CLOSES AUGUST 24, 2019 SUMMER 2019 PREMIER AUCTION
(973) 452-9147 | WWW.LOVEOFTHEGAMEAUCTIONS.COM
Welcome
For so many of us, the hobby is a welcome distraction from the stresses of everyday life. For Ted Patterson, during his career, everyday life was part of his hobby. Ted began working in the sports broadcasting business in the late 1960s, but had already been a collector for more than a decade. As he began to build relationships with professional athletes, his career and his hobby became intertwined. Reviewing his collection, it’s tough to tell where one stopped and the other began: large groups of media kits and Baseball Blue Books were obviously resources he used professionally, signed photos of Ted interviewing various athletes were mementoes of his time in the clubhouse, piles of files containing correspondence and photos of sportscasters were research for his books on the history of sportscasting. But they are also part of his collection, which includes cards, advertising display material, game-worn items, publications, memorabilia, postcards, and autographs. It doesn’t take much more than an internet search to learn who Ted is; there are videos, newspaper articles and television interviews that cover his collection and his immense knowledge of sports. What I thought I’d focus on in this introduction was what I find most fascinating about Ted: that his career and his hobby are so tightly meshed that it’s impossible to tell which is which. The first time I met Ted, we spent three or four hours together, mostly consisting of Ted telling me stories. I pointed to a Brooks Robinson jersey in a corner of his office, and he said “Brooks Robinson. Nicest guy in the world. He’d give you the shirt off his back. And he did.” Another time I asked himwho his favorite player was to interview. “Reggie Jackson,” he said. And then he dug out a tape from his collection, and played me a hilarious interview he did with Reggie at the end of his career. After a while, we’d speak every week or two on the phone, just to catch up. With every call, he’d introduce himself the same way: “Al: it’s Ted Patterson, fromBaltimore.” And then I’d settle in for an epic phone conversation. At first I thought he’d get tired of the kinds of questions I asked him, which never had anything to do with the hobby. What kind of a
guy was Bob Feller? What was it like to talk to Jackie Robinson? Did you ever meet Thurman Munson? But his answers were always stories, and the conversation helped form an excellent bond. One wall in Ted’s office is filled with pictures of Ted, interviewing various sports figures over the years. One day recently, I sat in his chair, staring at the photos of Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Curt Gowdy, Ted Williams, Frank Robinson – and it hit me. The reason I love Ted Patterson’s collection is not because of its value, its rarity, its condition, or anything like that. The reason I love Ted Patterson’s collection is because I love Ted Patterson’s Love of the Game. He epitomizes everything I hoped would become the reputation of this company: passion, relentless pursuit of knowledge, relationships, and the pure fun of collecting. Especially today, that’s what we need. A reminder that this hobby is wonderful, the history is magical, and we can all enjoy it with the same passion as Ted Patterson. Be sure to make sure you get your copy of the Ted Patterson baseball card included in this issue. It features Ted interviewing Hank Aaron, stylized by graphic artist Keith Conforti, who is a student of baseball card design and rebuilds “cards that never were” better than anyone I’ve ever seen. We hope to be able to offer you more cards like this as we sell this fantastic collection. I hope you enjoy it!
PLEASE NOTE: Our auction closes using our proprietary “Double Overtime” closing method. Here’s how it works: Closing Method DOUBLE OVERTIME
1 Extended (“Overtime”) bidding begins at 9:00 PM Eastern time on the closing night of the session. In order to bid on an item during Overtime, you must have placed a bid on it prior to the start of Overtime. 2 The entire auction will remain open until no item has received a bid for 15 minutes. 3 At 2:00 AM Eastern time, any lot that has not received a bid for one hour will CLOSE. No new bids will be accepted on those items.
4 The remaining items will continue to be open for bidding. This “Double Overtime” will remain in effect until none of the remaining items have received a bid for 15 minutes. The auction can close without notice, or no more than 15 minutes after a “Fair Warning” email.
