged $120. Any bidder who elects to pay by PayPal will also be subject to a 4% convenience fee on the entire lot. This fee applies only to payments made by PayPal (including credit card payments made through PayPal). 3. This auction closes using the “Double Overtime” method, with a 15-minute rule for the entire auction. In order to bid on an item during the extended bidding session beginning on the date of the auction close, you must place at least one bid on that item prior to 9:00 PM Eastern on the auction closing date. If you do not bid on it by 9PM Eastern on the closing date, you cannot bid on it afterward. To ensure that everyone gets a chance to bid, we will apply the 15-minute rule to the entire auction beginning at 9PM, with the clock resetting every 15 minutes. Bidding continues until no bids have been placed in the entire auction for a full 15-minute interval. As long as there is at least one lot that receives a bid during a 15-minute interval, the entire auction will extend for 15 minutes. Once a 15-minute interval passes without a bid on any item in the auction , the auction will close. At 1:00 AM Eastern, any item that has not received a bid for one hour or more will close without notice. The remaining items will enter “Double Overtime,” with the 15- minute rule applied to the remaining lots. NOTE: There are no exceptions to this. If an item is closed, it is closed and we cannot accept additional bids. This auction may close without notice at any time once the Extended Bidding period begins. We do not guarantee that bidders will receive a “Fair Warning” notice before the auction closes. 4. Winning bids will be subject to additional charges for packing, domestic shipping and insurance. We do not make profit on shipping. As a convenience, we now offer a standardized schedule for packing and shipping, based on the total invoice amount. This standardized schedule is $12 per invoice valued at less than $500; $15 per invoice valued between $500 and $999, $20 per invoice valued between $1,000 and $4,999; $35 per invoice valued between $5,000 and $9,999; $50 per invoice valued between $10,000 and $49,999; $75 per invoice valued between $50,000 and $99,999, and $100 per invoice valued greater than $100,000. Bidders who win three or fewer graded cards valued at less than $400 in total may request USPS First Class shipping in a padded mailing envelope for $5, provided that they assume all risk of loss or damage. There are exceptions to the standardized shipping schedule in instances of shipments outside the continental US, or in the instance of large, heavy or fragile items that require special packing or shipping carrier (for example, stadium seats, oversized and framed items, large lots or graded sets, or lots containing many components or requiring multiple packages), or oversized items such as bats, pennants and display items. In the case of high-value items requiring bonded, insured transport and/or transport by special carrier, the winning bidder will also pay all shipping, packing and insurance charges. ALSO NOTE THIS EXPLANATION OF HOW OUR SHIPPING WORKS: We primarily use the USPS and FedEx for shipping, and
generally adhere to the following rules: • If your package is valued at $400 or less, we ship via USPS Priority Mail. • If your package is valued above $400, we ship via USPS Priority Mail with a signature confirmation requirement, USPS Express Mail, or Federal Express, at our discretion. • Oversized packages are shipped FedEx Ground. We generally do not use UPS, as we no longer trust their ability to safely move packages from Point A to Point B without damage or loss, and our experience has been that they do not guarantee their service. Please note, however, that the method of shipping is AT OUR DISCRETION, and we can choose whichever method we feel best fits the item we are shipping. We pride ourselves on packaging all items very carefully and diligently, but cannot honor special packaging and shipping requests. Please bear this in mind when bidding. WE DO NOT SHIP IN PADDED ENVELOPES, EXCEPT UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCE INDICATED ABOVE. We generally ship in corrugated boxes, typically wrapped in heavy-duty bubble wrap with other ultra-protective packaging inside. As a result, we cannot reduce your shipping cost. It’s expensive to ship! 5. Residents of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington State are subject to sales tax on purchases unless we have a valid resale certificate on file. We reserve the right to modify our sales tax policies, even mid-auction, as the laws and our responsibilities are currently changing. 6. We accept Paypal, Zelle, Check or Money Order. We do not accept direct credit card payment, though you can pay by credit card through PayPal. There is a 4% convenience fee for PayPal payments. Zelle payments can be made to Payment at LOTGAuctions.com. By special arrangement we can accept payment by wire transfer. There is an additional fee of $10 per wire transfer under $10,000. REGISTRATION AND CONSIGNMENT 7. In order to bid, you must be a registered bidder. In order to register, visit www.loveofthegameauctions.com and complete the bidder registration. Bidders are required to provide at least one hobby reference in order to register, and registrations are approved manually by management. We do not accept registrations the day of the auction, because we cannot check references when other businesses are closed. Also please note that if “eBay” is your hobby reference, you must provide your eBay ID. Also please note that if you use eBay as your reference, acceptance of your registration is based on the number of recent transactions, in addition to your positive feedback rating. By “hobby reference,” we are referring to an individual business entity (for instance, nationally- known card dealer, auction house, etc) with whom you have done business as a buyer. All registrants must be 18 years of age. Love of the Game reserves the right to refuse any bidder registration or any consignment, for any reason. At its sole discretion, Love of the Game may at any time place a credit limit on a bidder’s account. The credit limit represents the maximum amount a bidder can bid with LOTG at that time. Registering to bid means you agree to these terms and conditions. 8. Bids can be placed online at www.loveofthegameauctions. com by registered bidders, or by phone at (845) 750-6366. Phone bids will be made by proxy, by Love of The Game Auctions staff acting on your behalf as quickly as possible. We promise that we will execute these bids as quickly as possible but cannot take responsibility for internet
