This is another in a continuation of columns offering assorted identification, authentication and collecting tips for sports and related memorabilia. These particular tips aren’t all-encompassing but intended to be simple and easy to remember. Tip #1) Crazing, or 'alligator skin,' is strong evidence an oil painting is old. Crazing happens over time when the paint and the … [Read more...]
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More Quick Authentication Tips For Memorabilia Collectors
This is another in a continuation of columns offering assorted identification, authentication and collecting tips for sports and related memorabilia. These particular tips aren’t all-encompassing but intended to be simple and easy to remember. * * * * 1800s Harper's Woodcuts were issued in black and white. Any coloring was added later by the owner. Harper's Woodcuts are … [Read more...]
Assorted Quick Authentication Tips for Sports Memorabilia Collectors
This and upcoming columns will offer identification, authentication and collecting tips for sports and related memorabilia. These particular tips aren't all-encompassing but intended to be simple and easy to remember. * * * * Is that silverware silver or steel? Try the magnet test This is a simple but not definitive test to give evidence if that baseball themed … [Read more...]
Essential Tips for Beginning Collectors of Most Anything
While experienced collectors may already know most of the following tips, I get many inquiries from total beginners, including many who have gotten burned by buying fakes and who find my columns via internet searches. Considering this, I think it's a good thing to post my age old “Essential Tips for Beginning Collectors of Most Anything.” I've used this list, and variations … [Read more...]
‘Photoshopping’ and Other Creative Designs in Early Baseball Photography
One often thinks of photoshopping-style image manipulations and photographic trickery as something of the modern digital age. However, nineteenth and early twentieth photographers produced many wild and imaginative manipulated images that compete with anything made on today's computers. This included collages, composite designs and artistic embellishments. This column is a … [Read more...]
Groundbreaking Vintage Photos Still Fascinate
This column looks at three rare original sports photographs, two from recent auctions. One is a rare 1940s color photo of Stan Musial, one a gold-backed glass photo of Kenasaw Mountain Landis and the third a ultra high speed 'sctroboscopic' photo of Ohio State All-American Wes Fesler. All three are the only examples I've seen. The above is an original and perhaps … [Read more...]
Baseball Card Advertising Examples Through the Ages
This column shows a number of posters, signs, magazine ads and other items that were used to advertise and promote baseball cards throughout the ages. These advertisements are collectible, rarer than the cards themselves, and often more valuable. Click to enlarge the images. The below 1888 display poster advertises the N28 Allen & Ginter cigarette cards that included … [Read more...]
Photos Through the Telephone: A History and Guide to Wirephotos
For early 1900s newspapers and magazines, there was no overnight national distribution of images. News photographs were shipped by plane, train and even boat. While this was okay for the many popular monthly magazines, most early daily newspapers had relatively few images and fewer still that were dated. While turn of the century news services could send the printed text … [Read more...]
Antique Prints Collecting Tips and a New Authentication Guide
Whether you're collecting or selling interests are old sports or tobacco cards, movie posters, programs, premiums or publications, I've consolidated many of my past columns on authenticating prints into one free volume, a free pdf e-book titled "Identifying Antique Commercial Printing Processes, And the Basics of Authenticating Antique and Art Prints." Download the guide … [Read more...]
8 Sports Card Issues Rarer Than the T206 Wagner
The 1909 T206 Honus Wagner is the most famous and expensive baseball card, trading card and perhaps even collectible in the world. Though the exact count is unknown and new examples are discovered from time to time, it is usually roughly estimated that about 50 to 80 of the cards exist. While that's a limited number, this article lists eight sports trading cards--and one … [Read more...]