Summer 2018 Premier Auction – Closes August 11, 2018
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FEATURED ITEMS: . ........................................................................... 4 19TH CENTURY BASEBALL MEMORABILIA: ................................. 20 1900-1948 BASEBALL MEMORABILIA: .......................................... 21 1949-PRESENT BASEBALL MEMORABILIA: ................................... 35 VINTAGE BASEBALL TICKETS & PASSES: ...................................... 40 GAME-USED ITEMS: ....................................................................... 49 BASEBALL POSTCARDS: . ............................................................... 52 19TH CENTURY BASEBALL CARDS: . ............................................. 58 1900-1948 BASEBALL CARDS: . ...................................................... 58 1948-PRESENT BASEBALL CARDS: ................................................ 70 BASEBALL PHOTOGRAPHY: . ......................................................... 85 FOOTBALL CARDS: . ....................................................................... 88 OTHER SPORTS & NON-SPORTS CARDS: ..................................... 90 AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALLS: ........................................................ 97 AUTOGRAPHED BASEBALL CARDS: ............................................. 99 AUTOGRAPHED FLATS, PHOTOS, ETC.: ..................................... 119 FOOTBALL MEMORABILIA: ......................................................... 122 OTHER SPORTS MEMORABILIA: . ................................................ 126 POP CULTURE & AMERICANA: .................................................... 128 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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1. 1910 Loving Cup Presented to George Wright (HOF) by The Old Golfers The name George Wright is most often associated with baseball; the shortstop is one of the game’s pioneers, a member of the first professional team and the game’s first superstar. He led the Boston Red Stockings to four consecutive pennants, and then led the Providence Grays to defeat Boston in 1879. Hailing from one of the country’s first true sports families, Wright was also one of the country’s best cricket players, and his Wright & Ditson sporting goods company was the first to bring tennis and hockey equipment to the United States. A lesser-known fact is that Wright is considered the father of golf in New England. Wright designed what was technically America’s first public golf course - Franklin Park in Boston, and was part of the first foursome to play golf on American public land. Constructed in 1938, the George Wright Golf Course in Boston is a testament to Wright’s introduction of the sport to the nation. Beginning in 1907, Wright began bringing together the “old golfers” - those pioneers who played the game in the 1890s - for a tournament. The “Old-Timers Day” became an annual event, with invitations limited to those who had played the game for ten years or more. For the 1910 event, the old golfers turned the tables on Wright, as they held a surprise banquet in his honor and presented
him with a silver loving cup in admiration and appreciation for his contributions to the game. Presented here is that very cup, a spectacular trophy measuring 14” in height by nearly a foot in width. Engraved on its face is the following inscription: “From the Old Golfers to George Wright – Fourth Annual Reunion, Oct 26, 1910” The three-handled cup is made entirely of sterling silver, weighing in at just under 3 lb, 1 oz. The piece was manufactured by the Frank W. Smith Silver Co of Gardner, Massachusetts, which made high quality silver between 1886 and 1930. While we have elected to avoid polishing the piece in favor of letting it retain its natural patina, it remains in outstanding condition, with some minor scuffing in places obscured by a slight layer of tarnish and some areas of residue from silver polish applied long ago. An incredible display piece, remarkable in size and appearance, but even more remarkable in its historical significance. Accompanied by an original photo of Wright playing golf, some printed research on the cup itself, and a copy of Jack Mahoney’s The Go lf History of New England, one of the finest pieces we have ever offered, directly related to one of the most important names in the early days of American sports. MINIMUM BID: $3,000.00
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2. 1911 D304 General Baking Near-Complete Set (23/24) Issued by a Buffalo, NY bakery, the D304 General Baking Co. series is commonly called the “Brunners Bread” issue. One of the more unique card issues of its era, due in part to the size of the cards and partially due to the striking images of the subjects, the D304 issue is also significantly more rare than other issues of the era. Unlike other baseball sets of the day, which often shared poses or images across multiple sets, the poses and illustrations in the D304 set are found only in this issue. The card images feature attractive, full- color illustrations, with 12 of the 25 cards from the issue featuring Hall of Famers. The cards were actually issued with five different back advertisements (Brunners Bread, Butter Crust, General Baking, Martens Bakery and Weber Bakery), but cards from the set are a rarity with any of the back configuration. Cards from this issue are difficult to obtain in any condition, with just under 1,000 examples from the issue graded by PSA and SGC combined. Complete sets are rare; the PSA Set Registry includes not one single complete set in its Current Finest list, and one impossibly high-grade example in the All-Time Finest list. Due to the attractiveness and scarcity of the cards, they are extremely sought after by prewar collectors, but very few are able to piece together
