A Fun Hypothetical Question For The Experts- Spalding Collection

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Posted By: <b>Adam Baxter</b><p>I was just perusing the Spalding Collection on the NYPL website and a thought crossed my mind:<br /><br />Hypothetically, how much do think the Spalding Collection,(baseball images only), would go for in a major auction?<br /><br />This is not counting non-baseball pics, books, ephemera. Just photographs of players, both in uniform and civvies.<br /><br />Now keep in mind folks that this collection includes tintypes, cdvs, and cabinets, many of which could be or are unique.<br /><br />I'm going to throw out a number- $500,000.<br /><br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Jodi Birkholm</b><p>Not sure, but I would venture a an estimate far more lofty than your own.<br /><br />

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Posted By: <b>Adam Baxter</b><p>I hear that Jodi. $500,000 was just a ballpark guess on my part. <br /><br />Or how about this, How much would each of you pay if money was no object and the collection being was offered to you

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Posted By: <b>bruce Dorskind</b><p><br /><br />We have visited the Spalding collection on six separate occasions.<br /><br />Whilst it has been nearly four years since our last visit, we are confident<br />that the collection would bring closer to $2.0 million dollars.<br /><br />There are a number of unique images of pre-1900 HOFs and several<br />large heretofore uncataloged team photos. At a 1979 dinner meeting with<br />Sir Edward Wharton Tigar, he mentioned to us that there were several pieces<br />in the Spalding Collection that neither he or his good friend, Charles Bray,<br />had ever seen. <br /><br />There are also 20 + Kalamazoo Bat single player cards.<br /><br />Unfortunately, in the mid-60's and late 70s a number of items<br />from the collection were stolen- most were never recovered.<br /><br />One need only look at the original list of donated pieces and compare<br />it with the current inventory.<br /><br />Whilst Spalding's collection is small in size relative to the Burdick collection<br />at the Met, the breadth and scope of 19th century baseball material<br />is breathtaking. <br /><br />In addition to all of the aforementioned factors, pieces with provenance traced<br />to the Spalding Collection would, no doubt, command a premium.<br /><br />Bruce Dorskind<br />America's Toughest Want List

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Posted By: <b>peter ullman</b><p>bruce...like jail time?

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Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>The most valuable piece in the collection is likely the 1860 mammoth plate salt print of the Brooklyn Excelsiors with Jim Creighton. That alone should command six figures.