Eighty years ago this Sunday, Hank Greenberg drove in his first three runs of the season for the Detroit Tigers. His total at the end of the season: 184. Total of Hank Greenberg baseball cards issued in the United States in 1937: Zero. Such was often the life of a card collector in the pre-World War II era. While Greenberg's greatest season … [Read more...]
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Vintage Set Break of the Week: 1939 Play Ball
1939 Play Ball was Gum Inc’s leap into the baseball card market with black-and-white photos of contemporary baseball players. The issue was very popular, and it remains so today, largely due to the rookie cards of Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams. The back of the cards features each player’s full name, a biographical write up, and an advertisement for the issue which states … [Read more...]
Opening Day Record-Setters and Their Rookie Cards
The long wait ended Sunday and baseball’s multi-day Opening Day festival continues Monday with 12 games on the docket. Some players just seem to perform better during the first game of the season. We thought we'd take a look at a few Opening Day records and the rookie cards of the players responsible for setting them. Most Opening Day Starts Tom Seaver’s big league … [Read more...]
Top 10 Ted Williams Cards Span 4 Decades
Perhaps the best hitter of all-time, Ted Williams was also a United States marine who served his country in two wars and was quite the ladies’ man back in the day. He lived a colorful, long life and left quite a legacy on and off the field. “Best” lists are always subjective, but below are arguably the top ten Ted Williams cards from his playing career. A first ballot Hall … [Read more...]
1940 Play Ball is a Slice of Baseball History
Talk to dealers and collectors and the one word that keeps surfacing about the 1940 Play Ball Baseball set is ‘underrated’. Our Vintage Set of the Week is a 240-card whopper, overflowing with stars of the day and stars of the past. Play Ball made its debut with the 1939 set, another black and white issue that used what were for the time, clear photos of contemporary … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Williams Not Part of the Great Pre-War Rookie Card Debate
I'm always enamored of trivia so imagine my surprise when in one of the daily e-newsletters of baseball tidbits, Lee Sinise, mentioned the all-time leader in pinch-hit homers for the Boston Red Sox. Yes, the answer was a Hall of Famer, but not one you usually associate with coming off the bench. Would you believe Ted Williams? Teddy Ballgame was featured as an active player … [Read more...]
Goldin Auctions Catalog Garnered $2.65 Million
The best PSA-graded 1939 Play Ball baseball card set topped all bids in the recently completed Goldin Auctions October Legends catalog sale. The set pieced together by noted collector Jeffrey Gitomer and consigned in partnership with Steiner Sports, sold for a record price of $202,826. It carried a GPA of 8.71 (better than NM/MT+) and was awarded PSA registry Hall of Fame … [Read more...]
Top 1939 Play Ball Set Off to Hot Start at Auction
Goldin Auctions, in partnership with Steiner Sports, is offering several of the highest grade PSA graded baseball card sets in the world from the Jeffrey Gitomer collection in its October Legends auction. The items, consigned by Steiner Sports and being co-marketed by the collectibles company, will be available for preview beginning on Oct. 2 with first bids being accepted on … [Read more...]
Mint Mantle Rookie Card Brings $221,150 in Memory Lane Auction
Bidding extended into the early morning hours of the Friday before the Labor Day holiday weekend, and when the dust settled, a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card graded PSA 9 (mint) had reached a new plateau. The card sold for $220,150 in Memory Lane Inc’s 2013 Summer Auction. The price includes a 19% buyer’s premium. The Mantle card was part of the Graham Rookie Card … [Read more...]
Vintage Card, Memorabilia Auction Lots to Benefit Sandy Victims
Vintage cards and memorabilia from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb, Barry Bonds, Stan Musial and more will help those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Goldin Auctions has added 15 "Hurricane Relief Lots" to its Fall 2012 Auction with 100% of the sales from these items, including the 10% buyers premium, being donated to the American Red Cross for Disaster Relief. … [Read more...]