an entire set. We are thrilled to offer 24 of the set’s 25 cards here, missing just the Ty Cobb for completion. This collection was consigned by a longtime collector who discovered the cards ungraded at his local card shop many years ago. The cards simply “walked in” to the shop and were purchased by the shop owner. Our consignor purchased the collection almost immediately - but not before the Cobb had already been obtained by another customer. The remaining 24 cards have remained in the collection of our consignor ever since, ungraded and stored in plastic. We elected to submit the entire collection to PSA for grading. The collection is remarkably consistent, a collector-grade set each of the cards presenting extremely well. A complete breakdown of the cards by grade is as follows: PSA VG 3 (1 card): Arthur Fletcher; PSA VG (MK) (1 card): Charles Herzog; PSA GOOD+ 2.5 (1 card): Chief Bender (HOF); PSA GOOD 2 (2 cards): Hal Chase, Fred Tenny (Tenney); PSA FR 1.5 (4 cards): Jack Barry, Nap Lajoie (HOF). Marty O’Toole; Honus Wagner (HOF); PSA PR 1 (14 cards): Home Run Baker (HOF), George Bell, Frank Chance (HOF - Chicago), Eddie Collins (HOF), Otis Crandall, Sam Crawford (HOF), John Evers (HOF - Chicago), M. Kelly, Rube Marquard (HOF), Christy Mathewson (HOF), Fred Merkle, Chief Meyers, Arthur Shafer, Cy Young (HOF); PSA A (1 card): Nap Rucker. Each of the cards feature the Brunners Bread reverse, with the exception of Marty O’Toole and Nap Rucker, which boast the General Baking ad. An outstanding collection of cards, a nearly-complete set of D304 cards, a truly rare and desirable issue. 24 cards total. MINIMUM BID: $3,000.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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even a higher grade. The MC qualifier is due to a slight clip to the name and team at the bottom of the card; inspection under magnification yields the hints of Cobb’s name and team at the very top edge as well, rendering this card just a sliver from being one of the desirable “Dual Name” print anomalies. Regardless, the miscut is hardly obtrusive, the name and team are easily legible and the card image not at all impacted by the cut. That tiny miscut is to the benefit of collectors looking for a high- grade example of this card; the last recorded sale of a straight PSA 8 example of this card was for more than $150,000. This is with good reason; high-grade examples of this card are extraordinarily scarce - just eight examples exist with a PSA 8 grade, and this is one of just two “qualified” 8 specimens. With just 17 examples graded at the NM level by PSA, this is the most scarce of the four T206 Cobb poses in the higher grades. In addition, at the higher end of the grade spectrum, green background Cobbs simply do not come to the market very frequently; just a handful of examples have found their way to public auction over the past five years. Please note that this card is being offered with a modest reserve, well beneath the closing prices of all three examples graded PSA 6 to come to auction this year. As is the case with any item we offer with a reserve, we will publish the exact dollar figure of the reserve within approximately 7 days of the auction close, provided that the reserve has not been met prior to that date. Consistent with our new “active reserve” policy, the bid price will then be brought within one increment of the reserve. A truly exceptional specimen, one of very few to be assessed at the NM-MT level, the miscut qualifier accurate but hardly distracting
3. 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb (HOF - Green Back) - PSA NM-MT 8 (OC) Few cards in the hobby are hotter than the green background T206 Cobb; it seems that with each sale a new record is set. Such astronomical prices realized are quickly rendering attractive specimens unaffordable, and rarely does an example hit the market that appears stronger than the assigned grades. Such is the case with this specimen, a bright, clear and sharp example, rich with color and outstanding print registration. Left-to- right centering is exceptional, with crisp, white borders and sharp edges. Slightly touched lower corners keep the card from attaining
from the card’s overall beauty. MINIMUM BID: $7,500.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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4. Spectacular 1896 Dan Brouthers (HOF) Original Oversized Framed Photo - From Dan Brouthers’ Estate Exceptional photo depicting Hall of Famer Dan Brouthers, dating to 1896, when he played with the Philadelphia Phillies. Though Brothers managed a few at bats at 48 years old for the 1904 New York Giants, 1896 was his last season, for all practical purposes. Framed to a finished size of 14” x 16”, the thick, ornate wooden frame appears original to the piece, its wooden backing still affixed in place with vintage nails, the gold frame worn with age yet still handsome. The photo itself is stunning, crisp with detail, the Hall of Famer choked up on his bat, posed against an outdoor-themed studio backdrop. Some very light foxing is evident, though nothing that distracts from the visual appeal. The 1895 season was a trying one for Brouthers, having been traded to the last-place Louisville Colonels and ultimately leaving the team in mid-June. While the baseball world felt that signaled the end of
his career, at season’s end he obtained his release from Louisville and signed a contract with the Philadelphia Phillies. Having traded outfielder Billy Hamilton to acquire player/manager Billy Nash, Philadelphia needed a third outfielder to play alongside future Hall of Famers Sam Thompson and Ed Delahanty. The 37-year-old Brouthers, who ultimately played first base for the club, posted exceptional numbers, but with the team failing and under pressure from the media and fans alike, the ballclub released Brouthers in favor of rookie Nap Lajoie. The aging slugger played a few years of minor league ball before going to work for John McGraw’s New York Giants, where he remained for 20 years. He was one of the first 19th Century players inducted into the Hall of Fame in its first decade. The photo itself originates with the Brouthers estate, brought to market some years ago by respected hobby auctioneer Barry Sloate. Simply a gorgeous oversized photo, striking in both its size and its subject. MINIMUM BID: $750.00
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5. Spectacular 1884 Providence Greys Oversized Team Photo w/Hoss Radbourn (HOF) The 1884 Providence Grays were a beast of a team, finishing first in the National League with a record of 82-30. Hall of Fame pitcher Hoss Radbourn won an astonishing 60 of the team’s games, against just 12 losses, in 678.2 innings pitched. The team’s second pitcher, Charlie Sweeney, would’ve been a contender for the Cy Young Award if he was pitching today, his 17-8 record and 1.55 ERA an exceptional mark. The team didn’t hit well; outfielder Paul Hines led the club with a .302 batting average, third baseman Jerry Denny leading the team with 59 RBI. Behind their pitching, however, they swept the New York Metropolitans for the championship, with Hoss Radbourn winning all three games and pitching all 22 innings of championship play. It is safe to say that in Radbourn’s Hall of Fame career, his 1884 season stands out as his finest, setting career bests in wins, winning percentage, ERA, starts, complete games (73 complete games!), innings pitched, and strikeouts (441!). It was one of the finest single- season performances of the era. Presented here is an outstanding document of the ballclub from the era - a gorgeous photographic print on paper of the team,