bids that are placed by other users prior to executing a telephone bid. We also cannot take responsibility for busy phone signals or slow internet connections. 9. We reserve the right to withdraw any item from the auction at any time during the auction, for any reason. This includes after the close of the auction, in the event that there are issues or questions with title, authenticity, clerical error, untimely bid, untimely payment, or other issues related to human or mechanical error. 10. Love of the Game Auctions wishes to conduct a reputable auction with reputable collectors and consignors. As such, Love of the Game Auctions reserves the right to refuse to accept bids or approve bidders for any reason. Similarly, Love of the Game Auctions reserves the right to refuse or withdraw consignments for any reason, at any time. PARTICIPATION IN THE AUCTION 11. A bid is a financial commitment, and bidders are responsible for the accuracy of their bids. Once you place a bid, it cannot be retracted. If you’ve got questions about how to bid, please contact us PRIOR TO PLACING YOUR BID. Bidder error does not constitute a reason to retract bids, nor does a lack of understanding of the auction rules. You are required to read and agree to these rules prior to placing a bid. If you have a question, please ask before bidding. YOUR BIDS MAY NOT BE RETRACTED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Your bid is binding and cannot be retracted. This includes max bids. If you have questions about condition, or specific questions about an item in the auction, please contact us before you place a bid. Inspections of lots by special appointment is available up to 5:00 PM the Thursday prior to the auction close. Contact us for details. 12. Bid increments are as follows: LAST BID BID INCREMENT $0-49 $5 $50-199 $10 $200-999 $25 $1000-2499 $50 $2500-4999 $100 $5000-9999 $250 $10,000-34,999 $500 $35,000-74,999 $1000 $75,000-99,999 $2000 $100,000+ 5% 13. “Max” or “Ceiling” bids can be placed on any lot. They must conform to the proper bidding increment based on a lot’s high bid at the time such a bid is placed. In the event of a tie between bids, the earlier bid received will be recognized as the winning bid. This is especially important with respect to “Max” bids and “straight” bids, because if a bidder places a “straight” bid equal to a “max” bid left by someone earlier, the “max” bid will be considered the winner. 14. We cannot see max bids. We do not have access to max bids in any way. If you choose to leave a max bid, we will not know the amount of that bid. We do not have a fancy brand name for this; we just call it “integrity.” It should go without saying. 15. Consignors may not bid on their own materials. Love of the Game Auctions reserves the right to cancel any bid should we believe that bid was made by a consignor, or representative of a consignor, bidding on his/her own materials. We reserve the right to decline consignments for the same reason, at any point before, during, or even after the auction, if we believe a consignor or his proxy is placing bids on his lots. Love of the Game Auctions is
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AUTHENTICITY, GRADES, DESCRIPTIONS, and CAVEAT EMPTOR 28. Love of the Game Auctions makes every attempt to describe each item in our sale as accurately as possible. We do not “sweeten” or otherwise enhance any scans or images, save for general unsharp mask or image re-sizing, general color correction of photographs, and cropping out unsightly background distractions with the magical Photoshop program. Occasionally, an item in our auction may appear differently in the catalog photograph than in person, due solely to lighting or white balance. We do not enhance scans or photographs, but we do shine light on items we are photographing, in an effort to ensure it is as visible as possible. Despite all this, subtle variations in print color, computer monitors, background lighting, and even camera and scanner settings could result in a catalog or website image not being 100% color accurate, and we make no such guarantees. We cannot accept returns due to discrepancies over color, brightness, contrast, flaws, etc. Any bidder who is unsure of an item’s true appearance is more than welcome to contact us with questions or to schedule an in-person preview or receive additional photographs. Similarly, we cannot accept returns on graded items because of a condition issue or flaw that is not addressed in the written description of an item. This includes marks, discolorations, stains, or any other defect that might not have been described in our written description or is not easily visible in the scan or photo. 29. Card grading and authenticity: We utilize the card grading service of PSA and SGC, and are authorized dealers of each. Additionally, we occasionally offer cards graded by CSG, Beckett or, on rare occasion, GAI. As stated above, we make every effort to properly represent and describe items in our auction. However, we cannot be held responsible for the opinion of a third-party grader or authenticator. As most collectors understand, opinions on grade or authenticity, while typically rendered by skilled workers with vast experience, are exactly that: opinions. We cannot guarantee that every card graded by a third- party grading service, or every item authenticated by a professional authenticator, would receive the same grade upon resubmission to a different (or even the same) grading service, nor would we guarantee that the item would receive a grade or be authenticated at all. All we can tell you is the number on the holder and the company that graded it. WHEN YOU PURCHASE A GRADED OR AUTHENTICATED ITEM FROM US, YOU ARE PURCHASING AN ITEM GRADED OR AUTHENTICATED BY THAT COMPANY. YOU ARE NOT PURCHASING THE PROMISE THAT A COMPETING GRADING COMPANY WILL RENDER THE SAME DECISION. All sales are final, and we do not warrant items will “cross” from one grading company or authenticator to another. This is important: