w553 Gehrig

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Posted By: runscott

I don't collect strip cards, but this one looked interesting and my understanding is that they are tough to find. Thoughts? I looked it up in the '02 SCD guide and didn't find it listed - couldn't find it in any other catalogs either.

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Posted By: warshawlaw

The image, printing and autograph look like a cropped 1929 Kashin Publications card (R316). The use of the border is unknown. Either it is a new strip card (maybe from overseas; there were a number of sports card strip issues in Siam [Thailand] that ripped off images from other sets)or, more likely, a Broder-type card.

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Posted By: runscott

and you're right - they are the same images used in the Kashins, only with an ornate border. SCD only lists three players (not Gehrig), but mentions that "The Sports Collectors Bible" says there are about a dozen known players. I looked through the "Bible" and couldn't find this issue mentioned at all....but I did finally 'bond' with the book

Speaking of 'old publications', I got my 1993 SCD guide in the mail today - what a cool book! It had articles on several famous finds at the back - got more great reading out of these than in any SCD magazine I've read. I was excited by the misnomer title "1887-1947 Baseball Card Price Guide", but disappointedly found that it listed Topps cards all the way through 1969!

...final unrelated thought: the current SCD has an ad for a GAI 9.5 Lebron James for $399.99! Incredible. Those of you who attended the 2002 National will remember that GAI was grading cards from perforated sheets in the National program. What a joke - and I thought my Brittany Spears swatch card was the best "free piece" acquired at the show!

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Posted By: Todd (nolemmings)

but I believe David Bryan had a handful of these up for sale toward the end of last year, including more than one that had not been catalogued. If I recall correctly, his all had back damage due to having been in an album.

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Posted By: Wayne Grove

Scott, The Gehrig card is cataloged in the Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles #7 on page #1105 along with Frisch, Goslin, Grimes, Grove and Ruth. There are probably others that exists but these have been confirmed.

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Posted By: fkw

There are 14 listed in the 2003 SCD Catalog now. I think most of the update was due to the batch that David Bryan had on eBay last year. he had a good size group. They come in bluegreen like yours, and also a deep red color as far as I know. There is also an uncataloged plain border variation that looks to be related to the W553 set, but are much rarer (below). Frank

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Posted By: fkw

It looks like your Gehrig is more of a blue-green color, while my Frisch is more of a blue-gray color. With the red ones Ive seen, that makes at least 3 colors now that Ive seen. Frank

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Posted By: runscott

I was just happy when it arrived in the mail and was "real", but it's nice to know a little more about the issue.

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Posted By: jay berhens

The red ones look a lot like a group I had around 1990 that was 3 strips of 5 cards each connected vertically. I recall Fritsch, Hornsby and Foxx. There was also number of other HOFers, but can't remember who. No Gehrig or Ruth in the group.

Jay

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Posted By: Bob Lemke

We'll be adding Hornsby to the list of W553 in the 2004 big book. On a related note, I wish enthusiastic sellers would check a CURRENT Standard Catalog before they decale a card to be "unlisted." The borderless version appears to be what was referred to in the Copeland Auction (Lot 707) as "Leader Novelty Candy Co."

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Posted By: Glen V

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Posted By: runscott

as noted in previous posts, some very odd price upgrades in the 2003 catalog put me off buying it, e.g - t206 green portrait Cobb. But I appreciate the new items that were added in 2003 and I will eventually buy it - it's easily the best guide on the market and it's obvious that a lot of hard work went into it.

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Posted By: fkw

Hi Mr. Lemke,

The set you refer to, "Leader Novelty Candy Co." Is unlisted or "uncataloged" in any book Ive seen, including the 2003 SCD Standard Catalog. It would be great if we can confirm these cards are from this candy company, but how do they (Copeland/Sotheby's) know? The cards are blank backed, and possibly hand cut from a strip (but they are similar to Uncle Jacks Candy cards as well). The Copeland lot #707 says..... "Leader Novelty Candy Co.- 33 cards" (set?) est $4,000, price realized $2,000, winner bidder #104. This Sotheby's Auction was in March 1991, almost 12 years ago, yet the set has never been cataloged in any price guide/catalog that Ive seen. I only have The Old Judge Issue #37 newsletter from the auction with the auction results, does anyone have the actual catalog where these Leader Novelty Candy Co. cards are pictured?? Maybe it has more info as to how they/someone figured out the name.