ostensibly posed beind second base, the grandstand behind the plate at the Messer Street Grounds in the background. The players are all identified at the bottom of the photo, manager Frank Bancroft posed in the center. Identified in the photo are: FRONT ROW (L-R): Barney Gilligan, Paul Radford, Sandy Nava; BACK ROW (L-R): Hoss Radbourn (HOF), Charlie Sweeney, Miah Murray, Jerry Denny, Paul Hines, Frank Bancroft (Mgr), Joe Start, Charley Bassett, John Cattanach, Cliff Carroll, Arthur Irwin, and Jack Farrell. Professionally matted and framed to a finished size of 19” x 16”, the photo appears in outstanding condition, some light foxing and general toning visible around the edges. A slight blemish is noticeable at the bottom left, far from the image, and a light tear is visible at the top edge, also clear of the image itself. The frame prohibits us from examining the edges or reverse. Still, a fine example of a 19th Century photographic print, with crisp, clear imagery and tremendous display characteristics. A wonderful piece. MINIMUM BID: $3,000.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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6. 1912 Oversized New York Giants Photo w/Christy Mathewson (HOF) - Fans Give Matty a Car! Spectacular photo dating to April 19, 1912, when Giants star pitcher Christy Mathewson was awarded a brand-new car by fans. At a ceremony prior to the home opener at the Polo Grounds, the New York Evening Mail (who collected donations from fans to make the purchase) presented the hometown hero with the automobile, a “Silent Knight” Columbia-Knight Roadster. Mathewson and his teammates are depicted here, along with the vehicle, in front of a capacity crowd of Giants fans. Framed to a finished size of 21” x 17.5”, the fram appears vintage, still intact but aided by some duct tape applied to the back of the frame, holding the assembly in place. A typewritten photo caption cut into the matte reads “TRUFFAULT-HARTFORD-EQUIPPED COLUMBIA SILENT KNIGHT BEING PRESENTED BY THE NEW YORK FANS TO CHRISTY MATHEWSON AT THE POLO GROUNDS.” Truffault-Hartford is a misspelling of Truffa ut-Hartford, the n ame of a company that
manufactured shock absorbers (eventually becoming the Hartford Shock Absorber Co). The caption leads us to believe that the photo was likely produced for the corporate headquarters of the Truffault- Hartford company, who, aside frommanufacturing the shocks in the car, appeared to have little to do with the game, the gift, or the fans. Still, they left us with an astonishingly attractive photo, the visual area of which measures over 15” x 11”, a crisp and clean depiction of the Giants in their pinstriped uniforms, heavy cotes on several players, the team mascot casually leaning against the front fender. Mathewson, who would go on to pitch the Giants to a 6-2 Opening Day victory, appears pleased with his new gift. The well-documented event has yielded several postcards and other mementos from the day, but this is the first original photo we have encountered from the event. While the frame itself exhibits areas of wear, and is held together on the reverse by the aforementioned tape, the photo appears strong, with no visible fading or damage. An exceptional piece, documenting Giant fans’ admiration for their pitching hero. MINIMUM BID: $1,000.00
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7. Exceptional 1901 New York Giants Oversized Team Cabinet w/Christy Mathewson Rare team photo depicting the 1901 New York Giants, including a young Christy Mathewson. With copyright attribution to Darwin D. Silberer of New York, the photo is dated 1901 and mounted to a finished size of approximately 12” x 10”. Themount does exhibit signs of wear, included rounded corners, significant chipping of the grey paper at the right edge, and several other spots of paper loss. The photo itself appears extremely strong, well-protected by the mount, though the image has faded somewhat over the years. Without respect to fading, we would grade the photo itself NM condition, save for a slight ink mark along the right edge, where it appears
someone has attempted to notate one of the players (writing what appears to be “Ned” on the mount itself). The photographer has signed and inscribed the reverse, in elegant calligraphic ink. While the subjects in the photo are unidentified, we can see the unmistakeable image of the young Mathewson in the top row, third from right. We also believe we have identified manager George Davis (HOF), George Van Haltren, Dummy Taylor, Kip Selbach, and possibly Roger Denzer. Eighteen players in total appear in the photo, staged in front of the outfield bleachers. The key to the image is Mathewson, however, a team photo taken in the midst of his first full season as a major leaguer, when he would win 20 games against 17 losses to ignite a legendary career. MINIMUM BID: $500.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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8. Gorgeous 1885 Chicago White Stockings Oversized Cabinet Photo w/Anson & Kelly - Used To Create N172 “Anson In Uniform” Card! One of the more famous 19th Century team photos, depicting the 1885 Chicago White Stockings, who finished the 1885 season with an astonishing 87-25 record behind the play of Cap Anson and King Kelly, along with 19th Century legends Piano Legs Gore, John Clarkson, Silver Flint, and Billy Sunday. Measuring 12” x 10” including the mount, this 8 1/2” x 6 3/4” is as crisp and detailed as we have seen. The mount, as was its intent, has absorbed the bulk of the wear over the years, resulting in some noticeable paper loss. None of the wear or damage impacts the photo itself. For framing and/or display purposes, a modern mount is included, a perfect addition to the photo to help place the focus on the exceptional quality of the image and not on the wear to the mount. The subjects in the photo read like a Who’s Who in 19th Century baseball: FRONT ROW (L-R): Ned Williamson, Abner Darlrymple, Thomas Burns, John Clarkson (HOF), and Billy Sunday; BACK ROW
(L-R): Piano Legs Gore, Silver Flint, Cap Anson (HOF), JimMcCormick, King Kelly (HOF) and Fred Pfeffer. A little-known fact about this photo is that it actually contains the images that were composited together to create the famous N172 Cap Anson (In Uniform) card. The Anson In Uniform is the most desirable of all the N172 Old Judge Cigarettes cards, incredibly rare with just a handful known to exist, with many collectors feeling that should one sell at auction today, it would surely become the most valuable 19th Century card. To construct the card, the artist simply removed Anson’s head from the image, and, in an extraordinary act of 19th Century Photoshop, reattached it to the body of Abner Darlrymple below him. Subsequently masking the background, the appearance of Anson, with his arms folded across his chest, created the card image. An extraordinary photo, seldom-seen and very important, depicting one of the game’s great early teams, with three Hall of Famers and several other players who ranked among the greatest and most important of their era. MINIMUM BID: $1,000.00