if a graded card that we sell is subsequently discovered to be overgraded or altered, we cannot be held responsible. We do our best to ensure that the items we sell are as described, but we cannot be held responsible for the opinion of an unrelated party, including the accuracy of a grade and whether flaws or alterations were “missed.” We do not warrant or guarantee any item authenticated or graded by a third party. Graded and/or authenticated items are sold “as is.” THIS IS IMPORTANT: Love of the Game shall not in any way be liable for any defect (either patent or latent) or controversy pertaining to or arising from any encapsulated collectible. In any such instance, the buyer’s remedy, if any, shall be solely against the authentication or grading company certifying the collectible. All graded cards are sold “as is” with no exceptions. Your participation in the auction constitutes your acknowledgement, agreement and acceptance of this rule.
the sole arbiter of this decision, and by participating in the auction, both bidders and consignors agree to this. 16. Our auction system generates electronic bid confirmations and outbid notices electronically and automatically. Love of the Game Auctions cannot guarantee that you’ll receive the emails or text messages, however. We recommend checking the status of your bids online periodically. 17. We do not have hidden reserves. Occasionally, on certain high-value items, we will institute a reserve to protect our consignor. Approximately one week prior to the auction closing, we disclose the specific dollar amount of any reserves that have not been met. When we disclose the reserve, the current bid will be set to one increment below the reserve amount, and the next bid will meet the reserve. PLEASE NOTE: The reserve should be treated as a “bidder.” If you choose to leave a max bid that is greater than the reserve, your bid will automatically meet the reserve, and you will become the high bidder at the reserve price. There is never a hidden reserve. It is our policy to disclose whether an item has a reserve, right in the description of that item. If a reserve is not noted, and the item receives a bid, it will sell. If the bidding meets the reserve, the item will sell. We do not permit consignors to add reserves after the auction is underway, and we will not accept a consignment with a reserve unless it is specifically agreed upon prior to the auction. 18. Love of the Game Auctions, its owner or employees are not permitted to bid on any lot in the auction, under any circumstances. Bidders are not bidding against any “house account.” There is no “house account.” 19. Unsold or unpaid lots may be privately sold or re- auctioned at our discretion. Should Love of the Game elect to pay the consignor for an unpaid lot, we take ownership of that item and can re-sell it at our discretion. 20. If, for any reason, our auction is interrupted during bidding, Love of the Game Auctions may elect to extend bidding beyond the stated closing date or time. In the case of a serious outage that we feel impacts bidding, Love of the Game Auctions may elect to take more extreme measures to ensure that bidding is fair and all bidders have had sufficient opportunities to place their bids. Such measures may include stopping all bidding and re-starting from the point of stoppage on a subsequent day, and/or pushing the scheduled auction closing to a later date, or any other remedy that we feel is appropriate. This decision is entirely at the discretion of Love of the Game, and by bidding in our auction, you agree to this. If any bidder experiences a problem bidding, they should contact us at info@loveofthegameauctions.com. PAYMENT AND DELIVERY 21. Payment must be received on all winning bids within 14 calendar days of notification of items won. This is not negotiable, as it is important to us to pay our consignors as quickly as possible. Notifications and invoices are sent by email, except in the event that a phone bidder has no email address. These methods shall constitute “notification” of winning. It is your responsibility to check your account to see if you are a winning bidder. Any bidder not paid in full within 14 days of notification may have future bidding and consigning privileges revoked, and will be subject to legal action. Additionally, we will publish the full name and location of all reneging bidders in our printed catalog, on our website and on our social media as a reneging bidder, and we will forward your name to other auction houses for informational purposes. Should an account be late with payment more than once, it is our policy to assign a credit limit to that account. Your bidding in our auction constitutes agreement to all these rules and policies,
especially this one. Payments by check or money order should be made to Love of the Game Auctions, PO Box 3931, Kingston, NY, 12402. We make every effort to ship as quickly as possible. We generally ship under a “First In, First Out” policy, meaning we ship packages in the order that payment was received, unless there are extenuating circumstances. If you make your payment by PayPal or credit card, your payment is processed immediately and forwarded to shipping. This does not mean your item will be shipped right away. It means it is “ready to ship,” and is in queue with all the other packages that have been paid for. We hold all checks for 7 days. Please note that the above does not say “we hold all checks until they clear,” it says “we hold all checks for 7 days.” Our bank has advised us that the best way to avoid issues is to hold each check for 7 days. This means that on the 8th day, we make sure checks have cleared, and then we forward the invoice to shipping. This does not mean your item will be shipped right away. It means it is “ready to ship,” and is in queue with all the other packages that have been paid for. We realize this is a one-week delay, which is partially why the buyer’s premium is 4% less for buyers who pay by check than for those who pay by PayPal. While it does require some patience, we can assure you that we are still quicker than most auction houses. 22. Insurance is provided by Collectibles Insurance Services. The buyer assumes the risk of loss on all items purchased once we ship said items. Shipping carriers are chosen at our discretion. In no event and under no circumstance will the liability of Love of the Game exceed the purchase price paid for any lot. 23. We will not commit customs fraud on packages shipped outside the United States. 