On a similar but unrelated group of cards that are uncataloged. Here is a link (below) to a recent auction of uncataloged cards (I own a single card from this set myself, E.A. Rommel). The 7 different players Ive seen would date this set to 1923 or 1924. Maybe one day this group of cards will make the catalogs Frank
http://www.huntauctions.com/online/imageviewer.cfm?auction_num=14&lot_num=528&lot_qual=&url_referer=view_lots_list.cfm

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Posted By: Paul

I have the Copeland catalog. It pictures the Hornsby from the Leader Novelty Candy set. It looks just like the cards on this thread. According to the description, the lot included the box they came in, so presumably the name "Leader Novelty" was on the box. Here's the description:

"33 different cards plus the flattend out candy box they were inserted in, full body action poses, same photos and format as R316 only smaller, tinted either red, brown, purple, or green, unnumbered, blank backs, the lot includes 16 Hall of Famers including, Foxx, Frisch, Klein, Hornsby, Ott, Simmons, Traynor and Waner, 1 3/4 in. by 2 5/8 in." It then notes: "No documentation exists regarding a checklist or background for this set, which was previously uncatalogued."

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Posted By: fkw

Thanks Paul, I guess I'll have to get one of those Copeland Auction catalogs next time I see one for sale, maybe there is other info I dont know yet.

I guess these cards would then be an "E-Unc." set (Pre1930s Candy), as they should be from 1929 like the R316's I assume??? Frank

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Posted By: Bob Lemke

Hello Frank,
I saw that Hunt auction lot, and it is a new one on me. Similarly, I have on a corner of my desk a stack of pictures, etc., of at least half a dozen different styles/types of uncataloged W or E sets that are known by a handful or fewer examples. We'll probably never get our arms totally around these orphans, but someday we'll try to get trial listings into the Standard Catalog.

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Posted By: Brett Domue

Of the 15 catalogued in the 2003 SCD as W553, I'm assuming that not all in fact are going to remain as W553, and will instead be moved to the Leader Novelty Candy Checklist?

Right now, checklisted are (Confirmed sets):
Blue (?)
Cochrane (?)
Foxx (?)
Frisch (W553)
Gehrig (?)
Goslin (W553)
Grimes (W553)
Grove (?)
Hornsby (?)
Maranville (Leader Novelty)
Miller (?)
O'Doul (?)
Ruth (?)
Simmons (?)
Traynor (Leader Novelty)

There's sure to be some duplication between the sets, so if anyone can confirm which have been found as W553 with the frame as opposed to borderless, this way they can be listed properly.

And has anyone found a complete Leader Novelty checklist?

Regards,

Brett

Brett Domue
okeedokee@pipeline.com
http://members.aol.com/METSBWD/wantlist.htm

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Posted By: Paul

I have W553s of Hornsby, Cochrane, Frisch, and Grimes. All have the full borders and definitely are not the Leader Novelty variety. On ebay, I've seen Ruth, Gehrig, Grove, and Goslin, all definitely W553s.

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Posted By: Bob Lemke

As far as I can recall, all of the W553s in the Standard Catalog checklist are of the ornate-frame format. The Leader Novelty checklist was begun only recently and is "clean," as well. Additions to either, substantiated by scans, are welcome.

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Posted By: Paul

Hi everyone,
Thought I'd pass along some information on a W553 card my dad has. He has had the card since he was a kid (1930's I guess, he doesn't really know how long he's had it or where he got it)...found it in a drawer about a year ago. There are 5 cards in this strip, one sits atop the other. (these 5 cards are uncut) Each player appears as an individual card with a border that surrounds him. The card he has is more of a sepia tone. The players are in this order from the top card down:
Robert Groves - Philadelphia (appears to be throwing the ball)
Burleigh Grimes - Pittsburgh (appears to have just thrown the ball)
Roger Hornsby - (can't tell the team from my photo)(has just swung the bat)
Lou Gherig - NY (about to swing the bat)
Babe Ruth - NY (in batting position)

The entire card measures 1 3/4" x 13 3/4" with each players card measuring 1 3/4" x 2 3/4".

I took a digital camera picture of it & would be glad to pass it along if helpful. I tried inserting here but that did not seem to want to work for some reason.

Paul