Smalling collection

[theshleps]

Insane collection all in 1 lot
https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/1871-2008-the-jack-smalling-baseball-autograph-collection-13-000-/a/50002-50125.s?ic4=GalleryView-ShortDescription-071515
Is Jack still alive? I ran into him in AZ about 5 years ago going after some Indians minor leaguers in spring training. Bought my first list from him in the 1960's

[tazdmb]

Some of toughies appear to be from the Hermann archive or addressed to Harry Wright....just saying, not giving any political opinions here.

[roarfrom34]

very cool

Yes, Jack is still alive....I purchased his updated address book about a month ago (first address list I purchased from him was 40 years ago!)

[btcarfagno]

Holy shitwhistle...

[David Atkatz]

Sorry, man, but i'm not impressed. These photos show the "cream" of the 13,000 pieces (which are the cream of the whole collection)? I don't think it's value comes close to the $50k minimum, let alone the $200k estimate.

[theshleps]

I agree that there would maybe be a few dozen at most that I would cherry pick out (Maybe less) tho at least a few are real gems that would go for big bucks. I am almost tempted to bid $50,000 though if I won for that price, the amount of work you'd have to put in once it arrived would make it not worth it for me

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Sorry, man, but i'm not impressed. These photos show the "cream" of the 13,000 pieces (which are the cream of the whole collection)? I don't think it's value comes close to the $50k minimum, let alone the $200k estimate.

3X5s of Mickey Welch, Deacon White, Vic Wilis, and Jimmy Collins. There's your $50K, if not more. Gorgeous 3X5 examples of Ruth, Johnson, Bresnahan...

We have yet to be provided with the promised spreadsheet, but I'm sure it's a sight to behold. Of course, whoever is in charge of choosing the photos for group lots at that AH is permanently out to lunch. It's a world class collection, but hey, let's show scans of Bud Selig, Doug Harvey and Pat Gillick 3X5s! I'll never complain; that person's stellar photo choices has put food on my table for many years.

It's pretty obvious that the choice to sell it as one offering was that of the consignor's. I'm sure the AH tried to dissuade the idea.

[tazdmb]

3X5s of , Deacon White,

Where is the Deacon White in the lot? Did I miss that?

[whitey19thcentury]

WHOA! Goose Gossage and Whitey Herzog!

[prewarsports]

It is awesome. I think the Harry Wright/August Herrmann connection on some of the items will scare a few collectors away to a degree but it is a fantastic group. It is sad to see those letters on the back of the scrapbook pages that were destroyed so badly!

[David Atkatz]

Do you mean the collectors who don't want to buy items stolen from the HoF?

[theshleps]

Maybe we could hope that the winner would return those items to the HOF. Wouldn't that be something!

[prewarsports]

Ya, the Hanlon in particular is a key item in that collection but written to August Herrmann changes its luster a bit.

[Runscott]

It's pretty obvious that the choice to sell it as one offering was that of the consignor's. I'm sure the AH tried to dissuade the idea.

As a consigned I'm paying the AH to make those decisions. My guess would be that the AH didn't want to deal with all the crap or possible forgeries but it was required that they sell all or nothing.

I would be too overwhelmed to deal with winning this lot!

[theshleps]

agreed since I am trying to scale down tho it would be tempting, I'd want to save maybe a dozen items and unload the rest asap so as not to get overwhelmed