The following are answers to assorted questions from the proverbial mail bag. QUESTION: I've heard that collectors sometimes soak old cards in water in order to remove album paper and glue from the backs. Won't the water dissolve off or smear the printing ink? ANSWER: I'm not giving advice whether or not you should or shouldn't soak cards, but I can tell you that old card … [Read more...] about Vintage Sports Memorabilia Q and A
David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
Identifying Precious Metals: Gold, Silver and Platinum
As precious metals can have high monetary value, this is an area where getting an educated second opinion can be a good idea for a beginner. A jeweler or avid collector can identify and grade the metal for you. However, the avid collector can make a fair judgment about type and quality of previous metal. There are both scientific tests and more informal ways of identifying … [Read more...] about Identifying Precious Metals: Gold, Silver and Platinum
Collecting Frederic Remington’s 1800s American Football Prints
American artist Frederic Remington (1861-1909) is famed as the preeminent painter and sculptor of the Old American West, with classic and exciting action images of cowboys, American Indians and the Cavalry. Many sports fans familiar with his work, however, don't realize that not only did Remington play football at Yale University, but he made numerous sketches of 19th century … [Read more...] about Collecting Frederic Remington’s 1800s American Football Prints
The Many Forms of Vintage Sports Lithography
Invented in the late 1800s, chromolithography was revolutionary for two reasons. First, it could produce vividly colorful graphics popular with the public. Second, unlike other types of printing, it could be printed to many different surfaces, including metal, ceramics, cloth and leather. The following is a brief gallery of the different forms of vintage sports … [Read more...] about The Many Forms of Vintage Sports Lithography
Interesting Notes on Vintage Sports Photos
This column offers some additional information about vintage and antique cards and memorabilia. Many 1800s sports cards are actual photographs Modern card collectors often don't realize that many 1800s trading cards are actual photographs, taken with a camera and developed in a photography lab. While modern ink and printing press technology can reproduce photographic … [Read more...] about Interesting Notes on Vintage Sports Photos
Memorabilia Collecting and Authentication Quick Tips: Part 3
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...] about Memorabilia Collecting and Authentication Quick Tips: Part 3
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...] about More Quick Authentication Tips For Memorabilia Collectors
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...] about Assorted Quick Authentication Tips for Sports Memorabilia Collectors
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...] about Essential Tips for Beginning Collectors of Most Anything
‘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...] about ‘Photoshopping’ and Other Creative Designs in Early Baseball Photography