1934-36 National Chicle Diamond Stars questions

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Posted By: Vaughn Brossart

It's well known that this set, intended to comprise 240 cards, only saw 108 ever produced. Beckett's Baseball Card Price Guide #22 states that "a blank-backed proof sheet of 12 additional (never-issued) cards was discovered in 1980". Does anyone know who was portayed on that proof sheet, or if there is a picture of it posted anywhere? Also, is there any anecdotal company history in existence explaining why the obvious omissions were never printed (Ruth, for example)? Contract conflicts? Planned but never consumated due to declining finances? I know of a couple of "filler" sets people have created out of frustration over what might have been, but the reality would be much more satisfying...

Vaughn Brossart
Portland, OR

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Posted By: hrbaker

Vaughn,

There is a picture of the artwork/proof sheet of the intended "extra" 12 cards in the Beckett Sport Americana Baseball Card Price Guide of 1982. This is the first place I can remember seeing the artwork. The
additional cards are/were:

Benny Frey, Pete Fox, Phil Cavarretta, Leon Goslin, Mel Harder, Roger Cramer, Gene Moore, Rip Collins, Linus Frey, Vernon "Lefty" Gomez, Hornsby/Bottomley (Browns) and Lon Warnecke.

The cards were actually produced (sort of) as a quasi-reprint set and were available from Denny Eckes' Den's Collector's Den back in 1981. I remember buying two sets, 1 to add to my Diamond Star set and one to get autographs on.

I am sure that someone else on the board can tell you where you may be able to more readily locate a photo of the proof sheet.

Heck if you wait long enough, you may find a AAA graded copy of the photo out of the Beckett guide available on ebay.

[Archive]

Posted By: John Wojak

I believe the uncut sheet with the unissued cards was part of the Copeland collection autioned off by Sotheby's in 1991, and is pictured in color in that catalog (as are a lot of other great things that we will never get to see in person).