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9. Exceptional 1910 Reach “Blue Ribbon Burley Bats” Tin Advertising Sign Extremely rare, colorful and bold tin sign issued around 1910 in conjunction with the promotion of Reach Sporting Goods’ promotion of their line of “Blue Ribbon” Bats. The colorful sign pictures three detailed bats, each a different model number, alongside an image of a ballplayer at bat, ostensibly wielding one of the “Burley” clubs. Extraordinarily colorful, this is one of the more attractive, desirable, and of course rare of all the advertising display signs of the era. The Reach Co. produced some of the finest tin lithograph advertising signs during an era when such signs were in their “golden age;” they were typically well-designed and colorful, and of exceptionally high quality. The signs are in considerably high demand today, and typically are not found available for sale with any regularity. Unlike many tin litho signs during the era, this one actually features embossing; the letters, bats, and player images actually stand out from the rest of the sign. The sign was manufactured by the American Art Works, an Ohio- based manufacturer of beer trays and advertising novelties best known for manufacturing Coca-Cola advertising trays favored by collectors today. The industry leader, the company was so strong that their home city of Coshocton became an economic hub, even during the Great Depression. Today, their products are highly
desirable among advertising collectors, part of the reason that Reach sporting goods advertising items are so seldom found. The extremely high production value is part of the reason this 6” x 13” sign has remained so attractive despite its visible wear. Indeed, the Reach company touted its quality and the considerable expense involved in manufacturing it, with printed instructions on the reverse: “This sign is one of a series and costs us big money to have them made...if, for any reason, you do not care to hang it up kindly return it to us and we will put it to work elsewhere.” While the Reach signs, in general, are very desirable (note the similar Reach baseball sign that sold in our Fall, 2018 sale for $20,400), it is the Blue Ribbon “Burley” Bats sign that is the most rare. Highly coveted among collectors, an example sold just three years ago for $45,000. The sign itself does exhibit surface wear in the form of visible oxidation, particularly along the bottom, along with mild surface abrasions. Some foxing and mild surface staining is visible on the reverse. It should be noted that this item is being offered with a modest reserve, well within the range of typical sale prices for this and other Reach signs. As is the case with any item we offer with a reserve, we will publish the exact dollar figure of the reserve within approximately 7 days of the auction close, provided that the reserve has not been met prior to that date. Consistent with our new “active reserve” policy, the bid price will then be brought within one bid increment of the reserve. An extremely rare and valuable piece, one of themost highly coveted of all the tin lithographic advertising display signs. MINIMUM BID: $3,000.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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10. Ultra-Rare 1934 Dizzy and Daffy Dean Union Leader Tobacco Advertising Display The 1934 baseball season was one of the greatest ever played, and the pitching performances of St. Louis Cardinals brothers Dizzy and “Daffy” Dean were a big part of the reason why. While the pair’s 49 combined wins is a statistic that is easy to digest, it was the Cardinals’ stretch run that saw the Dean brothers lift the entire team onto their backs and carry them to a Championship. In order to finishe one game ahead of the New York Giants in the National League, the Cardinals won 18 of their last 23 games. In the team’s last 29 games, a Dean brother pitched in 19, starting 14, winning 11 with two saves. Paul Dean pitched two extra inning complete games, and they combined for 11 complete games in September alone. In a doubleheader against Brooklyn, Dizzy pitched a one- hit shutout in the first game, and Paul followed up with a no-hitter in the second, prompting Dizzy’s famous quote “If I’d a-known you was gonna throw a no-hitter, I’d a-throwed one, too!” A Dean brother went on to win all four World Series games, each brother responsible for two. Their performances in 1934 are among the greatest in baseball history. The Dean brothers’ popularity swelled throughout the season, and endorsements piled up. Among them was this - an enormous full-color cardboard display featuring the Dean Brothers’ endorsement of Lorillard’s Union Leader tobacco. Its popularity and desirability among collectors of sports advertising displays is almost without parallel; it remains one of the most highly sought-after displays in the entire hobby. It is also an extreme rarity; no more than three or four different examples have sold publicly in recent memory. This example originates from the collection of Ted Patterson, where it has resided for at least a decade.
Given the extreme rarity of the piece, the restoration is not only acceptable, but welcome. The piece does exhibit wear consistent with its age and its intended use; the colored paper of the image overlaps the cardboard backing around the edges, resulting in some minor but extensive chipping and tearing. The easel is missing from the cardboard backing, and the backing itself does exhibit some wear, chipping and minor creasing. Though many of the remaining condition flaws could be addressed or improved with additional restoration, the piece does display extraordinarily well as-is. One of the finest advertising display items in the entire hobby, featuring two of the era’s most popular players. MINIMUM BID: $2,000.00
The piece is enormous, measuring 30” across at its widest, by 42” in height. The outward appearance is strong, as it appears colorful and clean, and rich in detail. Closer investigation yields areas of significant professional restoration, including extensive inpainting of the Lorillard eagle logo at the top center, along with the lettering at the top. The red border and white lettering at the bottom edge of the piece have also undergone restoration, and it appears that some heavy creasing at the bottom-right of the piece have been flattened. The restoration is cosmetic in nature, but also an effective way of stabilizing wear that might otherwise threaten to destroy the piece.