24. All items are purchased “AS IS” and may not be returned for any reason. No returns are permitted. 25. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Bid retractions are not permitted for any reason. Once a bid is placed, it may not be retracted. All items are offered “as is.” 26. We accept PayPal, Zelle, checks, certified checks, cash or money orders. We do not accept any other form of payment. We can, by special arrangement, accept payment by wire transfer. Wire transfers under $10,000 are subject to an additional $10 fee. We ship as soon as possible after payment in full is received. Ownership of any lot does not pass to the winning bidder until the lot is paid for in full, nor do we ship items to winning bidders without first receiving payment. 27. If a winning bidder has not honored his/her winning bid per these terms and conditions, then Love of the Game Auctions is entitled to sell the winning lot, re-auction the lot, or hold the non-paying bidder responsible for the entire amount, at our discretion, with the bidder responsible for the difference between the price received at resale and the non-paying bidder’s original bid. Love of the Game Auctions is also entitled to publicly disclose the names and locations of all reneging bidders, as well as any aliases or online handles. Bidding in our auction constitutes your agreement to our auction rules. As a bidder, you agree that a non-paying bidder is responsible for any and all losses incurred, plus all fees and/or commissions related to the subsequent sale of the item(s). Reneging or non-paying bidders are also responsible for interest charges at the rate of 2% per month for all outstanding balances until paid in full, as well as all legal fees and court costs incurred by Love of the Game Auctions in our efforts to collect their unpaid debt. In other words, if a winning bidder does not pay in full, he/she agrees to be held responsible for the value of the lot, any losses incurred as a result of having to re-sell the lot, plus interest charges of 2% per month on all unpaid balances, plus legal and court fees.
FALL 2024 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2024 3
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Featured Items.................................................................................................................................................................6 Original Baseball Art....................................................................................................................................................20 Jackie Robinson.............................................................................................................................................................29 Great Cards....................................................................................................................................................................33 The Durham Find of Historic Baseball Photography...............................................................................................41 Prewar Baseball Memorabilia......................................................................................................................................59 Postwar Baseball Memorabilia....................................................................................................................................61 Baseball Photography...................................................................................................................................................65 Baseball Postcards and 19th Century.........................................................................................................................70 1900-1948 Baseball Cards............................................................................................................................................73 1949-Present Baseball Cards.......................................................................................................................................99 Football Cards.............................................................................................................................................................113 Other Sports Cards.....................................................................................................................................................114 Other Sports Memorabilia.........................................................................................................................................115 Michael Jordan............................................................................................................................................................119 Autographed Baseballs...............................................................................................................................................127 Autographed Baseball Cards.....................................................................................................................................130 Autographed Flats, Photos, etc..................................................................................................................................156 Dorothy Stockbridge Collection...............................................................................................................................157 Other Sports Autographs...........................................................................................................................................160 FALL 2024 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2024 TABLE OF CONTENTS IMPORTANT NOTE: Customers in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,Virginia and Washington are subject to the appropriate state sales tax if we do not have a valid resale certificate on file.
AL CRISAFULLI – Auction Director ANDREW ARONSTEIN – Operations Manager SANDY CRISAFULLI – Finance Manager TIM GALLAGHER – Consignment Director STEPHANIE KOWALSKY – Graphic Designer EVELYN MARIE ROSE – Imaging Specialist
FALL 2024 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES NOVEMBER 30, 2024 5
