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Julie VognarI LOVE card shows--more, even than winning an auction.
Mark--and Glen Van Aken, who was there like me checking out the authenticity of something he'd got elsewhere with Mark--both thought my Ewing was awsome, because the picture's so great. Mark says "strong vg-ex, or weak ex." It was fun talking to Glen. He seems to have read everything I've posted! He'd won a big silk of jennings dancing on ebay, and mark pronounced it echt (real).
Bought: a mint Fan Craze Ned Hanlon (wearing a suit, like the other managers in the Fan Craze sets), a Red Border Colgan's Flick, a common Tin Top Colgan's (name of Wilhelm), best of all, a full page Harper's Weekly woodblack print 1885 Portraits of 12 baaseball stars, 5 of whom are HOF. Radbourne looks himself, except he started out thin, didn't he? Ewing looks NOTHING like his photo-- fair hair, wide light eyes, no prominent cheekbones--I had to ask if it was really him. O"Rourke has the curly-top hair, and John Ward is taken from the same photograph they used again in 1895 for the Mayos. Another guy who looks COMPLETELY different from his photos is King kelly. He looks about 18, fair haired, and not especially gorgeous. They all have moustaches, which they've trimmed for very special psychological effects. Radbourne's goes down, down, down; Ward's comes up on the ends, making him look cheerful. 13"x 16"--what will i keep it in?
I only owe Mark $150. Spent 1150, including--
Also spent time talking to a Japanese guy, who had some 1884 Lawry's (game?)(I can't find the set in the 2002 guide--the one I'd seen before is four legs running in a kind of swastika in the center. There's also a card with 9 baseballs on it--it took 9 balls to walk. Maybe I'm spelling it wrong? Who, me?) cards. I bought the catcher. They go both ways from the middle; the catcher is wearing a few wires in front of his face, held on by thin straps behind his head. His hands are bare. He's dressed in red. The back of the card is done in various shades or Chocolate brown--a scene of a baseball game, with the catcher just hunched over a little--how did they manage to CATCH anything? He was amazed that I knew anything about Japanese cards,. and was interested in anything but Americans who had played in Japan.
Everybody offers you a few bucks off the price written on the item. Without being asked.
Elliot--I forwarded your message this morning; didn't get to the computer late Fri. night or all day Saturday.
I'm hearing from several people that the Seattle-Tacoma show is not too long on vintage stuff. Maybe won't go. The National is out--I can either pay off credit cards or pay off Bob, in addition to the things I HAve to pay. Unless second disbursement of money before sale of house comes like right away. Then I'd be, like Thurber said, "sitting in the cat bird's seat."