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11. Rare c. 1910 Sure Shot Tobacco Advertising Center Panel Display Spectacular advertising display promoting Sure Shot tobacco. The large piece is actually the center panel of an enormous tri-fold display that, when intact, measures 43” x 33”. The center panel, featured here, measures 20” x 33” and is mounted inside a heavy frame that brings the total size to 27” x 41”. The stunning full-color piece pictures a scene of game-play, stadium grandstands in the background. The image pictures the batter, along with the third baseman, positioned down the line. An inset image of a Sure Shot tobacco package appears at the top left, along with the advertising copy “Sure Shot Chewing Tobacco - It Touches The Spot.” The piece is extraordinarily rare, consigned from the collection of longtime hobbyist Ted Patterson. We are aware of just one full display, sold at public auction seven years ago which contained all three panels, each of which exhibited considerable damage. Though we have encountered a variety of tins and packages in our research, we have encountered just that single example of this sign, sold by a well-respected auction company with the suggestion that it might be the lone surviving example. Clearly there is at least one more (one-third, actually), one of the most attractive and colorful advertising displays from this era that we have seen. Printed on extraordinarily heavy board approximately 1/4” thick, the piece presents wonderfully. Closer examination reveals areas of professional restoration, primarily inpainting and the repair of what were likely heavy creases and tears. The result is a stunning display, with the careful restoration work performed tastefully, to repair and conserve an extraordinarily rare piece. Natural, honest wear is evident; the restoration was clearly not performed to mask flaws, but to repair damage. The Hassan triple-fold advertising display is one of the most widely coveted in the hobby; a surviving example featuring all three panels sold for nearly $100,000 more than a decade ago. This Sure Shot display recalls the Hassan display in overall design; though the center panel clearly is missing its companion panels, it works well as an individual display piece regardless. A remarkably rare example, one of just two examples we have found in our research, one of the more attractive advertising display items from its era. MINIMUM BID: $2,000.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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12. Spectacular 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle (HOF RC) - PSA NM-MT 8 (OC) Simply stunning example of the true rookie card of Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. In very few areas of the hobby can one call a five-figure card “underrated,” 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 facts: 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 clouds in the distance. Despite being historically underrated, as prices realized for the 1952 Mantle have escalated into the stratosphere, the 1951 Bowman issue has picked up considerable steam, and is likely the second-most valuable postwar baseball card in the hobby. Indeed, recent sales of EX examples have now eclipsed the $20,000 mark, and examples graded 6.5 have sold for as high as $42,000 within the last year, eclipsing $30,000 on a routine basis. Presented here is the most stunning example we have handled, a razor-sharp specimen that has attained the grade of NM-MT 8 (OC) from PSA. While we seldom use hobby colloquialisms like “blazer,” this card is indeed that, with incredibly sharp corners, gleaming
white borders and rich, deep color, boasting none of the printing flaws so frequently encountered with this issue. Indeed, the card’s sole perceptible flaw is the left-to-right centering responsible for the qualifier, though the left-to-right centering is rendered far less distracting due to its outstanding top-to-bottom orientation. Atpublicauctions,NM-MTexamplesof thiscardeclipsedthe$100,000 mark in early 2016 and have not turned back; 13 consecutive sales at that grade level attained no less than $132,000. The card has not been offered in that grade for nearly two years. In terms of overall population, just 28 examples have graded a qualified NM-MT 8, with 53 unqualified and just ten higher (only one has reached the lofty goal of GEM MINT 10). Please note that this card is being offered with amodest reserve, well below typical sales for this card in EX-MT or better condition. We will publish the exact dollar figure of the reserve within approximately 7 days of the auction close, provided that the reserve has not been met prior to that date. Consistent with our “active reserve” policy, the bid price will then be brought within one bid increment of the reserve. While the card was graded some time ago and has been in the collection of our consignor for many years, recent hobby events motivated us to send the card to PSA for a thorough review. After the grade was verified, per our request, the card was re-encapsulated in PSA’s newest holder. The card is absolutely spectacular, with many attributes far exceeding those of unqualified NM-MT examples. MINIMUM BID: $4,000.00
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13. Rare 1933 NFL Championship Game Program - Chicago Bears vs. New York Giants - First NFL Title Game! The 1933 NFL Championship game was the first scheduled championship game since the league was founded in 1920. Prior to 1933, the championship was simply awarded to the team that finished in first place. In 1933, however, the league was divided into Eastern and Western divisions, with the New York Giants and Chicago Bears finishing first in each five-team division, respectively. Led by quarterback Harry Newman and All-NFL players Mel Hein and Red Badgro, the Giants finished 11-3. The Bears finished 10-2-1 behind running backs Red Grange and Bronko Nagurski. The two teams met twice during the season and split the games. Played at Wrigley Field in Chicago before a paid attendance of 25,000, the game was won by the Bears, 23-21, as the team scored the winning touchdown with under two minutes to play. The Bears stopped a last-minute Giants drive, Grange tackling Badgro on a gadget play, one of several attempted by the Giants during the contest. Presented here is a rare example of the program from that game, one of very few we have seen offered at auction. The piece is clean and presents very well, some minor areas of wear and small creases at the edges and corners, some very minor specks of paper loss here and there. The game scores have been added in the appropriate area in pencil, on the inside pages. An attractive display, the most desirable and difficult to find of the early NFL Championship programs. MINIMUM BID: $1,500.