Cooperstown, New York is a magical place. For Ralph Carhart, some might say it possesses even divine qualities. This is where his idea, the desire to have a picture taken of an ordinary baseball with all 323 Baseball Hall of Fame was conceived. Carhart’s journey is captured in his new 250-page book, The Hall Ball: One Fan's Journey to Unite Cooperstown Immortals with a Single … [Read more...]
Hall of Fame’s “Starting Nine” Highlights Items from Each MLB Franchise
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum recently introduced Starting Nine, a team-themed experience that highlights nine pieces for each team among the vast collection of tens of thousands of treasured artifacts preserved in Cooperstown. The idea is to help tell each team's story in the form of its artifacts. Museum officials say curators spent many hours … [Read more...]
1963 Sports Hall Of Fame Busts Had Short Shelf Life
If you couldn't get to the Baseball Hall of Fame in the mid-1960s, a New York company figured out a way to bring the Hall to you. Today, the 1963 Sports Hall of Fame Busts still have a following among baseball memorabilia collectors. Sculptured statuettes of 20 members of the Hall were produced by Sports Hall of Fame, Inc., of New York. The statuettes stood 6 … [Read more...]
1963 Bazooka All-Time Greats An Affordable Vintage Set
Bazooka began issuing cards on its boxes of gum beginning with its 1959 set. But in 1963, the Bazooka All-Time Greats baseball set moved away from a panel discussion. Topps had been putting cards on the back panels of Bazooka boxes, but the All-Time Greats set was the only one to be inserted inside the boxes of gum. Issued at the same time as its regular … [Read more...]
Ultimate 1930s TTM Effort Lands Hall of Fame Autographs
Sunday’s induction ceremony at the Baseball Hall of Fame continued a tradition that began in Cooperstown back in the 1930s when the idea was conceived and the first players were inducted. You may have seen a few first day covers featuring signatures of Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Cy Young, Walter Johnson and the other greats who were inducted. Stamp clubs made it a project to … [Read more...]
Golden Press Baseball Set Honored Hall Of Famers
The store was a gritty old sundries shop in West Palm Beach, Florida, that sold sewing materials, bobby pins, clothing, cookware, books and magazines. The store was called Kings and it smelled of popcorn when you walked in; it had a black and white checkerboard linoleum floor. In 1968, in that long-forgotten store that was torn down years ago, I found a large booklet album … [Read more...]
Rookie Card Values of the ‘Greatest Living Players’
For years, Joe DiMaggio was introduced as the ‘greatest living ballplayer’. He insisted on it, many whispered. It’s a great title but the down side is that you are absolutely going to lose it someday. Tuesday night, Major League Baseball introduced a quartet of living legends—and then some. The Franchise Four campaign allowed fans to vote for the top players in the … [Read more...]
Heritage Auction Has Chicago Flair, PSA 8 Mantle
Heritage Auction is offering a hot summer night for collectors during the National Sports Collectors Convention later this month. And the some of the top items for sale carry a distinctive Chicago flavor. Items from Da Shot, Da Coach and Da Sweetness? That’s one way of putting it. Heritage’s live Summer Platinum Night, which begins at 7:30 p.m. CST on July 30 at the … [Read more...]
Musial Autographs Almost Gone; Stan the Man Inc. Closing
The offices of Stan the Man Inc. are closing, after nearly 25 years of handling the late Hall of Famer’s autographs and memorabilia. The company, run by Dick Zitzmann who was Musial’s business agent, has nearly run out of the remaining stock of Musial signed items and the remaining inventory is being moved to a warehouse. Friday was to be its last day of operation at … [Read more...]
Ralph Kiner Cards a Big Part of Baseball’s Post-War Era
Hall of Fame outfielder Ralph Kiner died Thursday at the age of 91. Kiner, who spent most of his 10-year career (1946-55) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit 369 home runs and still holds the record for most homers by a player in his first five seasons. He had been a popular Mets broadcaster since 1962. For a player of his caliber from the era in which he played, Kiner’s … [Read more...]