Smoky Joe Wood Autographed Cards
 

Joe Wood lived until 1985, to the ripe old age of 95. Given his popularity -- and the breadth of Joe Wood autographs items in the hobby -- I find it surprising that the only signed pre-war card of Wood's I have ever seen is a clean M116 signed in what appears to be blue sharpie. (It is not mine, but you can see it on my website if you are so inclined to look.)

According to VintageCardPrices.com, Wood appeared on a number of popular sets in the second decade of the 20th Century, including:

M116 Sporting Life
T202 Hassan Triple Folders
T207 Brown Backgrounds
WG4 Polo Grounds Game
WG5 National Game
WG6 Tom Barker Game
1914 & 15 Cracker Jack
E224 Texas Tommy
M101-4
M101-5
D328 & D329 Weil Baking Co.
D350 Standard Biscuit
D381 Fleischmann Bakery
H801
E135 Collins-McCarthy

Anyone ever seen any of these signed by Smoky Joe Wood?

I've long felt the same way about autographed baseballs. Seems strange to me that they don't show up with more regularity. I think I've only seen one Joe Wood autographed baseball in person.

Back in the 1980s, there was a family member (nephew maybe?) that would set up at some card shows around the Boston area, selling Wood autographed checks and other items.

If my memory serves me right, he had a hard time selling autographs for $5 a pop. Oh, to turn back the clock....

I'm pretty sure that was his son. From what I hear, he still sets up in Brimfield. Though, I'm pretty sure he sells antiques that are not sports related. I could be wrong on that.

A 3x5 can still be had for around $10. I picked one up on ebay not too long ago. In fact, they're all over the place. I wish it was the same way with baseballs.

An old friend of mine was writing a book and interviewed Mr Wood. He was kind enough to gift my dad a side panel signed ball and a photocopied photo, also signed. I sent it to an auction house along with a load of other items, and their consignment director never put it in the auction. He told me he was unsure of the authenticity and would have to show it to the authenticator who services the auction, even though I know EXACTLY where it came from. Would anyone be kind enough to estimate the value forme? Thanks in advance.

If you'd like to sell, please let me know.

I bought a collection recently. The collector sent me the package and in it were 10 Joe Wood 3x5's. He said he had so many of them, that he did not place any monetary value on them.
Joe was a fine player and a very nice person when it came to autograph collectors.
His son is also a fine person and I used to enjoy chatting with him at the Ft Washington, PA shows.

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I'd like to revisit this post
 

Can anybody explain why there are dozens of signed T206 cards of Rube Marquard, but the hobby is only aware of 1 signed pre-war card of Smoky Joe Wood?

I can't answer your question about the signed vintage cards that you are inquiring about, but I can tell you that I have seen a few signed postcard size photos of Smokey Joe Wood. I own one in my collection, but it was signed in ball point pen, not vintage fountain pen.

Probably because somebody out there realized that with a little practice he could sign like Marquard. Given a stack of 3x5's I bet I could knock out a fair Joe Wood auto after a little practice. Why anyone would want a signed 3x5 index card is beyond me. If you are doing a fake signature on a vintage baseball or card, you better be damn good or you could ruin an expensive item (it's ruined anyway with a fake auto but you know what I mean). Index cards don't cost a thing so you can sign hundreds of them at little or no cost and then just pick out the best one to sell. I dunno, if you know it's real (witnessed the signing) then cool, but it just seems like those index cards are ideal for a forger and I would never buy one.

;)TexasLeaguer,
IMHO, it's important to note that signed 3 x 5 index cards and GPC's (Government Postcards) were the gold standard of autograph collecting hobby for over half of a century. To ignore collecting vintage signatures in this medium, and for that matter, signed cuts is a mistake. That being said, the greatest bit of advice on collecting autographs that I can offer you is to take the time to really study what you aspire to collect before spending your hard earned money. ;)

You know I met him at a show in Boston in the early 80's and spent close to an hour talking to him. Did not even attempt to get an autograph.

Great man and fun to talk baseball with. If I had known then what I know now, I would searched out every card of his to sign but I have never been an autograph guy, especially on cards :)

Back in the early to mid 80's Smokey Joe was selling his old checks for a few bucks each. As a young teenager, I remember sending him my check for five of his checks. I later sold almost my whole autograph collection back around 95, including those checks. Oh how I wish I could have my collection back!!

I had assembled it all through the mail.... Joe Sewell, Stanley Coveleski, Edd Roush, Hank Greenberg.... mostly common signatures but they were from some of the all time greats.

Yes that was his son selling at the various shows. He also was a nice man and would spend hours talking about his father. I bought some items that I believe were from his personal collection. He used to do the RI show as well as annual SABR meetings in RI. I have not seen him in about 10 years as shows however.

I also met Joe Woods' son at the Fort Washingon shows in the 1990's. In fact, he had developed a post card depicting his father and his stats in an effort to get his father into the Hall of Fame...

On a somewhat related note....
 

Apparently Wood's success as a pitcher wasn't well-received by everyone; had the senders of this letter followed up on their threats, none of us would likely own any Wood signatures.

This posting allegedly shows a copy of a death threat Wood received during his legendary 1912 campaign.

http://www.bugsandcranks.com/tylerma...-to-a-pitcher/

"We warn you and we never fail." Spooky. Sounds like one of you-know-who's death threats. Plus ça change. Thanks for posting that, Scott. Very interesting. Guess it wasn't all as kinder-and-gentler back then as I like to romanticize.

http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...tographed_.jpg

I have a Wood signed check. He was a great player, wish I could have met him.

