It’s been sitting in a private collection for 30 years after its original discovery in Brooklyn but an uncut proof sheet currently at auction remains a bit of a mystery.
Hunt Auctions is offering the 6” x 10 3/8” sheet in its February Premier Auction. The sheet seemingly dates to 1913 and includes Ty Cobb and Joe Jackson. A private collector acquired it in the 1980s and has consigned it. Bidding will end Wednesday night.
The sheet includes proof marks at the four border points for each player’s cards, which seem to have been designed to be 1 ¾” x 2 ¾” in size. The blank back has six small adhesion residue spots at the perimeter measuring approx. 1” in diameter each.
Other players on the sheet, portrayed in a pastel color format include Hughie Jennings, Rube Marquard, Frank ‘Home Run’ Baker, Chief Bender and others. The players’ last names are at the bottom of their photo.
No baseball card set known to exist looks exactly like the design offered on the sheet.
Was it created for a baseball card set that was never produced? Was it a very early rendition of the 1914 or 1915 Cracker Jack sets or maybe the American Caramel issues that were prevalent during the second decade of the 20th century?
No one seems to know for certain.
Bidding interest has been strong with the sheet currently sitting at over $14,000 including the buyer’s premium of 15%.
Hunt is also offering what it says is one of only two authenticated Joe Jackson pro model Louisville Slugger bats of their type dating to his playing days. The bat includes the full “Joe Jackson” signature script impression on the barrel. Documented pro model bats used by Jackson post banishment (1920) feature only the last name “Jackson” on the barrel. “Joe Jackson” pro model bats were not produced for use after the 1920 banishment date, according to research by PSA-DNA’s John Taube.
The high bid on the bat, including the buyer’s premium, was at $326,700 heading into the final day of the auction.
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Spring training is underway and that means autograph collectors have descended into camps in Florida and Arizona. It’s generally regarded as one of the best times to get autographs. Many players are relaxed and more willing to stop than they might be during the season. Access isn’t as easy as it once was, but if you gather some knowledge, get there early and stay late, you won’t usually go home empty-handed.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune stopped by the Baltimore Orioles camp and talked with the ‘graphers’.
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A 1968 Topps cello pack with Nolan Ryan’s rookie card on the front has sold on eBay.
The pack was priced at $60,000 and sold for $45,000 on a best offer. Graded NM 7 by PSA, the pack is the known cello pack with a Ryan rookie card on the front.
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