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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14. Spectacular 1962-1967 Lou Groza (HOF) Cleveland Browns Game-Worn Road Jersey (MEARS A10) Spectacular Cleveland Browns road jersey dating to the 1962-67 period as worn by kicker and offensive tackle Lou “The Toe” Groza, who retired as pro football’s career points and kicking leader at the end of the 1967 season. Groza played 21 seasons, all with Cleveland, leading the team to eight league championships. Groza served during World War II in the Pacific Theater, then returned to join the Browns in the All American Football Conference, winning that league’s championship in every year. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974. The well-worn size 48 jersey was manufactured by King O’Shea, Groza’s number 76 is stitched on the front, back and sleeves. Some
minor areas of staining are evident, predominantly at the shoulders and armpits, and a few very small repairs are evident at one elbow and along the very bottom of the jersey, near the crotch snap. Stitching is lookse in some areas. Groza’s name has been hand- applied in marker on the inside of the collar. All the appropriate buttons are intact. The jersey has been assessed by MEARS with a final grade of A10. An outstanding example of a game-worn jersey from a football Hall of Famer; the first game-worn football item we have ever offered. MINIMUM BID: $3,000.00
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15. 1883 Brooklyn Greys Official Scorecard vs. Trenton MINIMUM BID: $100.00
16. 1883 Brooklyn Greys vs. Harrisburg Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $100.00
18. 1884 Baltimore Orioles Scorecard vs. Louisville Eclipse MINIMUM BID: $75.00
17. 1883 Brooklyn Greys vs. St. Louis Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $100.00
19. 1886 Baltimore Orioles Official Scorecard vs. Brooklyn Grays - Opening Day! MINIMUM BID: $100.00
20. 1887 Brooklyn Greys Scorecard vs. Cleveland Blues MINIMUM BID: $100.00
21. 1888 Cincinnati Red Stockings Official Scorecard vs. Cleveland Spiders MINIMUM BID: $200.00
22. Baseball-Themed Cigar Box Label Pair w/Tough Harry Pulliam Label MINIMUM BID: $50.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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23. 1905 New York Giants Official Scorecard vs. Chicago Cubs Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $50.00
25. 1906 Trophy Baseball Presented to Nat Strong by Rube Foster and the Royal Poinciana Baseball Club MINIMUM BID: $500.00
26. 1907 Chicago White Stockings Official Score Book vs. Detroit Tigers w/ Ty Cobb MINIMUM BID: $150.00 27. 1910 New York Giants Polo Grounds Official Scorecard vs. St. Louis Cardinals MINIMUM BID: $50.00
28. c. 1910 Boston Braces (Boston Garter) Advertising Tabletop Display MINIMUM BID: $50.00
24. C. 1905-09 Cy Young Tobacco Tin Rare and desirable tobacco tin features the same image of Cy Young that appears onhis popular T206 portrait card. An important antique artifact that dates to Young’s playing days, this is one of just two tobacco tins from the era that depict the image of a specific player (the other being the Ty Cobb tobacco tin). His image, which appears on both sides of the cylindrical tin, features the portrait flanked by crossed bats and glove, a facsimile autograph and illustrated players. The Cy Young Tobacco tin is among the most coveted of all player-related tins, having transcended the baseball hobby by becoming equally desirable among collectors of tobacciana. The piece exhibits scattered surface wear and abrasions, small dents and scratches (notably around the edges) and a few areas of light rust or discoloration. Still, the Cy Young Tobacco tin is typically found with considerable damage and wear; this is quite an attractive and clean example. An outstanding display. MINIMUM BID: $700.00
29. C. 1910s Chero-Cola Baseball-Themed Advertising Display Poster MINIMUM BID: $100.00
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30. 1909 Bill Donovan and Donie Bush Original Art By J.A. Roggenbuck - Used In Detroit Tigers Advertising Calendar! Pair of original art pieces, produced on heavy board measuring 4 3/8” x 10 5/8”, picturing Detroit Tigers’ Donie Bush and Bill Donovan. Each of the two pieces depicts a
31. C. 1910 Colgan’s Chips Cardboard Advertising Display Collection (3) MINIMUM BID: $500.00
32. C. 1910-12 Colgan’s Chip Advertising Mirror MINIMUM BID: $100.00
photographic player imagewith highly stylized player uniforms, part- photographic and part illustration. The artist’s initials appear on the bottom of both pieces, his signature and ownership information (“Property of J.A. Roggenbuck”) written in ink on the reverse. It took a consultation with our good friend, fellow collector and researcher extraordinaire Peter Fishman to identify the source of these illustrations. Peter identified the artwork as appearing in the book Base ball Treasures: Memorabilia from the National Pastime, by Douglas Congdon-Martin and John Kashmanian, and originating in a 1909 advertising calendar for Hyatt Roller Bearings as produced by the Curtis Advertising Company of Detroit. The advertising calendar is rare in itself; these original art pieces are one-of-a-kind, each a beautiful display with minor areas of wear on each, though the heavy board on which they are produced has largely protected them from damage. The Bush example does exhibit a thin tear along the left edge near his knee; the tear does not interfere with the aesthetic appeal of the piece. MINIMUM BID: $500.00
33. 1910-1920 Baseball Stars Notebook w/Christy Mathewson (HOF) MINIMUM BID: $100.00
34. 1910-20 Baseball Stars Notebook Eddie Collins (HOF) MINIMUM BID: $100.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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35. Outstanding 1912 Philadelphia Phillies Panoramic Team Photo w/Grover Cleveland Alexander MINIMUM BID: $300.00
37. 1911 Honus Wagner Advertising Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $100.00
38. 1914 Boston “Miracle” Braves Fenway Park Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $250.00
39. Incredible 1916 Boston Red Sox Scorecard Collection MINIMUM BID: $100.00
36. c. 1913 Wrigley Field Stadium Seat MINIMUM BID: $150.00