Smokey Joe Wood
 

I had Smokey Joe Wood sign my 1910 American Caramel E-91 Series "C" card in the early 80's

Smokey Joe Wood
 

I had Smokey Joe Wood sign my 1910 American Caramel E-91 Series "C" card in the early 80's

Never seen another one of these. Best $60 I ever spent:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4460/...5681d7afc4.jpg

Seemed Joe Wood signed everything else but pre-war baseball cards. Had himself a little cottage industry of affixing his seven letters to tickets, balls, and whatever. Nice work if you can get it.

For the record I had the autographed M116 reholdered by SGC a few years back.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...0autograph.jpg

The Red Sox prevailed over the Giants 4-3. Wood gave up 8 hits and struck out 11. It was after this game that he was reported to have said, "I threw so hard I thought my arm would fly right off my body."
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...%20ticket2.jpg http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...%20ticket1.jpg

This came from the bunch of Dr Steen autographed Sporting News supplements that were auctioned off a few years ago. Nice to have something not signed with a Sharpie.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kawika_...e/2318240.jpeg

This is a Lee MacPhaill AL ball which dates it to 1973-1983. A ball signed by Wood in 1912, if such a thing exists, would be my ultimate hobby dream item.

Damn David that ticket is so good his signature looks like a stamp. Great items!

Interesting how he dropped the small swivel at the end of his signature. It must have been awesome to be able to meet and speak with him.

Beautiful Smoky Joe artifacts David!

David, fantastic Joe Wood items & sigs

I LOVE that signed ticket. I picked up this Spring training 1913 signed photo from the Christie's auction earlier this year. Looking to sell it if anyone is interested. I would guess that this came from Woods estate based on the writing appearing to be that of Woods below each player, and signed/dated in the lower right hand corner).

Here is a 1910 Red Sox postcard that Joe sent to his mother from spring training in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Always thought that it was kind of odd that he signed his last name and addressed him mother in such a formal fashion.

There are some great items in this thread - David's collection, Drew's photo, and HOLY CRAP Kevin - that PC is awesome!

If I can find a picture of it somewhere... I had a Joe Wood signed (to one of the famous old autograph collectors) original 1910s Charles Conlon photo-- great photo with Conlon's signature on back. As a photo collector, I bought it as a Conlon photo.

Joe's brother, Pete. His PC that he sent to his cousin. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...e835ab5e16.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...55f43fc6b1.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Unreal cool! Thanks for posting this. :D

I got Wood
 

I just picked up this 1912 WS Type 1 photo of Wood taken by legendary lensman G.G.Bain. Also below, is another 1912 WS snapshot along with an early type 1 photo by, the master, Charles Conlon. I lost out on a beautiful Horner in Christies so pleased to add this one.

*and.... i just realized this was to show autographed cards. Ooops.. not deleting all of this. Ha! Great cards guys!

http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...psuyamyzgw.jpg

2 others in my collection noted above.

http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...pskyc6adei.jpg

http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/a...psekivlt8e.jpg

Beautiful Wood photos, Ben!!
Watermarks present- CHECK!!! ;):D

Only 1 out of 3.. apparently i am slacking. Thank you Scott.

Too many beers on Super Bowl Sunday, Ben?
I can't tell you how much I like all three of those images of Smoky Joe!
Really awesome!

Have these two Joe Wood autos.

https://www.collectorfocus.com/image...101-2-joe-wood


https://www.collectorfocus.com/image...84824/joe-wood

I got to know Bob Wood, Smoky Joe's son, in the early to mid-90s at the Ft. Washington shows at which he always set up as a dealer. It's possible that we actually first met at one of the last Willow Grove shows before they moved, but I can't remember if Bob was set up there also. Given the famous pitching duel his father and my grandfather played against each other in 1912, we had a natural bond from the start. Bob was also a very nice man and quite interesting to talk to. He wasn't really doing the shows to make money, but more to promote his dad's legacy and especially to try to get him into the HOF. He had a packet he gave to people like me he thought might be able to help in that endeavor that included a nice colorized photo signed by his father. I was always conflicted when he would broach the subject, being friends with Bob as I was but not thinking that, as great as he was for a time, Joe Wood should be in the Hall. I visited Bob at his farm in Maryland and also while I was staying at a friend's house in Burlington, Vt., and he came over from his place in Keene, N.H. In 2006, I got a call from the Boston Red Sox inviting me to come up to help commemorate the first time a Washington team had appeared at Fenway since 1971 along with the famous 1912 game of my grandfather's there. I asked if they knew Bob Wood, they said sure, and I suggested they invite him and we could do it together. This is a picture of us throwing out the first pitch that night, one of the great baseball thrills of my life. I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure Bob passed away several years ago. If not, he would be well over 100 years old. Regarding Joe Wood, his interview in the "Glory of Their Times" is a must read, and the audio version one of the very best on that set.

Hank,
That's an awesome story! Thanks for sharing.
This Smoky Joe thread never gets old for me! :)

Thanks, Scott!

Like Hank I too knew Bob Wood from the Willow Grove shows and purchased a number of things from him. When he found out my son was at Yale, he invited us to tour an Attic room in the gym that was filled with Yale sports memorabilia of all kinds and for all sports. A truly amazing collection and a great day.

Ditto!

Hank, it looks like you know how to wing a pitch. Must have been a grand feeling that night.

Here's a photo I have that some of you may enjoy. I think the year is 1941, Smoky Joe's last year as Yale coach. I am not 100% sure how to interpret the numbers on the snipe but the date sounds logical. ETA: Date was April 21, 1941. Info hiding in plain sight.

https://photos.imageevent.com/kawika...ge/DMcD375.jpg

https://photos.imageevent.com/kawika...ge/DMcD374.jpg

As to the post about 3x5 index cards, if you refuse to buy them then your autograph collection is going to be very limited. Many of the early players are only available on 3x5 cards and index pages. As long as you research the autograph it shouldn't be a problem buying them.