1927 Babe Ruth, Miller Huggins, & Lou Gehrig (HOF) Original Large Format Type I Photo by Louis Van Oeyen (PSA/DNA) 1.
FLIP HERE
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T itans of the baseball world converge in this enormous Type I photograph from what is often considered the game’s most legendary season. In an image cap- tured at League Park (then known as Dunn Field) prior to a contest on July 12, 1927, New York Yankees stand- outs George Herman “Babe” Ruth and Henry Louis Gehrig, The Iron Horse, pose with their legendary manager, Miller Huggins, commander of the dominant Murderer’s Row Yankees teams of the mid-late 1920’s. This sub- stantial 11” x 14” large format photo hails from the lens of prolific Cleve- land-based press photographer, Lou- is Van Oeyen whose originals rightly rank among the most sought after vin- tage photographic prints in the hobby. Van Oeyen has done a remarkable job of capturing the essence of the three
future Hall of Famers sitting side-by-side in the midst of compiling a dominant 110-win season, finish- ing 19-games ahead of the second place Philadelphia Athletics to capture the American League pennant before sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World World Series. Obvious wear can be found around the perimeter of this photo including considerable rounding of the corners, creasing, and small tears that do little to detract from the outstanding central image in any significant way. Verso includes Van Oeyen’s personal credit stamping, period fountain pen identifiers of the men depicted (in what ap- pears to be Van Oeyen’s hand), and a handwritten date of July 12, 1927. In a game that featured 14 base hits by the Yankees, The Babe blasted his 30th home run of the season (a two-run shot) and Lou Gehrig added an RBI double in a 7-0 rout of the Cleveland Indians. Another photo depicting Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig alone, shot by Van Oeyen in the same location, and bearing identical stamping and handwritten notations on reverse, sold at auction elsewhere in the hobby several years ago for $90,678. That photo was authenticated as a Type II example, indicating it was developed from the original negative but outside of the aproximate two-year window to qualify for Type I status. The offered large format 11” x 14” photo de- picting Ruth, Huggins, and Gehrig has been authenticated by PSA as a Type I (developed within approx. two years of the image being shot) and includes their full LOA. MINIMUM BID: $25,000
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2. 1924 Willard’s Chocolates #5 Babe Ruth (HOF) - SGC EX+ 5.5
Particularly scarce 1924 Willard’s Canadian-issued card of Babe Ruth. Graded EX+ 5.5 by SGC, the card labels Ruth as “Home Run Champion,” one of just three baseball players issued in this 56-card, blank- backed set (the other two being Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins) that included athletes from many different sports. As one would expect, Ruth is the key to the issue, one of the more difficult and less Mainstream Ruth cards. The 1 3/8” x 3 3/8” black and white card features a photo of Ruth at the end of his legendary swing. The card is sharp and clean, with some mild corner and surface wear reducing the technical grade but not interfering with the aesthetic appeal of the card. Baber Ruth is, of course, the key to any set in which he appears; his cards as a rule the most valuable and sought after of their era. The V122 issue is compara- tively scarce - SGC has graded just 28 examples with only four attaining a higher grade than this, and just 66 examples have been graded by PSA and SGC com- bined. Compare this with, for example, the popular 1933 Goudey #149 Ruth - as of this writing, PSA and SGC have assessed a total of 1,784 examples of that card! This example is orders of magnitude more scarce and difficult to find, particularly in higher grades. An outstanding card of Ruth, just the second example of which we have ever offered. MINIMUM BID: $5,000
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Produced in 1909 by Dockman & Sons, this superb E92 card features Hall of Famer Honus Wagner and is one of the absolute keys to this popular set. Bright and colorful, the card is centered well with a very slight tilt, and softer corners not distracting one from the rich and vibrant color of the image. Higher-grade Dockman cards are not easy to find; this is the key to a wonderful complete set being sold card-by-card throught this auction. An extremely desirable card. MINIMUM BID: $5,000 3. 1909 E92 Dockman & Sons Honus Wagner (HOF - Throwing) - SGC EX 5
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By 1923 the New York Yankees had seen just about enough of John McGraw’s New York Giants. After the Yankees dropped both the 1921 and 1922 World Series at the Polo Grounds, home to both franchises, The House That Ruth Built opened to much fanfare on April 18, 1923. With Yankee Stadium officially christened, the new ballpark played host to games one, three, and five of the third consecutive World Series between the great New York rivals. This time, the Yankees emerged victorious behind their 28-year- old superstar, George Herman “Babe” Ruth’s .368 batting average, three round-trippers, and eight RBI’s across the six games. Presented, is an 8” x 10” origi- nal large format Type I photograph of a youthful and trim Babe Ruth, captured at Yankee Stadium early in the history of baseball’s most storied cathedral, and very likely during that first Yankees championship season of 1923. A fabulous, full-length depiction of The Bambino striking a batting pose while sporting fresh pinstripes, the photo exhibits signs of general handling wear to the corners, with the extreme up- per-right corner gently chipped away. Verso includes credit stamping from Wide World at the center, with a handwritten file number in pencil towards the top. This large fresh to the hobby example easily ranks among the finest Babe Ruth original photographs we have had the pleasure of handling or are aware of within the hobby. Authenticated and encapsulated as a Type I photo by PSA/DNA. A fresh to the hobby example from the Durham Find of Historic Baseball Photography. MINIMUM BID: $3,000 4. Stunning c.1923 Babe Ruth (HOF) Original Type I New Service Photo by Wide World (PSA/DNA)
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5. 1909 E92 Dockman & Sons Cy Young (HOF) - SGC EX/NM+ 6.5
6. 1909 E92 Dockman & Sons Christy Mathewson (HOF) - SGC EX 5
Classic horizontal pose of “Big Six” Christy Mathewson features the leg- endary Hall of Famer from the torso up, following through after throw- ing a ball. The golden sunset, light blue clouds and green grass set the scene, which features the Giants’ ace in the foreground. Well-centered with some faint corner wear visible upon closer inspection, some minor product staining visible on the reverse. The color, composition and sub- ject have always made this a desirable target for Hall of Fame and E-card collectors. It’s easy to see why. MINIMUM BID: $2,500
Spectacular high-grade specimen, well-centered and bright, an incredible E92 Dockman & Sons card of Hall of Famer Cy Young. Though the image is sometimes the subject of debate about whether the image actually de- picts Boston Doves pitcher Irv Young (a known mistake with the E97 Cy Young), the hobby has embraced the card as the Hall of Fame hurler. The cleanest and most color- ful example we have handled, with virtually zero surface wear, light corner touches keeping the card from a higher holder but certainly not impacting eye appeal.