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41. 1916 Washington Senators Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $100.00
42. Oxford Confectionery Memorabilia Collection w/Stock Certificate MINIMUM BID: $50.00
43. c. 1920 Rogers Hornsby Baseball Pencil Tablet MINIMUM BID: $25.00
40. Spectacular 1914 Mack’s Official Scorecard Display MINIMUM BID: $150.00
44. 1920 Washington Senators Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $75.00
45. 1930 Chicago Cubs Schedule Fan MINIMUM BID: $100.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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46. Spectacular 1920s “Celebrities in the World of Sport” Framed Photographic Poster - w/Ruth, Cobb, Mathewson & Everyone Else! Breathtaking 1920s poster featuring “Celebrities in the World of Sport,” a photographic collection of the greatest and most famous athletes of the early part of the 20th Century. Featuring athletes from all sports, this is an enormous piece, framed to a finished size of 30 1/2” x 39 1/4” and featuring a total of 58 celebrity athletes. The dominant image on the piece is that of heavyweight champion Gene Tonney, with the subjects largely organized by sport. Athletes of particular prominence - Babe Ruth, Bill Tilden, Charlie Paddock and Walter Hagen - occupy the spaces in the corners. Other significant names include Ty Cobb, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Christy Mathewson, Tris Speaker, Johnny Weismuller, James Corbett, John L. Sullivan, Bob Fitzsimmons, Red Grange, Jack Dempsie, Knute Rockne, Benny Friedman, Sybil Bauer, Ching Johnson, Mickey Mackay, Charles Lindbergh, Baron Von Huhnefeld, Bobby Jones, and Gene Sarazen. In our research we have found another version of this poster that has sold at public auction, with two different examples each containing printing in the top masthead identifying the piece as having been distributed by the Sout hern Agriculturalist news paper of Louisville. This particular example contains no such identification; the entire top section of the piece is blank. This leads us to believe that perhaps the piece was actually produced by a third party and sold to various publications to be used as
an advertising premium; this example was used either as a salesman’s sample or is simply a pre- production “blank” that was never distributed. While the frame prevents us from examining the edges or reverse of the piece, the presentation is extremely strong, with close inspection yielding many light wrinkles and surface abrasions consistent with long-ago storage. The most pronounced of the wrinkles are visible over the image of Glenna Collett (at the bottom of the piece), the wrinkles in that area turn into creases that prominently break the surface of the item. Otherwise, the wrinkles are noticeable upon inspection but not distracting. A magnificent display, featuring many of the most important athletes of all-time. MINIMUM BID: $400.00
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47. Spectacular 25 Detroit Times Large-Format Tigers Photographic Display Poster w/Ty Cobb MINIMUM BID: $250.00
49. 1930s Zulu Cannibal Giants Broadside Advertising Poster MINIMUM BID: $100.00
48. Outstanding 1922 Christy Mathewson “Big Six” Complete Table Game MINIMUM BID: $300.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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50. 1921 Chicago Cubs vs. Cincinnati Reds Official Scorecard MINIMUM BID: $50.00
51. 1921 Rube Foster - Chicago American Giants Trophy Baseball MINIMUM BID: $300.00
52. Draper & Maynard “Lucky Dog” Scorecard - 1926 World Series Game 7 - Grover Alexander Strikes Out Lazzeri MINIMUM BID: $50.00
53. 1926 National League Golden Jubilee Dinner Program MINIMUM BID: $150.00
54. Gorgeous 1930s Art Deco-Style Bookends MINIMUM BID: $100.00
55. C. 1930s Granger Tobacco Lefty Grove Die-Cut Cardboard Advertising Display MINIMUM BID: $250.00
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56. Beautiful 1930s Punchboard Game Framed Display MINIMUM BID: $100.00
58. Spectacular Baseball Punchboard Game Framed Advertising Display MINIMUM BID: $100.00
60. 1930s Camel Cigarettes Carl Hubbell & Goose Goslin World Series Advertising Display Pair MINIMUM BID: $150.00
57. 1930s Baseball Punchboard Collection (13) MINIMUM BID: $100.00
59. Philadelphia Giants “Freihofer Cup” 1930s Presentation Trophy Baseball MINIMUM BID: $100.00
Summer 2019 Premier Auction – Closes August 24, 2019
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62. Lima, Ohio Colored All-Stars Broadside Advertising Poster MINIMUM BID: $200.00
61. 1934 Dizzy Dean Grape Nuts Advertising Display w/Promotional Pamphlet Attractive and colorful 1934 die-cut cardboard advertising display for Grape Nuts cereal featuring an art deco illustration of popular pitcher Dizzy Dean. Colorful display featured a cardboard holder designed to display propotional brochures describing a redemption offer whereby kids could obtain various prizes. This particular piece was one of several Grape Nuts displays to feature Dizzy Dean, but this style was only recently discovered, through a Midwestern find of approximately 25 examples. The piece measures approximately 22” (at its widest) x 26”, with the cardboard holder containing one Dean brochure which features a photographic image of dean that is strikingly similar to the illustration on the sign itself. The piece does exhibit areas of mild toning and age-related wear, with some light creasing at the left edge near Dean’s extended leg (the creasing does not interfere with the attractiveness of the display). The entire piece has been dry- mounted to a cardboard backing with a cellophane wrap, which we have elected to leave intact despite the fact that it prevents us from examining the reverse for the presence of the easel back or for any damage or staining. Due to the die-cut edges of the piece, the cellophane wrap protects the edges from damage and surface wear, a job it has done effectively. The cardboard backing does exhibit some wear and staining, along with spots of what appear to be mildew underneath the cellophane wrap, which does not come into contact with the piece itself. An overall VG/EX to EX appearance, a tremendous advertising piece and extremely attractive display. MINIMUM BID: $300.00
63. 1932 Newark Bears vs. Minneapolis Millers “Little World Series” Official Program MINIMUM BID: $100.00
64. 1933 Washington Senators Official Scorecard vs. Philadelphia Athletics MINIMUM BID: $75.00
65. Tony Piet Memorabilia Collection w/1934 Draper- Maynard Endorsement Contract MINIMUM BID: $50.00
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