A Bird in the Hand...
 

Just the other day, I found myself in this situation. I had saved up some, so I could be competitive in the "Bill Mastro" collection that ends this Wed & Thur. I was hoping to win maybe two or three pieces when I came across this really sweet 1952 Mantle TYPE 1 photo by Don Wingfield.

I fought with myself for the better part of a day until I finally pulled the trigger on the Mick. So now, I will be looking to win one nice piece.

So that got me to thinking that this topic might make a good thread. Alright then, let's hear your feelings on the subject as well as your stories, good and bad alike.

Here's what I settled for...

Attachment 28641Attachment 28642

all of the time
 

I do this all of the time on the card side. I have to try to stay focused or I will go crazy. Many times I have something in my sights and something else comes along that I buy instead. I guess it's part of collecting. The main thing I wanted to say is love that photo and love the back stamps too!!

That is a great photo! It is packed up and ready to go out on Monday. Enjoy it!

Scott

In that you are correct Mr. Gaynor! Thanks again Scott, always a pleasure doing business with you. BTW... this is my third Mantle/Wingfield photo!

It's an ongoing dilemma, Jimmy....

I decided to take the opposite route this time, and have had "blinders" on since the Mastro Catalogue came out. There's just too much stuff in there, that is right up my alley. If I come out of it with just 1 or 2 pieces, I'll be thrilled. Some of the prices are already insanely high, with 3 - 4 days still remaining :eek:

Just wanted to add congrats on that great pickup... that is an "epic" early image of Mantle... simply a classic photo!

I am rather disturbed by your use of the phrase "settled for" in conjunction with this photograph.

I hope that you were using the phrase jokingly.

What a great photograph!

Congratulations.

No Tim. It is "I" who is disturbed!;)

Of course I was kidding. I have to remember to use the "faces" when appropriate. :)

Thanks to Leon, Tim & Mark for the kind words. And I agree with Mark, that it's a ongoing battle of which one to choose, but I tend to take the first one that's presents itself. Good luck to all on the upcoming Mastro auction!

Thanks for clearing that up. ;)


Actually I have a photo of "The Babe" that I "settled for" that I should share with you here when I get a chance. Something that I didn't know the significance of when I got it and have quickly learned that it is better than I thought.

This unknowingly turned out to be a bird in the hand.

About a month ago, while perusing ebay for my usual Ripken and '58 Topps searches, coming up empty and wanting to get something, I went to my watch list and picked this up, from the Sportng News Collection.

http://www.cal-lector.com/TimzCollec...tsWithRuth.jpg

http://www.cal-lector.com/TimzCollec...hRuth-Back.jpg

Auction Title: 1940s Babe Ruth & Yankees greats Original Photo
Photo Description: You are bidding on a 8" by 10" original photo featuring Babe Ruth with other Yankees greats. Pictured top row are Haynes, Waite Hoyt, George Pipgras, Bush, Roettiger, Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel, Dugan, Wally Pipp, Smith. Pictured bottom row are Jones, Schang, Mays, Witt, Hofmann, and McNally.

Date: 1940s

Photo Type: Type 1

Photographer: Bob Olen

BIN: $39.99 with free shipping.

I figured $40, Type 1, The Babe, how could I go wrong? I also loved the way that Ruth seems to jump out of the picture. There he is in the center, with bolder pinstripes than everyone else, seemingly bigger than life even while nearing death.



A couple of weeks go by and I post it on a pickups thread over on the ebay sports board, and a famed Ripken collector points out that Memory Lane Auction House is auctioning off the very same jersey that is being worn by Hinkey Haines (back row; first on left) in that very photo in their current auction.

So I went to look at Memory Lane to see what it was all about, thinking how great it would be to have something from the picture.
http://www.memorylaneinc.com/site/bi...p?itemid=20127

Looking at the auction I realize that the jersey that is supposedly from the picture, isn't. They have a similar picture (probably taken within seconds of mine) with the jersey indicating that it is the same jersey as in the picture. However, the style of the jersey was all wrong, as can be seen just looking at the sleeve to shoulder seam which is completely different. So I sent a message to Memory Lane indicating this and subsequently the item was removed from the auction.

The auction description however indicated that the picture was taken during a 1948 reunion of the '23 WS champ team, and That Ruth's No. 3 will never be worn again.

So with this info in hand I went looking for some further verification.

It turns out that this photograph was taken at Yankee Stadium on June 13, 1948, the day that Ruth's No. 3 was retired and his final appearance at The Stadium.

Here is an additional similar photo: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mul...content.1.html

And here are some Life unpublished photos from that day that I came across. Uniform stripes matched up to those in my image as well.
http://www.life.com/image/50453928/i...nd-unpublished


So in this case, it seems that 1 in the hand was worth the retirement of No. 3.