MINIMUM BID: $2,000
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7. 1933 Joe DiMaggio (HOF) Pre-Rookie Original Type I News Service Photo by the Associated Press (PSA/DNA) - DiMaggio’s First Professional Season!
Born in Martinez, CA in 1914, Giuseppe Joseph DiMaggio broke into professional baseball in 1932 at the tender age of 17. His first full season came in 1933 with the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League where the 6’ 2” center fielder found immediate suc- cess, setting a PCL record with base hits in 61-consecutive games and handily eclipsing the previous record of 49 achieved by Jack Ness in 1915. This phenomenal Type I photograph depicts the young DiMaggio swinging a bat at on a sunny day at Seals stadium in 1933, three years before his New York Yankees debut and over a decade before the 56-game hitting streak that would come to define the future Hall of Famer’s Major League career. This 6.5” x 8.5” photo presents DiMaggio in a horizontal format, shot with a shallow depth of field intentionally designed to blur the background details and
bring DiMaggio into sharp focus in the foreground. Impressively clean and bright photograph remains in superlative overall condi- tion and includes full paper caption dated to 07/13/1933, detailing DiMaggio’s PCL hit streak as he was on the verge of breaking the previous record. Interestingly, the paper caption refers to DiMaggio as both “De Maggio” and “De Mattio,” a testament to the fact that the future Yankee Clipper had not yet cemented himself as the superstar he would soon become. To the best of our knowledge only a single additional example of this photo exists within the hobby, last sold in 2007. Authenticated and encapsulated as a Type I photo by PSA/ DNA. A fresh to the hobby example from the Durham Find of His- toric Baseball Photography. MINIMUM BID: $2,500
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8. 1951 Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, & Ted Williams (HOF) Original Type I News Service Photo by the Associated Press (PSA/DNA) - Mantle’s Major League Debut!
Historic and significant Type I news service photo captured prior to rookie Mickey Mantle’s major league debut with the New York Yankees – April 17, 1951. Mantle, only 19 years old, is posed with fellow future Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams during the lead up to their Opening Day contest at Yankee Stadium. Bat- ting third and playing right field, the switch hitting phenom, Mantle would secure one hit across four at-bats as the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox by a score of 5-0 in front of over 44,000 fans at The Stadium. While other Type I photographs shot during this moment but from an alternate angle are known to exist within the hobby, this
is the first original we have seen featuring this particular image. A fresh to the hobby example hailing from the Durham Find of His- torical Baseball Photography (see special section within our printed catalog), this is a clean and bright 7” x 9” photo with a single pinhole at the top edge and an unobtrusive crease visible to the lower-right corner. Verso includes original paper caption over Associated Press credit stamping applied underneath. An important original photo- graph from the dawn of The Mick’s legendary 18-year career as a New York Yankee. Authenticated and encapsulated as a Type I photo by PSA/DNA. MINIMUM BID: $3,000
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9. 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle (HOF RC) - SGC EX 5
In very few areas of the hobby can one call a five-figure card “un- derrated,” but in the case of the 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle, the description is appropriate. Despite its status as the “true” rookie card of postwar baseball’s most revered and popular player, the 1951 Bowman Mantle has long been overshadowed by the legend of the 1952 Topps card (which many even refer to as his rookie card). Still, nothing can change the fact that the 1951 Bowman #253 Mantle is his rookie card, and it is a beautiful, desirable card depicting the
Yankee outfielder from the waist up in his batting stance, blue sky and puffy summer clouds in the distance. Despite being underrat- ed, the card has experienced a recent explosive period of growth, reaching into the five figures at even lower grades. This example is quite clean and sharp, graded EX 5 by SGC, with rich, vivid color and outstanding print registration. The image is centered to the top right, not as egregious as with many examples. Surface, clarity and color are outstanding. A brilliant, midgrade example. MINIMUM BID: $5,000
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Historically important cabinet photo of Hall of Famer Charles Augustus “Kid” Nichols as shot at the legendary Boston studio of Elmer Chickering. The Chickering studio is well-known for its baseball portraits, and is the source of almost all the images of Boston players from the late 19th Century. This image is a familiar one, best known as the portrait that graces Nichols’ National Copper Plate/Sport- ing News Supplements, a beautiful original photograph with outstanding detail of the young pitcher. The photo dates to 1897, based on the placement of the “B” on Nichols’ shirt, therefore predating the National Copper Plate supplement. Although the photo is sharp and detailed, it does exhibit some soiling, along with minor areas of foxing on the image itself. The mount displays some wear at the corners and edges, along with some surface wear, some of which is evident in the Chickering logo at the bottom border. Surface wear is also evident on the photo itself, though not distracting from its beauty. The reverse is heavily notated, with some handwriting and former owner address typewritten onto labels affixed to the back, secured in place with clear tape. The notations are interesting, and suggest a history of newspaper or period- ical use. We surmise that the tape and labels are the reason for the AUTHENTIC grade assigned by PSA, as the cabinet measures properly and shows no signs of tampering that we can identify. Some minor creasing can be observed on the mount at the reverse. A tremendous early cabinet phot of an important 19th Century Hall of Famer, taken by an important photo studio, an original photo picturing what is perhaps the most widely-recognized image of Kid Nichols. MINIMUM BID: $2,000 10. 