PDA

View Full Version : The Copeland Collection question


Archive
11-01-2008, 08:11 AM
Posted By: <b>Mike H</b><p>I am primarily a memorabilia collector. Like many of you, I enjoy looking at auction catalogs. Can anyone tell me if the Copeland collection catalog has much in the way of non-card lots? I am particularly interested in display antiques (figurals, pennants, ad pieces, etc). Thanks a bunch

Archive
11-01-2008, 08:39 AM
Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>The Copeland Collection is primarily composed of cards, but it does include pins, advertising pieces, scorecards, and some guides.

Archive
11-01-2008, 08:56 AM
Posted By: <b>Mike H</b><p>thanks Barry

Archive
11-01-2008, 10:25 AM
Posted By: <b>Bruce Dorskind</b><p><br />Whilst Barry Sloate is correct in his assessment that the vast majority of the 873 lots<br />offered from Jim Copeland's legendary collection were baseball cards and baseball photos,<br />there were a plethora of wonderful memorabilia pieces"<br /><br />Most notable were<br /><br />1. Climax Advertising Sign -1884 lot 421- $16,500<br /><br />2. Carl Horner Boston Imperial Cabinet - did not meet is 12,500 reserve<br /><br />3. Ruth Gehrig Exhibition Game Broadside - Lot 435- $14,300(4x estimate)<br /><br />The auction included a very impressive group of early scorecards including 19th<br />century championship games and a near complete run of early World Series programs.<br /><br />The real story of the auction was the relatively low prices that were realized for the 19th<br />century cards. In part this can be attributed to the fact that interest in 19th century baseball<br />was very limited 17 years ago. In part, many collectors attribute the low prices to the fact that<br />the 19th century lots were the very last lots auctioned and many of the "big hitters" had<br />spent their budgets. Finally 1991 was a "recession year" for the US economy.<br /><br />Whist there have been hundreds of auctions since Copeland, none, not even Halper offered<br />as many extraordinary pieces. Many of the Copeland items have not seen the public auction<br />stage since they were sold in 1991.<br /><br />Do purchase the catalog. If you would like a photo copy of the prices realized, we would<br />be happy to mail it to you privately.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Archive
11-01-2008, 10:38 AM
Posted By: <b>David Atkatz</b><p>If you are a memorabilia collector, you most probably would find the Copeland catalog a disappointment.

Archive
11-01-2008, 10:44 AM
Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>Copeland did have an exceptionally nice scorecard collection, with some real classics.

Archive
11-01-2008, 10:54 AM
Posted By: <b>MVSNYC</b><p>"Whist there have been hundreds of auctions since Copeland, none, not even Halper offered<br />as many extraordinary pieces." <br /><br />Bruce- i respectfully disagree. i have both catalogs and attended the Halper sale. Barry's collection was off the charts.

Archive
11-01-2008, 11:11 AM
Posted By: <b>barrysloate</b><p>Interesting debate, and both collections were great.<br /><br />Jim Copeland collected primarily high grade material, and I would guess he wasn't even offered lesser pieces.<br /><br />Barry Halper on the other hand collected everything. I remember cataloguing the internet portion of his sale (another 5000 lots above and beyond the printed catalog) and there were numerous lots in the $50-200 range. Barry had newspaper clippings signed in pencil by Yogi Berra.<br /><br />So they were really two different kinds of collections. One thing about the Copeland Sale is it was the first major public auction devoted solely to rare baseball collectibles. There had never been anything like it before. So it was incredibly exciting. Now the Halper Sale was great too, but it lasted seven days and some parts of it dragged a bit.<br /><br />Whichever collection appeals more to you, both were landmarks in our hobby.