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View Full Version : Please help identify this mystery Cobb card, what the heck is it?


T206Jim
09-29-2015, 07:52 PM
Here is a Cobb mystery card that I could use your help identifying. It is approximately 2 x 2.75 inches. It is is on thin cardboard stock typical of cards of the teens and twenties. It is a known Cobb photo which I can't date, but am guessing is from the early twenties. The Kresge's on the back is clearly typed, later or at the time of issue I do not know. The dark portions of the image have silvering as shown in the photos so it is vintage but how vintage?. Any thoughts or theories on what this might be?

Leon
09-29-2015, 09:59 PM
Are you sure about the dating of it? Off hand it looks like a fantasy card to me.

Jobu
09-29-2015, 10:09 PM
I have no clue about this card, but the bastian of truth that is Wikipedia tells us the following (below) about S.S. Kresge stores. The Detroit connection fits nicely with your card but it obviously goes without saying that there is nothing preventing someone who is making a fantasy piece from typing something relevant on the back. Good luck in your search, I hope you turn up some good news.


"Sebastian S. Kresge, the founder of the company that would become Kmart, met variety store pioneer Frank Woolworth while working as a traveling salesman and selling to all nineteen of Woolworth's stores at the time.[8] In 1897 Kresge invested $8,000 (equivalent to $227 thousand in 2015) saved from his job in joint ownership with his friend John McCrory of a five and dime store in Memphis, to which they added another in downtown Detroit the following year; these were the first S.S. Kresge stores.[9][10][11] After two years of partnership, he paid McCrory $3,000 (equivalent to $85 thousand in 2015) and gave up his share in the Memphis store for full ownership of the Detroit store, and formed the Kresge & Wilson Company with his brother-in-law, Charles J. Wilson.[10][11]. In 1912, Kresge incorporated the S.S. Kresge Corporation with eighty-five stores."

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kmart#Early_history)

nolemmings
09-29-2015, 10:20 PM
Is there printing or embossing in the bottom right front corner that gives a clue?

T206Collector
09-30-2015, 06:25 AM
Looks handout from a box to me.

Also, the writing on the front bottom says some illegible things including "Detroit"

MW1
09-30-2015, 08:03 AM
Jim,

What are the words that are printed near the lower right corner on the front of the card?

pencil1974
09-30-2015, 09:53 AM
Did you blacklight test it? That would be a good starting point on something like this. If it glows then you know its a recent fantasy piece if it doesn't it's a good start to figuring out a date.

shernan30
09-30-2015, 11:22 AM
Really neat piece. I look forward to hearing what you find out about it.

mybuddyinc
09-30-2015, 12:13 PM
"Sebastian S. Kresge, the founder of the company that would become Kmart, met variety store pioneer Frank Woolworth while working as a traveling salesman and selling to all nineteen of Woolworth's stores at the time.[8] In 1897 Kresge invested $8,000 (equivalent to $227 thousand in 2015) saved from his job in joint ownership with his friend John McCrory of a five and dime store in Memphis, to which they added another in downtown Detroit the following year; these were the first S.S. Kresge stores.[9][10][11] After two years of partnership, he paid McCrory $3,000 (equivalent to $85 thousand in 2015) and gave up his share in the Memphis store for full ownership of the Detroit store, and formed the Kresge & Wilson Company with his brother-in-law, Charles J. Wilson.[10][11]. In 1912, Kresge incorporated the S.S. Kresge Corporation with eighty-five stores."

Bryan,

I have nothing to add, like normal :rolleyes:

However, you just sent me down memory lane, growing up with McCory's, Kresge's and Woolworth's :):)

bbcard1
09-30-2015, 03:01 PM
I bought my first 1970 Topps cards at a Kresges in Huntington, WV.

T206Jim
09-30-2015, 04:10 PM
Thanks for the suggestions guys. The hand cut from a box theory may be plausible.

There is indeed writing in the right corner which does not appear on the copies of this photo I have found, but unfortunately it is not legible even through a glass or loupe magnification.

Using a black light it does fluoresce more than other prewar items I own but less than modern cards and paper which indicates it is more likely than not to be postwar. It does appear to be vintage in hand and I doubt it is a fantasy card. My current guess is probably a 1940's to 1960's piece hand cut from a box or poster and somehow tied into a Kresge's promotion. An interesting piece whatever it is.

Leon
10-01-2015, 09:02 AM
It really shouldn't flouresce at all if it is period to Cobbs playing days. This is taken from a David Rudd Cycleback (hi David) site...

"Starting in the late 1940s, manufacturers of many products began adding optical brighteners and other new chemicals to their products. Optical brighteners are invisible dyes that fluoresce brightly under ultraviolet light. They were used to make products appear brighter in normal daylight, which contains some ultraviolet light. Optical brighteners were added to laundry detergent and clothes to help drown out stains and to give the often advertised `whiter than white whites.’ Optical brighteners were added to plastic toys to makes them brighter and more colorful. Paper manufacturers joined the act as well, adding optical brighteners to many, though not all of their white papers stocks."


.

ullmandds
10-01-2015, 09:08 AM
ya...not to burst any bubbles but this piece is not vintage...meaning from cobbs playing days...it has a modern...repro'd(copied) appearance...and I'd surmise has very little value.

T206Jim
10-01-2015, 11:07 AM
Thanks Leon, David's article is indeed excellent and is what I relied upon in stating that the card is likely postwar.

I use the term vintage to indicate that it was not produced recently, as previously stated my best guess is 1940's to 1960's as examining the card in hand I would be very surprised if it was produced in recent decades. I agree the card is of nominal value, but find it to be of interest.

We all on the board tend to gravitate towards issue of value, but that was not the intention behind this thread. For me the joy of collecting our beloved baseball curiosities is the thrill of discovering just what something is. If you share that curiosity I would suggest you check out all my other initiated threads on items I have acquired over the last couple of years.

milkit1
10-01-2015, 11:09 AM
David is the best and the Facebook posts about his dog are the highlight of my day :)

Bocabirdman
10-01-2015, 11:55 AM
Here is another Fantasy piece where the creator tried w-a-a-a-a-y too hard to make it look from the period.

206776
206778

ramram
10-01-2015, 12:57 PM
Here is another Fantasy piece where the creator tried w-a-a-a-a-y too hard to make it look from the period.

206776
206778

Dang, probably the same typewriter on both pieces!

The typewriter is probably located in that infamous Ohio/Tennessee/Kentucky corridor.

Rob M.

Bocabirdman
10-01-2015, 01:34 PM
Here is the other example I have......

206781