1899 Elmer Chickering Cabinets Kid Nichols (HOF) - PSA A Stunning Old Judge card featuring King Kelly, one of the most popular players of his era, in one of his better-known images but one of the most scarce of his many poses in the set. Pictured here in the uniform of the Boston Beaneaters, where Kelly would play for three seasons after starring in Chicago, the image is quite extraordinary, one of the finest we have encountered. An early example from 1887, Kelly is identified as “$10,000 Kelly,” a reference to his sale to Boston at the then-astronomical price. The highest graded example of this pose assessed by PSA, the card is wonderful, sharp with bright borders and a clean, well-centered image. The contrast is far above average for the issue, allowing for exquisite detail in the image, right down to the laces on Kelly’s shoes or the knot in his tie. One of the finest Old Judge Hall of Famers we have handled, and undoubtedly one of the finest N172 King Kelly cards in existence. MINIMUM BID: $5,000 11. 1887 N172 Old Judge Cigarettes #254-6 King Kelly (HOF) - PSA EX 5 - Highest Graded
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12. 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball PSA NM-MT 8 Complete Set (132) w/#57 Michael Jordan (HOF RC)
Exemplary high-grade complete set of the most important modern sports card issue, the 1986 Fleer basketball set. Chock full of important rook- ies and Hall of Famers, 1986 Fleer basketball has established itself as the benchmark for all mod- ern sports card sets and continues to set the bar for prices realized. Presented here is a consistent, uniform set in every sense of the word, a grouping of 132 strong, high-grade cards. Each of the cards has been graded NM-MT 8 by PSA, and if that uniformity was not enough, each of the cards are in more recent PSA holders, for a clean, consis- tent look with grades recently assessed according to the tough standards of today. An outstanding complete set, entirely graded by PSA, each card at the NM-MT 8 level. 132 cards total. MINIMUM BID: $3,000
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13. Signed 1984-1985 Star #195 Michael Jordan (RC)
Tremendously popular card from the 1984-85 base set from Star basketball cards, the only licensed manufacturer of basketball cards between 1983 and 1986. The 288-card set was issued in three series during the first five months of 1985, issued in team sets distrib- uted in clear, sealed bags. The #195 card of future GOAT Michael Jordan appeared at the top of its team bag, the #101 Jordan at the bot- tom, making the cards quite condition-sen- sitive. Often considered one of Jordan’s true rookie cards, they flew under the radar due to their unconventional method of distribution and basketball’s lack of popularity at the time. Later, a slew of counterfeit Star cards were dis- covered, leading grading companies to eschew them for years. Beckett is the only company to consistently have graded Star basketball cards over the years, the reason this example resides in their holder. The card itself is of higher grade, sharp and clean with a crisp image. Lightly-touched cor- ners result in the tiniest bit of white peeking through the red borders at each corner. Cen- tering is to the right of the canvas. The image quality is clear and bold. Jordan has signed the card carefully in blue Sharpie, his signature well-centered within the red borders, applied diagonally. The bold autograph has garnered a MINT 9 grade from Beckett. A tremendous card, one off the most desirable of all Jordan cards, with a beautiful autograph. MINIMUM BID: $5,000
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14. Michael Jordan (HOF) NBA Debut Chicago Bulls Ticket Stub - PSA VG 3 (MK)
While each professional sports team has legions of fans, from time to time, the most passionate fans become celebrities themselves. Who can forget John Adams, banging his drum in the left field bleachers at Cleveland Indians games for more than three decades? Or Fire- man Ed, wearing his New York Jets fire helmet and leading the “J-E- T-S” cheer each Sunday in New Jersey? Superfans have been a part of sports dating back as far as ‘Nuf Ced McGreevy’s Royal Rooters at turn of the century Red Sox games. In Chicago, “Blackhawk Bob” Gertenrich was such a fan, a Black- hawks hockey fan who began attending home hockey games in 1966 and attended every home game afterward, more than 2,200 in total. His fandom extended beyond hockey as well, as he attended plen- ty of other local sporting events, most notably the Chicago Bulls. Gertenrich became a celebrity himself, meeting players and coaches, even garnering a Sports Illustrated feature article. Sadly, Gertenrich passed away this spring, leaving behind an impressive legacy of pas- sion and devotion to his sports teams.
Gertenrich saved every ticket stub from every game he attended, writing the score and attendance on each. And although his Black- hawks ticket stubs were certainly impressive (the stub from Wayne Gretzky’s NHL debut was featured in our Summer, 2024 auction), the group that caught our eye was the early Chicago Bulls stubs. In- cluded in a large assortment of rookie era stubs (all of which are featured elsewhere in this auction) was this outstanding stub from the NBA debut of Michael Jordan. Little can be said about Jordan that hasn’t already been said. This box-office stub is a stunner, graded VG 3 (MK) by PSA, the qualifi- er speaking to Gertenrich’s writing of the game score (109-93) and crowd size (13,913) on the face of the stub. Some edge and corner wear is visible, with some light creasing around the edges and an irregular tear at the perforation. The game information is complete and legible on the stub, the date of October 26, 1984 marking the beginning of the most important career in the history of the NBA. A tremendous piece. MINIMUM BID: $5,000
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15. Walter Johnson (HOF) Single-Signed Baseball (JSA)
Reach Official American League (Barnard) baseball, dating to 1929-31, signed in steel tip fountain pen by the “Big Train.” Largely clean with some minor surface abrasions here and there, the baseball has been well-pre- served. The signature was applied in dark blue ink, somewhat faded but still quite attractive. Surface abrasions have marred a bit of the handwriting in Johnson’s last name, but the signature remains legible. Johnson single-signed baseballs are quite difficult, their profile elevated due to the exciting sale of a particularly strong example
for $315,000 in the spring of 2023. Since then, the value and scarcity of such artifacts have attracted considerable attention among hobbyists, with even faded signatures on unofficial base- balls reaching well into the five figures. The six-figure signature was also ap- plied on a Barnard baseball, a remark- able example in its original box. With single-signed baseballs of deadball era Hall of Famers in extremely high de- mand, players don’t get much better than Walter Johnson, perhaps the great- est pitcher of all time and certainly one of the most coveted autographs of his era. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication. MINIMUM BID: $1,500
16. Roberto Clemente (HOF) Single-Signed Baseball - Heavily Inscribed to Clyde King (JSA)
Clyde King was a baseball lifer, with a career that last- ed nearly 70 years, from his time as a Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher in the 1940s to his position in the New York Yankees’ front office that he held until his passing. His career also spanned the history of baseball’s integra- tion - he witnessed the debut of Jackie Robinson up close as a member of the 1947 Dodgers, he was the manager of the 1974 Atlanta Braves and saw Hank Aaron break Babe Ruth’s record. As the pitching coach of the Pittsburgh Pi- rates from 1965-67, he shared a clubhouse with the great Hall of Famer and humani- tarian Roberto Clemente, and for decades, this signed and inscribed baseball was one of his prized possessions.
it off with a personalized inscription on the east pan- el, which reads:
To Clyde
A very nice person and a Great Coach. Best Wishes
The signature is large, the inscription clear and legible, but both do exhib- it the kind of fading that comes with years of display. The ink application is uniform and clear, still worthy of display, likely a 5 or 6 on a ten scale. The prove- nance here is key, as is the sentiment of a baseball lifer retaining such a memento for de- cades, a player who was one of the legendary good guys, well-respected and universally admired, treasuring a signed baseball from a player with whom he crossed paths. Impec- cable provenance, a signed and thoughtfully inscribed baseball from one of the most important figures ever to play the game. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication. MINIMUM BID: $1,500
The ball is a Spalding official National League (Giles) baseball, in outstanding condition with some minor staining and marks here and there, simply a result of having been displayed for so long. Cle- mente applied a large, bold signature on the sweet spot, and capped
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